Mob Wives Chicago: “Big John” Fecarotta

"Big John" Fecarotta

Renee Fecarotta Russo is starring in Mob Wives Chicago. According to her VH1 bio, she was raised by her uncle, “Big John” Fercarotta, who was allegedly a “juice loan” collector and hit man for “The Outfit.” A juice loan is money given by loan sharks at illegally high rates of interest, as much as 10% a week. When people can’t pay, the loan is collected by threats or by force.

The case of John Fercarotta is documented in court papers. A man named Richie Urso owed The Outift a lot of money. Before he could repay the loan, Urso died of a heart attack on the floor of his girlfriend’s home, in 2003, at the age of 61. But, in 1986, Urso was paid a visit by alleged members of The Outfit, Frank Calabrese Sr. and John Fecarotta. They went to get repayment on a loan from the 60’s. Richie Urso hadn’t borrowed the money, but a father of his partner did. Since Urso was rich by the 1980’s, The Outfit decided to collect the debt from him instead. John Fecarotta is allegedly said to have told Urso to make his house payments, while Frank Calabrese Sr. allegedly held a knife to Urso’s crotch demanding cash.

Prior to this incident, Fecarotta was allegedly part of a hit team sent to Las Vegas to take care of the two Spilotro brothers. After the murders, he allegedly botched the burial of two brothers, Anthony and Michael, who were beaten and strangled and buried in a very shallow grave, which resulted in their bodies being discovered a couple of days later. So when Fecarotta tried to get money from Urso for his own benefit, Frank Calabrese Sr. was angry. He went to The Outfit seeking a remedy and Fecarotta became a marked man.

Frank Calabrese’s brother, Nick, was allegedly told to whack Fecarotta. They planned a ruse, telling Fecarotta that he and Nick were going to bomb a dentist’s office. But when Nick reached into the bag, pretending to light the fuse of the bomb, he pulled out a gun instead. A struggle took place in the car and when Nick shot Fecarotta, he ended up shooting himself at the same time. Fecarotta took off from the car running and Nick knew that if he didn’t finish the job he would be killed. He chase him to the back door of a bingo hall and shot him in the back of the head.

After the commission of the murder, Nick thought he had put both his gloves into his pocket, but he lost a bloody glove at the crime scene. Years later, due to developments in DNA, the glove was tested and implicated Nick Calabrese for Fecarotta’s murder. When Nick learned the FBI had enough evidence to get a conviction, he cut a deal and became a government witness, testifying against his own brother, Frank, and other mobsters. Nick was allegedly the first mobster to ever testify against the Chicago Outfit, and his cooperation lead to the arrest of 12 mobsters.

Mob Wives: A Genre of Music

Renee Graziano is a jazzy lady.

For those who don't know, I love music.  As I was listening El-P's latest album a thought crossed my mind.  If the Mob Wives were genres of music, what riffs & beats would we hear.  If one were to consider all the Mob Wives grew up in New York, it would be easy to lump them up into the genre of hip hop. New York is it's birthplace.  Yet, I do not see all the Mob Wives fitting easily into the world of hip hop.

Let's start with Renee Graziano, often referred by many of her fans as the Queen of Mob Wives.  By now many of us know Ms. Graziano worked professionally in the past as a stylist for 50 Cent (the rapper who many think ruined Ja Rule's career).   With Renee's strong love & ties to the hip hop world it would be easy to insert her into that genre.  I liken Renee's personality more to experimental jazz.   I'm thinking of the Miles Davis Bitches Brew era.  Her personality fits jazz more than any other mob wife.  Renee flutters, bangs and crashes emotionally week after week on Sundays.  She's all over the place.   Just as a brilliantly played jazz piece, she's up and down.  At the end of a great jazz tune you're left with a smile or extreme sadness smothered in a raw sense of beauty.

Next on the play list is Carla "F*ckin'" Facciolo (I apologize.  With the news of her banging Karen's uncle within the lifestyle airing on the Mob Wives Reunion part 1, that's my current nickname for her.)  Mrs. Facciolo reminds me of soft rock. Anyone can see she loves her kids and is loyal to Drita.  In spite of those great traits her personality remains a bit bland.  Soft rock is nice to listen to.  It's a light, showy, bright, gimmicky genre of music with little substance if any kind.  There are no thought provoking lyrics and it ends up being background noise.  The next time I'm in an elevator, Carla may cross my mind for a whole second.

Ramona Rizzo has an indie spirit. She will do her own thing.

The next mob wife up would be in high rotation of play on the radio stations.  It would be easy to label Ramona Rizzo, R & B.  There is a certain amount of quiet calm with Ms. Rizzo. There is equally always something bubbling under her cool demeanor.   Ramona is all the way indie rock. She's hard to define, even harder to put into a box.  One minute the music is loud,  then quiet.  Next it's crashing over you like the ocean.  As if an ocean I believe Ramona has the ability to drown her enemies in their truth.   She is fiercely loyal.  A quality I admire about Ramona is she never tries to be something or someone she is not. Indie rock doesn't try to be something it's not.  It's all encompassing and never really fits into one category.  It will be what it will be, which is why I liken Ramona to this style of music.

Big Ang is a larger than life character. Her delivery is simple and plain. Everybody who comes in contact with her feels happier.  Big Ang reminds me of rock concert. The groups who play the anthems that we all grew up with. We sing along and know all the words. Ang's personality makes you feel welcomed from the moment you meet her.  Big Ang is like the music that brings your childhood or teenage years flooding back to your memory as if yesterday.  For many of us that music is classic rock.  A great classic rock song will bring you back to the time you first heard it.  Great bands such as Aerosmith & Rolling Stones have driven countless women to lift up their tops.  *slaps forehead imagining Big Ang saluting Mick Jagger with her double Js*  Wait a minute doesn't her breast weigh more that Mr. Jagger?  The only genre fitting the magnitude of Big Ang's personality and boobs is classic rock.

Karen Gravano is loyal to a fault.  She is the truth.  Her reality whether past or present isn't wrapped up in a pretty bow on Christmas morning.  To her credit, she doesn't present it that way either.  Miss Gravano shares her reality with all it's imperfections.  Sometimes she is the lonely mother missing her daughter.  Other times she is the raging bull tired of the lies.  The genre which suits Karen perfectly is hardcore rap music.  She hits with her words and is the true OG of Mob Wives.  She can be up in your face like M.O.P. or she can be trying to get hers. At the end of the tune, she's genuine and not playing a role or character. She reminds me of Ghostface Killah. You might ask why I chose him?  His longevity, ability to change his style and outlast most of his brothers is a true definition of a champion.  Karen has parlayed her being on the show into a best selling book and a opportunity to partner in a day spa & skincare line. She is always on her grind.  Those familiar with GFK know he stays on his grind.

Drita D'avanzo might make a killing in the ringtone business.

Drita D'Avanzo also falls within rap music.  I'll be honest with you; I liked her rap in the French Montana video.  Do I think she should continue?  Why not, we need more rappers in the world.  As Pack FM once said,"... everybody is a rapper."  Time will tell whether Mrs. D'avanzo is a flash pan or what Hip Hop Heads refer to as ringtone rap.  Whether you like Drita or not, she is popular with the kids.  I totally understand it.  She is a badass on television.  If I were younger, I'd buy the television persona.  Frankly, I don't believe there is much substance or action behind all the tough hospital bravado.  With ringtone rap, you may know all the words but it's mindless drivel and it's all fluff.  The kids love it; they bob their heads to it.  However, I'm older.  I prefer substance.  Drita is ringtone rap.  Soulja Boy laughed all the way to the bank.  I hope Drita does too.  I'm sure Mr. D'avanzo use to laugh as he left the bank.

