Big Ang: Happy Birthday Big Ang!

Big Ang as Marilyn on Next Magazine!

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Today is Big Ang's birthday and all I can think is that this celebration will be grand. Big Ang loves to party, something she learned from her uncle, "Sally Dogs." Whatever her plans are, I hope her day is filled with fun, family and lots of bling!  Big Ang claims she always gets what she wants so I hope she wished for the stars! Happy Birthday to the very loveable Mob Wife from all of us at the blog!

I came across this photo and realized Marilyn Monroe's signature song certainly sums up a lot of what Big Ang is like. I can almost hear it playing in the background of her show or as her theme song.

Big Ang tweeted this cake!

I guess Big Ang is celebrating with her younger sister, Janine, either on the same day or very close to Big Ang's day. So happy birthday to both sisters! Wow! What a cake!

Written by Carmela Corleone

Follow me on Twitter @carmelacorleone

Picture credit: Next Magazine, Big Ang's Twitter

Big Ang: The Official VH1 Supertrailer!

Big Ang's Trailer looks like Big Fun!

As we all know The Big Ang Show will premiere on July 8th at 8pm ET/ 9C on VH1. There have been a few ads for the show so far and recently, VH1 put up the official supertrailer. I watched the trailer a few times.

First I watched it to see who I noticed in it and then, I watched it again, pretending to be at the party. All I can say is this 3 minute preview clip has more material in it than a whole episode of "Girls Gone Wild." As I watched, there were a few OMG's that I blurted out. We watch as Big Ang shows us what her life is all about and what makes her happy. Big Ang believes in enjoying her life each day as though it's the last. The clip shows how she interacts in her lively spirit with her friends, co-workers and family members. Looks like Big Ang has full-bodied personality inside and out. To say she is the "life of the party" is probably an understatement for Big Ang. She says she's been through it all and has survive it all. I'm looking foward to seeing this colorful cast. I'm not so sure why I waited so long to visit the "Drunken Monkey,"  Big Ang's bar, but after seeing this clip, it's been moved to my must-do list.

To conclude this blog,  I thought just maybe I'd quit my job, bartend at the Monkey, date a hot bartender like Frankie, and drink champagne all night, while throwing dollar bills up in the air. Well, if I can't do it in my real life, I can every Sunday at 8PM. Dont forget to tune in and read the recap blogs on Mondays.

Follow me on twitter @carmelacorleone

Written By: Carmela Corleone

Video Credit: VH1

Mob Wives: Chiara's Spin Off Suggestions

From the "Pleaser Shoes" Collection

Now that Big Ang is about to launch her new spin off on VH1, July 8th at  9PM ET/8C, I got to wondering about other possible spin off shows. Big Ang’s show will be about her life, family and friends. How easy is that? They just have to follow her around town with a camera and have a camera planted at the Drunken Monkey. I laugh every time Big Ang talks, so I will be sure to watch. But what about the other mob wives? Don’t they deserve shows too? I don’t know where this is going yet, but I can’t help the way my mind works, can I? Jennifer are you reading this? If so, I would like some feedback. 

My first idea for a new show called, “Head To Toe,” features Love Majewski. The premise is that Love, a makeup artist, owns a shoe boutique/salon. She gets her clients ready for weddings, red carpet events, galas etc, literally from head (Veritas makeup) to toe (HooDoo shoes). I know Love has a very lively, effervescent personality, so this is bound to be a hit, reality or scripted. Also, I think we can get Diondrea Nicosia in the cast too, maybe handling the business end of things, making sure Love doesn’t “give away” products because she has a kind and generous nature!

Another idea I had is called, “Robbing The Cradle.” This show is about a middle aged couple who are still in love, but neither wants to give the other any satisfaction. Instead, they both date people, years younger than themselves, to prove to the other how ridiculously desirable they still are. All the while they are dating these “babies,” they tweet dozens of pictures of themselves having a good time. Have you guessed whose show this is?!? Right, the Carla and Joe spin off. So much potential for laughs!

There is one mob wife who is already her own spin off, even as she appears on Mob Wives Chicago. That would be, in my opinion, Leah D. I know I am not the only one sitting on the edge of my seat always waiting to hear what Leah has to say. The name of this show would be “What Would Leah Say?” and it would be about young girls and guys asking about dating advice or problems. I don’t want Leah’s advice to be scripted at all! Let her do what she does naturally! 

