Mob Wives: Did Andrea Giovino Flip for Feds?

On last night's Mob Wives, Episode 9, "Drittany," Karen said, "Who knew Drita would flip this b*tch faster than the Feds flipped her mother?" And, as one would expect, both Brittany and her mother, Andrea Giovino took issue with Karen's statement and had a hissy fit. Having been a fan and blogger of the show from day one, I have not known Karen to lie about anything, especially about a sensitive subject like this. I blogged an episode of "I Married A Mobster," based on the life of Andrea Giovino, back in July 2011. According to what I remember of "Working Mom," Andrea seemed to admit she cooperated with the Feds. In fact, according to other sources and from Andrea's own words in her book and to CBS News, she seems to admit telling the Feds whatever she had to in order to stay out of prison. Below are some excerpts with the links to the source so you can read and decide for yourself.  Maybe someone owes Karen an apology?

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-two-mobs/

AND

From: http://articles.philly.com/2004-08-31/news/25392149_1_mob-john-gotti-victoria-gotti

AND

From our blog dated 7/21/11 Right from "I Married A Mobster"  Working Mom Recap

"One day her brother tells her that a guy won’t or can’t pay back the loan. It was for $20,000. Andrea gets extremely upset. She tells her brother to get that money and do whatever he has to do. Her brother understands, so does law enforcement. The DEA hears her 1982 conversations through wire taps. Andrea and 22 other crew members were arrested.

The Feds take Andrea into an interrogation room. They know her history and all the mobsters she had been with. She can’t play dumb. The Feds say either she tells them everything she knows or she will be facing 10 years in prison. They play her the tapes they have, including some that have recorded threats on her life. If she goes to prison she is sure to lose her kids. The mob wanted her dead. So , Andrea tells the Feds everything she knows. Andrea cannot go into the witness protection program because she shares joint custody of one of her children with her ex-husband, and that child would not be allowed to enter."  http://mobwives.blogspot.com/2011/07/i-married-mobster-giovinos-working-mom.html

AND

Andrea's primary concern has always been her children.  She seemingly admits to cooperating with the Feds to keep custody of her babies. Her full story, including her dealings with the Feds are in her book.

See pages 232 and 233 from "Divorced From the Mob" By Andrea Giovino

You can find excerpts at this Amazon link by clicking "Look Inside" 
http://www.amazon.com/Divorced-Mob-Journey-Organized-Independent/dp/0786713550

AND

Here is the episode of "Working Mom" if you've never seen it. Andrea says, "I wasn't being no stand up person for any of those scumbags."  When she faces prison and losing her kids she makes the decision to tell the Feds everything (18:30). By the end of the episode it sounds as though she cooperated for $75,000 and relocation to Pennsylvania.

So did Andrea cooperate, strike a deal, inform on mobsters and talk her husband and brother into cooperating in exchange for money and relocation?  Is that flipping?  You decide.

MM’s 2 cents on the matter:

I’ve kept silent on this matter because frankly I hold a lot of respect for Andrea Giovino.  She’s a woman who had guts, hustle and smarts to do what she needed to do for her family, especially her babies.  I am aware that Andrea is big on charity; helping down & out women get on their feet or ensuring children don’t miss out on a holiday.

I’m sure there is an end game/goal for Brittany Fogarty joining Mob Wives.  On production’s end, blonde eye candy and maybe Drita D’avanzo having someone to talk to besides Big Ang who had way bigger fish to fry.  Brittany’s goal may be exposure for something bigger.  Do I know for sure? No.  Do I know the operation of Brittany’s mind? No.

Frankly, I was floored in learning of Brittany Fogarty joining the Mob Wives franchise.  For reasons I am not comfortable to share, out of respect for private conversations.  For clarity, I’m not referring to any conversation with Brittany.

My take on Brittany Fogarty in regards to her Mob Wives scenes only:

She’s seemingly has become Drita’s puppet.  It’s comical for me to see her one minute tell Karen, “….no one tells me what to do….”  Then see her with Drita slurping up  the advice to tell Carla this and Renee that. In conclusion, Karen Gravano isn’t lying about Andrea Giovino giving the Feds information.  It’s not a secret.  What I don’t understand is the denial about what has been well documented.  Oh the irony continues.

Mob Wives: Brittany Fogarty Second New Addition?