Now I am sure some will call me a hater.  Frankly I don't care enough about any of the Mob Wives to be labeled a hater.  Though Karen has referred to me as her Twitter boyfriend.  My crush on Karen doesn't blur my opinion in respect to any other mob wife.  I want all the Mob Wives to succeed.  So if my sharing my opinion good, bad or ugly makes me a hater, I'll own it.  I'll chirp until ESPN comes on.  The Mob Wives are no different than music.  Some love Lady GaGa in the meat steak get up and others are thinking, "What the f*ck?!"  Some people will pay thousands of dollars to see Barbara Streisand.  Others are like, "Bring back Milli Vanilli!"  Like the many musical genres that have saturated many of our lives, each mob wife brings something to the table.  Whether we like what each brings to the table depends on our varying tastes.  Frankly, I'm a Coca Cola guy.  If you like Pepsi, it's no skin off my nose.  If you're bored and have a Twitter account, you're welcome to follow me @undabawse.

Photo Credit: Our Bookie

Mob Wives: How Many Season 2 Wishes Came True?

Mob Wives Season Two DVD's 

Last year, on July 11, 2011, I wrote a blog making a few suggestions, of my own, for season two of Mob Wives in my blog Chiara's suggestions. Out of the ten suggestions I made, four of them actually happened in season two and are included in the DVD set above. One was a brief interview with Jennifer Graziano, which happened during the Reunion Show Part 1. Two was an appearance by Joseph Ferragamo, which took place in the last couple of episodes. Three was an appearance by Dave Seabrook, which also took place in the last episodes. Fourth, I suggested that the Mob Wives take a trip to Morocco, of course I was kidding about Morocco, but they did take a trip to the Poconos. They rode horses, not camels! Not bad for shooting a list off the top of my head.

Five, I wished for a picture of Lee D’Avanzo to be shown on the show. We finally got that one by ourselves from Drita’s Twitter account and other sources. We can’t sit around waiting for Jennifer to do everything. Sometimes we have to take matters into our own hands. Six, I asked for a question and answer session between the Mob Wives and fans. Well they sort of did that on the “Sit Down” show when they asked fans to tweet questions to be asked on the air. The “Sit Down” disappeared as fast as it started. It wasn’t very good, even with the Mob Wives on it, they couldn’t get the ratings. Let’s face it, too many things they did were just plain lame. They needed better planning before putting it on the air, and by the time they tried to fix it, it was too late. They should have consulted me and maybe we could have had another hit on the air. 

What didn’t I get from my list? I didn’t get more of AJ on the show. Big mistake. AJ has a lot of fans and is popular with young and older women. I hope they will listen and try to use him in season three. But, please do NOT ask him to sit through more ridiculous scenes, like his sex talk with Renee. And I also didn’t think it was a great idea to discuss his grades and school issues at a bowling alley either. Let’s find a scenario that isn’t too embarrassing for him, so he can be himself, maybe doing something he enjoys?

I asked for less profanities, but as you can see from the Reunion Show, Renee broke the f*cking record with 407 F-Bombs, so maybe the cursing escalated? Oh well, maybe next season when things are a little calmer?

I wanted a tour of Renee’s Jail Mail Inc.’s operations, but I guess it’s not up and running yet. I hope she is still working on it, there was a lot of interest in it when she first mentioned it.

I even got something that I suggested after the season started…anger management for Drita. I thought it might help her resist the urge to fight, but it didn’t make a dent. The therapist and “Rat Machine” couldn’t accomplished anything, but at least they tried. (Chirp, chirp...I'm just a cricket).

One day soon, maybe I will come up with a list of requests for season three. I’ll sleep on it and who knows what I’ll come up with.   

Mob Wives Chicago: Recap “Fight Night” Ep 101

The Windy City Mob Wives

Loved the show! The first episode of season one starts with a bunch of introductions to the cast. My eyes are twitching as my brain is trying to keep them all straight when I write. I think their voices are too similar so I have to keep looking up to make sure I have the right names to go with my recap. Let’s get started…

Renee Fecarotta says Chicago was the playground of the mob. Her uncle John Fecarotta treated her like a princess and gave her the best of everything. He was gunned down by his best friend, Nick Calabrese, who shot him in the back. Renee has two daughters, Giana is 20 and a younger daughter, who is 10.

Nora Schweihs is the daughter of Frank “The German” Schweihs, who is rumored to have had something to do with Marilyn Monroe’s death. Someone actually came up to Nora and said that to her, and she wanted to stab him. Renee says Nora is very sensitive about anyone referring to her father as a hit man. Nora’s father passed away while he was incarcerated and the FBI took his body. She doesn’t know what happened to it, she never saw it. Nora is going back to Florida to find out what happened to her dad.

Pia Rizza is the daughter of a dirty cop, Vince Rizza, who used his badge to sell drugs for the mob and then turned informant. She calls him a rat who sold the mob down the river to save himself and now she has to live with the stigma of having a father for a rat. Pia has an unconventional job, she is a dancer at a trip club to make money to support her daughter and herself. Nora doesn’t approve of this job, she thinks Pia is better than that.

Nora and Pia and their families have been friends a long time. Pia drops by Nora’s place to welcome her back to Chicago. She gives her an “evil eye” bracelet. They are like sisters. Nora says she trusts Pia and wants her help in finding out what happened to her father. They have been there for each other in the past. Nora wants Pia to leave the strip club, she doesn’t approve of her job. Pia gets a bit angry or insulted, she does what she needs to do to take care of her daughter.

Giana meets with her dad in prison

Giana is Renee’s older daughter, she is 20. She is her baby and best friend. Giana’s father is a wannabe mobster who is serving time for murder. Giana went to see her father in prison and tells Renee about it. Renee doesn’t approve at all. Her father’s rap sheet is so long and on top of that he committed a horrible, brutal murder. All of a sudden he wants to be in his daughter’s life? Renee is furious. She worked two jobs to give her daughters everything. Giana wants her mother to have compassion for her father. She feels Renee should know what it means to grow up without a father because Renee’s own father died when she was just a young girl. Renee says her ex-husband is a “manipulating piece of crap.” Renee just doesn’t like her daughter being involved with him at all.

Renee and Nora meet for lunch. They have known each other from childhood. Their father’s worked together. Nora wants to plan a girl’s night out now that she is back in Chicago. Nora invites Renee and tells her Pia will be going. Renee is not happy, but Nora tells her Pia is like family. Renee thinks Pia’s job is degrading and pathetic…”Get off the pole!” and get two or three respectable jobs if need be. Renee says she has heard that Pia is everyone’s “goumada” (mob mistress). On top of that, her father, Vince Rizza, was a rat who caused many people in their circle to go to jail. Renee warns Nora not to tell Pia anything personal because she will not keep her confidences. Nora says she doesn’t trust Pia, but she feels sorry for her. Renee says, her uncle John taught her to keep her friends close and her enemies closer.

Pia gets a call from a cousin of hers. He has some news he thinks Pia should know. Apparently he ran into Nora and she mentioned Pia to him and called her a “whore.” Pia is taken aback because she was just with Nora and everything between them seemed fine.

Christina says she is the average mom. As a kid she was a tomboy on Taylor Street. She got into a lot of fights and was taught to hit first and watch your back. Her father was a burglar for the mob and was always in jail; her mom had to bail him out. He taught her how to open safes by listening for the “clicks,” but she didn’t take over the family business. She recently got divorced, after 10 years of marriage, however her ex-husband is still living in the home. Christina has a nine year old daughter and doesn’t want to hurt her.

Pia meets Christina for lunch and invites her to the girls night out. Christina is happy to be getting out. Then Pia tells her about what her cousin told her regarding Nora calling her a “whore.” Christina says Pia needs to address it and pop her in the mouth before girl’s night out. She shouldn’t have that hanging over her head. Pia says she will address it, but in her own time. Pia says her father taught her to keep information until you need it.

