"TG" Graziano HATES Mob Wives show..HATES IT!!!!!

My mobster father stopped speaking to us: "Mob Wives" creator

The first casualty of VH1's upcoming real ity series "Mob Wives" is already in the books.
It's the relationship between Jenn Graziano, the creator of the series that starts Sunday night, and her father, Anthony Graziano, the alleged consigliere of the Bonanno crime family who is serving time for racketeering in a federal prison in North Carolina.
Ever since she decided to do the series, her father has stopped speaking to her -- and her sister, Reneé, who is one of the four "wives" on the show.
"He absolutely has not given his blessing. He's not very happy at all, to be honest," says Graziano.
"We tried to explain to him that . . . we're not giving away any secrets," she says.
"But he's not even speaking to us."
If you didn't know it by now, the Mafia's days as a "secret society" are over. There are no more secrets to give away.
Except maybe one: the glitz and glamour of mob life portrayed in movies and TV shows like "Goodfellas" and "The Sopranos" isn't remotely close to the harsh reality faced by the women left behind when their significant others are serving time.
And that's the point Graziano hopes to make in "Mob Wives," in which Graziano's cameras follow her older sister, Renee, and three friends -- including Karen Gravano, daughter of infamous mob turncoat "Sammy the Bull" -- as they try keep it together on Staten Island with their main support systems behind bars.
"It's not all fancy clothes and cars," says Graziano. "These are women who are now single moms trying to make it on their own."
Not that long ago, a series like "Mob Wives" would have been impossible to make.
Now, Graziano says, it really didn't take too much persuading to get the four "Mob Wives" to agree to star in the show, which is still filming in and around Staten Island (with a few detours to Brooklyn and Jersey).
"They were a bit hesitant at first," she says. "But at the same time, they're ready to start new chapters in their lives and stand on their own two feet," she says.
That may be the one reason this show could be made. In the first two episodes, it becomes clear that two of the four women are separated or divorced from their incarcerated husbands -- and a third, Drita D'avanzo, is thisclose to throwing in the towel on her marriage.
"They only have themselves to rely on," says Jenn Graziano, "It's a realistic side of them that makes them no different from other women."
The show itself is shaped around Karen Gravano's return to Staten Island after 10 years of living in Arizona -- first in, then out of the Federal Witness Protection Program -- after her father's release from prison.
Jenn's sister, Reneé, who emerges in the first episodes as the central player in the drama, wants nothing to do with Karen. The others are willing to forgive and forget the sins of the father.
"Renee is probably one of the most warm-hearted people you'll ever meet," says Jenn of her sister. Renee's ex-husband Junior was picked up in last January's sweep of Mafia suspects. They are raising their 16-year-old son, AJ, together.
"She'll give you the shirt off her back and 99 cents of her last dollar. [But] she's very dramatic. It just seems to find her," says Jenn, who does not appear on-camera on the show.
"We say that she's hot pink, and I'm beige," she explains.
Gravano, who never married, has an 11-year-old daughter, Katrina (whose father spent eight years in prison).
"Karen is very fun-loving and down-to-earth -- like the girl next door," Graziano says. "But she doesn't take any s**t at all."
Drita's husband, Lee, is in state prison on bank robbery charges, They have two kids.
"She didn't grow up in this lifestyle," says Jenn. "She married into it. She's Albanian and grew up in the projects of Staten Island."
Carla Facciolo has 9-year-old twins. "We call her the 'Sex Kitten,' not in the sense that she sleeps around but she's very sexy and into her looks," Graziano says.

http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/crime_time_drama_rNl5C50bXdlF57rTsysJdP#ixzz1JH6F4Bhc

I can't help but wonder what John Gotti would've said about Growing Up Gotti. I can't imagine nice words.

I don't blame the guy for cutting off contact with his putanna daughters. You know me, Vinny. I don't advocate mob life. Ever. But you don't make an ass of your father in front of a national audience. They're all skanks, and they should be ashamed of themselves.

I agree. It just goes to show you how far people will go to earn an extra buck. I'm sure they had many discussions with their father about this and they know going in this is gonna hurt him. Yet, they still go forward with it. Money is their father.

I must admit I'm a little turned on by Renee's expression. I bet she fucks with a vengeance.

it looks like theres no eye balls just sockets

And I'll bet that if you weren't sitting behind a computer a thousand miles away from Staten Island, you wouldn't have the courage to make disgusting comments like this one.

Be very careful with whom you comment about Vinny because it's a really small world and you just never know who you may be offending.

I see nothing offensive about that comment. If someone said this about me, I'd feel pretty good about myself. I didn't say she could scare the paint of a wall. I didn't call her a skank. No, I said I was turned on by her. However, I understand full well why people might not like these women and I'll make it clear right now. I could give a fuck about them. Anybody who is gonna sell out their parents for money is not welcome in my presence. It's nice to see you defend people like that. You don't see that often. It's refreshing.