Brittany Fogarty, the blonde between Karen and Marissa

Speculative SCOOP! I am tired of asking Jennifer Graziano for crumbs concerning season 6 of Mob Wives, so I went out and got myself a loaf of bread! A couple of days ago I got wind of a possible new addition to the cast, Marissa Jade, and have looked into her biography to fill everyone in. As you can see from the above photo, Marissa is in the Hamptons filming with the cast, so it's safe to speculate she will be in season 6. But, I noticed the tall, beautiful, blonde woman standing next to Marissa and wondered who is she and what is she doing there? After doing a little research, I believe she is Brittany Fogarty, daughter of Andrea Giovino, from I Married A Mobster. (Links to blogs on Andrea Giovino will be posted at the end of blog.) We have done several blogs on Ms. Giovino because of her husband, John Fogarty, and her own involvement with the mob. If this is Brittany Fogarty (and I believe it is), she is a legitimate "mob daughter." Here is a nice picture of mother and daughter . . .

Andrea Giovino and Brittany Fogarty

Besides being at the Hamptons for this fun filled weekend of filming, Brittany seems to be hanging out with "the" Mob Daughter of all mob daughters, Karen Gravano. Check this out:

A little drink between "mob daughters"

I think, based on these photos, there is something to this theory of mine. Brittany is also a model and what her role will be in Mob Wives, if she is indeed part of the cast, is beyond me. Here is an excerpt from an interesting interview that Brittany and her mother, Andrea Giovino, had with Joy Behar which aired August 2nd, 2011 on CNN. At the time Brittany was using her mother's last name and since then has gone back to using her father's.

*****

BEHAR: OK. Now Brittany, you were born into mob life, as well? Right? How old were you when your father went to jail? 

BRITTANY GIOVINO, DAUGHTER OF MOBSTER JOHN FOGERTY: I was about eight months old when my father went to jail. 

BEHAR: So you never really grew up with that, but your mother was a mobster at the time or not? 

B. GIOVINO: Yes. Well, my father went to jail when I was eight months old, and then we moved and got relocated to Pennsylvania when she got arrested when I was about -- almost 2. So I mean, I was too young to know anything of -- I mean, I have no memory of any of that. 

BEHAR: So is it shocking that your mother was a mobster? 

B. GIOVINO: I wouldn`t say shocking, just because it was so openly talked about in our house. There was never like any secrets. I mean, we`ve always been so open with each other that I just kind of grew up hearing about all of it. So the stories were just always normal to me. 

BEHAR: But your father is in witness protection now? 

B. GIOVINO: Right. 

A. GIOVINO: Yes. 

BEHAR: So do you have any connection to your dad? 

B. GIOVINO: He came back when I was about 11 years old to try and have a relationship with me and my brother. And we have somewhat of a relationship, but I think after like, from eight months old to 11 years old, I think that`s such a -- 

BEHAR: Crucial. 

B. GIOVINO: Crucial stage to bond with your children, and he wasn`t there. And then it`s like 11 years old, he shows up on your doorstep, hi, I`m your dad. Well, I was like, what, you`re my dad? OK, hi, dad. But I think the years of just bonding were just -- 

BEHAR: Lost. 

B. GIOVINO: Gone, yes. 

end of excerpt. You can find the whole transcript at CNN

*****

So there you have it!  What do you make of this? Is Brittany Fogarty in the cast for season 6?  Until I see anything to the contrary I am leaning towards a big yes! Now my head is spinning with all the possibilities for storylines!  

Links!

Andrea Giovino's Story, I Married A Mobster

Andrea Giovino Ambushed

Giovino's Working Mom Recap

Andrea Giovino and Crazy Joe Gallo

I Married A Mobster: Season 2 Confirmed

Love Majewski and Cheryl Caruso of I Married A Mobster at fan meet & greet.

First the rumor mill has been buzzing about a season 2 for Discovery ID's I Married A Mobster.  Yesterday, I received confirmation from a Discovery ID source.  I am happy to learn I'll get a glimpse of 12 additional women's mob related stories.  I have a few suggestions for Kaufman Films.  Kevin I hope you are paying attention.  I actually know what I'm typing about:

1.  30 minutes is not enough for these women's stories.  Can we get an hour?

2.  We don't want another episode with the male perspective, unless he's a gay lover.  I tune in for the women's perspective.

3.  I don't know if you can pull it off.  However, a woman who has had an intimate relationship with a  Russian Mob or Yakuza member or associate would be a coup for your team.  Heads up, I refuse to be one of the women.