And Leah, She loves those big, fat asses!

Meet Leah! “What you see is what you get!” She says she was always in the dark about what her father did for a living. All she knows is that he drove a truck. When she asked where he was she was told he went to “college.” “College” is the Chicago word for jail. It’s all about keeping your mouth shut. She likes neighborhood guys with nice, fat, round asses. She lives with her father and us she ever marries the guy is going to have to understand they are a package deal.

Leah and Christine go shopping. They are childhood friends from when they were twelve years old on Taylor Street. Christina invites Leah to go out with the girls, Nora and Pia. Leah says she is going out of town and can’t make it. Leah thinks Nora is nuts. Christina tells her that Pia’s cousin told her Nora called her a “whore.” Christina thinks Pia should address it. She is looking forward to a night out and wants to enjoy herself. Leah says it’s best she doesn’t go because if Nora looks at her the wrong way it’s liable to start a fight.

Pia and Nora before fight breaks out

Nora is excited to get out and have some fun with the girls back in her hometown. Renee and Nora go to the restaurant together and Renee tells her she is going just for her. Nora says that Pia and Renee are good people and they can have a good time together. No one knows what will happen. Renee and Nora are there waiting. Pia is usually late. Pia is coming with Christina. Renee says she is going to try to be civil. When Christina and Pia arrive they all say hello and have a shot. They toast to a great night. Pia says she likes Renee. But, Renee thinks Pia has no class. Renee suddenly says to Pia, “a rat is a rat.” Pia doesn’t know what to make of that and says are you asking about my father? Pia explains what her father did and makes it clear that she is nothing like her father. Pia says she was never proud of being his daughter. Renee says she doesn’t associate with rats or daughters of rats.

Nora says she finds dating very difficult, once they find out who her father was, they split. Christina, who has had a few drinks already and isn’t happy that Nora called Pia a “whore,” blurts out, wasn’t your father a hit man? Christina deliberately opens a can of worms, a very sensitive sore spot for Nora. Then Christina adds that she hears that all the time all over town, from different people. Nora remains composed, but her eyes seem to swell up. Christina is trying to piss her off. Nora just wants to have fun, Christina is drinking quite a few shots.

Christina and Renee during fight scene, Nora gets splashed!

Someone is showing of their fancy shoes, and suddenly Nora makes an insensitive remark about Pia. She says something to the effect of, “what am I supposed to look like, a “hooker, like Pia?” Pia decides this is the time to question Nora about what her cousin told her. She relays the phone call she got from her cousin and wants an answer from Nora. Nora asks, “Is it on tape?” She then denies saying it and says if she has anything to say she would say it to her face. Why would she say anything behind her back? They both makeup, it’s over, done, settled. Renee says she wouldn’t blame Nora if she called Pia a “whore.” Christina, who has had more drinks, says they should have addressed this issue the day after it happened. Renee thinks Christina is drunk and won’t stay out of it. Pia says it’s over and Christina is acting crazy. She wants her to shut up. Christina is angry that Pia is disrespecting her. Pia and Christina start fighting. Christina throws a drink at Pia and gets Nora too. FIGHT! Major hair pulling event. Christina is holding on to Pia’s hair and ripping it out. They can’t be separated. Renee says Pia is “a piece of shit.”

MY TWO CENTS

First of all, the show is pretty good for the first episode. I have to be honest, when I saw the first episode of Mob Wives I was not impressed and was almost sorry I committed to blogging it. I clearly remember that I dreaded the thought of watching it every week. However, after the next episode or two I got sucked in…and the rest is history. I expect the same thing to happen with Mob Wives Chicago. We had a lot of necessary intros and background information intermingled with a storyline and it was a little overwhelming and hard to keep everything straight. But I think that’s just temporary. In any case, as I figure it out I will share what I know with all of you.

So what are the issues? Pia’s job as a “pole dancer” in a strip club. Both Nora and Renee have expressed their disgust at Pia’s occupation. They think she should go out and get a respectable job or two, in this economy, without skills and high unemployment rates of 8.2%. They seem to be judging her and putting her down. Not only that, they are taking it to another level and calling her a “whore” or “hooker.” There were two times Nora referred to her in that way, one was reported and one we heard. Then there was Renee saying she was everyone’s “goumah.” What I wonder is, if it’s actually her occupation that disgusts them, or the fact her father was a “rat.” She is guilty by association, even though she has no ties to her father and is ashamed of what he did. I find this a bit ironic, and I’ll tell you why. Nora and Renee are related to the two mobsters who, in their VH1 bios, were stated to be alleged hit men for the mob. They don’t have a problem with their relatives allegedly “whacking” people, but they have a problem with Pia for pole dancing? Don’t the mob wives say, they aren’t guilty of their fathers/husbands/brothers crimes? Why should they hold it against Pia that her father was a “rat.” Maybe they should read Karen’s book, “Mob Daughter,” or watch the episodes concerning Renee Graziano, AJ and Junior? Anyway, I am willing to give Pia a chance before judging her and throwing her under the bus for what she does and what her father did.

Christina shouldn’t have that much “fun” in the future. She ended up fighting with her good friend, Pia, because the alcohol clouded her judgment. She begins by trying to defend Pia against Nora’s remarks, and ends up almost pulling all her hair out. Clearly alcohol was to blame for a lot of that fight. Christina may be protective of Pia, but in this case she went over the top. I think, if they are good friends they will get over this incident. And Christina, let Pia fight her own battles.

As for Giana’s visiting her dad, Renee is justified in being concerned for her daughter. The man seems to have no redeeming values whatsoever, if you hear her talk. But, Giana is curious about her father and wants to know who he is. It’s only natural. Maybe she will discover, in time, that her mother was right about him and she will have satisfied her curiosity. It may be an ongoing issue all season because there is the potential for many mother/daughter arguments or more drama.

I wish we had seen more of Leah. I imagine she would have added lots of spice to the fight scene, one way or another. Maybe she would have squashed it before it got out of hand. Maybe she would have put Pia in the hospital for attacking Christina? Leah’s brother tweets that Christina and Leah are very good friends and nothing will come between them…so that’s one pair we know of for sure.

Who are friends and who are enemies?  I need to know! Here is the score card:

Leah & Christina are friends, verified!

Renee & Nora seem to agree on Pia’s job, they went to the dinner together, they think Pia is a “whore,” they don’t trust Pia the daughter of a rat, they know each other from childhood. So far they look like friends to me and enemies of Pia.

Pia & Christina seemed to be good friends, they confide in each other, went to the dinner together and then that fight broke out…what’s up with that?

Nora and Pia seemed to be “friends” for a minute, but it’s clear that Nora doesn’t think much of her and doesn’t trust her. I’m confused. Which is it?

Leah called Nora nuts, so she is not a fan. Christina doesn’t like Nora either, for what she said about Pia. Leah and Christina are enemies of Nora.

That’s the best I can make if it right now. My eyes still hurt from all the watching and writing and blogging. Forgive me if I got anything wrong or forgot to add something.

I don’t know if they will repeat this episode June 10th or we will get a new one. Someone at VH1 is slipping and not keeping us informed. I hope fans didn’t miss the episode of Mob Wives Chicago, but if you did, there’s always the recap. Have a Happy Memorial Day!

Mob Wives: Recap “Reunion Show Part 2” Ep 219

Joy advises: "Don't get up and fight!"