"there is no mob"
- Rene Graziano, Mob Wives, Season 1 Episode 1, 2011

She's almost right. There's like 3 people left.

Seems to be a lot of these types posting on the boards lately.....

Well, if you're referring to me then I've never claimed to be a tough guy like some people on here. However, if you do have any problems with me then I'd love to settle this with you in the octagon. I will probably lose, but since you brought up toughness I can't help but wonder how tough you are. I visit New York regularly. I'll let you know when I'm in town.

Oh, it's not me that you need to let know. Not me that you have to worry about. But be sure to post on here so that her family will know when you'll be in New York.

Like I've said to your several times before..... you just never know who is reading the posts that are made on these boards.

BTW, how come you took the original pictures, that you posted, of Renee Graziano out of your posts and replaced them with that Jwow girl from Jersey Shore?

Wasn't this the Renee Graziano that you originally said turned you on?

Wait a minute, are you telling me her family wants to meet with me because I think she's aggressive in bed? Now I'm beginning to think they have some mental issues. I mean, I know TG had a severe coke problem, but this appears to be way worse than that. Tell them I'd be honored to meet them. Does she have an e-mail or a phone number? PM me tough guy. Let me call her.

The irony is that while it's true we don't know who is reading our posts, the readers themselves have absolutely no idea who is posting either.

In the words of Nicky Scarfo, I LOVE THIS .

And by the way, I never posted these pictures of Renee Graziano and the other mob wives. That was pizzaboy. He deleted his posts as soon as you took offense to my "fuck with a vengeance" post.

As far as JWoww goes. There's no comparison. She makes Renee look like a fucking garbage pile. No offense.

the way I see it is good for these girls for tryin to do their own thing and make some money. its 2011 - there are no real rules anymore. everythings basically a hustle, especially in new york where the only way to make real money is through entertainment or having your hand in someone else's pocket. its unfortunate but ridiculous reality tv is such a big part of our culture now; there is always going to be someone more ridiculous and more trashy than the previous shit-fest show that has everyone up in arms. her old time dad might hate it now but if it takes off and she's getting 6 figures from it when he gets out of jail I'd bet he'd look the other way.

April 12th :

April 13th :

April 16th :






Me a tough guy? Nahhhhh. I'm a lover....not a fighter.



As the saying goes...."Be careful what you wish for because you just may get it."

I'm sure that someone from Ms. Graziano's family will get your message once they've read your post.

Good luck Vinny. Maybe one day all of your wishes will really come true!

I said compared to JWoww she looks like a garbage pile. That doesn't mean I think Renee is ugly or not attractive. It simply means I think JWoww looks much better. I hope you understand now .

Question for you DC. Why would you defend somebody who is willing to sell out her father for money? It's a little odd, considering you got quotes from Gotti there. "You don't betray who you are." Well, Renee Graziano has betrayed her father. There is nothing lower. And even though I have very little respect for people like TG, I have even less respect for people who sell out their own blood for money. Maybe if they did something positive, I'd see them in a different light.

I completely forgot this was on last night . Did any1 watch it ? Opinoins ?

Ok I just watched the first episode of this and its pretty bad . My initial thought are gravano is a complete loser . Just another dumb whore making a fool of herself on national tv . Graziano is a little nuts and the other 2 seem pretty normal so far.

I have to say I really got a chuckle out of that and the stand for Graziano. This reminds me of growing up in south philly and you end up in a fight with some kid and he would be running his mouth saying shit like, "You know who I am?" "You know who my Uncle is" "You know where I am from". Do a youtube search for 5th and washington...so funny...it kind of reminded me of that.

who gives a shit about her family. She is on TV now...reality "Mob" TV. She put herself out there...and her family. If someone is upset about Vinny's comments...what about the bloggers of the world ripping them a new one. And believe me...this is not me sticking up for Vinny cause some of his posts urk the shit out of me but for you to stick up for this women likes shes your sister is just ridiculous to me. She looks like the Italian Joan Rivers. Her face is going to fall off in about 5 years. Didn't I hear her father disowned her basically anyway for doing this show.

I watched the first 15 minutes and it was basically what I thought it would be. The only one I could kind of stand was the Albanian one and the other lady divorcing her husband was ok. But Graziano is what I call Typical. If I was blind, I could have described her. The only thing she probably does do well is in the bed.

I was embarrased watching her scream and yell like shes 21 and I wouldn't be surprised if her family is embarrased as well. Shes basically a bully. Ok I am done with this thread as I am done with watching this show. Sorry to come off harsh but I just don't get the stand for a woman like this.

CLASSIC video. my favorite part is the guy casually taking off his rings before he knocks that guy out.