Renee Graziano needs a show where she doesn’t have to deal with problematic reality. I’ve seen Renee, she is the “life of the party.” How about a show called, “Party Planning Mob Style?” In the show, Renee is a party planner who does it up BIG, the way the mob would do it. Her clients would have to have some serious money before coming to Renee. Her first project could be a filmed, Mob Wives Meet & Greet Event in NYC, with all eleven NY and Chicago mob wives in attendance. Include a modest dinner and charge people, hmmm about $200 a seat! I’d buy a ticket to meet the mob wives, eat and possibly end up on Renee’s show, if you make it though editing! Who wouldn’t be there?

How do you like these ideas? Who knows, one might find it;s way into production. Which one did you like best?

Stay tuned for more suggestions in the future, if my brain gets inspired!

Picture Credit: HooDoo Shoes

Mob Wives: Wanted, New Mob Wives?

Wanted

New Mob Wives!

When I am not writing, I am reading or researching. That’s how I get ideas for my blogs. I read everything: articles, interviews, facebook accounts, tweets, blogs. I watch videos. And many times, my system is very productive in generating ideas to share with readers. Sometimes my followers on Twitter inspire me or point me in a direction. Other times, my bright ideas come from pure speculation or humor.

For example, the other day I was reading tweets and someone said that there was going to be a “new” New York Mob Wife and her name is ******. The name sounded familiar to me so I made a note to ask Jennifer. Meanwhile, I surfed the internet to see if there was any confirmation on this name or any other name, announced for season three’s cast. I found a mention of this name somewhere online, but not a reliable source. So without facts, I find myself in the realm of speculation. I needed to go straight to the top, and I did.

I asked Jennifer Graziano about this “new” mob wife I was hearing about and she laughed. She said people may have seen her with ******, but she says she is just a friend of hers and Renee. So that lead fizzled out without the confirmation I was hoping for. I asked about whether Big Ang would be replaced? Jennifer said "no" and she confirmed that Big Ang was going to continue to be part of Mob Wives, as well as, star in her own series. Now what?

I am left wondering where all the storylines will go from here? We can’t rehash the same issues for a third season. There have been “truces” made and mob wives “forgiven.” So what to do? If I was Jennifer I would start looking for some new blood to inject into the series. There must be plenty of New York mob wives out there wanting to join the cast and have a fight or two? If you are a New York mob wife with legitimate ties to the mob and a little "extra" hair to lose, why don’t you “pitch” yourself and your story to Jennifer Graziano at JustJenn Productions? Season three hasn’t started filming yet.  If your story is good enough we may just see you on the third season of Mob Wives. At any rate you have nothing to lose (except hair) and many opportunities to gain. Tell Jenn I sent you! I won't even charge you my usual 15% manager's fee.

Oh, just a tip, if you do manage to pull this off and you end up doing a scene at Renee’s house,  please do NOT leave crumbs in her kitchen.

Big Ang: Meet The Cast of Her Show!

Big Ang is bigger than life!

We all know that Big Ang is coming alive on the television screen on July 8th at 9 PM ET/ 8 C on VH1. What we all are wondering about is what the premise of the show was going to be. VH1 and Jennifer Graziano have revealed some of the details of this 10 episode series. 

I got to meet up with Jennifer last week and she told me that the show will be based on Big Ang's life, loves and relations within her inner circle. Although Big Ang grew up in Brooklyn, she holds many ties to Staten Island. Surely these stomping grounds will be part of the premise of the show along with her love of wise-guys, diamonds and furs. Another prize possesion is her dog, Little Louie. One Sunday, a few weeks back, Little Louie went missing and there was an all-out search for him on Twitter. Luckily, he was found in a few hours. This proves Big Ang is a big favorite to many fans. Her robust personality and trademark voice have many impersonating her. The show will feature scenes from the Drunken Monkey, Big Ang's bar, a favorite hangout of many Mob Wives. I also met Big Ang's sister, Janine Detore, who spoke candidly about her excitement of being on the show. Janine, who is the little sister, seems to be the true guardian to Big Ang and the other family members. Neil, Big Ang's strike 2 husband, will also surface. This sanitation worker's identity has been hidden so far, but fans will be lucky to see him on the show. Big Ang spoke about giving Neil one more chance before saying Strike 3, he's out. Big Ang and her very close friend of 30 years, Linda Torres, have a long history together and will prove real friendships dont die. Linda also has a part in the new show. The two have remained connected and claim to have torn up the neighborhood in their day. Jennifer Patalio, aka "Little Jen," who is devoted to Big Ang and the wise guys, as well as her red lipstick, scotch and stilettos, will also add some color to the cast.  I'll be interested to see Jens' shoe line and if they are any comparison to the ones Big Ang has been sporting. We'll also see more of Big Ang's son, AJ, who we saw on season 2 of Mob Wives exercising his playboy personality. To complete the rat-pack is Anthony Cracchiolo. Anthony has  recently opened Anthony's Pizzeria on Hylan Blvd in Staten Island. I attended the grand opening and got to meet Anthony. He is a young  business entrepreneur who  has helped the expansion of the Drunken Monkey will add some serious eye-candy.  

