Mob Wives: Anthony Graziano’s Plea Deal

Renee learns of dad's arrest on show

Anthony “T.G.” Graziano, father of Renee and Jennifer, was arrested just before Thanksgiving last year, based on evidence obtained when he was secretly taped by ex son in-law, Hector “Junior” Pagan. News media have been reporting on the outcome of that arrest this week. In January, Anthony Graziano was charged with extortion for trying to collect on an old loan shark debt. He was facing up to 20 more years in prison after having served 11 years and being out only three months before his arrest. 

However, Brooklyn prosecutors offered Mr. Graziano, 71, a plea deal which would reduce his sentence to three years in exchange for pleading guilty to collecting an illegal debt. Mr. Graziano accepted.

The arrest of Mr. Graziano was dealt with on the series Mob Wives which aired recently.  Renee was told of her ex-husband turning himself in and then cooperating with the Feds, just hours before learning of the arrest of her father. The devastating news caused her to have an emotional breakdown back when all of this took place. For many, like Victoria Gotti, who say the show isn’t real, but scripted, these events have legitimatized the “reality” of Mob Wives, which is probably the most “real” reality show out there . The show’s creator, Jennifer Graziano, and her sister, Renee Graziano, have made a commitment to air the personal details of their lives without ever anticipating these devastating events would happen during the course of the show and would then have to be aired. Jennifer had the power to down play these painful and personal events, as executive producer, but instead confronted them head on in the show. Renee might have refuse to have her emotional crisis filmed, but instead went on to allow the cameras to tape her reaction to some of the most painful events of her life. It doesn’t get any more “real” than that.