Well, I watched the show and I actually liked it. I especially liked Karen Gravano. I loved it when she looked Renee dead in the eyes and said, "You don't have a problem with that lifestyle?." If Renee had said yes, I would be applauding her right now. Except she said no. Even got confused when Karen asked her how she felt about murder. I really don't know what to say. I just wanna shake her. Tell her to grow the fuck up and get a lobotomy or something. Then she talks about being loyal to her father, a man who has supported her financially since forever and she has the nerve to sell him out for a tv show. For more money. I guess that mansion wasn't enough . What a pathetic human being.

Anyway, I am looking forward to the next episode .

Well said. It was a very childish reaction.



Yeah her father doesn't want anything to do with her. And with a daughter like that, who can blame him . As far as her face goes, I agree she looks beat up, a little fucked up, but she seems to have a sweet backside. Juicy.

a bonus clip here


http://xclusivesoundz.com/reality-and-t ... onus-clip/

May need to fix the link.

I caught parts of the show the other night, Graziano and Gravano come off as real idiots. The other two girls weren't that bad, the one with the dark hair is kinda attractive too. I wont be watching this garbage again. Karen Gravano seems to be living pretty good still from the looks of her home in Arizona, some of Sammy's drug and extortion money must still be around. She also had a phone conversation with her brother Gerard on the show, he sounded like a real loser also.

Clips from the 2nd episode....

http://www.vh1.com/shows/mob_wives/series.jhtml

i messed up that quote what is at the bottom of the quote is my response to what spmob said

I'd have to agree with that, seeing her put away them shots of Patron, with that attitude and those amazing EYES!!! I'd love a shot at her, put a smile on her face as well as mine. She's got that look, not to mention that raspy ass voice, which sounds very good, she'll bring out the animal in a man!!!

Watched the first episode. That was more than enough for me.

What garbage!

Does any1 know how much these broads are getting paid per episode ?

I bet she fantasizes about being raped by a pack of jailbirds.

WOW!!

Vinny,I gotta tell ya, really felt like you were transcending Ralph Cifaretto there. Really made me laugh.

I saw an episode for the first time yesterday. There's no chemistry between the wives. In fact, I can't imagine Renee has chemistry with anyone! I'd stay 10 feet away from that woman.

Renee Graziano must be going through menopause with all the crying, anger, and general bitchyness. My God, she is one annoying woman.

Holy crap! The shit hits the fan in the next episode.

You know it's actually getting serious when the camera crew has to intervene.

I would love to see the look on Anthony Graziano's face if he saw this spectacle.



http://www.vh1.com/video/misc/654960/renee-and-carla-facciolo-come-to-blows.jhtml#id=1664335

http://www.vh1.com/video/misc/655013/drita-gets-ready-to-fight.jhtml#id=1664335

In the last episode Renee went out clubbing and told a pack of strangers, "I'm Anthony Graziano's daughter" . It was pathetic. It reminds me of people who tell me things like, "You know who I am." I wouldn't care if Renee was Al Capone's daughter.

In a strange way, I feel bad for TG. He's gotta be unhappy about this . The guy was the biggest gangster in Staten Island and this is what he gets.

renee is the worst. Every arguement winds up being " do u know who my father is" or "do u know who my ex husband is". Most wiseguys never want there name to be used and here is renee all about the life and she is the biggest name dropper in the world.


this show is terrible but i cant lie i have seen every episode LOL

the guys gonna be coming outta the can 70 something years old to an extremely broken (mob) family. his former friend/boss currently on the witness stand, another real tough guy who he prob had some respect for about to be on death row. it might be a little embarassing, but once Renee starts hitting him off with some of the money this show is raking in, im sure he'll turn the other cheek. these guys will do pretty much anything for a dollar, a show like this just could be another hustle for them

this show officially sux. i just watched the last episode and i officially cant stand any of them. If drita does anymore bkini pics can some1 let me know cause other than that i am not wasting my time watching it anymore LOL

yeah this show tell how they are broke.. if they had millions and this houses to realy belonge to them they would never do that. they are just getting broke. its pathethic

Those really are their houses. They're not sets or anything. I don't think any of them are millionaires but they live well enough, even with their husbands or fathers in prison. Renee has said before she's basically supported financially by her father. And, I assume, whatever money she gets from her ex-husband for their son.

"TG" has to be embarassed, AT LEAST, due to his daughter's behavior. But being her father, he has probably dealt with more than his fair share of those types of situations, as has Jr., her ex husband. I always was taught to be low key, not to draw attention to myself, for it only brings trouble in the end. Renee has probably done that type of thing numerous times before, and she'll continue to do so because she feels that she is better and should be treated different due to her father's name/reputation/job/career. A definite "Mafia Princess"!!