4.  An episode focusing on the lives the women are living today would be great.
Congratulations to Kaufman Films and Discovery ID for an interesting, informative and entertaining series!

Adrea Giovino handling herself on The View.

I queried a Discovery ID source in reference to which episode grabbed the most viewers.  I was told there was no specific numbers.  However, it seemed Cheryl Caruso & Andrea Giovino's episodes had the most viewers.  A huge hug and congratulations to Cheryl Caruso & Andrea Giovino.  I wish both ladies all the happiness and continued success.

I have to share I'm not surprised by this news.  Yet I'm miffed.  Though our site received a nice number of hits thanks to episode 1 and 2 of I Married A Mobster.  It is Diondrea Nicosia's episode who has had our site numbers jumping each time it airs.  If you look to the right of our site, you'll see our popular posts.  Diondrea comfortably sits @ number 9.  Mob Wives is our bread and butter around here.  To see an I Married A Mobster post crack the Mob Wives' dominance on The Mob Wives Blogspot is major.  Another major source of hits on our site is the fork stabbing Love Majewski.  When her episode airs she is always in the top posts of the day, week and/or month.  All of the women have shown our site loads of support.  I have to share Andrea sent me the most beautiful flowers.  Cheryl sent me a wonderful bottle of Talero Tequila.  If you are a tequila fan, you absolutely have to grab a bottle.  You will so not regret it.  It's smoooooooooooooth!  Love sent me a case full of Veritas Cosmetics.  I've been a MUA for over 2 decades.  Her lip liners are my absolute favorite.  They're what I've been looking for.... they glide on smooth & have staying power.  She has an eyeshadow color called Rebel.  I have well over an hundred eyeshadows.  Rebel is my absolute favorite.  Note: I have Dior, Chanel, Nars, Stila, Bobbi Brown, Lorac, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, etc. in my kit.

Photo Credit: NYCGrind.com

I Married A Mobster: Andrea Giovino Ambushed

So last night I was dying to watch Joy Behar as she interviewed the ladies of I Married A Mobster.  Previously Joy had interviewed Cheryl Caruso, Linda Scarpa & Diondrea Nicosia.  Each women answered questions and were respectful to one another.  Well last night was a whole different show.

Joy Behar was her usually funny opinionated self.  This time around it was two mother & daughter duos.  Linda Schiro with her daughter Linda Scarpa sitting behind her on the left side of our television screens.  On the right side we had Andrea Giovino with her gorgeous daughter Brittany Fogarty sitting behind her.  Joy starts asking the ladies questions.  Linda Schiro smiled as she discussed her golden years with Greg 'The Grim Reaper' Scarpa.  We hear of her days @ the Copa Cabana & the Peppermint Lounge.  Linda matter of factly discusses witnessing Greg murder someone over collectible stamps.  Joy asks her if witnessing a man murdered affected her.  She says, "No."  She presses her a little more and Linda painted in a corner says something similar to, "....it was hard. It didn't affect me."  I raise one eyebrow and shake my head.  I think, 'Come on lady, anything hard affects you.  Stick to the truth, it didn't affect you.' 

Joy turns to Andrea Giovino to ask her some questions.  Big Linda tenses up, crosses her arms and appears to be uncomfortable.  As Andrea answers Joy's questions articulately & polished. Big Linda rudely interrupts her with questions.  My opinion is she was trying to discredit Andrea.  I think, 'Am I watching The Joy Behar Show or The Ambush Andrea Show?'  Joy appears caught off guard.  Andrea seems a little surprised.  Andrea intelligently states the facts of her life.  She doesn't lower herself by getting dirty in the mud with Big Linda's antics.  I applaud Andrea Giovino.  I would've asked Big Linda, "Aren't you a known liar?  Did you not change your story regarding Lindley DeVecchio?  Why would you lie and say Greg wasn't a rat when he ratted out his own son Greg Sr.?"  However, Ms. Giovino didn't and I applaud her for taking the high road.

Why attempt to discredit your fellow I Married A Mobster cast mate?  Why take issue with Andrea's alleged drug involvement when you knowingly lived the good life with a murderer and documented rat?  It was just low rent on Big Linda's part.  She's never appeared to me to be a vicious individual.  So I have a strong feeling someone has an axe to grind with Andrea and used Big Linda.  My future suggestion for this individual is do not bring a dull knife to a Desert Eagle battle. 