I conclude this by telling you that meeting Big Ang in person has proven to me that she lives up to every marvelous, splendid, and worthy words that the Mob Wives cast have spoken about her.

Written by: Carmela Corleone

Please follow me on twitter @carmelacorleone

Real Housewives of New York: What The Hell Moments S5E4

The Ramona lunch with "gift bags" agenda!

The episode is called, “Diss-Invite,” a very clever title. The episode is once again all about Ramona. The other five “housewives” are only in the show to listen to her or talk about her. Ramona desperately wants Heather to invite her to London with the other women. Heather basically is saying, Hell no, she won’t go…with them. I like Heather and so does LuAnn. Apparently, Sonja likes Heather too and Aviva and Carole like Heather. The only one who doesn’t like Heather is Ramona, hmmmm. Let’s get to the things that irked me most.

The show has two related themes, bashing Heather and Ramona whining about the London trip. First scene, Ramona meets with Aviva and Carole, bearing gift bags, for a lunch designed to complain about Heather the whole time. Sonja apparently blew off the lunch to meet LuAnn instead…wait till Ramona hears about this! I don’t know why Ramona just doesn’t go directly to Heather and tell her how she feels instead of giving everyone else a major headache? She tries to bribe or manipulate people into joining Team Ramona. First she thought her apology to Heather over the death of her father was going to soften Heather up. Now she is trying to rally support for her cause with gift bags for these two women? Aviva was not impressed with her skin care products either. But, both ladies were gracious and well mannered enough to hypocritically pretend to like them.

Rehashing apology and invitation to award ceremony ploy

Heather and Ramona meet for drinks and that turns into a bit of a fiasco. Heather seems to want to test Ramona’s sincerity over the apology. This tells me one thing, Heather has not watched the first four seasons of RHONY. There is no sincerity in Ramona, if anything she has gotten worse over the years and more full of herself. The issue comes up about Ramona’s award ceremony and that she can only invite ten people. She hasn’t heard back from Heather yet. Another ploy on Ramona’s part to win Heather over for a London invite. Ramona refers to Heather as a new acquaintance/friend. Heather is honest enough to say she doesn’t know yet of she fits either category! Good for Heather, keeping it real! Heather doesn’t like anything about Ramona, neither do I. Why the hell would she pay good money to take her to London and ruin her own trip?

Yay! Lu is invited to London, Ramona NOT!

LuAnn takes Heather to an art gallery. They have a nice conversation. I didn’t see Heather dominating it. LuAnn gets invited to London! Yes! I am thrilled because I know this is really going to burn Ramona’s pinot filled ass. And LuAnn is thrilled because she can actually enjoy the trip. Has anyone noticed that Ramona ruins every event she is invited to? Well, if you haven’t let’s explore Sonja’s party, which is a celebration of her being on the cover of Social Life magazine.

LuAnn must have "Royal Tourettes Syndrome"

Carole's best line of the season!

Everyone is invited to Sonja’s party and Ramona is her “friend” so of course she is there, Pinot in hand. I love Carole’s little witty quips. She observes that every time she runs into LuAnn, LuAnn mentions all the royalty she knows by name, and Carole refers to this as “Royal Tourettes Syndrome!” Carole refers to Ramona as “bossy-pants” and actually gets a kick of her as a “character.” I have to pay more attention to this unassuming Carole, because I enjoy what she has to say.

When I invite people I am all inclusive! ALL INCLUSIVE!

You think she got it?

Back to the party. Ramona is still b!tching about London to anyone who will listen. She finally confronts Heather at the party and thinks she is being oh so clever when she says, “She is all inclusive when she invites people to her house for dinner.” And she is particularly obvious to the point of embarrassing herself.  Heather doesn’t take the bait. Aviva tells Ramona her comments went over Heather’s head, but in reality Aviva lied and thinks Heather “got it.” Only a dead person wouldn’t get it. Ramona continues to bellyache about London and then throws a temper tantrum when she discovers that Sonja has accepted the invitation and is going without her. How dare she take a trip without Ramona? Ramona is hurt, disappointed and pissed, all at the same time…it doesn’t help that she is full of Pinot and sh-t too.  Everyone is appalled at the way Ramona is treating Sonja at her big night. Ramona gulps down the last of her wine and storms out in a hissy fit. Aviva calls it disrespectful.