Don't tell Jennifer Graziano that crime doesn't pay
She taps into her family's alleged Mafia connections to create 'Mob Wives' on VH1
By Meredith Blake, Special to the Los Angeles Times
June 12, 2011


It wasn't until the fourth grade that Jennifer Graziano, creator and executive producer of the VH1 reality series "Mob Wives," suspected that her father, Anthony Graziano, might be in an unusual line of work.

"The teacher was going around the class, and everybody was reciting what their parents did for a living," Graziano, now 38, recalls. "I was like … 'I don't know what my father does.' And I didn't. I really didn't."

Graziano may have been in the dark about her father's alleged Mafia connections — according to prosecutors, he was for years the consigliere of New York's Bonanno crime family and is currently in prison — but these days Graziano has not only accepted her family's checkered past, she's used it to make the leap into a career as a television producer.

"Mob Wives," which concludes its first season June 26, follows four tough-talking, telegenic Staten Island women with personal ties to organized crime: Drita D'avanzo and Carla Facciolo are married to men in prison for mob-related activities; Karen Gravano is the daughter of FBI informant Sammy "The Bull" Gravano; and Renee Graziano is the ex-wife of alleged gangster Hector "Junior" Pagan, as well as Jennifer Graziano's older sister. In something of a rarity for reality television, the women have known one another for decades, and their complicated histories add a note of authenticity to the show's many alcohol-fueled catfights.

The series — produced by Bob and Harvey Weinstein and Ben Silverman's Electus — melds "Real Housewives"-style drama with imagery familiar from pop-culture classics like "The Sopranos" and "Goodfellas" and interstitials designed to look like surveillance footage.

Graziano initially won over the cast by promising that the show would not broach any subjects that aren't already a matter of public record. "We always use the word 'alleged.' We are not confirming anything 100%," she clarifies.

By turning the cameras on her friends and family, Graziano put herself in a complicated position. While filming the season, Graziano's former brother-in-law, Junior, was arrested along with 126 others in an unprecedented raid — the kind of serendipitous event that reality television producers dream about. For Graziano, it was bittersweet.

"Renee called me 5 a.m. in the morning, hysterical, crying. I'm like, 'Let me put you on hold,'" she says, then mimics dialing the phone. " 'Get the cameras to Renee's house right now!' I felt like such a bitch."

Unlike her sister — who is, as Facciolo puts it, "way too into the mob thing" — Jennifer Graziano says she has long been immune to the perks of being a Mafia princess. As a teenager, she and Renee frequented the legendary Bay Ridge nightclub Pastels. Arriving via limousine, Renee would strut past the velvet rope, reminding everyone of her powerful family connections; Jennifer would slip quietly to the back of the line. It was part modesty, part survival mechanism.

"The stuff the movies are made about — the furs, the money, the parties, the respect — it's all great, but then at any given time the other shoe could drop and you're going on prison visits and having to pay commissary and living your life absent of your husband or father," Jennifer says. "Mob Wives" plays up both of these extremes. The women talk about the difficulty of making it on their own, yet their closets remain conspicuously well-stocked.

In contrast, Graziano has always defined herself as a career woman. After earning a master's degree in psychology from New York University, she dabbled in the music industry, writing a song for the R&B singer Frankee that reached No. 1 in Britain; later, she launched her own marketing firm. About five years ago, she began to develop a scripted series about Mafia women, but with the success of "The Real Housewives" franchise, she realized a reality show might be more feasible. After all, she already had a cast in place: Her own family and friends.

After pitching the show to the Weinstein Co., Graziano and the cast charmed company executive David Glasser during a fortuitous run-in at Nobu, and a deal was soon made. Harvey Weinstein reached out to Silverman's newly minted Electus, and together they sold the project to VH1.

"I call it the Ben-Harvey factor," Graziano says. "I went from having one offer to five."

For an industry novice like Graziano, it was a major coup. Silverman says he was won over by her steely confidence. "She believed in herself from the very first time we met," he says. The colorful cast didn't hurt either: "I knew they were alternative programming gold."

Though "Mob Wives" focuses on the personal drama of its cast and not the inner workings of the Mafia, the show has, according to Graziano, prompted criticism from some "in the community" — most notably, her own father. "He's not happy at all with the show. We're not on the best of terms right now," she acknowledges.

One source of contention is Graziano's 25-year friendship with Karen Gravano, which began with a chance meeting at the Staten Island Mall. The girls, both 13 at the time, figured out their fathers were colleagues (of a sort), and became inseparable. The relationship was tested when, in 1991, Gravano's father testified against mob boss John Gotti in exchange for a reduced sentence.

At the time, Graziano's parents forbade her from talking to Gravano, but she stood by her friend throughout the ordeal. "Yes, my father taught us never to rat, but he also taught us loyalty," she explains. However, as Graziano is careful to add, her forgiveness does not extend to Sammy the Bull. "By having Karen on the show, in no way am I condoning anything he did."