A little later in the segment we see Big Linda take issue with Little Linda's take on her experience growing up Mob.  Joy caught it too and mentioned it.  I enjoy drama like the next person.  However, I enjoy it on my own terms.  When I want chaos and/or foolishness, I watch Mob Wives and Bad Girls Club.  When I want to be informed I watch I Married A Mobster and 60 Minutes.  I tuned into The Joy Behar Show to watch the Lindas, Andrea Giovina and her daughter Brittany Fogarty share information about their life experiences.  I did not tune in to see an ill equipped elderly long past her prime attack an quick witted and polished woman.  It was desperate and sad.

Don't forget to watch Discovery ID's I Married A Mobster tonight.  I've been waiting to hear about Mama Fama & her husband's shenanigans.  It airs tonight @ 10:30PM.

I Married A Mobster: The Joy Behar Interviews

Joy Behar Grills the Ladies

Last night, August 2^nd, Linda Schiro with daughter Linda Scarpa, and Andrea Giovino with daughter, Brittany Fogarty, were on Joy Behar. Let me start by saying this was one hell of an interview! Joy never hesitates to ask what everyone wants to know. Here are all the details:

“Big” Linda tells how, at age 17, she met Greg Scarpa while growing up in Bensenhurst, Brooklyn, where the neighborhood was full of mobsters. Linda insists, when questioned, that everyone in her neighborhood was a mobster. Finally Joy and Linda agree, that not every household was in the mob, but a lot of them were. And Linda tells how her grandmother ran crap games in her basement, so she grew up around the mob. The first time she witnessed a hit was when Greg took her with him to meet someone, got out of their car and walked over to the car across the parking lot. He tells her he is getting some collector’s stamps, but what he does instead is whack the guy and then take the stamps. But Schiro wasn’t at all afraid that she was with a murderer at 17. It was like a normal thing and afterwards they went out to dinner. Joy is somewhat shocked that a young girl would take murder in stride…bookies and crap games yes, but murder is a stretch. But, it didn’t phase Linda. Then they discuss Greg’s “work” for the FBI. And how he got the information for the KKK as to where civil rights workers bodies were located. Schiro says he wasn’t a rat, he just did jobs for them.

Over to Andrea Giovino, who says she was 16 or 17 when she started becoming attracted to mobsters. She says she had low self-esteem at the time. She had no education and didn’t feel good about herself and she felt comfortable around mobsters; she could be herself with them, she didn’t fit in with other people. Joy asks if Andrea would have reacted to witnessing murder like Linda did, and Andrea says no, it would have been devastating. Andrea adds she has never witnessed a murder, although she did know about many of them. They discuss her marriage to John Fogarty. Andrea says he was a “freelance” mobster. He couldn’t be in the mob because he wasn’t Italian. But the crime families would give out work to associates to do for them. That’s what John did. Eventually she became a mobster herself. But then Andrea clarifies, she wasn’t exactly a mobster, but she did need to go out on the street and collect the money that was owed to John when he went to prison. Then she lent out the money to make more money to support her family. But a time came when she was arrested for giving out information or instructions to mobsters, was recorded, and got in trouble with the DEA. Linda Schiro blurts out Andrea was in the drug business…this starts a little war of words.

A little tiff between Linda Schiro and Andrea ensues when Linda is trying to make it sound like Andrea was dealing drugs and collecting money for it. Schiro insists that Andrea was selling drugs and Andrea denies it. Andrea explains she was not selling drugs, she was arrested for putting the money up, like the bank. And that money went into drugs deals. She says she never sold or was a party to drugs! Schiro clarifies, saying Andrea was indirectly associated to drugs. Andrea agrees. Joy adds so you were part of the problem…time for break!

Andrea says the day the DEA came to her house was the worst day of her life. Andrea’s whole crew was arrested. Both Andrea and Linda Schiro answer that they were never afraid of all the violence of the lifestyle. Neither was worried their husbands would get killed. Linda says Greg was so powerful she felt he was invincible and she was always safe with him.