Ramona has a Pinot filled breakdown and leaves. 

Thank God. Sonja was able to enjoy the rest of her party in peace.

Aviva irks me. First of all she brought up her leg again because she had to get on an elevator with Heather and needed her hand held. I understand she was traumatized as a child, but there are very effective desensitizing techniques to help her get over some of these irrational phobias so she can have a normal life already. I cannot believe she isn’t unintentionally passing her fears on to her four children. But, whatever the case, it’s clear she can’t stop herself from mentioning it, so can someone at Bravo edit out the “leg” comments and stories please?  Second, I see that even though Aviva makes many negative comments about Ramona and her behavior, she is pleading her case with Heather that she be invited to London. I saw it on the previews and am already steamed. Why can’t she leave well enough alone. I am going to be really pissed if Ramona gets invited. I don’t know anyone who has self respect who would accept and invitation from someone who had to be strong armed and bullied into making it in the first place. I hope Heather doesn’t let me and Lu down on this one.

If I didn’t know better I would swear Andy Cohen is having an affair with Ramona or trying to “kill” the show by giving Ramona so much air time. Which is it Andy?

Mob Wives: Renee & Jenn In New Jersey!

Renee and Jenn with a good looking hunk!

Renee, Jennifer and AJ were in New Jersey supporting the Austin Family Foundation's golf outing along with many of the Dallas cowboys and other football players. The organization raises money for a great cause. "Our mission is to support and promote youth programming, in lower income areas, that focuses on character development and community involvement." I found some pictures that Jenn tweeted of the event! It looks like everyone had a great time.

Looking like a a good putt!

At the end of the day Renee relaxes with her favorite

Tequila, Senor Rio!  And, she looks great!

Picture credit: Jennifer Graziano's Twitter

Mob Wives Chicago: Recap “You Can’t Handle The Truce” Ep 103

All's well that ends well!

Christina and Leah meet for brunch. Christina tells her she met with Pia. Pia didn’t seem interested in discussing what went wrong and Christina was trying to make amends. Leah says Nora has the “brain of a dead ant” and she is “bi-polar.” Christina says she is done with the love/hate relationship. Leah tells her Christina and Pia were fine until Nora came back from Florida, “she should have stayed in Florida and collected seashells. I’ll show her how a pitbull barks.”

Pia and Nora meet. Pia turns to Nora because they have a history and have been there for each other. Pia tells her she met with Christina and told her the friendship was over. Christina ripped her hair out and that‘s it. Pia grew up in the city and has no time for BS and nonsense, she has better things to worry about. Pia says she wants to try to get to know Renee because she is friends with Nora. Nora agrees.

Pia invites Renee to lunch, making another attempt at friendship.

Renee has a lot of things going on. She owns her business with her boyfriend, Dave and she has the custody battle going on over her daughter, Bella, which is putting a strain on their relationship. Things are a little rocky between Renee and Dave, they live together and are business partners. Pia and her daughter make a visit to Eye Candy, Renee’s business. Renee is surprised to see them. Renee tries to be nice, but it’s obvious she doesn’t like Pia. Pia invites Renee to lunch, just the two of them. Renee is caught off guard, but accepts. Dave comes out and Pia recognizes him. It seems that Pia and Dave are old friends. Now Renee is pissed because she thinks they have some kind of sexual history. Renee wonders if he put “singles in her underwear.” Renee says, “Pia is a ho-bag.” 

Renee and Christina meet at the café. Christina feels that have started to click as friends. Leah shows up too. Renee thinks Leah is cool and she loves her hair. They discuss Pia and the fight. Renee tells them how Pia showed up at her place of business unannounced. Renee really doesn’t like the fact she is a stripper and judges her harshly for that. Leah says Pia has to do what she has to do to take care of her family and she won’t judge her, she has known her for years. Renee says Pia knows her boyfriend, Dave and tells them her suspicions. Leah doesn’t think Pia had anything to do with Dave, it’s not her style. Leah hates all the drama about Pia. Renee is out to confront Dave about Pia.

Pia and Nora meet with Julie, Nora’s good friend. Pia feels bad that everyone accuses Nora’s father of being a hit man. Pia knows that Nora took the loss of her father very hard. Then Nora tells Pia that Renee was shocked that Pia knew Dave. Pia says he was just a kid from the neighborhood that she has known for years.

Renee is going to dinner with Dave and she plans to confront him about Pia. She says he better not know her from “the pole.” She tells Dave to order a drink, he is going to need it. She asks him about Pia. He says he knows her 15 to 20 years and he never knew she worked in a strip club. He adds she has always been nice to him. Renee doesn’t believe Dave and threatens him. He calls her a “f*ckin’ idiot” who has been with “scum bags” all her life. She tells him to leave and when he does, she says he leaves because he is guilty. Pia is next on her agenda.