Despite the lingering family tension, Graziano is on a roll professionally. She and the Weinstein Co. have launched a joint venture, JustJenn Productions, with offices in New York and Los Angeles, where she's developing a slate of reality and scripted series. VH1 just renewed "Mob Wives," which averaged a respectable 1.2 million viewers, for a second season.

Her burgeoning career is a far cry from the lifestyle depicted on "Mob Wives," and that's fine by her. "I don't want to be known as anyone's sister or daughter or wife," she says.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-ca-mob-wives-20110612,0,6765198.story

Quite a showdown for the season finale. LOL!

http://www.vh1.com/video/misc/667741/drita-and-karen-throw-punches.jhtml#id=1666395

I actually like the show. It's got some seriously fucked up human beings. Mob Wives has already gotten a green light for season 2. I love it. I hope TG is as happy as I am .

I often wondered what kind of women the younger generation mob guys were marrying. The typical mama corleoness's / carmella sopranos. A good home maker and mother or whorish party girls. And this show has answered that for me. These broads are all pigs. All kearen and drita do is argue about who fucked who's boyfriend bhind there back. And the pretty dark hair broad has a boyfriend while her husband is doing time. And they r constantly out partying not hanging home keeping house.

Speaking of TG Graziano, was there open antagonism between him and Gerald Sciascia or was that just between Massino and Sciascia, or was it all made up?

Sciascia made the allegation that Graziano was a cocaine addict. Whether TG actually was or if the accusation was brought on by some other beef, I really don't know. But apparently Massino didn't buy it and took Graziano's side. Graziano swore to Massino that the only drug he ever took was stomach medicine. After Sciascia was killed, Massino said something to the effect of, "That will teach him to talk bad about one of my captains."

Massino Feared being purged by the Zip faction especcially Sciascia had about as much money and backing within the bonannos(including montreal) in 84 he done the same with bonventre who was much less a threat.I think massino would have been dead by 1990 if Sal Catalano hand other zips had not been taken down in the pizza connection. I dont know if TG graziano took drugs but the accusasion was good enuff for massino to justify sciascias murrder to Vitale But of course he denied it to everyone else.

Thank you gentlemen for the insight. I read on Capeci's gangland site, back when it was free and accessible, about the allegations and always thought it may have been conjecture, most likely coming from a fbi agent or doj contact. Defintely makes sense Massino wanted him out of the way, just like Bonaventre, and used the excuse of standing up for his subordinate to do it.

Well, I just finished watching the last show. All I gotta say is...Drita has completely redeemed herself.

This Sunday will be the "reunion" episode, I think it will be two hours long so it should be interesting since alot has happened since the show ended.

Anybody else notice that drita never wears a wedding ring. She claims to be this super loyal wife but yet she never wears a ring .

I think being married to a dead beat jailbird has taken it's toll on Drita. I must say though, I sort of like her.

How many times you post the same thing? Plenty of people that are devoted and loyal DON'T wear a ring and then there are tons that wear it and it means nothing. Sing a different song already. Please.

And if I see you ask the question about what kind of woman does a mobster marry AGAIN, I think I'll spit fire.

hey carmela what type of woman marries a low level mob associate?

. Then go spit fire cause I will post whatever the fuck I want when I want

Is the Mob Now As Laughable As Reality TV Makes It Seem? We Ask an FBI Agent
New York Magazine
July 13, 2011


Special Agent George Khouzami helped coordinate the sweeping FBI mafia takedown in New York this past January — which then became a plot point on Mob Wives, VH1's hit show about the wives and daughters of Mafiosos. (Think Real Housewives with Staten Island accents and rap sheets.) With its jokey gunshot sound effects and surveillance-camera intros, Mob Wives made organized crime look about as serious as Flava Flav's love life. And yet it's deadly serious ... right? With mafia families becoming a reality-TV trend — including Investigation Discovery's I Married a Mobster, premiering tonight — we asked Agent Khouzami about the current state of the mafia and how the wiseguys we've seen on TV and film compare to the real deal.



All these reality-TV shows about mafia family members make the mob seem almost cartoonish, not something to be taken seriously anymore. What do actual mobsters think of these shows?

Based on my knowledge, the mob looks at these TV shows as a mockery of what they do. I certainly don't think that they're proud of having these shows. Without speaking for Anthony Graziano, who I believe is the father of one of the girls in the VH1 show [Renee Graziano], I imagine that he's probably beside himself over what his daughter is doing.

During the reunion special, I believe Renee said her father refuses to watch the show.

I think that's something you should bet on. I think she's probably gonna get a mouthful from him when he gets out.

On that show, they talk a lot about the "mafia lifestyle,” this glamorous Staten Island life of extravagance. Is there such a thing?

The mafia lifestyle for the spouse, or for the actual mafioso?