The fight from part 1 continues…Renee wants them to talk about the party, Drita walks out, Carla tells everyone to talk nice and not be disrespectful. Joy wants everyone to talk and not get up. Talking is not harmful, but fighting is. Drita swears she will never fight on camera again. Ramona says Drita is a misfit who likes to fight. Drita says Ramona is a gang member who stabs people. Karen yells at Renee to keep quiet so Joy can run her show. Joy asks Drita why Ramona couldn’t be the referee during the balcony fight. Drita says it was a bad situation and they weren’t getting along. She felt corned and thought she was going to be jumped. Ramona says regardless o what she thought, Ramona was genuinely trying to stop the fight, she wasn’t there to jump her. Karen says Drita is afraid of the truth so she will change her story or fight.

Joy addresses some “hot topics” that concern all the mob wives. The first issue that comes up is clearing the air about the definition of “friendship,” that has been an ongoing battle between Karen and Drita. Joy wants to know what they mean by friendship? Karen says when people are her friends, they are friends for life, unless there is some kind of falling out or you hurt someone I love. Drita says she and Karen used to be friends, but if you don’t see someone or keep in touch, the friendship is over. Right now they agree they are not friends, by either one’s definition. They have called a “truce,” but they are not hanging out together. They have agreed to a pact, like Carla and Ramona, to call each other if they hear rumors on the street that one of them said something about the other. However, Ramona speaks up and says she heard that, “Carla has been talking smack about her” after they made their truce. Carla accuses Ramona of talking about her off camera. "Roll the tape." They both deny breaking the pact.

Next up is Joe Ferragamo and Dave Seabrook! Joy wants to know what it’s like behind bars. Dave says he went to prison for some bad charges, like attempted murder, and the worst part about being incarcerated is missing his family and loved ones. He says he was a product of his environment. Joe went to prison for wire fraud and tax evasion, in other words white collar crime involving money issues. They all heard that the prisoners love the show, Mob Wives. Joe says he wasn’t too happy when Carla first told him about it, and thinks their behavior and cursing is over the top, but after seeing it he thinks it’s okay.

About the girlfriend's age, Joe says, "I didn't ask for her pedigree."

Cheating issues…they have all had them. Lee, Big Ang’s husband Neil, Joe, Dave’s been dating, and of course Junior. Joy asks Joe if there is anything romantic between him and Carla; he answers no, it’s just a friendship. They are good friends. In fact, he adds that Carla is #1 and his girlfriend is #2 and it’s always going to be that way.  Joy doesn’t buy the fact that Joe and Carla don’t have romantic feelings for each other. Carla says she is okay with the girlfriend, and thinks it won’t be long before she is gone. Carla thought that when Joe came home they could build on their friendship and getting to like each other. Joe says he is 43 and his girlfriend is in her 20’s, he made sure she was of age before he did anything. Carla called Joe “the single man” when they were married because he liked to cheat on Carla all the time, going from girl to girl. Carla says they never had sex after they split up because she didn’t want to bring Joe in and out of the kids’ lives. He says it would not bother him if Carla found another guy. Renee wants them to get back together. Carla still says there is hope for them in the future. "Never say never." But Joy says, “A serial cheater does not change his stripes, remember that.” 

Hmmm, Does she look like a younger version of Carla?

We'll just call her #2, for now.

Joy asks Dave if he is moving back to New York. Dave says no, he has a good job and is doing well in Arizona right now. Karen says Karina, their daughter, is coming to New York to live with her. Dave says for the summer. Karen says no. Joy wants to clear up something Karen said on the show about Dave sleeping with another woman in her bed. Dave said that’s what she said, but that never happened. He added, it would be disrespectful and he cares about Karen too much to do that to her. Joy wants to know what Karen meant when she said Dave put it down in the bedroom. There is some laughter and hesitation and then Ramona says, “he lays the pipe down.” More laughter and they move on. Joy says we have seen two sides of Dave, the “hot under the collar” side and the “sweet” side. Which one is the real Dave? He answers the “hot under the collar” side. Dave explains the reason he and Karen had issues is that he went to prison for 10 years and when he got out he had to restart his life. The time apart created a distance between them. 

Joy says that Ramona’s father will not talk to her because she didn’t marry an Italian, but Karen went outside her culture and her race. Karen explains that she was not taught to be prejudice and she judges Dave as a person, period. Renee wants them to get back together. Dave says he sees a couple of more kids in their future. Drita says her thoughts go back and forth on Lee. She can’t forgive him for cheating, but he is being nice to her and that makes it hard for her to stay mad at him. They are still friends. Everyone on stage thinks that Drita and Lee will get back together. Big Ang married a sanitation worker who is very handsome and looks like Russell Crowe. He cheated on her too.

Ramona says that she visits her boyfriend, Joe, in jail every week and he doesn’t want her to wait for him because he is facing some serious charges and jail time. Ramona says she has known Joe her whole life and that’s how they got together. Renee jokes that she wants a criminal for a mate, so that when they lose their job they still know how to support the family. Everyone laughs.

Big Ang tells the story of when she was in prison. She got in trouble and was charged with the possession and selling of cocaine. At the time she was struggling as a single parent. The outcome was that she was placed on house arrest after spending a day in jail. It turned out that a close friend of hers wore a wire and recorded her.  One day, on her way to meet a date, Big Ang was surrounded by a group of cars. The Feds let her hear the tapes and told her that her friend made them. Big Ang says it’s always the closest friends that do these kinds of things. Big Ang is more upset at the betrayal of her close friend than being arrested. Big Ang says, never be a rat, never forgive a rat. She says the Feds wanted her to rat out other people, but she refused to do it. Karen says she was arrested in Arizona for selling ecstasy, but her father took the brunt of the blame for the family and was sentenced to 20 years.

Next topic, the child rearing challenges for mob wives. They seem to overcompensate because the men are always in jail. The question arises about bringing kids to jail for visits. Is that appropriate? Karen says it doesn’t matter where you bring the child, it matters who they are going to see. Ramona says she wants her kids to know that people who are incarcerated are good people who made bad choices. Renee says that AJ has been going to prisons since he was 5 years old to visit his father and grandfather. Aleeya has been to visit Lee, and Ramona’s daughter has been there to visit her boyfriend, Joe. 

Joy talks about their temper and rage. Aren't they afraid they will turn they children into "rage-aholics?" Drita says she is not that way with her kids. She doesn't ask them to "get a Mother F*ckin' bowl of cereal." Joy asks who has cursed the most in the show. This question is followed by many, many clips of Renee saying the “F” word. The final tally is Renee using the “F” word 407 times and she wins for the dropping the most F bombs. Renee says, “My mother is gonna be really upset now!” None of them curse like that in front of their kids, except Renee.

On to other projects! Drita becomes a rapper. They show clips from the studio. Joy asks if she makes it big as a rapper, will she leave the show? Drita laughs. Karen says Drita nailed it. Carla thought she did a great job. Joy asks if she would write a rap song about her co-stars? Karen says she calls them crickets. Drita says, no, she calls the "real haters" crickets. Those that don't want her to succeed. As for Karen, she published a book. Regarding Karen’s book, Drita says she didn’t read it, but she heard Lee wasn’t trashed in it. Karen says if she wanted to trash Lee she would have done it 14 years ago. Karen adds, the book was about her life and she didn’t feel she could leave out parts of it because she had to be true to her story. Karen also has a spa now.

Ramona says to Drita: "You saw me in LA and took off like a G6!"

Drita counters with: "In LA? You were stalking me!"

On to the Drita and Ramona conflict, which has gone on all of season two. A large number of clips are shown, with both Drita and Ramona saying pretty bad things about each other. Joy wants to know if Drita did say that if Ramona was five feet in front of her she would punch her?  Drita doesn’t want to go there. Drita says she knows Ramona because she was friends with her sister and Karen years ago. The issues between them both started when Ramona came back a couple of years ago. Both Drita and Ramona heard that the other one was talking about them behind their backs. Ramona heard that Drita was trying to block her from getting on the show, Mob Wives. Drita says she heard that Ramona was going to start something about her that wasn't true, on the show, and that she was trying to prevent it.

