April 18, 2011

Zlata Thoughts on Mob Wives

Last night, I watched the premiere of Mob Wives on VH1.  The show borders on Real Housewives of New Jersey and Sopranos.  Following the lives of four women whose family have had involvement in the mafia/mob at one point or another, I'm pretty sure this new TV series is going to be a hit. Kudos to VH1 for realizing the value in such a television show, since theirs are all pretty boresville.
Meet the molls: The stars of VH1's Mob Wives, which follows four Staten Island women with gangster connections

Let's get into the introductions:
    Karen Gravano: 'I feel like the people you need to be loyal to in life is the family'
    Karen Gravano
  • Daughter of Sammy 'The Bull' Gravano, John Gotti's right-hand man. He cooperated with the feds and helped take down Gotti and the entire Gambino crime family. 
  • He moves to Arizona under a witness protection program, but eventually left the program so he could promote a book.  Fact: I read this book in college.  It's a great read.
  • When Karen was in Arizona, she served some years of probation after she was implicated in a drug ring her father confessed to running.
  • Now she's moved back to Staten Island to write her own memoir and according to some sources, she's received a six-figure advance.
  • My thoughts on Karen: She seems a little insecure and a lot of ghetto. The confrontation between her and Renee outside of the party could have gone a little bit more smoothly. I think she's right in her claims that Renee is too much into the mob scene still, but Karen could have conveyed that appropriately outside instead of patronizing her.  She's obviously very bothered that Drita (below) married her ex-boyfriend Lee, but couldn't really say anything to her face when they met for lunch because she wants/needs Drita as her ally.  Thus, my thinking she's insecure.  Karen will probably  bring it up in a later episode blow-up, but didn't bring it up directly to Drita to "get it out of the way."
Drita D'avanzo: 'I'm sensitive, some people hurt my feelings and I punch them in the face.'
Drita D'Avanzo

  • Drita D'avanzo was brought up in a strict Albanian family.  
  • Her father was a strict soccer coach who taught her to be tough and had her to hundreds of sit-ups a day.  Apparently, she was asked to play in the women's national soccer team, but opted to follow her first love of 'the streets'.
  • Her family disowned her because she married an Italian, Lee D'avanzo, who prosecutors claim is a high-ranking member of the Bonanno family.  He went to prison for bank robbery when Drita was pregnant with their first daughter, who is now 9. Even though he was released three years ago (at which time the couple made another baby) he was arrested again for bank robbery and is now serving two to five years.
  • My thoughts on Drita: Since she was brought up so strict in an Albanian family, it bothers me just a little bit that she thinks she's this hard ass Italian mob girl.  Had she been brought up somewhere else, she might have turned out completely different. I haven't figured her out yet, but I am really into her body, regardless of her obvious eating disorder and fake boobs.
Carla Facciolo: She is raising her twins by herself after her stock broker husband was jailed
Carla Facciolo
  • Carla Facciolo grew up in Bergen Beach, Brooklyn and her father was sent to jail when she was young.  At 17, she started dating 'street guys' but ended up marrying a stock broker, Joey Ferragamo.
  • Ferragamo ended up getting jail time for stock fraud and she now raises the couple's twins by herself and is in the process of getting a divorce.
  • My thoughts on Carla: I'm into her. She seems to have a good head on her shoulders.
Renee Graziano: 'Call me a Mafia princess, call me anything you want'
Renee Graziano
  • Renee Graziano's father is Anthony Graziano, a high-ranking member of La Cosa Nostra, who is currently serving time in North Carolina for racketeering
  • A self-proclaimed 'mob loyalist', Renee married and divorced Hector Pagan Jr, who was arrested in a Mafia sweep last year.
  • Renee's younger sister created this series and describes her as the most warm-hearted person you'll ever meet.
  • Renee has her own card company, Jail Mail, which enlists letter writers to comfort inmates on the inside. (http://www.jailmail.net/ - which I predict will become revamped in the next few months.)
  • My thoughts on Renee:  She is WAY too into the mafia scene.  She loves it because she feels she is untouchable.  She loves it for the same reasons we'd all want to be famous actors/actresses -- the recognition around the neighborhood gives her a serious high on a daily basis, but I think she's probably really messed up on the inside.
I can't wait to keep watching!

Your thoughts?

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for the extra info...I just finished googling their names to get more info. I'm also into the show.

    Dhalia

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  2. I just caught up to the episodes of Mob Wives and I thought it was a great show. I have been watching it on my way home from working at DISH with my TV everywhere I get to use with the Sling adapter (http://goo.gl/Qsggz). I don't think that this is like "The Housewives of New Jersey" or any other show because I think it does have more truth to it. I'm kind of excited to see what is going to happen but I'm not sure what is going to happen with Karen's book. We will see what is going to happen.

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Thanks for your ThoughtZ!