Mob Wives: Recap "Taking the Rap" Ep 215

Renee calls Big Ang outside of court!

Renee leaves the courthouse after her father’s hearing. She calls Bigg Ang to tell her how it went. She was shunned by family and friends who sat on the other side of the  courtroom. She says she went there for her father and it was f*cked up because it was her ex-husband who did this to him. She says her dad looked tired and disappointed. He looked at her and says, “that’s my daughter.” He knows Renee and AJ are 100% on is side. He looks at Renee with love in his eyes.

Big Ang says, "It's expensive staying beautiful!"

Bigg Ang and Janine go for botox treatments at Dr. Lederman‘s office. Everything bothers Bigg Ang, she wants botox all over her face and neck. She never had botox before and all the needles are freaking her out. She thought she was going to have a heart attack, she was sweating, and she declares botox is a nightmare! But, in the end, she loves the results and wants more. The doctor tells her to come back for another appointment.

At Drita’s house, she is sitting outside with her little poodle, Lucky, when the phone rings and it’s Lee. She tells him Aleeya is depressed and she bought the kids a puppy. The dog is a girl and weighs one and a half pounds. Lee says he is done with his state time and is going to a federal prison, possibly in Brooklyn, for another year.  Aleeya will be happy that he isn’t 8 hours away any more, it’s so much more convenient and she will be able to visit her father. Drita doesn’t know how she feels about it.

Drita says, "I've been rapping since I was walking"...hmmmm

Drita goes to Bad Boy records to do a music video with French Montana. Jason Wiley, VP of Bad Boys, explains the concept of the video. It’s about a woman dating a guy who robs banks (this is sounding a little like Lee). She says she has been rapping since she started speaking. She loves the idea of a bank robbery. She feels confident she can do it.

Bigg Ang is with a hairstylist looking at extensions. Staying beautiful is expensive. Bigg Ang laments over all the guys she has been with over the years. She ends up complaining about her husband, Neal, who goes from bar to bar every night. She doesn’t like anything he does, but she is planning a trip, a second honeymoon, to try and work things out. This is his third strike; if it doesn’t work he is out.

Dr. Fiorillo and Karen, Luminique partners

Karen wants to get back into the spa industry. Dr. Fiorillo has asked her to join him as a partner in the spa. In two weeks there will be a grand opening and he gives Karen a lot of the responsibility to get things ready. Karen wants something solid before bringing Karina back to New York to live with her and this is it. Karen is excited and a little overwhelmed about getting everything together for the grand opening. Ramona drops by and Karen shows her around the spa. Karen asks Ramona to help her. She says she is thinking of asking Renee too, to take her mind off her problems. Ramona agrees to help in anyway she can.

Karen needs help and who better to ask?

Renee, Ramona and Karen go to a winery to pick out wine for the spa opening party. Renee is happy to be part of the spa team. Karen goes over what she needs done with Ramona and Renee and gives them each something important to take care of for her. Karen’s goal is to use the spa to bring Karina back to New York because it is a solid business. They toast to partnership and family!

Drita goes to see Anthony to help her with her rap. Drita is nervous because this is a one shot deal. Drita says she doesn’t need a lot of time, she knows where is going with the rap. BUT, when she actually starts rapping, she has to slow it down, she forgets lines.  Then Anthony tells her to do what she feels and she gets into the rap groove. She says she nailed it, she felt it, she is mailing it to Bad Boy Records. 

Carla and Renee go to lunch. Renee is glad she and Carla worked things out. She tells Carla about court and what happened there. Carla gives Renee credit for going. Renee says everything with Junior is over and buried. She tells Carla that Karen is opening a spa in the city and that she asked Renee and Ramona to partner with her. Renee wants Carla to go to the opening of the spa. Carla says no, it may cause drama and conflict.

At the Drunken Monkey, Bigg Ang and Ramona talk about all the jewelry that was confiscated when her boyfriend was arrested. Ramona asks Bigg Ang to go to the spa opening. Bigg Ang is happy to go and asks Ramona if she thinks Karen and Drita can make up and if Ramona can make up with Drita. Ramona isn’t having any of it, Drita has done too much for her to make up with her. Ramona is done! Ramona says, if Karen wants to make up with Drita, Ramona will be watching over the situation. 

Renee, Drita and Carla get together for lunch. Drita is excited with her big news. She tells them about the rap video and Renee is very happy for her. Then she adds that Lee is leaving the state prison and going to a federal prison maybe in Brooklyn. Renee thinks Lee is going to try to get back together with her. Drita says no, because she can never forget her cheated and that will always affect their relationship. She has friends who have taken men back after they cheated, but she isn’t one of them. Renee still thinks they will get back together. Renee tells them about the spa opening. Renee asks Drita if she would be willing to make up with Karen. Drita says if she could talk to the “old” Karen, she would be willing to talk to her. She says she doesn’t want to fight any more for the sake of her kids, that’s why she went to anger management (yes, @@ one session). Renee is happy, Drita just agreed to talk to Karen…one down!

Karen and Karina are talking. Karina flew in from Arizona and they are looking over the new spa. Karina likes it. Karen starts talking about Karina coming back to live with her in New York. Karina says she is still thinking about it. Karen understands she is just a kid and doesn’t want to leave her friends, but she can’t go on living here without having her daughter with her. She explains to Karina that sometimes in life things change. She has many opportunities in New York that will provide for their future. Karen is the adult and will make the final decision and Karina will adapt. This is what is best for both of them.

Drita is shooting the video with French Montana. She loves the concept of the video She is going to be the getaway driver, after a bank robbery, and she has to wear a mask. They start the filming and she takes off in the van with the “robbers.” French heard her rap and wants to use it as the trailer for the video. He says, she is a rapper now. She says her dream is on n’ poppin’. She killed it, it worked out perfect. 

No lasers and no gift bags? GREAT!

Karen is excited. It’s the big day of the spa opening. Dr. Fiorillo is there taking a tour and tells her there are no lasers. Karen is frustrated with Ramona, she gave her the job to make sure the lasers were there and she dropped the ball. Ramona seems very flippant about the oversight. Then Renee gets there are she has no gift bags! The one thing Karen asked her to do. Karen is pissed and Renee says I’ll get gift bags. In ten minutes Renee had all the gift bags, with gifts, ready to go. “It’s what I do,” Renee says. The guests arrive. She says the skin care line is going to be called, “Luminique” and it will also be the name of the spa. Karen thanks Dr. Fiorillo for offering her this opportunity. When she is done, Renee seizes the opportunity to approach Karen about talking to and making up with Drita. Karen is frankly sick of hearing about Drita. She tells Renee she will meet with Drita, she wants to hear what she has to say. She really just wants to move forward and put this behind her.

Rena gives some "hard-hitting" advice! (love her!)

Karen talks to her cousin, Rena, and tells her that Renee approached her about talking to Drita. Rena, is dead against it. Drita has proven not to be a friend in too many ways and too many times for them to get past it. But Karen doesn’t want to fight any more, she just wants to get past this and move on. Her cousin says she isn’t your friend and tells her she should tell Renee it’s impossible for her to talk to Drita, she should just “crack her jaw.” Karen has some thinking to do.

MY TWO CENTS

This was one of those drama free episodes with a lot going on. I almost felt like a tennis ball being hit back and forth over the net. Let’s get down to brass tacks! 

Bigg Ang’s botox and hair extensions…she has to do what she needs to do, especially now that she has her own show. However, I am not one who appreciates plastic surgery, botox, implants or any other artificial means to cover up aging. I have always felt that it is best to age naturally and gracefully and keep your original look. So I won’t be having any work done on myself. But, if Bigg Ang is happy who am I to tell her what to do? I hope everything she has done leads to the look she is going for. She did seem pleased with the botox filler.