Carla is cool as a cumber. Joy says she’d rather tangle with the Taliban than with Ramona.She comapres Ramona to the Godfather, quiet, cool and deadly. Another Drita and Ramona issue had to do with what was said about Junior. Drita said that she heard Ramona said Junior only married Renee for her father. Ramona says she never said that. Joy wants to know who Renee believes. Renee says she believes everyone. Renee believes this was some kind of misunderstanding or miscommunication and that all the ladies have her best interests at heart.

Joy wants to know if Drita and Ramona can ever be friends. Drita says there are too many issues between them. Ramona says she can be cordial, but will never forgive her for attacking Karen.

MY TWO CENTS:

First of all, part 2 of the Reunion was definitely a lot more subdued than part one. I was expecting fireworks and none really took off except in the beginning which continued from last week. It went downhill from there. If I were to give last week’s episode a 10, I would give this week’s episode a 5 or 6. Even the questions weren't intense, they were just so, so. Sorry, I even watched it twice, and that’s the best I can do. It was borderline boring…and so are my two cents.

The fight at the beginning was explosive. I just wish I could have heard every word. Joy looked like a scared rabbit. I don't think she will be doing it again next year. Drita will never accept the fact that Ramona really did go out there to stop a fight from happening. I believe her. She didn't have to say she respected Drita as a mother, and didn't want her to get hurt. Ramona speaks the truth, good or bad, she has nothing to gain or lose. It's clear that she never liked Drita, and if her intention was to attack her, she would have done it instead of saying this is not the time or place.

On the friendship definition, we have heard too much on this already. It's been discussed to death. What I would have liked to get into was what Ramona and Carla had to say about who was saying what behind each other’s backs. That peaked my interest. A lot goes on behind the cameras that we don't see, this might be one of them. There were some strong feelings of “dislike” on both their parts for the breaking of the “pact” they made and I want to know was said. 

Joe and Dave seem like two very likable guys. They have charisma, there’s no doubt about that. Joy was right to call Joe a “serial cheater.” He cheated on Carla many times when they were married. As much as Carla might love to be back with him, I doubt she will ever be able to trust him out of her sight. If they ever get back together, I don’t think it will last. Joe likes young girls, Carla seems to like younger guys. At least that’s something they have in common. Maybe they can arrange a play date for their “side dishes?” Joe’s girlfriend can bring her Barbie Dolls and Carla’s boyfriend, their G.I. Joes. Oh, I almost forgot and maybe Joe did too. Joe didn't mention the stock fraud he committed (unless the catch phrase is wire fraud), swindling many old people out of their life savings by selling them worthless stock...that really irks me to no end. Especially when both Carla and her mother said they didn't consider that a "bad" crime. I wish Joy would have probed into that with Joe. How could he live with himself knowing he made so many old, vulnerable people penniless?

I was hoping that Dave was going to agree to move back to New York. I agree that Karina needs to be with Karen now. She did the right thing, not to turn her daughter’s world upside down, while she was trying to get herself established here in NYC. But now that things are going well, it’s time for mother and daughter to reunite. It will be a big change for Karina, but kids adapt fairly quickly. And, besides that, Karen will be taking Karina back to Arizona often to see her family and friends there. Dave and Karen still have feelings for each other and I hope they get the chance to “rekindle” their relationship and get to know each other as the people they are today. Dave sees more children in their future, so we already know how he feels. 

Ramona might be in over her head with her boyfriend and his serious legal issues. Maybe she is confused about what to do, or is waiting for the outcome of a trial to decide. Hopefully, we will learn more about this in season three. In any case, she doesn't seem like herself the past few weeks and hasn't even been on the show much. I hope she gets more air time next season. I love Ramona.

She did get one thing right, I am a lady!

Joy talks about some of the successes a couple of the mob wives have had outside the show. Drita, for instance, has made her rapping debut. Does she have a potential career as a rapper? Who knows? Anything is possible. However, when Joy asked her to write a song about her co-stars, and Karen mentioned “crickets,” and that hit a nerve. The word, “cricket” is what Drita reserves for her “haters,” (people who don't want to see her succeed) and she counts me as one of her biggest. She tweets that I write about her all the time, which is not true. I don’t consider myself a “hater” because, in my opinion, I am just telling the truth or poking fun at it. It's what all the parodies do. I even make helpful suggestions, like anger management, which the show seems to have taken to heart. I'm happy for Drita's success and wish her nothing but the best. But, you can’t please everyone, so I’m going to please myself! Drita did all but admit she was wrong about Karen’s book. It didn’t trash Lee, or so she heard. She could have settled that issued a long time ago had she taken the time to READ chapter one and the book, but no, that would have been too easy. If I were Joy I would have asked Drita if she feels she owes Karen an apology for jumping to conclusions about the book and what would be in it? (Maybe she owes Ramona one too for jumping to conclusions that she was going to jump her?) I think she does.

The Ramona and Drita storyline is explosive. The clips said it all. These two cannot have a civil conversation if their lives depended on it. Drita, with her extremely short fuse, is ready to misinterpret anything Ramona says and turn it into an insult. Ramona, who says she can be cordial, is carrying too much animosity towards Drita for attacking Karen. If Ramona didn’t like Drita before, she is beyond accepting her now, except for the sake of the show. The show must go on. 

And so ends season two. I can’t wait for season three! How about you?

Picture credit:  Twitter, Drita's Facebook

Mob Wives Chicago: "Playing For Keeps" Theme Song

Elle King is the singer whose hit single, "Playing for Keeps," has been chosen as the theme song for VH1's promising new hit show, Mob Wives Chicago. I had never heard the entire version before now. I have to admit I am as connected to the Mob Wives "Big Big Bang" theme as Pavolv's dogs were to the dinner bell. I may not salivate anytime I hear a few notes of that song, but scenes from Mob Wives race through my mind in an instant. I would say that this song has promise, and once we have a few episodes of the Chicago show under our belts, I'm sure it will have the same kind of "magic" as the original theme song.

Elle King has been signed to record with RCA records. She is currently working on her debut album. She was born in 1989 and is the daughter of Rob Schnieder and London King. She was born in Ohio and raised in Brooklyn. If you follow her on her  facebook page you can find out where she will be appearing in NYC and go see her sing. She has other tracks online that you may want to listen to as well. She kind of reminds me of Adele. What do you think of this theme song?

Picture and video credit: Elle King

I Married A Mobster: Toni Marie Ricci Interview

Toni Marie Ricci happily married today.

One of the perks of blogging is getting to talk to sometimes just very real, humble and honest individuals.  Toni Marie was definitely one of those individuals.  I have to share she has been the most guarded out of all my interviews.  I know her history.  So I fully understand.  I'm just very thankful she took time out of her day to speak to me on a subject aired last night during VH1's Mob Wives Reunion.

Congratulations on being cast in season 2 of I Married a Mobster!  Why did you decide to go public & share an aspect of you life within the lifestyle?

Thank you!  First I was invited to do Mob Wives.  I thought about it.  I decided it wasn't my cup of tea.  I wanted to tell my story without the fighting & interruptions.  I started reading my name on some sites, it was hurtful for strangers to be writing about my dirty laundry. 

We know you are a wife and mother?  Do you feel comfortable telling us about your son & current husband?

My son is an unbelievable man.  He's my hero.  He kept me going through the dark times.  He helped me move on.  My husband is my savior.  Besides my son he's the best thing that ever happened to me.  That's all I'm comfortable with discussing.

Fair enough, you are the former wife of Michael DiLeonardo a.k.a. Mickey Scars, correct?

 Yes.

How long were you married?