On to the daughters…”Little Linda” Scarpa says she realized her father was in the mob when she was a teenager. Joy wants to know what Little Linda thinks when she hears her mother had no reaction to witnessing a murder. Linda answers, she doesn’t get it, her mother doesn’t see things the same way she does when it comes to the mob. Linda thinks her mother knew nothing else but the life her father showed her, and he had her trained for the lifestyle. And she was even trained before she met her father, by her grandmother. Linda Scarpa says there was nothing normal about her childhood. Schiro says they tried to give them a normal life inside the home. Andrea interjects, saying she can see what both Linda’s are saying. She explains when you grow up in that environment that is what your “normal” is, you don’t know anything different. Then Schiro says it was normal in her neighborhood to have mobsters and crap games…and Joy says that’s what is abnormal and Schiro doesn’t get it. Joy explains, you go to school just like other kids while your father is a murderer, that abnormal. Other kids fathers aren’t murderers. Scarpa tries to explain on her mother’s behalf.

Over to Brittany, Andrea’s daughter. She was eight months old when her father, John Fogarty, went to prison. She says that when she was about two the family was relocated to Pennsylvania and she has no memory of any of the mob life. Joy wants to know if it was shocking that her mother was a mobster? Brittany says not shocking, because it was always openly talked about in their household. She grew up hearing all the stories. Her father, John, is currently in witness protection. When asked about her relationship with her father, Brittany says he came back when she was about 11 and tried to establish a relationship with his children. But, the years of bonding were lost.

Joy asks Linda Schiro if she has fond memories of Greg and she says she does. Joy seems shocked. Linda says Greg was always giving gifts and the greatest gift she got was a Mercedes. They always had family dinner on Sundays and Greg and their son would always be home at 5 for dinner during the week. It was like living two lives, the one outside with violence and the one inside with family.

Linda Scarpa says that she also has some find memories, but she has a lot of anger issues with both her parents and the whole mob lifestyle and everything she saw. Schiro doesn’t understand why Scarpa is angry with her. Scarpa says her mother lived the life and she enjoyed it. But, Scarpa says she lived the life and enjoyed it up until the time she knew what was really going on. Until countless guys came up to her and her father’s cars shooting.

Schiro mentions that she didn’t like it that her son was murdered. She says it wasn’t a mob hit it was a kid fight. And Joy says that her daughter “Little” Linda was almost killed. So those are the risks you take when you chose to live that lifestyle. Linda says but aside from that, her 30 years with Greg were good, until he died of AIDS in jail.

Well I hope Joy keeps doing interviews with the women of I Married A Mobster. She seems to be getting more out of them then the show is. Kudos Joy for a job well done, and it looks like there was a little unforeseen pressure this time around!

All written content is exclusive property of The Mob Wives Blogspot and is protected by copyrights or other intellectual property rights. You are prohibited from using, copying, altering, modifying, or changing our work. Unauthorized use of this is strictly prohibited. Violators are punishable under federal law. In simple English, stop f*cking jacking our work.

I Married A Mobster: Andrea Giovino’s “Bruno”

ANNOUNCEMENT to Anthony Bruno Indelicato’s Alleged Wife:  Please seek up from a reputable doctor.  You may be popping more than prescribed or drinking while typing.  We know.  We know.  We know.  You married him.  He is a good man.  If you have a problem with this blog entry STOP COMING BACK to it.  We sincerely wish you the very best.  

 Anthony Bruno Indelicato

The second episode of I Married A Mobster, featured the story of Andrea Giovino. In her story she mentions a couple of incidents involving a man named “Bruno,” who beats up his girlfriend and throws her down some stairs, at a club as Andrea watched. Witnessing this attack troubles Andrea. But, she also has her own run in with “Bruno,” when he comes into her house looking for drugs and then gets on the bed with her. Fortunately, for her, her girlfriend comes home and “Bruno” takes off.

What about this “Bruno?” Who is he and what is his story? Andrea has been around the biggest mobsters of our day and age, so that peeked my curiosity to do a little research on this man. The man’s name is Anthony “Bruno” Indelicato. I almost want to say it’s so familiar, it rings a bell. It turns out there is a lot to tell about “Bruno” so maybe I have heard of him before.

Besides the name “Bruno,” Anthony Indelicato had a couple of other nicknames including “Whack Whack” and Anthony Indelligado. He was a well known capo for the Bonanno crime family. His father, Alphonso “Sonny Red” Indelicato, was also a capo for that crime family. In 1979, “Bruno” took part in the murder of Bonanno boss, Carmine Galante. Galante was corrupt in his power and refused to share profits made from heroine trafficking. Galante made so many enemies that the Mafia Commission allowed the Bonanno capos to assassinate him over lunch, at Joe and Mary’s Restaurant in Bushwich, Brooklyn. Galante was blasted in the face and chest gangland style, by gunmen wearing ski masks. Anthony was promoted to capo for his participation in Galante’s murder.