Speaking of fillers, Carla played her “filler” role well this week. She is a good listener. She listened to Renee talk about her experience in court. She listened to Drita talk about her new rap video and Lee’s change of prisons. No one asked if he can still get packages? I need to know. But, what is Carla up to? Nothing. She even refused to go to the spa opening. Is she being phased out or was there just too much going on? These looked like two gratuitous scenes just to have her in the mix. We had already heard all this information from other scenes…moving on to the two main events, the spa and the rap video.

Rapping is not something I know much about, but I know I enjoyed Ramona’s group, Final Draft’s “Do It” and I did not enjoy Drita’s rap at all. I don’t know how much of that had to do with Drita’s singing or the song itself. The important thing is French Montana liked it or was being nice about it. Either way, he got a ton of free publicity from the show and some new Drita fans pumped up about this video. It was a little painful to hear how Drita started, after bragging she has been rapping since she was walking. She was probably nervous, but if she has been listening to rap and singing it for so many years, she probably should have hit the ground running. And why did she say she didn’t need to spend much time on it, she knew where she was going with it? If this is your one shot at a dream and it has to be perfect, a little practice might have been in order, don’t you think? The proof was in the pudding, as they say, when she finally got to the studio and started off on a bad note (in more ways than one). Funny how the video had to do with a woman who dates a bank robber and drives the getaway car? Was that a coincidence? I think it was purposely done so Drita fans could relate to it and tie it in with her life story. That was a brilliant idea. Oh, after boxing and anger management, can she please squeeze in some voice lessons too? Just sayin’

Doctor to the Mob Wives makes his debut!

Grand opening of the spa! A lot went into this event. Congratulations to Dr. Fiorillo and Karen for their new joint venture…Luminique MedSpa…I wish them nothing but success.

Now for the storyline. Karen came back to New York to take advantage of two big lucrative opportunities, Mob Wives and her book, Mob Daughter. She left Karina behind in Arizona, with her father and family, for several reasons. She was concerned for her safety, she didn’t want to disrupt her routine with home and school and she also knew she would be going to many events promoting the show and her book all year. I think it was a very wise decision and I would have done the same thing. But now, Karen has an opportunity to partner with Dr. Fiorillo in a new state of the art spa and get back into the skin care industry. This is a venture that is more stable and long lasting and could even lead to a chain of luxury spas down the road. Now that Karen has two season of Mob Wives behind her and her book has been a huge success as a best seller, she has the time to devote to the spa and she wants to bring Karina here to live with her. I think the time is right now too. Karina will have the whole summer to adapt to New York and the move won’t be as bad as she thinks.

As for Renee and Ramona’s help with the spa, here is where my skeptical, cynical side comes out. There was no drama in this episode, so let’s create some. Let’s let Ramona and Renee drop the ball on helping Karen with one of the biggest, most important projects of her life. That will piss Karen off and lead to drama. Sorry, but I am not buying into this scene. I will say, that for reality television, Mob Wives is as real as it gets, but sometimes I think scenes have to be “enhanced” for viewer interest, and this was one of them, in my opinion. There is no way in hell that I think Ramona and Renee would let Karen down…period. First of all, when Karen asked Ramona about the lasers, Ramona wasn’t the least bit upset that she “forgot.” And then Karen was able to get lasers in ten minutes…no harm done. Then Renee walks in without gift bags and says something like we couldn’t make up our minds which ones we wanted. Really? Karen looks annoyed, but ten minutes later, there were the gifts bags ready to go. Renee says, “That’s what I do!“ How is that possible, even for the great and multi-talented Renee? It’s called entertainment. Who thinks that Renee would have let Karen down after all she has done for her this season alone? Not me. That is not Renee! 

What is interesting is that Renee is busy trying to get Karen and Drita to make up. Renee wants everyone to get along, but can they? Too much water has gone under this bridge. But it certainly can bring about another famous Mob Wives “sit-down” finale! First Renee gets Drita to agree to talk to Karen. After all, Drita is so well prepared, after her ONE session with anger management, that she can handle anything now. Even singing the rap song made her feel like she was in a fight. She says, “I feel like I’m beating somebody up!” Everything makes her feel like fighting. Boxing only fueled her urge to fight. Karen’s book makes her want to fight. Cheeseburgers make her want to fight. Maybe talking is not one of Drita’s strengths? But so what, she agreed. 

Renee doesn’t stop there. She corner’s Karen at the spa opening, of all places, and gets her to agree to talk to Drita. I think Karen just surrendered so she can put this behind her once and for all. Let’s face it, Karen can NEVER trust Drita so what kind of friendship can they have? At best it will be very superficial for the sake of the show. Ramona was 100% right to say she was done, and Drita didn’t do anything to her compared to how she treated Karen. I also liked the fact that Ramona said she would watch over the situation if Karen decided to “make up” with Drita. 

What Renee forgets is that Karen and Drita are still not on the same page. That’s why there was the blow up at her party in the first episode. Drita just wants to say, “Let bygones be bygones” and start talking. Karen wants answers about all the things Drita did that violated their so called friendship. Drita gets defensive. Panic punches fly. Maybe another red eye? Who knows? There are two episodes left and we can speculate until then, what we think will happen. 

And lastly, some NEWS! Kudos to Renee Graziano who went two full episodes without shedding one tear. Renee looked healthier and happier than I have ever seen her. Maybe that is partly due to her new, wonderful Dr. Fiorillo, who has been a great help to her over recent months. Renee announced on Twitter that she will be on Mob Wives Chicago! I can’t wait to see her on that show too.

There are twitter rumors that Jennifer is looking into a couple of promising new cities for more mob wives: Philly and Miami/Florida! I suggested Providence, R.I. too. I think something is already brewing in one of the first two cities. Stay tuned!

And NEXT week look for David Seabrook, Karina’s father, to make his debut on Mob Wives. He was on my wish list for season two! David in here in New York. Follow him on Twitter @DaveSeabrook1 if you are on Twitter.

If you are interested in knowing more about the Luminique MedSpa, of Dr. Fiorillo and Karen Gravano, located at 350 Hudson Street in NYC, visit their website or call 212-647-0007.

Luminique website: http://www.luminiquemedspa.com/

Picture Credit:  Dr. Fiorillo's Facebook

Mob Wives: Blind Item 1

Well if you follow me on Twitter, you might've caught that my favorite Bravo Housewives related site is Stoopid Housewives.  The site is awesome.  It's readers & commenters are even better!  They tickle me to no end whether I agree or disagree.  SH owns & pretty much does all of the work for that blog.  She's a hoot too.  Why am I mentioning Stoopid Housewives?  Well it's because she writes these sometimes funny, sometimes juicy, sometimes unbelievable, sometimes pathetic tidbits of information called Blind Items.

Blind Item begins...

Allegedly a certain wife ______________ who has lots of adoring fans likes to get her 'medication' from a certain p________ on H____ Boulevard.  A doctor allegedly prescribes her the pills of her liking.    However word on the streets is she enjoys recreation lines of  white powder on occasion.  Maybe the rumor mill is talking about skiing?

In the 21st century,  a male companion was allegedly beat down by her husband's buddies & hospitalized.  Do you think he went by ambulance?  Oh the tales one's tail could tell.

...and ends. 

Now back to the important stuff & people!  I'd like to thank some of The M.O.B. Wives Blogspot's readers for taking the time to read us when you have a few moments to spare.  I'd like to give a nod to Rosey, CeeCee, Deana3452,  Hey You, Kel, John HAMhock, Big T, Sicilian Cutie, Missy, Ms Cali Kathy, Bella, TweetPolice, Marie Pimental, Meagan Price, ScoobyDooPatches, FunLady28, Cwedd30, Queen B, Lady El, Morris Park, Diane Randle, Samantha, Jillian Perry, Vai and so many others.  I can't write you keep us going.  Frankly if we had zero readers we'd blog during our spare time as we do now.  It's pure fun & laughter.  I can write you add so much more fun & spice to our experience as blogging friends.  Thank you from the core of my iMac.

A special thanks to my fellow bloggers.  I know I'm a heartless asshole.  Thanks Chiara, Underboss, Carmela Corleone, Soft Tails & SH for sharing this pastime with a miserable often bitchy wife.