What's the difference?

Well, I think the mafia spouse is — from our perspective, we believe that she certainly knows what's going on, she knows what her husband is into, she's certainly reaping the benefits of what he's into by not having a job of her own, by driving beautiful luxury vehicles, by having the nicest of clothing, the Gucci bags. So they're all reaping the benefits, but they all have this ability at the end of the day to say, "I don't know what my husband is into.”

Mob Wives seemed to reinforce this idea — that, frankly, I got from The Sopranos — of all mafia guys having this secret life separate from their wives, which includes girlfriends. Do all mob guys secretly cheat on their wives?

Yes and no. They certainly all do have their girlfriends on the side. But most of these spouses know that there's a woman on the side, and they don't necessarily have to put up with it. That's some more evidence for you that the financial benefits that they reap from being mafia wives, it's all worth it to them. Because a lot of them may not know 100 percent, but they all certainly have a good idea that their spouses have girlfriends. And they're willing to put up with that. They're willing to live day to day with the fact that Tuesday nights are girlfriend nights. For some of these guys, it's that bad: Every Tuesday and Friday night, that's the girlfriend's night, and every Saturday and Monday night, that's the wife's night.

So what about the kids? On Growing Up Gotti, Victoria Gotti's sons seem eager to cash in on the fact that they're Gottis. Do kids see this as a benefit, are they generally in the dark?

I do believe that most real wiseguys keep their children out of it. I do think that in the case of the Gotti kids, they may be doing and have done street-level stuff that really any kid may have participated in growing up. You certainly didn't need to be the son or grandson of a mobster to be involved in smoking pot or doing some shoplifting. But look, like any normal human being, they're trying to cash in on some moneymaking endeavors, and I think in their minds, going into entertainment was the way to go. But I'm not sure how promising of a career they have going forward; I'm not sure that Growing Up Gotti was the best of reality shows.

On Real Housewives of New Jersey, there's that guy Danny Provenzano who would periodically come by to make threats and brag about his mafia connections. Is a guy like him putting himself at risk by doing that?

I certainly think that he carries the same risk that a lot of these cooperating witnesses carry. Sammy [“The Bull” Gravano]’s daughter [Karen, on Mob Wives] carries as equal if not greater a risk than Provenzano, just simply because there are plenty of people who are furious about what Sammy did twenty years ago [he snitched on the mob]. For Sammy's daughter to now reap some benefits from her dad betraying — in their world — their mafia family, I think that probably puts her at more of a risk. And again, not only are these people still wanting to retaliate against Sammy because he went bad on them, but to add insult to injury, she's on TV, she' s writing a book.

Let's talk about The Sopranos for a minute. The Sopranos sort of portrayed the mob as a dying organization, not like it was in the old days. How accurate was that portrayal of the New Jersey–New York mafia?

When people say "the mob is dead," I think that's an inaccurate statement. It's certainly less than what you experienced in the sixties and seventies. The way of doing business from the mob's perspective has changed dramatically, and I think some people confuse that with the idea that the mob is dying. It's still rabid, strong, and alive; I just think the days of easily charging the mob — those days are over, because people are engaged in more sophisticated crimes. Their level of concealment as it relates to financial-type fraud and health-care fraud and all the other, the different complex crimes that they're involved in, it's just made it harder for us to track them. So it appears as if it's not as big of a problem, but certainly the mob is still there, and they're still very strong. Their hierarchy is well-established, and it's been established for decades, so it's very easy to replace somebody. When we arrest a high-ranking captain, the next day somebody's there to fill that person's shoes.

So what crimes are the mob likely to be involved in now that they wouldn't have been involved in twenty years ago?

We've had numerous cases that illustrate their involvement in the stock market. They're infiltrating the financial sector a lot more than they did twenty or thirty years ago. The days of "give me a thousand dollars or I'm gonna break your legs" explicitly stated to someone and captured on tape, I think, are over. The forms of extorting individuals are now concealed in inflated invoices, they're concealed in control of high-level executives at companies.

How many times have you seen The Godfather?

Probably five or six.

I think that's still the touchstone for most people when it comes to the mafia. Is that film more fantasy or reality, in terms of how the mob operated in the seventies?

I think it's more reality. In the seventies, the Sicilian mafia in Italy was not a force to reckon with. And I think the slayings in that movie are a very accurate depiction of how life really was back then. Some people still argue that the Sicilian mafia is still, to an extent, more like they were twenty years ago [than other mafia]. They're certainly more intimidating and more violent than the New York–based families. So I would think it's probably more reality than not, as it relates to the seventies. But now I have to go back and watch The Godfather. It's been a few years.

How about The Sopranos?

The Sopranos sort of depicted a quasi-realistic life of the mafia in the tri-state area. I think that was a fairly accurate depiction; I think some of it was a bit of a stretch, but most of it was pretty accurate — the girlfriends, the extortion, the back-stabbing, the murders. The characters were pretty good depictions of your average mafia person.