The Bonanno family was a house divided and the two sides were now at war with each other. One side gets permission from the Mafia Commission to murder their rival’s captains. A meeting was arranged in which “Bruno’s father, Alphonso, was murdered, but Anthony never showed up and escaped death. The family wanted Anthony dead fearing he would try to avenge his father’s murder and they assigned the job to Donnie Brasco. The hit was called off and Brasco was warned that Anthony was dangerous and often high on cocaine.

“Bruno” had been on and off cocaine several times. It was during one of these times that he broke into Frank Lino’s Florida home, where Andrea Giovino was staying, and began looking for drugs while she was asleep. His behavior was unpredictable. When he was off drugs he was great to be around, but when he was on them he was violent, angry and paranoid. Frank told Andrea that all the crime families had been concerned about Anthony and there had been a few sit downs to discuss what to do. Anthony was allegedly ordering unnecessary murders and killing him was under discussion. Andrea never did tell Frank what happened the night Bruno paid her a visit.

In 1986, Anthony Indelicato was convicted of the 1979 Murder of Galante and sentenced to 40 years in prison. While in prison, he met and married Catherine Burke. Then in 1998, Anthony was released from prison and moved into his home in Howard Beach with his wife, Catherine. He went back to work for the Bonannos.

In February, 2006, Anthony was once again tried for murder and racketeering. He pleaded guilty in 2008 to lesser charges and was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Fort Dix, NJ. His release date is estimated to be in 2023. 

All written content is exclusive property of The Mob Wives Blogspot and is protected by copyrights or other intellectual property rights. You are prohibited from using, copying, altering, modifying, or changing our work. Unauthorized use of this is strictly prohibited. Violators are punishable under federal law. In simple English, stop f*cking jacking our work.

I Married A Mobster: Giovino’s “Working Mom” Recap

Author and Speaker, Andrea Giovino

Andrea Giovino’s I Married A Mobster episode, entitled “Working Mom,” aired last night and boy does she have a story to tell! I know from all my research that they were only able to cover a slice of her life in 30 minutes. There is so much more to know. But, if you missed the show or any part of it, here is my recap.

Andrea grew up in Brooklyn, New York during the 1960’s. Her father was a bus driver, but with 10 children in the family, his salary did not stretch far enough for all their basic necessities. Andrea’s mom was very resourceful in making ends meet. She taught her kids to be “street kids” at an early age. Andrea, for example, was sent out early in the mornings, at the age of 5, to steal from the bakery so they could have breakfast.

Andrea says she was taught to be a good care giver and marrying a husband who was a good provider was her ticket out of poverty. The “street guys” were the ones who had the money and respect in the neighborhood, they were considered the “elite.”

Andrea married young, but was divorced at the age of 21. She meets an older man, Frank Lino, who invites her to dinner and a show. She accepts the invitation. The following Friday she was fired from her job and finds out Lino was responsible. When she questions him about it he says, “no girlfriend of mine should be working.” Her older brother tells her that Lino is a capo in the Bonanno crime family. This is her meal ticket, her way out of poverty. Soon Andrea is living “larger” than her mother ever dreamed. Frank teaches her all about the good life and the mob life, including extortion, prostitution rings and drugs rings. She heard it all.

The men in the mob used women as trophies. One day Frank introduces Andrea to a man named Bruno. Andrea witnesses him talking down to his girlfriend and then, for no reason, he throws her down a flight of stairs. This bothered Andrea and she thinks, that could have been her. Andrea doesn’t like Bruno. One day he comes into her home looking for pills while Andrea is in bed. He gets on the bed and starts touching her hair and talking--she was terrified. She picks up her telephone and cracks him in the head with it. Then her girlfriend, Julia, returned and he left. She never told Frank Lino what happened that night. After a time Andrea wanted to leave Frank because she didn’t love him. She talks to him and he accepts the fact and lets her go. She decides there and then that she no longer wants to be with criminals or live that lifestyle.  The incident with Bruno scares her straight. She wants to settle down with a nice decent man, who will treat her right and doesn’t hurt others. Andrea falls in love and gets marred. She misses the excitement. Her resolve was short lived.