 17 years.

Were you faithful?

 Yes.

Michael "Mickey Scar" DiLeonardo

Was he faithful?

 No, I can't get into too many details due to my upcoming episode on I Married A Mobster.

Without giving away too much in regards, to your episode what do you think the viewers we learn from your experience?

When an individual is groomed within the context of a certain lifestyle, it's all they know.  They don't know any other way to live.  You can't fault them.  I also hope those who suffer abuse whether physical or mental learn they can get through anything.  I didn't believe I could do it alone.  I discovered I could.  I did stand up on my own.  Let me be clear there are those who've had it harder than me.  I can't imagine what it would be like to lose a child.

We’ve learned that you know some of the cast from Mob Wives?  Can you tell us which ones you know & your relationship with each of them.

I've met Ramona once not too long ago.  I've known of Renee for over 20 years.  You know how it works in the boroughs; everyone knows everyone.  I met with her a couple of times. I just like a person to be real, not too gossipy.  If we are friends, then we are friends.  Karen is younger than me.  Some of my family were friendly with her father.  We went to her family's 4th of July & Christmas parties.  That's how I know Karen.

You went to the Gravanos' parties?! You have to tell me what they were like, I've heard about them.

She laughs.  Yeah they did it up.  I don't know what to tell you.  I do it up a little too, just not so loud.  4th of July tends to be one of our biggest parties.

Would you ever consider being part of a series on a continual basis?

I did consider Mob Wives as I mentioned earlier.  I have to be honest.  I thought about the opportunity to get a hold of Carla.  However, that's not me.  I don't want to conduct myself in that manner.  The arguing & fighting isn't me.  It isn't how I want to portray myself.   I've watched Mob Wives.  I don't get why someone would sign up for a reality show and not be real.  Carla's acting touched a nerve.  She's not being real.  I come from Brooklyn.  I don't take people's feelings lightly.  Everyone makes mistakes.  However, when I watched the scene with Drita confiding in her about Lee's cheating, I saw no empathy from Carla.  She's just not a nice person.  She doesn't own her actions or the pain she caused.  She was Mickey's goumada and knew about me.  I admit last night on Twitter I got a little vicious.  

Toni Marie doesn't hold back on Twitter after years of silence.

So you watched the Mob Wives Reunion part 1?

Yes, there was a reunion moment when Carla claimed Ramona was lying.  I caught Ramona say, "...we had a deal..."  Well Carla didn't take the cue to let it go.  She kept going.  She basically gave herself up.

How did you feel with Karen dropped the bomb of her effing an uncle (within the lifestyle)?

Honestly I felt happy.  Carla Facciolo doesn't want anyone to talk about her family and her business.   She freely talks about the other Mob Wives' family & their business.  Why is she hiding?  I was glad the truth came out.  It was long overdue.  I thought, 'You got yourself caught up into it.'

Thank you Toni Marie for your time & honesty.  I was thinking about something.  Did my post on Carla allegedly having an affair with your ex-husband hurt you?

Yes, it irked me.  I lived it.  It was a really painful time.  When you see my episode you'll understand.

Well I'm sorry.  It's never my intent to hurt anyone.

You don't need to apologize.

No, I do.  I want you to know that I am sincerely sorry.  It's never my intention to cause anyone pain. 

It's okay.  Thank you for taking the time to speak with me.

Thank you Toni Marie.  We're looking forward to your episode on I Married A Mobster on Discovery ID to air.  We're excited about watching it. Take care, good bye.

You have a great day, bye.

We'll definitely be tuning into Discovery ID's season 2 of I Married A Mobster.  We believe it airs this summer.  It's getting hot in Mob Wives land.

Photo Credit: Toni Marie Ricci & Associated Press

Mob Wives: Recap “Reunion Show Part 1” Ep 218

Things start off nice and calm...for a minute!

Joy welcomes viewers to the Reunion Show and jokingly says she didn’t think she could get all the ladies in one room without a subpoena! No time for laughs, we get into some serious issues.

First they discuss Junior’s betrayal, with Renee and Jennifer, after we see several clips from this season. Joy asks if they could talk to Junior what would they say to him. Renee says she has nothing to say to him. Jennifer says she would ask him why he did this to her sister and she would tell him that she is very angry. 

Renee reveals that she miscarried in January, that’s why she was in the hospital. That was a new revelation we hadn’t heard before. Joy says Junior needed to save his ass and so he copped a plea. Renee says he proposed to her and even asked her father for her hand and so she got pregnant thinking they had a future together. But, Renee says, she wasn’t in the right frame of mind to have a baby. Joy asks if they ever considered to stop the filming because things got so personal. Jennifer says, she did ask Renee if she wanted to stop because it was becoming emotionally overwhelming, but Renee wanted to keep going. Renee says she committed to putting her life on television and this is her life.

At first, Renee says she felt that Junior was cheating and that was why he was acting strangely. But it turns out he was wearing a wire in his watch. So Joy asks, maybe that’s why he didn’t have such a great reaction to the new watch Renee bought him for his birthday. He was already wearing a watch that was wired by the Feds so he couldn’t stop wearing that one. Joy asks Big Ang if she believed the rumors about Junior, and Big Ang answers yes, the rumors are usually true. Drita found it hard to believe Junior was cooperating because he was on the show. Jenn says she was surprised he asked to be on the show more because it would discredit him with the street guys. Joy asks if they know where he is now. Renee says she heard he was rejected from the witness protection program because he lied. Joy asks Renee if she feels guilty about what Junior did to her family. Renee says, yes she does, and she becomes emotional over it. Jenn says she doesn’t feel guilty and doesn’t think that Renee should either. Jenn leaves the set.

The next issue is the colorful language all the women use in the show. They play several clips. A series of clips where everyone is saying they are “DONE” with all the drama. Joy says, let’s get real, no one is done with the drama. They try to explain that everyone on Staten Island speaks the “same language” expressions like “going to war” with someone means you have a problem with them and “come out your face.” Joy says she would be scared if anyone said those things to her and would move out of the neighborhood. Karen’s famous line, “I’m comin’ for you, b*tch!” makes it into the discussion too. 

Joy introduces the two new mob wives of season two. Her favorite is Big Ang, who is always around to keep the peace. They show a bunch of clips of Big Ang. Joy says asks Big Ang if she has problems with anyone? Big Ang says she gets along with everyone, she avoids drama because it would stress her out, so she just leaves. Big Ang says she has had three breast augmentations over the years and now her size is “36 J.” She says she got her giant lips when she was 40. 

Now we switch over to Ramona who has made a nickname for herself. Joy brings up Ramona’s grandfather, Lefty “Guns” Ruggiero, and they show pictures of Ramona’s handsome grandfather. There is clearly a family resemblance. Joy says people call Ramona “Lucifer” and Ramona corrects her saying she prefers “Lucifina” because she is a girl. Ramona says she is nice to everyone, but if anyone attacks her, she will attack back. Joy says she heard that Ramona threatened Al Pacino, who played her grandfather in the movie Donnie Brosco. Ramona says, that what she told him was that she wanted him to play her grandfather as a loving family man who liked to dress well. Ramona says she had no idea how involved her grandfather was in the mob until Jennifer Graziano gave her the book Donnie Brosco to read, and then she was devastated. Joy wants to know why “people come at her” (Ramona) because Joy says no one ever came at her before. Ramona answers, “I’ll have to talk to someone about that off camera.” Joy seems taken aback by her answer and Drita gets an apprehensive look.