For every lie the truth will be revealed. ~Mob Mistress' grandmother

Mob Wives: Drita Uses the N-Word?

Originally posted January 2012


Oh say it ain't so, Joe!  So earlier this week I mentioned that 1 or 2 Mob Wives allegedly have David Duke tendencies according to my sources.  Two Mob Wives went on a Twitter spree tweeting away about how The Mob Wives Blogspot isn't a real blog.  I think it's safe for me to type they're not the brightest lights of intelligence in our Universe.  The dictionary is your friend is all I can suggest to the lovely disgruntled geniuses.  They also tweeted to their followers not to read us anymore. I'm glad to know they think they can dictate to their Twitter followers what not to read and all.

Sidebar: We blogged with no readers.  We blogged with five, 50 and 100.  We blog now with thousands reading us.  We will continue to blog if we go back down to zero.  We blog for our own personal enjoyment.  There's a Real Housewives blog which has added Mob Wives to their mix.  Please go and check out their truth if ours isn't working for you.  I am sure it'll be all about how wonderful Panic Punch is and all! For my Real Housewives coverage I'm sticking to Stoopid Housewives.

Moving along, we stumbled on tweets from David Seabrook.   Who is he?!  Mr. Seabrook would be the man in my opinion that finalized the complete end of Karen Gravano's on again off again 7 year relationship with Lee D'avanzo.  In his tweets David alleges Drita called Karen a N-word lover, wow imagine that! I'm just not talking out the side of my ass as an articulate Carla Facciolo follower, @MDovolani  tweeted us earlier today.  Please someone call Mensa and let them know that they have a member on the loose on Twitter. 

My sources and David Seabrook must have it all wrong. The Darling Diva of Destruction Drita would never, ever use the N-word.  *rolling eyes*


Some recent Twitter action for your enjoyment!  Who is the lying skank?

Click for a larger view of picture.

Prejudice is not my problem in regards to my opinion of Drita D'avanzo per television & various information.  Frankly after researching the show & it's cast members I believed she'd be my favorite.  I was so very, very wrong.  She's not.  If she manages to end world hunger maybe I'll change my mind.  Karen Gravano & Renee Graziano remain my favorite Mob Wives.  For the record Renee Graziano started out as my least favorite.  She grew on me half way through season 1, now I just love the woman.  I love Ramona Rizzo & Bigg Ang as our newest additions to my favorite reality show.  Both woman add more spice, leopard print, cleavage, eye rolls & loyalty to Mob Wives. Oh and I can't forget about Carla Facciolo. *yawns*  She was an early favorite of mine in season 1.  *cringes*  Sometimes I watch the show & see glimpses of why I liked her so once upon a time.  I know I'm not Carla's favorite blogger.  I doubt if she even remembers me.  However, at the end of the day I have respect for her as it pertains to this blog.  She gave us a lovely interview.  Months later when she had an issue with my Handy Man post, she called me.  We discussed it.  It was over.  In closing, the woman has moxie and great hair.


Roses by UniqueRoses: @UniqueRoses1002

Mob Wives: Sunday Is Italian Family Day!

Beautiful Graziano sister: Renee, Lana, Jennifer

Sunday is family day in most Italian families, and today I am in a family mood! I got to thinking what to blog and  then it came to me. It's been a while since we had some family pictures posted from the collections of our Mob Wives. The picture above, of all the Graziano sisters, is a rare gem tweeted by Renee the other day. Even rarer still is the next picture of Renee with her mom and dad! I wish Mrs. Graziano would appear on the show,  I'd love to see the woman who raised three beautiful daughters, but I doubt that would ever happen.

Her beautiful mom and handsome dad!

Jenn's favorite of Mom & Dad

And not to leave anyone out of Family Day, I collected a few more of my favorite  pictures to post here in honor of "La Famiglia."

Jennifer's handsome son, Justin!

Jennifer want to show off her "baby" Nolie, awwww

Karen and her beautiful daughter, Karina

Ramona and her beautiful daughter, Gianna

Carla's handsome son, Joseph, and Elvis

Drita and her beautiful daughter, Aleeya

It's nice to visit with family on a Sunday afternoon. Many Italians go to mom's for dinner for some pasta dish with homemade sauce. It's tradition. I love it. Have a beautiful day and remember to tune in to a new episode of Mob Wives tonight..."Taking the Rap!"

Picture credit: Renee's Twitter; Jenn, Carla, Drita, Ramona, Karen's Facebook pages; 

Mob Wives Chicago: Leah DeSimone in NYC

Leah visiting a local cigar place on Arthur Avenue

Leah DeSimone, of Mob Wives Chicago, is really in New York this time...no practical joke! You'll never guess where her first stop was? It was on Arthur Avenue, in the Bronx, home of the Mama's Boys of The Bronx! She tweeted some pictures for us and she looks like she fits in with the boys and the locals, in this very Italian neighborhood. Leah seems to really be enjoying herself in the short time she has been here already. We are keeping an eye on Leah and her goings and comings and let you know what else she has been up to while she is here visiting. Stay tuned! And remember, Mob Wives Chicago premieres in June!

Here are Frankie and Leah!

A little close up of Frankie and Leah!

Here are Chip and Leah!

Here is Leah with Joe Black!

Picture Credit: Leah's Twitter Account

Mob Wives: Karen Gravano Helps Kidney Cause

Karen Gravano will be one of the authors present to help raise money for the Kidney and Urology Foundation on June 7th, 2012. The event will take place from 11 AM to 2 PM at the Mansion at The Woodlands, Town of Oyster Bay Golf Course, Woodbury, NY. Welcome reception and hors d’oeuvres will be served at 11:00am followed by a gourmet luncheon, author readings and signings and awards program at noon.  

Also Featuring Hat Contests, Most Fashionable Hat for Women, Most Unusual Hat for Women, Best Baseball Cap for Men, Best Hat - Men and Women.  R.S.V.P. by Friday, May 25, 2012

It sounds like a fun event, you get to help out a great cause and you get to meet Karen! For more information check out their website or call 1-800-633-6628

Link: Kidney Foundation

Mob Wives: From Housewife to Mob Wife

Here I am!

I know some of you were curious, even anxious, to get a glimpse of me on Mob Wives. I didn't want to let you down. I found a clip of the Book Launch on VH1 and took a couple of screen shots for you. There I am the little hidden head next to Renee. Check out the video below if you want to see it again!

When I started this blog with Mob Mistress I had absolutely no idea where it would lead. Our intention was to find something we had in common and blog about it together, for fun. If people read it fine, if they didn't, that was fine too. We would make each other laugh. We have different styles and perspectives. We appreciate each other's humor. That's all it was supposed to be...a little hobby. Little did I know, two months later, on June 24th, 2011, I would be meeting Renee and Jennifer at Sugar. I didn't even know it then, but Ramona was also there. They knew about me and the blog already. Renee was wonderful. She just lights up a room when she is in it. Before I knew it I was doing a couple of interviews, the readership of the blog was growing and I even joked about being on Mob Wives one day. After all, I followed the show so closely, met and spoke to some of the wives and that was the next logical step. I never imagined that being at Karen's book release party would result in fulfilling the last little piece of the puzzle for me. I managed to be filmed and make the final cut for episode 14. The editor's made a wish come true. The show has brought me full circle, from housewife to mob wife, in one year. 

What's next? Well I'd love to be at the reunion taping and taking notes for you all. Maybe Jennifer will make that happen? If not, I will still be watching very closely to give my take on it. And you can bet your boots I will be sending VH1 some great questions for Joy Behar to ask and I'll let you know if any of my questions make it or not.

There I am behind Karen and Gerard, trying to take a picture!

Picture Credit: VH1 

Mob Wives: Analyzing The Mob Wives

Renee is very emotional.