So you felt that those were guys that you had met?

Yeah. I mean, look, a mafia guy is a man with quite a personality. Most of them are very professional and cordial with us. Most of them respect what we do and what we're trying to do, and they understand that when and if they get caught, it's the cost of doing business.

So there's actually some respect between the police and the mob?

I certainly believe that that exists, certainly with the older mafia. Some of the new generation mafia kids probably lack a little bit of that professionalism and respect, but for the most part the mafia does carry itself in a very professional and respectful manner towards law enforcement.

http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/201...ost-viewed-24h5

Interesting that an FBI agent says The Godfather is pretty realistic. But they talk about the seventies, while most of the films take place in the 1950s.

I always thought The Godfather Part II is pretty realistic, which is why it's also my favorite.

yeah godfather 2 is where its at in my opinion! good article tho sonny!

George Khouzami. Name sounds arab, I guess they don't trust those guys to work in task-forces that have something to do with the middle east. From the interview I'd guess he may be the next James Connelly, really in love with the godfather movies and the lifestyle, lol.

If u had to marry 1 of these girls which 1 wud u choose ?

Carla is a very beautiful woman and her grammar is decent as well. She also looks younger than the other girls, I was surprised to know they're all around the same age.

Just watched the reunion show. Drita and lee seperated that's SHOCKING lol

November 22, 2011

‘Mob Wives” is getting a new “made” member.

Ramona Rizzo — the granddaughter of Benjamin “Lefty Guns” Ruggiero, the Bonnano crime family soldier played by Al Pacino in the 1997 movie “Donnie Brasco” — is joining the cast this season, The Post has learned.

“Her grandfather is the one person — aside from her father — who’s probably Ramona’s biggest hero,” says Jennifer Graziano, the creator and producer of the hit reality series.

“She loved him very deeply.”

In fact, says Graziano, “When they were making [‘Donnie Brasco’] — and this is Ramona’s personality to a ‘T’ — she went to the set, called Pacino out of his trailer and said: ‘I understand you’re playing my grandfather. You’ve got a job to do. You need to play him right. This is what he was, and this is what he wasn’t.’

“If she’s got something to say, she’ll say it,” says Graziano, herself the daughter of a Bonnano capo, Anthony Graziano.

Rizzo joins the show, set to begin a new season Jan. 1, because she is a childhood friend of “Mob Wives” spitfire Karen Gravano, daughter of mob turncoat Sammy “The Bull” Gravano.

A divorced mother of four, Rizzo lives in New Jersey, but was raised on Staten Island, where most of the action in “Mob Wives” takes place.

“Karen and Ramona grew up together, did their first Communion together and slept over each other’s houses,” Graziano says. “They’re really close and call each other ‘cousins.’

“They’re probably tighter than real blood cousins, but they’re not related.”

Her grandfather played a key — if unwitting — role in the downfall of the mob in New York when, in 1976, Ruggiero brought into the crime family an undercover FBI agent, Joe Pistone, pretending to be a promising wise guy.

Inexplicably, the mob never ordered a hit on Ruggiero as punishment for his error in judgment.

He died — after a long prison stint — of cancer in 1994, before the movie that made him famous was released.

Graziano says she considered casting Rizzo for the show’s first season.

“She and I discussed it but didn’t think she was ready for it at the time,” she says.

So what changed?

“She was traveling and just returned back home,” Graziano says. “I don’t want to give too much of the back story away, but you’ll see it unfold.”

The show’s original cast, Gravano, Graziano’s older sister, Renee, Drita D’avanzo and Carla Facciolo, will all be returning as well, the network says.

The show, originally made as a close relative of the “Real Housewives” series, took on a life of its own during its debut season and became a much-talked-about hit for VH1.

On a side note.....


A top Bonanno mobster better straighten out his own family.
NY DAILY NEWS
November 22, 2011

The former son-in-law of reputed consigliere Anthony (T.G.) Graziano was arrested by federal agents Monday for allegedly setting up the armed robbery of an illegal gambling spot controlled by the Bonanno crime family.

Hector Pagan, Jr., was ordered held without bail in connection with the 2009 stickup in Staten Island that netted about $5,000. Pagan, 51, the ex-husband of Graziano’s daughter, Rene, who appears on the reality show “Mob Wives,” hatched the scheme to rob the weekly card game where large amounts of money were wagered, according to the complaint filed in Brooklyn Federal Court.

“Pagan threatened one of the victims by pointing his gun directly at one of the victim’s legs,” U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent Al Gyenes stated in the complaint.