Joy gets around to Carla and Renee and says they have one of the longest running friendships on the show, but with friends like them, who needs enemies? They show several clips of Carla and Renee fighting with each other. Renee says they fight, but they are close friends. Joy wants to know what is it about Carla that gets under Renee’s skin? Renee says it’s because she is calm. Joy says, Carla called her a “bipolar b*tch,” what bothers her more, the bipolar or the b*tch? Renee says the bipolar because she was never diagnosed. They get into the incident where Carla did not visit or call Renee when she had serious surgery complications. Carla insists she didn’t know things had gotten so bad for Renee or she would have called. Drita swears that Jenn did tell her what happened to Renee, but insisted that she not tell anyone, so she didn’t mention it to Carla. Renee says that when she said she would “crack Carla’s head open,” she was talking out of her ass.

Karen sheds light on many issues

Karen speaks up because she really needs to clarify something. Karen says she NEVER told Renee that Carla insinuated anything about Junior or Renee. Karen says she was being protective and did tell Renee to be careful about what people around her are saying, and Renee took it the wrong way. 

Soon Joy is in a state of utter disbelief for the rest of the show!

Now Joy gets into the war between Carla and Drita vs. Karen and Ramona. We get to see a bunch of clips. Joy wants to know why Carla pretended to be friends with Karen and Ramona when it’s evident that she didn’t want to be friends with them at all. Carla says that when she is with them it always turns into a Drita issue and she didn’t want to talk about Drita behind her back.  Karen speaks up again to correct a misconception. This time it’s to discusses the dinner she and Carla had to resolve their differences. Karen says they spoke about Carla’s family a good part of the time, but she won’t bring up those issues on national television out of respect for her family. Carla denies they spoke about her family. Karen insists that they did, but she won’t reveal what was said. Carla says you better not bring up my family. Ramona says that she and Carla had put their issues aside and all of a sudden Carla and Ramona are accusing each other of lying. They are both hearing things about what the other has said behind their backs to other people.  Karen gets heated and blurts out that Carla slept with her uncle for eight years and he was a married man. Carla is clearly caught off guard and makes a feeble, defensive attempt to deny it (more in my two cents about this story). Karen elaborates that the man is not Karen’s uncle by blood, but through the tradition of the lifestyle. The discussion ends with Carla calling Karen and Ramona “fools“…a couple of times. Joy calls for a break in hopes the ladies calm down.

Drita in fight mode, AGAIN!

Joy brings up Renee’s “Celebration of Life” party.” Lots of clips of the event. Drita was pissed about the whole affair. She says she went there for Renee. She wanted to pop in, say hello and leave. She didn’t want to talk to Karen. She didn’t ask to talk to Karen. Big Ang takes the blame for trying to get Drita and Karen to talk to each other. Karen tries to once again state the truth and clear up misconceptions. Karen says she wanted to talk to Drita all summer, but Jennifer kept telling her Drita was not ready. Drita says she never heard that Karen wanted to talk to her. Jennifer is called up to the set and asked what happened. Jenn says Karen did ask to speak to Drita several times and Drita kept saying she wasn’t ready to talk to Karen. Drita was ready the day before Renee’s party when she texted Karen. By the time Karen received those texts she was pissed herself. Drita wasn’t ready to talk for weeks, she spread rumors about putting Karen in the hospital and now, the day before this big party, she suddenly wants to talk? Karen didn’t answer the text messages and figured she would see Drita at the party. Jenn says they agreed to talk at the party and they both promised Jennifer there would be no fighting. Karen says she was angry because by the time Drita was ready to talk she had been hearing all summer that Drita and Carla were going around saying Drita put Karen in the hospital. Drita says she understands where Karen was coming from.

Ramona tells Drita off!

Drita felt that she was railroaded into talking to Karen. Joy brings up the fact that Drita threw the first punch. Ramona says she didn’t want anyone to fight. She went out there because she could see, from the body language, that things were getting heated and she was trying to protect both Karen and Drita. She knows how they get when they fight and they were on a balcony. She tried to diffuse the situation. Carla thinks that Ramona was wrong for interfering while Karen and Drita were talking. Drita says she felt set up by everyone. Ramona says she respects Drita as a mother and she likes her kids. Drita says they weren’t getting along and she should have never butted into their conversation. And Drita is offended that Ramona said she respected her as a mother! Karen is dying to talk again, but Drita and Ramona are yelling at each other and cursing. Renee screams “No! We’re gonna talk about the party and that’s it!” Drita says she will bring in her people and “unleash the beasts!” Ramona says she will bring in her people and they will “light up the place!” Jenn comes in to try to calm everyone down. Joy has lost control of the discussion. Drita walks off.

Jenn tries to calm the situation

Renee screams "NO" to the fighting!

Preview of next week show: Drita says to Ramona, “After the show, we’re fighting!” Joy covers her mouth.

MY TWO CENTS

The Reunion Show Part 1 delivers the goods! I would like to subtitle this “The Truth Exposed” because a lot of things have been brought into the light. I have a lot to say, but will it make any sense? Let’s see. Oy vey.  I’ll take this topic by topic, and focus on the highlights.

In the discussion about Junior, Renee reveals for the first time ever, that she was in the hospital in January because she suffered a miscarriage. Now we have more reasons for Renee’s extreme emotional reactions to everything. Pregnancy releases hormones that can affect ones mood. And suffering a miscarriage was another tremendous loss for Renee. I was surprised to hear this and felt very bad for Renee, having had a miscarriage myself many years ago. Obviously, Renee wasn’t thinking clearly at the time, if she allowed herself to get pregnant, knowing that Junior would be going to jail soon. Even if she thought her future was with Junior, she admits that he wasn’t acting right and she even suspected he was cheating. On top of that, there were her health issues which hadn’t been resolved yet. She still needed more corrective surgery and I’m not even sure she was healed enough physically and emotionally for her body to go through a pregnancy. In any case, Junior has hurt Renee time and time and time again. I think Renee should order a case of blue balls and place them all over her house.

We saw many clips of every mob wife saying she was “DONE” with all the drama. I’m glad Joy said “let’s get real, no one is done with the drama.” And where is the proof? Just a few minutes later a war breaks out on stage between feuding couples Drita/Carla and Karen/Ramona. I just wish I had a freakin’ transcript. These women talk so fast and with the bleeps, it’s almost impossible to get a direct quote out of anyone, except Big Ang, who talks nice and slow. The first sign of an “issue,” that I notice, comes from Joy’s question to Ramona, “Why do people come at you? No one ever came at me.” Ramona’s cryptic answer, “I’ll have to talk to someone about that off camera.” And then Ramona smiles and we all know what it means. Joy is suddenly speechless and afraid to probe further and Drita has a “scared” expression on her face, as though the comment was meant for her. Was it? I think so. Ramona was looking and smiling in her direction. Stay tuned for Reunion part two!

The rehashing of the Renee and Carla fights with more video clips is nothing new. What is new, is that Karen finally gets the opportunity to address a serious misconception that many had. When Karen and Carla met, Carla said some things about Junior and Renee, to which Karen said in the green screen, “I don’t know what Carla was insinuating.” Karen says she never said that to Renee. I believe Karen. Why would Karen get Renee even more upset than she already was, by telling her something that Carla said, when she didn’t even know what Carla meant? Everyone was accusing Karen of telling Renee, but no one stopped to consider that there is an entire film crew who heard the conversation and maybe one of them told Renee? Renee basically confirms that Karen didn’t say anything. Good for you Karen! The truth always comes out. And there is a lot more truth to come out too.