I have been marinating on this blog for a long while now. Originally I thought I would describe each mob wife with one to three adjectives that best describes them. But after thinking about it, that wouldn’t be enough. I am not a one to three word writer. I like to write and one things always leads to another. I don’t know if this blog is going to make the cut, but I am going to give you my analysis of the mob wives based on everything I have seen, read and heard. I have already given my thoughts on Jennifer Graziano in another blog. Let’s see if you agree with me on these points.

Renee is highly emotional, extremely protective, very compassionate, loyal, sensitive and has a definite set of right and wrong values and rules that she strongly believes in. Renee needs everyone to get along because her life has been full of chaos and she needs stability, consistency and peace. She needs to be in control and there is a reason for that. Living a life where you never know what is going to happen next, sets you off balance. It makes you become a controlling person because you want to and need to manage things and people to stop the chaos. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work because we can’t control everything around us. With all that Renee has been through in her life and because of her insecurity, she needs to know there are people she can totally trust and go to for support.

It's all about Carla!

Carla is extremely superficial. I think Carla is loyal to Carla. It’s all about Carla, for Carla. She cares too much about how she looks and what people say and think about her. She loves gossip. She goes to the gym and works out. She is into fashion and shoes. She comes across as shallow and fake. I’ve never see her “connect” emotionally with anyone on the show, even Drita. When Renee had all her complications with surgery, Carla didn’t reach out to her and put their differences aside. When Junior was arrested in season one, Carla didn’t go to see Renee. Now that Renee’s father was arrested and Junior turned informant, the only time Carla comes out of the woodwork is to defend her “honor” against rumors. It’s always about Carla. I think the “fame” of being on the show has only gone to her head even more. Sadly, I think she identifies herself with who she is on the outside and not on the inside.

Karen is grounded.

Karen strikes me as the most grounded, consistent and stable. She is open and honest. She has done a lot of introspective work even before writing her book. The book just accelerated the process. She has come to terms with the past events in her life, the good and the bad. She knows what is important to her now, her relationships with her closest and dearest family and friends. She has a sense of direction of where she wants her life to go from this point on. She is loyal, loving and trustworthy. She cares about people. She shows her friendship by being there when needed. She doesn’t just talk the talk. Her life seems the least complicated of all the mob wives. She is able to think clearly about all the opportunities coming her way.

Bigg Ang is the comic relief!

Bigg Ang is cool, calm and collected. Maybe it’s because of all she has been through or maybe it’s just her personality not to let thing ruffled her feathers. She shies away from drama, as though she has had enough of it to last a lifetime. She has a wonderful sense of humor that she uses to put everyone else at ease when tensions build.

Ramona is brutally honest!

Ramona is a loyal, strong, no nonsense, committed individual. She is a straight-shooter. You never have to guess what she means when she says something. She avoids some personal topics that she doesn’t want to share, but on other topics she is very forthcoming and can be brutally honest. She is very protective of the people she cares about. She is confident, knows who she is; she is proud of it and doesn’t try to hide it. She has strong opinions and stands her ground. She is consistent and maybe a little misunderstood because of her tough exterior. However, I can see beneath the hard shell, she has a heart of gold.

Drita is always ready for a fight!

Drita strikes me as being very insecure and scared which is why she is always ready to fight and throw the first punch. Maybe she feels inferior, so that fighting and bragging about beating people up is a way of building herself up. Maybe she has anger issues that stem from her childhood that she isn’t even aware of. Maybe acting tough is her way of gaining respect from others. Drita seems to exhibit “reactive aggression” which means she misperceives cues as being hostile and then reacts with aggression (like she did on the balcony and rooftop). She lacks the ability to talk through an issue and in her frustration lashes out with physical violence.

Sorry to say that the techniques that Drita has been turning to, boxing and anger management, are not working too well. These things take time and commitment. She would have to learn behavioral skills on how to handle situations that set her off. Drita isn’t that committed to either process from what I have seen. Her desire to end her fighting isn’t strong enough to be working well either. The next solution I would recommend would be for the other wives to help her diffuse her anger before she gets to the point of throwing a punch. What are the odds of that happening? She almost exploded when Carla suggested they read Karen’s book. Drita has a short fuse. Anything and everything might set it off.

What do you think? Agree? Disagree? Of course so much more could have been said, but I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Mob Wives: Recap "If Books Could Kill" Ep 214

A little chat about what Carla said or di-ent say!

Ramona and Renee meet for lunch and Renee updates her on what is going on in her life. Renee says she is done with the pity party and she is being loyal to herself. She wants to raise her kid with moral and ethics. Renee is coming out of a dark place and it’s the hardest thing she has had to do. Ramona is proud of her and tells her what is going on in her life. When her boyfriend was arrested they took $200,000 worth of her jewelry from his house. She wants it back. Renee says they do what they want to do. Ramona is going to have to fight to get it back.

Karen meets Anessa, the event planner, to discuss her book release party at the Greenhouse. She wants everything to be perfect. Her brother is flying in from Arizona to be there. Everyone is invited and she wants everyone to have fun. The red carpet will be held outside and downstairs there will be a media room. Karen is nervous, but she stands behind her book and what’s in it.

Bigg Ang has a Christmas party at her sister Janine’s house. It’s a big tradition in their family, Uncle Sally used to have them all the time. Her sister’s house is big and gorgeous. Renee shows up and sees champagne, caviar and music…and hot looking guys. Drita shows up and is amazed at the size of the house. Renee and Drita start chatting and Renee says she heard that Carla said something like, “Come on she didn’t know?” Drita says she doesn’t think Carla meant it. She tells Renee that some people talk before they think and Carla is one of those people. Renee says regardless of what she meant to say, it came across as that she knew Junior was wearing a wire. Renee adds that Carla always calls her a mental case. Renee decides that Drita is acting like the voice of reason and she needs to listen to her.

Drita and Carla shop for a Sweet 16 present for Carla’s niece. Carla casually asks Drita if she has seen the girls. Drita tells her about meeting Renee at Bigg Ang’s family Christmas party and that Renee wants to talk to Carla. Carla says, don’t worry she wants to talk to Renee too. Renee blows everything she hears out of proportion. Carla thinks Renee should call her when she hears something. Enough is enough.

Ramona meets with her boyfriend’s lawyer. The police confiscated all her stuff. He says Joseph’s case is difficult. Ramona says it is so wrong that they took her jewelry and she has to prove it’s legitimately hers now. He tells her they put it in a vault in Texas. Ramona feels violated. Ramona goes over the jewelry list, item by item, to make corrections. She says she got all of the jewelry as gifts. They even took her grandfather’s medal, it’s priceless and irreplaceable. Her heart is broken over that, of all things.

Carla is a little too defensive

Carl and Renee meet at the diner and get things “rolling.” Carla wants to clear the air, she is pissed about what she has been hearing. Renee tells her what she was told Carla said, that she knew Junior was wearing a wire. Carla says that’s ridiculous, she knows how Renee feels about her father and she would never say that. Renee says she didn’t question the person who told her because she trusts them. Carla says she wants Renee to trust her more. Renee admits that she jumped the gun and was 100% wrong. Renee wants to make up because she needs a good support team right now. They make up.

Ramona takes Bigg Ang and Karen belly dancing, to share with them something she enjoyed from when she was living in the Middle East. Bigg Ang struggles because of her large breasts, Karen is doing her own steps because she can’t concentrate. Karen has a lot of things going on right now and can’t think about the moves. She doesn't feel sexy right now. Karen talks about her book’s haters and one of the family members of Sammy’s victim’s who is trying to sue her for the profits from her book. It had nothing to do with her.

Drita spend some quality time with Giselle after school. They have a moment of fun. Drita says that both her girls are so good and great students and she is very proud of them. As a reward, she tells Giselle they are going to get a puppy. However, after exchanging ideas, they don’t seem to see eye to eye on a name yet.

At Carla’s house, Renee comes over for a quick visit. Renee says she is going to Karen’s book release party with AJ and she wants to know if Carla wants a ride. Carla says no, it’s not her cup of tea. She says she is done with drama and all the talk about Drita and she doesn’t think Karen cares if she is there anyway. Renee says rumor has it that Lee and Drita are in Karen’s book. Renee thinks that Drita will react badly if she and Lee are in the book.