After divorcing, Andrea goes to Club A with a friend to dance. A club often frequented by mobsters.  Before long she is approached by a very handsome man, Mark Reiter. Mark worked for John Gotti, but was not a made man because he was Jewish. Andrea meets Gotti through Mark and says Gotti was always a gentleman, he never allowed men to use profanities in front of women. Mark was a drinker, a gambler and a mobster and Andrea hangs out with him and Gotti night after night, partying at club and spending money. One night she is at a club with Gotti at her side, when a woman starts to bad mouth Andrea’s friend. Andrea warns her to stop, but the woman keeps it up. Andrea is fed up. She pushes a table in to pin the woman down. She then hits babble mouth over the head with a bottle of champagne and pounds her to finish the job. When she is done she earns the nickname “Rocky,” which stuck with her. Mark gets in trouble with the law. He had hidden his money at Andrea’s apartment in Queens. He picks up his money one day and goes on the lam. Eventually he gets caught and is sentenced to life in prison.

Andrea moves on to a guy from Staten Island, John Fogarty. He had a construction company and was also running cocaine from Florida to New York, by the kilos. John is the “love of her life.” She wanted to be with one man and settled down, so she moved to Staten Island to be with him. Then the chaos started.

Andrea is settled with her two boys when she discovers that John is abusing his own coke. She wanted him in rehab. John attends a rehab in Tennessee where he meets a guy and cuts a drug deal with him there. John ends up in prison and Andrea had two babies to take care of. She does what she has to do, she goes out on the street to collect the money that is owed to John so her family can survive. Andrea was shaking people down for the money like she was the Godmother. When they pay up, Andrea uses the money to become a loan shark, to make more money on the street.

One day her brother tells her that a guy won’t or can’t pay back the loan. It was for $20,000. Andrea gets extremely upset. She tells her brother to get that money and do whatever he has to do. Her brother understands, so does law enforcement. The DEA hears her 1982 conversations through wire taps. Andrea and 22 other crew members were arrested.

The Feds take Andrea into an interrogation room. They know her history and all the mobsters she had been with. She can’t play dumb. The Feds say either she tells them everything she knows or she will be facing 10 years in prison. They play her the tapes they have, including some that have recorded threats on her life. If she goes to prison she is sure to lose her kids. The mob wanted her dead. So , Andrea tells the Feds everything she knows. Andrea cannot go into the witness protection program because she shares joint custody of one of her children with her ex-husband, and that child would not be allowed to enter.

The Feds reneg on their promises to Andrea of $75,000 and relocation of her family. She goes home angry and feel she has nothing to lose. She calls Mary Jo White’s office and tells her what she plans to do. She is making up signs, “Marked For Death,” and placing them on her babies, she is calling all the news media people, and she is staging a huge protest. She is going to get the message out there that if you inform the government will leave you high and dry and a target to be killed. She tells her office when I am done no one will ever speak to the government again! That convinced the Feds to help her by extending her funding for 18 more months. The Feds were defeated, Andrea managed to extort the government.

Andrea goes legit and becomes a model citizen. She makes sure her kids do not repeat her mistakes; the cycle is broken and her kids were saved.

Great episode! I am going to order a copy of Andrea’s book, Divorced From The Mob, and read what I am missing!

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I Married A Mobster: “Crazy” Joe Gallo

Andrea Giovino and her family were always well connected in the mob. She tells the story of how, in the early 1960’s, “Crazy” Joe Gallo needed a place to conduct some illegal gambling and her mother, Dolly Silvestri, offered the basement of her home and hosted their games. Andrea and her sisters would bring them expressos and pastries and Dolly would earn some extra money to support the family of ten children. He paid her weekly, until 1963, when police busted their nice little operation.
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“Crazy” Joe Gallo, also known as “Joe the Blond” had quite a reputation, before he was murdered the day after his 43rd birthday, on April 7, 1972, at Umberto’s Clam House in NYC’s “Little Italy.” He became a “made man” at the young age of 17, which is really remarkable. He worked for a mobster named Joe Profaci, with his two brothers, Larry and Albert “Kid Blast” Gallo. Profaci ordered the Gallo brothers to whack gambler “Frankie Shots” Abbatemarcco because he refused to pay Profaci $50,000. Larry and Joe both worked with Frankie Shots for many years and they had a close friendship, but nevertheless, they followed orders. A big problem arose between the Gallo brothers and Profaci. He had promised them that he would divide up Frankie Shots “business operations” with them, but after the job was done, Profaci gave it all away to his close associates and the Gallo brothers got nothing and were even told to get lost.