Now we get into the season two “war” between the feuding couples: Drita/Carla and Karen/Ramona. Joy is right, Carla was pretending to be Karen and Ramona’s friend. There is no way Carla wanted to go to the Poconos, but someone convinced her to do it. Why? They needed some drama to go down maybe, or Carla needed a few extra dollars for shoes? Whatever the case, anyone with eyes could see she wasn’t a “happy camper.” Carla’s answer to Joy is that it always turns into a Drita issue when she talks with them. Another truth comes from Karen at this point. I can see the frustration in Karen’s face to have to constantly be correcting Carla. Karen says when they met to resolve their differences, they spent a good deal of time discussing Carla’s family. Carla says no, it was all about Drita. Of course, that is what we saw as viewers, thanks to poor editing. Karen seemed to make a 180 degree turn around about Carla on the screen, but so much of that conversation was edited out it never felt believable. Karen says they did discuss Carla’s family, but out of respect for them, she will not bring up the issues on national television. Carla is very tight lipped about her family and has been from the very beginning. But, it’s been said that Karen’s father, Sammy Gravano, was allegedly instrumental in intervening on Louis Facciolo’s behalf with the mob many years ago, and in so doing, saved his life. Maybe Karen believes that their family history deserves some loyalty and respect that Carla clearly lacks? 

Then all hell breaks loose! Carla and Ramona start calling each other liars! Karen, still upset that Carla lied about their discussion about her family, blurts out another truth, “And you f*cked my uncle for eight years” and he was married. Karen quickly clears up the fact that the man wasn’t related to her by blood, but he was an “uncle” in the tradition of the lifestyle they were raised in. Renee races off the stage. I ask myself why? Is it to avoid being around another fight? Or is it that she doesn’t want Joy to question her about what Karen just said? After all, Renee knew Carla, they were close friends, and if anyone would know the truth about this, it would be her. Never mind, the truth always comes out! And soon too...

Well I was on twitter last night, where truths often come out, and am going to fill in some of the blanks for you now. The “uncle” Karen was referring to was Michael “Mikey Scars” DiLeonardo, a close associate of her father, Sammy. You may recall seeing his name in other blogs, such as Carla Facciolo’s Scars. Carla was “Mikey Scars” mob mistress for some years. If there was ever any doubt about that, there isn’t now. Why? While I was taking notes for the recap, I popped into Twitter and who do I see tweeting? None other than “Mikey Scars” ex-wife, Toni Marie Ricci, who was married to him at the time and is a friend of Karen’s . She has nothing nice to say about Carla, as you would expect. Yet, she can’t give too much away because she is doing an episode of “I Married A Mobster” in June, and who knows what details might be revealed in her story. Personally, I can’t wait to watch and blog that show! So another truth comes out, that Karen sheds light on. A truth which Carla, the liar, denies. Carla, the same hypocrite mob wife, who is angry at all the other women that Joe cheated on her with, was once one of those women herself! Interesting right? I hope Joe’s girlfriend is reading this blog, she may need the facts! Moving on…

In the Celebration of Life party discussion another lie is exposed by Karen! This time it’s Drita, who has a selective memory. Karen is utterly frustrated saying she was trying to talk to Drita all summer, but was told Drita wasn’t ready. Drita demands to know who told her that! This is the first she is hearing of this! Karen is totally exasperated. She asks Jennifer to please come forward and clear up this issue. Jennifer says, yes, Karen asked her several times to talk to Drita, BUT Drita wasn’t ready to talk every time. Who is lying now??? Drita “forgot” the several times she was asked and doesn’t want to call Jenn a liar? Right! Jenn backed up Karen, Drita doesn’t have a leg to stand on. Ugh, by now I am feeling so bad for Karen, who has had to deal with lies all season long without being able to speak up and tell the truth. Karen is the real deal and has nothing to hide!

Now for the last of it. Ramona saying she respects Drita as a mother and likes her kids AND Drita going into “fight mode” because she is offended by that compliment, saying, “don‘t bring up the fact that I am a mother!” WTF moment right here! You can bring up all the fights she has had in the past, all the people she put in the hospital, the fact that she curses worse than a sailor, that she raps to lyrics she wouldn’t want her children to hear, that she promotes fighting and some of her “fans” emulate her violent attitude, but whatever you do, DO NOT compliment the fact that she is a mother and has two beautiful girls! Thems fightin’ words! Come on! If there was ever any DOUBT that Drita looks for excuses to fight, this has to settle it once and for all. Oh and by the way, KUDOS to Ramona for acknowledging that Drita is a good mother and has wonderful children inspite of her she feels about Drita herself. That’s someone who is being “real.”  How does it all end? Drita and Ramona get up screaming over this mother of a complement. Drita wants to bring in her people and “unleash them like beasts” and Ramona’s people will come in and “light up the place.” Jenn comes on the set to try to calm everyone down…good luck with that. Joy is paralyzed in her seat. Drita walks off the set. I drop my pen and try to resuscitate my hand, which has had a seizure from writing. 

Next’s week’s preview: Drita says to Ramona, “After the show we are fighting!” Joy covers her mouth. 

I’m getting a front row seat. I know I missed something along the way. My head still hurts, but I know some people are dying for the recap. What did you think?

Mob Wives: Maryann "Boom Boom" Maisano Review

They're no Mob Wives!

Warning this is not a Mob Wives friendly review of the reunion part 1.  The video is not necessarily the opinion of The Mob Wives Blogspot and it's 5 bloggers.  Maryann "Boom Boom" Maisano is part of The Italian Chicks.  Who are The Italian Chicks?  They're a women's group of comediennes who happen to be Sri Lankan Italian.



Wow, and some you all say I'm evil, mean, harsh and a hater.  I'm not typing Boom Boom is mean, evil nor a hater.  Chiara's recap will be up bright and early tomorrow morning if she doesn't have a stroke. *knocks on wood*  You can follow Boom Boom on Twitter @MaryannBoomBoom.  She sure likes the word mook.

Mob Wives: Joseph Ferragamo's Girlfriend?

Driving along Hylan Blvd.....

Mob Wives season 1 Carla Facciolo clearly stated that she wasn't waiting around for Joseph "Joe" Ferragamo.  Joe at the time was incarcerated.  I respected Carla's honesty in her decision to move on in the dating game.  Chiara wasn't so pleased.  See folks we don't share a brain.  Before she got a little peeved with one of my posts, I spoke to her.  I shared how fiiiine I thought Mr. Ferragamo was.  I also mentioned she  might want to reconcile.  She giggled and said, "...we'll see...."  They truly made an easy on the eyes couple with equally gorgeous children.  Good looking doesn't always translate to happy.  Some individuals are better as friends. They know better than me what's best for them.

Dog Tag

Time has past ever so quickly, in the last year.  Per television the former couple seem like best friends or buddies focused on making their children happy as season 2 of Mob Wives progressed.  Sources have claimed Carla is back seeing Handy Man even allegedly spotting her with him at The Drunken Monkey.  As season 2 wound down we saw Mrs. Ferragamo get a bit irritated after learning her husband had an exclusive girlfriend.  I believe she referred to the woman as a skank.  It seemed Joe dating a younger woman was Carla's Achilles' heel.

The woman we believe is Joe's current girlfriend with their puppy Achilles.

Well, I don't know the young raven haired beauty.  It seems she really loves her some Joe and their puppy Achilles.  She sure in the hell doesn't look like a skank to me.  We hope that Joe & the beauty are happy & enjoying one another's company.

Joe looks happy and smitten with the very pretty lady.

The couple look cozy & happy to me!  What do you think?  Frankly, I think Joseph "Joe" Ferragamo has it going on.  His wife is a looker.  The man has gorgeous kids.  His girlfriend is young & beautiful with or without make up.  From research & sources she seems classy & sweet.  An added bonus is their puppy is nobody's Cujo.  Life on the outside is looking pretty good for Mr. Ferragamo.  We wish him the very best & hope he stays on the straight & narrow.

Today is Sunday, May 20; tonight part 1 of the MobWives Reunion airs @ 8 PM on VH1.  I don't know about you.  I am counting down the time as if it's a NASA shuttle take off.  No one does it better than JustJenn Productions.