Karen’s day has arrived! It’s a celebration and she looks out from the balcony of her hotel room over NYC. Ramona shows up and says, this is a party celebrating Karen’s life, and Ramona will have her back if anyone even thinks of starting trouble. Karen gets flowers from her mom and dad who wish they could be there, but they are they in spirit. Karen gives Ramona a copy of her book with a very personal and special message inside. Karen says, “You can’t find someone more loyal than Ramona.” Ramona gets a little choked up. She is so proud of Karen.

Drita and Carla meet for drinks. Drita is excited and tells Carla she is getting a new puppy. Carla is thinking she may have to get her kids a puppy now. Then Carla tells Drita that she and Renee resolved their differences and Renee admitted that she was wrong. Carla says that she was invited to Karen’s book release party, but she declined to go. Drita says that they will blame her for Carla not going. Carla says maybe they should read it and see what it’s about. Drita says the book means nothing to her and it’s probably full of lies. She don’t give a f*ck about Karen’s book!

Book Release Party! There is a huge turnout…pictures flashing, camera’s rolling and Gerard, Karen’s brother, is right there by her side. Karen walks into the party and Renee gets up on a chair to kiss her over a partion. Oh, and there I am, front and center for a second! Karen is in the media room answering questions. One person asks if she is worried about retaliation for writing the book. Karen answers no. Another asks if Drita has read the book. Karen answers she doesn’t know, but she should, it’s a good book. Karen and Ramona make a couple of nice speeches. Karen says she is a survivor and she feels her book is going to be huge.

Ramona tells Karen the latest news

Ramona calls Bigg Ang, who is working at the Drunken Monkey, to tell her about another big mob bust. People they know were arrested all because of Junior. Ramona just wanted to give Bigg Ang a heads up because she knows the people arrested. Then Ramona meets with Karen to tell her the news that the situation with Junior has escalated. The husbands of Renee’s best friends have been arrested because of Junior. Renee is going to be shunned by the people she trusted and cared for. Karen says Renee has gotten strong since she learned about Junior wearing a wire, after getting over the initial shock, but how much more can she take?

Renee enters court building to support her father

Renee calls Bigg Ang. Renee is nervous because she is going to court to support her father today. She is going to a status hearing where they will discuss the discovery of the facts. Bigg Ang can’t get over what Junior did to Renee. Renee says it was the most gutless, selfish thing that anyone can do. Renee says people will look at her like it was her fault, but she is strong and will do what she has to do for her son. No matter how anyone treats her because of this, she will go to court to be there to support her father.

MY TWO CENTS:

I’ll break it down mob wife by mob wife again this week starting with Bigg Ang. Bigg Ang makes every scene she is in a commercial for her new show. She is hysterical, even when it’s supposed to be serious. At the Christmas party she has her nephew dressed like a “hunk” and it shocks Renee. At the belly dancing lesson, Bigg Ang is having such difficulty she calls it a nightmare. What was Ramona thinking bringing Bigg Ang when it’s Renee who loves to dance. Renee could have used this moment to show DWTS her skills! Come on, who is running the show? Do I have to think of everything? And when it comes to talking about Junior’s situation, no one says the word “rat” more than Bigg Ang, and it’s not just how many times she says it, it’s how she says it with emphasis, disgust and attitude!

Loved seeing Drita with Giselle! Giselle may look like Lee, but I think she has Drita’s stubbornness. Oh but, wait till the teenage years when attitude really blossoms. This was a cute little scene explaining how they got their puppy, Lucky Santangelo…yes that’s the name they settle on for their little brown toy poodle. This is my week for loving Drita because when she meets with Renee, who calls her the “voice of reason,” I almost choked! However, Drita made her most brilliant statement of the series yet when she says “some people speak without thinking and Carla is one of those people.” I agree with Drita! And because of those two scenes I am going to cut her a little slack on the fact that she is still cursing about Karen’s book when she hasn’t even read it! I can’t imagine myself not reading a book that my husband and I are in, can you? Maybe she has nothing to be angry about? Maybe she has more to be angry about? Wouldn’t you want to know? I have found that your imagination can be your worst enemy if you let it. Read the book already, Drita! (I see that in next week’s preview, Renee wants Drita to make up with Karen too. How is that even possible?)

Ramona’s jewelry somehow got “arrested” (confiscated) with her boyfriend and now she can’t get it back. I don’t understand what her jewelry has to do with his case or how it’s evidence. I’d be pretty upset too. I don’t understand why it wasn’t in a safe of some kind or a safety deposit box? Ramona’s life is still pretty complicated. On a brighter note, Ramona made a very nice speech for Karen at the book release party. It’s impossible not to see how close they are and how much they love each other. We could all use a friend like Ramona!

Karen finally gets her book published. She is radiant at the book release party and she looks beautiful. The Greenhouse was filled to capacity with family, friends, fans and supporters. And why not, this was a huge accomplishment and it took a lot of courage for her to expose the details of her life. I give her a lot of credit for doing that, knowing that many people will have unkind things to say. At the same time, I imagine it’s a relief for Karen, who is always straight forward and honest, to put it all out there and not have anything about her life hidden. She has literally and figuratively become an “open book.” I think it’s an important step for her in moving forward in a positive direction. I wish her all the best and every success in all her future projects!

As for the Carla and Renee drama, well we saw most of it in a sneak peek and there really wasn’t much more to it. It left me feeling like I was waiting for a firecracker that didn’t go off after it was lit. This is the third time their little “sit downs” have fizzled out. I know Renee wants support and not drama, but Carla has proven to be not very supportive, as far as friends go. I mean, when Carla heard what Renee was saying, she didn’t pick up the phone to call her either, right? She was all pissy and complaining to Drita and Bigg Ang and bad mouthing Renee to the max, but she didn’t pick up the phone and say, “Renee, I heard someone was telling you things about me that aren’t true or that you misunderstood and we need to talk.” Yet, she wants Renee to call her? The phone works both ways. Carla needs to “own” her part in this miscommunication. Even Drita says that Carla talks without thinking…even Drita picked up on that. Hello! And, if you remember, it was that Drita showed insight when she told Carla that Renee was mostly angry about the boyfriend issue because Carla basically called Renee a liar. As far as I know, Carla never apologized for that, but she wants Renee to trust her more? Carla gets a lot of free passes as far as I am concerned. I’m still not satisfied that Carla is as innocent as she claims. She told Renee she just said Junior was acting different and she thought something was up. However, I want to know what she meant when she told Karen that “people” were talking and asking “what’s up with Junior,” and if “people” were speculating too, then what were they saying on the street? Carla loves gossip like a bee loves honey, and you can bet she polled all of Staten Island, by phone, to get their ideas on what’s up with Junior. I’m not buying what Carla is selling…nope.

Now, a couple of words about me, as I see I made the final “cut” and saw myself on the show. Yes, I was there during the scene of Karen’s Party, when Renee got up on a sofa to kiss Karen as she walked in. For one second, I was front and center, and it was damn near a close up! So in a year I have gone from starting a blog no one ever heard of, to writing for the number one mob wives blog, to talking to the executive producer and cast members, to meeting cast members and Jenn, to alienating two cast members, to being on the show. What a difference a year makes? Well, I had my one second of fame and now it’s back to work for me.

I have a favor to ask Jennifer? Can I be invited to the Reunion Show taping? I would love to see Joy in action and of course all my mob wives! I just need Ramona and Karen to protect me from Drita and Carla!

Mob Wives: Sinan Selmani the Voice of Reason

Sinan reminiscing about their multitasking skill.