Graziano is serving the last two months of a racketeering conviction in a halfway house and is already back in trouble with the feds. He was photographed by agents last month meeting at a Staten Island diner with another Bonanno wiseguy, which is a violation that is expected to earn him more prison time. Graziano is supposedly not happy with the attention the TV show brings upon his secret society and stopped talking to his daughter.

Graziano was chauffeured to the sitdown by mob wanna-be Matthew Rinaldo, who is also charged with participating in the card game robbery with Pagan.

looks like tg was making a few moves

‘Mob Wives’ coming to Chicago
By MARK BROWN
November 15,2011


This one should set tongues to wagging from Bridgeport to Chicago Heights and along Grand Avenue to Elmwood Park.

The folks behind “Mob Wives,” VH1’s hit reality television show following the lives of four tough-talking, loud-living Staten Island women with personal ties to New York mob figures, plan to start filming a new Chicago spinoff within the next month.

Talk about your Operation Family Secrets.

The biggest secret is which Chicago women have been signed up by the network to participate.

Jennifer Graziano, the show’s producer, is keeping that information within the family, so to speak, despite numerous scouting trips here over the last several months to lay the groundwork for a series that is expected to air in the spring.

I’ve heard a couple of names, including one you can bet wouldn’t be doing this if her father were still alive, but both women angrily hung up on me.

Television gossip isn’t my normal turf, but it’s been too hard to resist this story since Graziano’s co-producer called this summer looking for Chicago mob insights.

Apparently, big city daily newspaper columnists are supposed to have lots of sources inside the mob, and I hate to break it to my readers, but unfortunately I’m fresh out.

Still, I know a spit storm brewing when I see one. I can’t tell you about New York, but in Chicago, mob wives — and daughters and girlfriends — are still supposed to stay out of the public eye.

Chicago lawyers who have represented mob clients were beyond skeptical when asked if they were aware of the project.

“It’s inconceivable,” one said. “I just don’t think it would meet with approval here.”

I tried to make the same point to Graziano when she stopped by the office around Labor Day between meetings with prospects.

But Graziano, whose father is Anthony “The Little Guy” Graziano, reputed consigliere to the Bonnano crime family, just gave me a knowing look as if to indicate she had her bases covered.

“I’ve got some family contacts here, people that have known my family and friends of mine,” said Graziano, whose sister Renee is one of the stars of the show along with Karen Gravano, daughter of Sammy “The Bull” Gravano, the mob hit man who became a government witness and took down John Gotti and the Gambino crime family.

“One of the selling points is we don’t write about anything that hasn’t been in the news,” Graziano said. “We don’t divulge any secrets.”

While hoping to land a recognizable mob family name or two for the Chicago cast, Graziano said it was more important that the characters “pop” on television.

I suggested they pay a visit to former Cicero Mayor Betty Loren-Maltese. That was the weekend Betty happened to be having a garage sale, so it seemed pretty obvious she could use the money. I also assured them Betty “pops” on television.

But they weren’t certain Betty fit the demographic they were seeking, in other words, too old. Sorry, Betty. I tried.

I’ve never watched “Mob Wives” myself. “Wives” shows give me the heebie-jeebies.

But my wife assured me “Mob Wives” was the best show on television during its first season, and I can attest she is a connoisseur of a certain kind of TV — the trashy kind.

“Mob Wives,” as I understand it, is way more raw, more intense, more real, than any of those “Housewives” shows. When these women have a fight, as they often do, you fully expect somebody to get hurt.

My wife’s favorite character is Drita D’avanzo. She is particularly impressed with how effortlessly Drita slips off her high heels while charging headlong into battle. You’ve got to admire that in a woman.

This embrace of mob stereotypes has received its share of criticism in New York, and anticipating the same here, I called Dominic DiFrisco, president emeritus of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans.

“I wish them nothing but failure,” said DiFrisco, who hasn’t seen the show but knows the type. “I think it’s a very ugly continuation of the long-standing slandering and defaming of the Italian-American people.”

If the characters pop, I can’t imagine it will be a failure. But this being Chicago, you still have to wonder if somebody will get popped.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/brown/8853688-452/mob-wives-coming-to-chicago.html

i dont mind the mob wives show it is entertaining

I love how they think just because they're married/with these guys that makes them part of their inner circle...

I've only seen the TV show on when I go to the gym and it was on a TV there and I was doing cardio so I watched it for about 10 mins while exercising. The show had a lot of drama, fighting, and was staged as all reality TV shows are.

I'm not sure why these women are so open about their boyfriends or husbands being involved in la famiglia? Do they have a death wish? Or do they think that they'll become "famous" because of going on a reality TV show?

Renee might open a chain of pork stores and deli's named Renne's Roastbeef..According to her latest books she's alwayd had roast beef drapes and goes into elbarote detail about her method of gettin u to bust

I despise guessing games...

Sure was shocking was re-watching the series tonight after I got my haircut.

Che schifo!