Is A&E Pulling a Prank on Pittsburgh?
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| Vince Isoldi |
One of A&E's four new reality series, “Godfather of Pittsburgh,” focuses on Vince Isoldi, an Italian-American who owns nightclubs and restaurants in the Steel City, "where he has made friends and enemies along the way." Eight one-hour episodes are slated to premiere.
Some natives of Pittsburgh seem to be taking issue with the show for various reasons. We had a little chat with one in particular, who wants to remain anonymous.
A&E has said in its promotional material:
"Pittsburgh is a town ruled by Vince Isoldi, a first-generation Italian American, who has built an empire of nightclubs and restaurants, all in hopes of supporting his family. But getting to the top means making a lot of enemies and some of them are kin. While Vince is one of the most revered – and feared – men in the city, all bets are off when he comes home...
"The “Godfather of Pittsburgh” takes a fascinating look at a truly original character who finds it hard to walk the ‘straight and narrow’ and still succeed in business."
"Vince is using the Mafia image for the cameras. He ain't no Godfather and no one fears that dude, he owns a strip club with escorts... he always tried to act like he was mobbed up, but he's no gangster," said our source.
"I did seven years in the pen for drug trafficking -- I am more of a gangster than him.
"People around here can't wait to see the show and his lies. I really hope he gets exposed for what he is: a wannabe playing a mobster.
"The whole neighborhood is laughing and talking about him.
"The show should really be about his father in-law, he had some bars and strip clubs too, but as far as Vince being in the mob or connected he's far from it. Angelo [presumably someone who appears on the show] is a crack head and gets weed off my little brother -- he's in one of the episodes too.
"Vince is a total phony, no one ever thought he was a gangster, he always tried to have that image because he was born in Italy.
Our source used to hang out in one of Vince's strip clubs years ago "when I sold coke.
"All the dealers hang in there and sell to the girls and the customers.
"He's real timid when he's by himself. But when he has his boys around he tries to act tough. He doesn't even have a rap sheet.
"I'm sure it's gonna be a joke, like the Amish Mafia Show. I hope he really gets exposed! It's all about money. A&E probably offered him a deal, and he ran with it. He has nothing to lose and everything to gain because everyone in the neighborhood and people that frequent his two clubs already know he's not a gangster or a tough guy!
"He's a wimp! When people around here heard that there was a show called The Godfather of Pittsburgh, he was the last person that anybody thought the show was about. Personally I thought it was gonna be the Graziano family or the Facchiano family, both are big in construction in the Pittsburgh area and have been for years.
"This is just another one of Vince's scams."
We will keep you posted!
"The whole neighborhood is laughing and talking about him.
"The show should really be about his father in-law, he had some bars and strip clubs too, but as far as Vince being in the mob or connected he's far from it. Angelo [presumably someone who appears on the show] is a crack head and gets weed off my little brother -- he's in one of the episodes too.
"Vince is a total phony, no one ever thought he was a gangster, he always tried to have that image because he was born in Italy.
Our source used to hang out in one of Vince's strip clubs years ago "when I sold coke.
"All the dealers hang in there and sell to the girls and the customers.
"He's real timid when he's by himself. But when he has his boys around he tries to act tough. He doesn't even have a rap sheet.
"I'm sure it's gonna be a joke, like the Amish Mafia Show. I hope he really gets exposed! It's all about money. A&E probably offered him a deal, and he ran with it. He has nothing to lose and everything to gain because everyone in the neighborhood and people that frequent his two clubs already know he's not a gangster or a tough guy!
"He's a wimp! When people around here heard that there was a show called The Godfather of Pittsburgh, he was the last person that anybody thought the show was about. Personally I thought it was gonna be the Graziano family or the Facchiano family, both are big in construction in the Pittsburgh area and have been for years.
"This is just another one of Vince's scams."
We will keep you posted!