Many have been chatting about Drita deciding not to go through with her first boxing match.  Some of us are of the mindset that Drita D'avanzo made the decision to model appropriate behavior for her daughters.  I think that ship sailed season 1 of Mob Wives.  Others are of the mindset that Drita got cold feet & punked out.  I can raise my hand & state, for a minute I thought the very same thing.  Then I thought about it during the commercial break & asked myself a question, "Well you really don't like her, are you being objective or just thinking the worse because she's a liar?"  So, I pondered it for another 30 seconds & conceded the possibility of Mrs. D'avanzo making the best decision for her daughters.  I'm frankly not in her head (nor would I ever want to be).  Only Drita knows the real reasons for her deciding not to fight in the ring.

I stumbled upon this bonus clip "Hit Like a Man" of episode 13 Whats Goes Around on VH1.  Sinan drops in for a visit with his sister, Drita.  Brother and sister chit chat about his soccer team & their good ole days of working out.  They use to watch television shows doing sit ups.  I too work out as I watch television.  I walk to the pantry.  I lift the bag of chips.  I walk back to the couch.  I make sure my form is correct.  I curl chips to my mouth nonstop.  You should see my guns.  Moving along Drita brings up her boxing aspirations as their chat continues.  Sinan the Sexy Socrates of Soccer gives her some of his wisdom.  Watch the video for yourself:

Mob wives 2 - Drita -

Jennifer Graziano I have a bone to pick with you.  You know I'm an old hag with a lustful eye.  JustJenn Productions should've filmed Sinan for season 1 of Mob Wives.  He is such a hottie.  What do you think of Sinan and his advice to his sister Drita?  Is he right, should she move on from fighting, boxing and all that jazz?  Don't miss next weeks episode on Sunday @ 8 PM on VH1.  Mob Wives just keeps getting better & better.  At least we now know where the logic of bowing out of the match came from.  I was thinking Drita's logic just popped out of thin air, like a David Copperfield magic trick.

Mama’s Boys of The Bronx: Recap Episodes 3 &4

Episode 3 - Bringin’ The Bronx to Miami

The show starts off with Frankie’s mom, Gina, who does an inventory of the refrigerator for what she’s left for Frankie to eat, while she goes to Florida. She’s got everything labeled and stacked. She warns him, “Now remember, this food is for you not your friends. And no wild parties and no girls.” “Okay, okay,” Frankie tells her. She says she needs to get away from him, at least for a little bit.

Patti is leaving a detailed list on how to work all the appliances while she’s away. She’s going with Gina and Camille to Florida. She explains how the the stove and the toaster work. Anthony comments that it’s like an instructional video. “What?  You think I can’t take care of myself?” No, apparently Patti doesn’t and I can see why. She does everything for him! And, Anthony loves it. He tries to make her feel guilty by saying “Don’t worry I’ll starve while you’re gone.” For some reason I don’t find that at all possible.

Camille, who is obsessed with the cats that she cares for, tells Chip he needs to take care of them and has to feed them. “You make sure you take care of my babies.” She explains feeding times and litter box duty. “Oh Madone!” Chip says, “What about my feeding times?”  “You eat when your hungry,” Camille says.

Now that the moms are going away, Frankie decides that he’s going to have a Miami themed party. The guys come over and they decorate the place with palm trees. The girls show up and everyone is drinking homemade wine and doing shots. The girls are dancing and when one of them takes her shoes off, Chip comments, "You’re one step closer to sex." Oh my, Chip, shhh! He offers $10.00 for the first girl naked! Thank goodness he didn’t offer $100.00, cause it may have happened. Unfortunately, the only one who even comes close to being naked is some guy, who strips down to his boxers. Now they’re gonna play spin the bottle for a lap dance. Poor Pete is targeted thanks to Giovanni. In the end Anthony wins the spin and there is no real lap dance. They carry on, making out with the girls. Yeah that’s right, I remember acting similar to that, oh but that was back in like 1976. The girls leave and the guys sit down and take a look at the place. All the food is gone and the place is a mess. So they come up with a great idea. Lets hop on a plane and head on down to Florida to be with the Mama's.

So they show up in Delray Beach and, to say the least, Camille, Patti and Gina don’t look too happy. Gina calls them babies. The guys asked if they are having fun and Gina says, "yeah, until yous showed up.“ Frankie lets her know he’ll find her anywhere, even if he has to put lojack in her suitcase. Poor Gina. Well, all they want to do is eat, so the mamas make them dinner and tell them to eat and get lost. Then they have another great idea. They’re gonna head down to south beach cause Chip has a "boy" at the Catalina who can hook them up. They head out and they are out at the Clevelander when they meet 2 pretty girls from Hungary. Frankie mistakes them for being hungry and Chip once again mentions sex....they lose a chance with those two, I wonder why? They meet another group of girls and they get a little personal and ask some questions. They let on they live with their moms, who do everything for them. One asks if they have a curfew. Another says, "yeah he probably told his mom, “I’m going out, be back later, leave the chicken cutlets out".  She nailed that for sure, any one of them could have said that line. The guys get a little turned off when the girls ask if they like broccoli parmigiana. What? What part of Italy is that from? I guess they aren’t fans of broccoli parmigiana and now they aren’t too fond of these girls. I like how they decide who’s good for them or not, over food choices.

So the next day they meet 2 beautiful Australian girls. Chip wants to fill them in on what Italian men like. They like to eat, have fun and lots of women. Then Chip (and I’m not going to repeat it)  combos 2 of the items together. Maybe Anthony is right, he always kills the game! They are having fun with the girls and they talk about what the night is going to bring them. Meanwhile, the moms decide to take a trip to south beach themselves. “Wow,” Camille says, “lots of men flesh here.” And, surprise! The guys can’t believe it. The girls lose interest in the guys, and the moms tell them they came down to teach them a lesson. The guys blame their moms over why they can’t meet any girls and then they sit around and have lunch. Just like at home. It ends with small talk around the table. And the guys, deep down inside, look happy their moms are there.

Episode 4 - Devour!

Gina explains how to make a cannoli!

We are back on Arthur avenue in this episode. Aunt Gina’s sitting in the kitchen with Giovanni and she’s giving him her grocery list once again. I need some things for you to pick up. Giovanni looks annoyed. You always need something. I gotta get to the gym, I have no time for the groceries. I’m not sure why this guy puts up a fight. We all know Aunt Gina will find him. Giovanni, shame on you! Be nicer to her! Then, Giovanni's friend Gio shows up. Instead of hitting the gym, Giovanni tells him he has this great idea. He wants to have a cannoli eating contest on the avenue. “What?,” Gio says, he’s obsessed with cannoli's. It think he’s right. I think he does have a fetish.” They walk the avenue, eating and talking about this brainstorm of an idea.

Camille and Chip shop on the avenue. Chip stops to eat raw clams on the street and Camille thinks it’s disgusting. They’re slimy and scurvy. Chip says they are better than half the girls he’s been out with. Girls and Clams....in the same sentence? Really Chip?

Looks like Patti had to drag Anthony out on her shopping excursion.  Anthony seems to be reluctant in helping her and says he’s got better things to do. They stop off at a bakery, where Anthony bites into a cookie, and feels the pain of a cavity. Don’t worry, Patti will take care of that later.

And by the way, Aunt Gina finds Giovanni. Same place I found him. At the pastry shop. He tells her about the cannoli eating contest and she doesn’t like the idea one bit. It’s juvenile and stupid. She lets him know that she should hit him over the head with a frying pan to knock some sense into him. If that works, then I say, go ahead Aunt Gina!

Building a cat condo!

Camille is really a cat lover. She tends to numerous cats and is very concerned for them in the winter. Chip goes to Frankie to ask him to build some insulated cat condos, so the cats wont freeze. “You know, for my mom Frankie.” But, deep down inside, Chip has a soft spot for these cats too. Camille is thrilled with the condos.

The "tutu"

Giovanni is now hitting the streets with this red and white tutu in his hand trying to find some cheerleaders for the cannoli eating contest. So, I’m thinking, he’s an inspiring designer and this is what he came up with? Giovanni, show us what you can do. Wear something at least! This  turned out to be unsuccessful and Giovanni did not find any cheerleaders. I guess he’ll have to settle for the neighborhood audience.