Profaci obviously underestimated the Gallo brothers, because they were not going to walk away quietly or empty handed. Instead they killed some members of Profaci’s crew and kidnapped a few capos. Profaci died in 1962 and Crazy Joe was later incarcerated for extortion. Joe Colombo took over as head of the family.

Crazy Joe was let out of prison in 1971. He made a deal with a black man, Jerome Johnson, to murder Joe Colombo in the middle of Colombus Square. Joe promised him that the Gallo brothers would create enough of a distraction so he could safely flee the scene. However, the plan didn’t work out quite that way. Once Jerome killed Colombo, the Gallo crew whacked Jerome on the spot.

“Crazy” Joe was a loose canon and became greedy and careless. As soon as Colombo was out of the picture, Crazy Joe walked into a nightclub, San Susan Nightclub in Long Island, owned by Colombo capo Johnny Franzese, and declared himself the owner. A couple of other guys got whacked soon after and Joe Gallo’s fate was sealed.

Joe had his 43rd birthday party at the Copa Cabana, in NYC. Actor Jerry Orbach, a friend of Joe Gallo’s, also attended with his wife. It was a big bash and they left the place at 4 am. A large group pile into the car and drive around looking for something to eat. They end up at Umberto’s for a big seafood dinner. Some time during the middle of their meal, several mobsters come in through the front door and, in a blaze of gunshots, killed “Crazy” Joe gangland style, just like the movies.

Imagine the stories Andrea could tell us about “Crazy” Joe? He is just one of a host of mobsters whose paths crossed with Andrea’s, during her life in the mob. For a very interesting, detailed account of “Crazy” Joe Gallo, check out the following link:

Crazy Joe Gallo

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Be sure to tune in Wednesday, July 20^th, at 10:30 pm for her story, Working Mom," on Investigation Discovery! Also, Andrea will be on The View the morning of July 20^th, revealing more details of her life. Check your local listings!

I Married A Mobster: Andrea Giovino’s Story

Andrea Giovino’s story, “Working Mom,” is due to air on July 20^th at Investigation Discovery. She is one of the wives in their new show, “I Married A Mobster.” According to Andrea, she was an active part of the mob, participating in illegal activities. She was given a choice of either going to prison or becoming an informant, she chose the later. Her crimes consisted of loan sharking and money laundering. However, she was well known enough for John Gotti to comment, “She's got more balls than some of the guys that are around me."

The Feds had enough evidence on Andrea to build a strong case, one that might get her a 10 year prison sentence. She says a lot of what she learned, she learned as a child from her mother, who also did some work on the side for the mob. Her mother even encouraged her to marry a mobster. In their world, mobsters got all the respect and had all the power. So Andrea married a drug runner and had four children. But her life was far from peaches and cream. There was always talk of violence and stories about people she knew getting killed.

She talks about her friendship with John Gotti and from what she knew of him, he was a “gentleman.” She says in 1992 the Feds had her phone tapped and got evidence on her for participating in drug distribution, marijuana and cocaine in Brooklyn and Staten Island, along with her husband and brother. Though she feels she could have dealt with being in prison, she turned informant because she had her children to raise. This required that the government move her and her children to an undisclosed location because she had started receiving threats against her life and she refused to enter the witness protection program.

Her objective in telling her story is to inform the public of all the pain, suffering and heartache this lifestyle brings to a family. Sure she misses the material things that the lifestyle was able to provide, but she has come clean about her past and now her priorities are very different. She currently lives in Bucks County, Pa and has written a book called, “Divorced From The Mob.” 

To read many more details of Andrea’s story, click on the following link, it’s a very good read. The Two Mobs by David Kohn @ cbs news . 

Check out Andrea's website; where she's written an honest, heartfelt letter about her life.


Picture Credit: ID, Andrea Giovino website
Video Credit: Better, The Secret Lives of Women

All written content is exclusive property of The Mob Wives Blogspot and is protected by copyrights or other intellectual property rights. You are prohibited from using, copying, altering, modifying, or changing our work. Unauthorized use of this is strictly prohibited. Violators are punishable under federal law. In simple English, stop f*cking jacking our work.