Patti takes, let me rephrase that, makes the dentist appt for Anthony; brings him to the dentist & oversees the dentist’s actions. Patti, I think Anthony may be able to handle this on his own! After he learns how to show up for an appointmentt he can learn how to work the toaster at home! Gee...she’s spoiling him!

Giovanni is getting ready for his cannoli eating contest. You know, the usual things that men do before they’re going to sit down and overstuff themselves with cannolis. There’s the tanning, the haircut and the manicure. Just in case, he says, he meets someone. Next time I’m single, I’ll have to remember that if I want to meet any single men, I need to go to a cannolli eating contest. The moms and boys show up. Frankie is hosting, being that Joe Pesci had a previous engagement. I can’t believe he missed this. So the contest goes on and Giovanni looks like a real pro. He certainly has had a lot of practice. In the end Frankie asks his mom who the winner is. Pete Cigars wins. And by the way, he cheated. He passed his cannolis down to Giovanni. So the first annual cheating cannoli contest comes to an end. Giovanni leaves with Aunt Gina and they  walk down the avenue. Aunt Gina consoles him and she’s gonna make him a nice pizza when they get home.

Well there are a lot of funny chuckling scenes in the shows. One thing for sure is that these guys are playing themselves. I do enjoy the humor. These guys have not a worry about them. I wish my life was so simple. Seems like Pete’s the only one with a real job. I missed both Larry and Grazia in these episodes and I look forward to them in the next ones. I hope you enjoyed this recap. Please leave your comments below.

Written by: Carmela Corleone

Picture Credit: TLC and Carmela

Mob Wives: Recap “What Goes Around” Ep. 213

Carla is at the "heart" of all rumors!

Check out the necklace if you don't believe me.

Renee has to deal with the realization that Junior wore a wire for months and was taping her father. In the blink of an eye Junior took everything from her. He used her to get close to her father. They replay all the moments where Junior was trying to get close to Renee and promising her a future together, all the while knowing he was working for the FBI and there was no future for them.

In Karen’s apartment she gets a call from her mother. Karen’s mom asks about Renee. She compares Junior’s situation to Sammy’s, and she feels for Renee as a mother trying to protect AJ. News spreads like wildfire. She says Karen and Gerard came through it stronger and so will AJ. Karen says her mother is the glue who kept the family together. Karen’s mother tells her that Drita was never a real friend. Renee will learn who her real friends are now. She says she is proud of Karen for going back to Staten Island with her head held high and true to herself.

Drita reads the newspaper article and is sick to her stomach. She decided to go see Renee even though they haven’t spoken since the Poconos. She wants to be there for Renee. Renee opens the door and hugs Drita. This proves to Renee that she was wrong about Drita, and that she is loyal to her and their friendship. Renee appreciates it. Drita says it is killing her to see what this is doing to Renee. How could Junior do this?  She can’t understand it. Renee says Junior is not “ratting,” it’s a betrayal beyond everything. And Junior cooperated before he even moved in with her, just to put her father in prison! Drita says what Junior did is beyond lying and cheating, much worse than what Lee did. Junior’s betrayal of Renee is worse than anything. Renee wants to know, deserves to know if Junior really did love her? She needs to know if it was real. She says, if he loved her he wouldn’t have hurt her like this. Was it all just a lie? Were the last three months all just a lie?

Karen goes to record her audio book, chapter 11. Karen gets emotional. It’s a hard chapter and the turning point of her life when her whole world changed. It’s the part where Sammy tells the family he is going to cooperate, and everyone they knew turned their backs on their family. Karen recalls reacting with so much anger at the time. Karen reads on and then reads a few parts about Lee. She put Lee in the book because he was a big part of her life. She mentions Drita and how they became friends. Karen says that people who don’t like the truth, won’t like the book. 

At Drita’s house, her trainer, Anthony, shows up. He mentions that her boxing match is coming up soon. They practice sparring in the yard. Drita is nervous about the match, but she wants to do it. Drita brags about her “rocket” and her “right hook” as she displays her fist proudly in the air. Boxing makes her feel good, she gets a rush from boxing. However, she has to protect her face because she has gone back to modeling and is doing well. Her trainer thinks she is good to go.

At Renee’s house, Bigg Ang stops by because she is worried about Renee. Renee tells her she is avoiding people because of what Junior did. Renee is upset because she is being called a “rat’s something.” Renee is worried about AJ. Bigg Ang tells her to leave AJ alone. Renee wants to save her son from people who want to hurt him for what his father did. Renee has an attack of guilt and blames herself for the way she treated Karen so badly years ago. Bigg Ang tells her to pull it together for AJ. Renee says she will never forgive Junior.

Karen goes to see Renee. Renee is busy packing Junior’s things up in boxes and she tells Karen she is moving on with her life. There will never be a future for them, she knows that now. Renee appreciates having Karen there because she understands what AJ is going through. Renee cries and tells Karen that she apologizes to Karen’s parents over and over every night. Karen tells her that they have to separate themselves from their father’s choices and from Junior’s choices. Renee decided she has to be loyal to herself. She has to stand up for herself, she wants to live and be happy. She has a new life. She can’t call her dad or Junior if she needs someone now. She hugs Karen and tells her she loves her. She goes back to her packing and Karen tells her she is proud of her for letting go.

Drita is back at the gym to get some sparring in. Anthony, her trainer, sets her up with Andrew, her sparring partner. Drita says she has won most of her fights. She is in “fighter mode, dying to get into the ring and feels like ROCKY.” Drita finds it hard to stick with the boxing rules, she just wants to let loose. She says boxing is supposed to control her temper, but it’s “getting her heated!” She thinks maybe it’s not healthy.

Think before you speak, just sayin'

At Fusion, Carla and Karen go to have a bite to eat. Karen says she thinks Renee is stronger than she thought. Carla says they all thought that Junior wasn’t good for Renee and maybe this is a blessing. Carla says there was a lot of talk from Renee about Junior’s attitude changing and they were fighting a lot and Junior was acting weird. She says she thought something was up with him. Karen thinks it had to do with Renee being upset that Junior was going back to prison. But Carla says a few people on the street have been asking what’s up with Junior. Karen is confused by what she means. Carla says she thinks Renee “knew something was coming.” Karen gets the feeling that Carla is insinuating something and she should be careful how she chooses her words.

It’s Christmas time. Renee goes to a yoga class for peace and quiet in her life. “Breathe, serenity, peace and quiet” are words Renee is not used to in her life. Renee’s friend Nikole is there and Renee confides in her that someone told her that Carla thinks Renee knew Junior was cooperating with the Feds. Renee says she would never set her father up. Renee loves her family and she would never do anything to hurt her father. Renee says she will confront her on this. Nikole says throw out the garbage (meaning Carla).

"I'm done being nice, how much more can I be nice?"

Maybe just a little more...read on

Drita, Bigg Ang and Carla meet at the spa to get their nails done. Carla is pissed from the get go. She says she hasn’t spoken to Renee since news has come out. She says Renee is psycho. She says Renee is totally wrong about her, she is bi-polar and she has convinced herself that Carla said something just to get mad at her. She says Renee is paranoid since Junior became a rat. It’s not her fault Junior’s a rat. Drita says she has only heard people say they feel bad for Renee. Carla says Renee has a big mouth and talks about everyone. She should feel glad that people support her. Carla says Renee is not a true friend, she is a puppet with strings and has people talking in her ear. Carla is done being nice. Renee should go be friends with someone else.

Drita goes back to the Evolution gym and wants to talk to her trainer, Anthony. She says she doesn’t want to call off the fight, but she needs to call it off. She enjoys fighting too much to the point she is willing to box in order to “sugar-coat” her desire to fight. She says she is being smart and walking away. Her kids come first. The best thing for her to do is not to fight. Her trainer feels she has some skills and he is disappointed she won’t be fighting, but she has to do what is best for her. She is proud of herself.

Joe pops in to Carla’s house. It’s Christmastime and Carla isn’t going to worry about Renee. She wants to focus on her children and spending Christmas all together with their father. She is concentrating on her family. Joey says he wants Joe to stay over Christmas Eve and wake up there to open presents in the morning. 

AJ and Renee go out to eat. Renee is concerned about AJ. She feels he will be disappointed in Christmas because his grandfather and father won’t be spending it with them. He says he is ok, but that won’t stop Renee from worrying. AJ says, “That’s life.”

MY TWO CENTS

Oh where do I start? I woke up with my brain running with this blog. Here’s what I decided to do. I will take on the women one by one this time, instead of situation by situation. 

Ramona wasn’t even in this episode. I missed her “keeping it real” attitude and there were a couple of scenes that could have used her input…enough said.

Bigg Ang did not play a major role, as usual. Though Renee loves her to death, I didn’t find her very comforting at all, but at least she did go to see her. I don’t know how many times she said the words “rat” and “snitch,” but it was a lot. I didn’t think it was cool for her to take the newspaper over to the clothing store owned by her sister to show her the headlines. I would have been more concerned about being with Renee than adding to the gossip.

Karen proved herself to be Renee’s best friend throughout this whole mess. No one could have predicted, when the series started, that any of this was going to happen. It was only a year ago that Renee wasn’t very welcoming of Karen and was judging her for what her father did, yet Karen put that all behind her soon after season one started. She, of all people, could have been bad mouthing Renee now, but she proved her loyalty to Renee and their friendship time and time again. My heart ached a little for Karen when she got choked up reading the part of the book where Sammy tells them he is cooperating with the Feds. Her emotions flooded right back as though she went back in time for a moment. I’m glad she read a few parts about Lee and Drita. Although she didn’t read significant amounts of those parts, it was enough for Drita to get a small taste of what she missed by not reading it. And, I was glad to hear from Karen’s mother on the phone. She said all the right things, namely, that she is proud of Karen for coming back with her head held high and Drita is no real friend of hers. Just when I think I couldn’t respect Karen more…I do!

As for Renee, it’s heartbreaking to watch her whole world turned completely upside down. As a mother, as a daughter and as a (ex) wife, her emotions are raw and her spirit is broken. I think Renee never really let go of Junior emotionally, in the past. Deep down I think she always considered him her husband and that they would get back together one day. His betrayal of her, their son and her father is as bad as it gets in that lifestyle. It’s even beyond all comprehension that he could turn on his own family and the man who considered him a son. Maybe it’s a good thing that all this happened during the filming of Mob Wives, because Renee has gotten tremendous support, prayers and love from fans. I always thought Renee was a strong woman, but she not only surprised Karen with her strength, she surprised a lot of us. I’m glad this was filmed months ago because we now know how well Renee is doing and that she is moving on with her life and living it to the fullest. 

Drita, Drita, Drita…where shall I start? Shall we start with the good news or the bad news?  Ok the good news first. Drita went over to support Renee! She did the right thing even though she was concerned about what she heard from Carla about the trip to the Poconos. I am going to hand it to her, I did not expect that at all. It certainly was a step in the right direction for the sake of their friendship. You don’t stay away from friends during times of crisis, something not everyone on the show has learned (cough, cough).

Now the bad news…more boxing. Too much of the episode was about boxing. First, Anthony, Drita’s trainer from Evolution, comes to her house for a “workout” in the yard. How many trainers would do that? Maybe just the ones who want to be on television and promote their business? It’s just not practical. But anyway, it seems he has set up a “match” for Drita, where she can fight an opponent. Drita wants to do it. And, as always, she is back to her old ways talking about her fist, as her weapon, her “rocket” her “right hook.” Boxing makes her feel good and gives her a rush! Not exactly the kind of talk of someone turning over a new leaf is it? Her trainer thought she was ready for her “match” I do not. Frankly, I don’t think Drita has actually had more than the three or four lessons we saw on the show. I can’t see Drita getting in her car and driving over the Verrazano Bridge a few times a week for lessons or for practice, but that’s just lazy me talking. 

Later in the show, she goes to Evolution for a sparring session with Andrew. She brags again how she has won most of her fights (though she left out the cheeseburgers and standing up against bullies this time, very disappointing). Then she says the sparring is putting her in “fighter mode,” and she is “dying to get into the ring,” and she “feels like ROCKY!” (I suddenly hear music playing as I type). And low and behold, Drita herself comes to the same conclusion I wrote about in another blog. Remember that study that showed boxing actually increases aggression not decreases it! Evolution explained to me that the discipline of boxing is what reduces aggression, however Drita said flat out she can’t be bothered with the “rules of boxing.” She ends her scene saying, boxing is supposed to control her temper, but “it’s getting her heated.” So, guess what, I was right about Drita and boxing and I love being right! Hold the applause, I haven’t gotten to Carla yet.

Last and certainly not least, is my little Carla. Carla has always been my least favorite mob wife. I did a blog on that months ago and maybe I should update it? Anyway, where to begin? Carla is in two major scenes concerning Renee. No, she never did go see Renee, she just talked about her behind her back. To be fair, I am not going to put words in Carla’s mouth or state what she may have implied, I am just going to deal with what she did and di-ent say.

First Carla meets with Karen to discuss Renee’s situation. I ask myself why? Why is Carla sitting there with Karen and not at Renee’s house, her friend of 27 years, whose whole world has come crashing down around her? Carla makes some stupid statements. Like what you ask? Well, she says that Junior was never really good for Renee so maybe this whole thing (Junior’s turning informant, getting her dad arrested, and disappearing) is what’s best for Renee. Really Carla? Think again. Carla casually mentions to Karen that a “few people” have been asking “what’s up with Junior?” Who would those few people be and why would they be talking, and why would it be relevant now unless he was said to be doing something shady? Carla doesn’t say. I almost got the impression that Carla knew something was up based on what she heard from the rumor mill.  We know how Carla loves gossip (remember she wanted to get all the “dirt” on Renee’s party so she could compare stories?). Not much gets by Carla. Then Carla says something, innocently or not, that could be misconstrued, because she fails to elaborate. She says, she thinks “Renee knew something was coming.” Carla di-ent say what. Now, I will not leap to the conclusion that she meant Renee knew Junior was wearing a wire and taping her father, but it sounds like she was trying to imply something without saying it out right. Karen heard some kind of “insinuation” and we don’t know what was edited it out. Enough said.

Well, Carla isn’t done talking. She meets Drita and Bigg Ang at the spa to get their nails done. Carla is pissed at this point. Apparently, word got back to her that Renee is mad. Renee got the idea that Carla said or implied that she knew Junior was wearing a wire and maybe even taping her dad. Carla still hasn’t talked to Renee since all this happened. I think I would wonder a little about Carla too. She’s not too busy to talk about Renee behind her back, but hasn’t made the time to pay her a visit? Carla goes on a hurtful tirade about her dear friend Renee, who had her world ripped out from under her. She says Renee is totally wrong, she is bi-polar, she is paranoid, she has a big mouth and talks about everyone, she is not a true friend, she is a puppet and then Carla adds she is done being nice. If that’s being nice I’d hate to see her being mean! Carla has a history of NOT being there for Renee. I’m not surprised she wasn’t there now. But, she could have at least keep her mouth shut about what is going on. The way she talked to Karen about Renee, she probably talked to at least 50 other people. Who needs a friend like that? Can’t wait for next week when Renee confronts her about all of this and I hope she gives her a good piece of her mind (and mine)!

One touching scene I have to mention is when Joey asks Joe to come over Christmas Eve and stay over till Christmas morning to open presents together. I hope they had a very Merry Christmas and that it made up, in part, for the years they all missed together. Joey and Carmen deserve to have some wonderful Christmas memories with their dad.

So what did you think? What did I miss? I was seeing red and it colored my view of the television screen! Chime in any time, I’d love to hear what you have to say!

Shout outs to some of our followers: @princess92477, @MizTaken4, @BigT1545, @Ruben1924m, @CrystalOrtiz18, @47Crawford, @NCDIVA14, @LisaLisaQuinn76