Nora, Julie and Pia meet for a memorial luncheon for Nora’s dad because it’s his birthday. They decide to order their food and not wait for Renee, who is apparently pretty late. Nora is pissed. It’s disrespectful to her and her dad for Renee not to be there on time. Renee walks in and says, “sorry I’m late.” She blames traffic. Nora says she should have left an hour early. Now there is tension and, on top of that, Renee has to sit next to Pia with all these issues on her mind. Julie toasts to Frank “The German” for his birthday. Renee is seeing RED! Julie is wearing her shirt, the one she lent to Nora two months ago! Renee is even more pissed and excuses herself to leave. Nora says she is not even there an hour after coming late and it upsets Nora.

Leah has a plan to meet with Pia!

Leah arrives at Christina’s house with a plan, “if she doesn’t like it, too bad.” Leah thinks she should meet with Pia about the issues she has with Christina. She doesn’t like a mess and what happened between Pia and Christina is a mess. She says she is going to get in the middle of it and try to restore the peace. Christina rehashes the whole fight and Leah looks like she has had enough. Leah is going to have a sit down with Pia, “enough is enough.”

The "Boy George" hat on Renee ain't cutting it with Pia!

Pia meets with Renee for lunch to clear the air. Renee shows up with an attitude. They are barely cordial when Renee announces she wants to discuss some things. Her first issue is the way Pia was talking in her place of business, Eye Candy, dropping F bombs! Pia thinks Renee is always looking for reasons not to like her. Then Renee confronts her about Dave. Pia swears she never dated Dave and has nothing to hide. She said she made out with his friend if anything. Renee doesn’t believe her either. Pia says Renee is a bully and adds, “I want to take her and throw her and her Boy George hat out the window.” Pia is insulted as Renee always says she is better than Pia and refers to Pia as low class. Then Renee drops an F Bomb and Pia tells her that she doesn’t speak any better than Pia. Pia says Christina is a saint compared to Renee, and she leaves. Renee says that Pia left because she is guilty.

Pia and Frankie meet. Pia tells her friend about all her issues with Renee and Christina. Frankie tells her she doesn’t have to explain herself or defend herself to anyone. Pia has plenty to say about all the insults Renee has said to her about her and her dad, all very negative stuff. Pia explains that her father and Frankie’s father were bookmakers together and that Pia’s father informed on Frankie’s father which caused him to go to prison. Pia and Frankie have always gotten along even under those circumstances, so why do other people have issues with her? Now Christina is sending Leah to talk to her.

Pia and Leah meet and hug. Leah says she isn’t going to beat around the bush. She asks Pia to tell her what happened. Pia and Leah have always gotten along and know each other many years. Pia tells her that her talk with Christina didn’t go well. Leah tells Pia that Nora talks about her behind her back. Pia makes excuses for Nora. Leah is disgusted with the excuses and Pia’s defense of Nora. Leah doesn’t like Nora, period. Leah tells her if she values her friendship with Christina, she shouldn’t let it go. They decide to make plans to have dinner with Nora and Christina to clear the air.

"My hair ain't slicked back for nothing!" says Leah

Christina, Leah and Nora and Pia meet for dinner. Leah has something to say to Nora too. Leah and Christina get their first and don’t want any fighting. Pia and Nora arrive. Pia seems open to making up with Christina. Leah is on guard and says her “hair ain’t slicked back for nothing.” Pia is going to lay it all out. She has a big problem with getting her hair pulled out. Christina says she doesn’t think when she fights. Pia admits that she isn’t completely innocent, but the hair pulling was over the top. Christina say they are here now, so let’s move on. Leah tells them they are friends, if God can forgive why can’t we. Leah wants peace. 

Nora's policy, "I don't talk to or dance with strangers, sorry!"

Now, Leah wants to address Nora for what happened in the past. Leah tells Nora that she went to take her arm to dance at the Italian Fest and Nora took offense and told her to “let go of my f*ckin’ arm.” Leah says she was extremely offended. Nora says she doesn’t talk or dance with strangers, especially girls. Nora says she will never change, that‘s how she was raised. Leah says that was poor behavior and Leah has a problem if she won’t change. Nora doesn’t want to change, but says she knows Leah now and will dance with her any time. Nora says we can’t change the past but we can change the future. Let’s let bygones be bygones. Leah says she will take Nora one day at a time, she is on probation and Leah has a deadly weapon…her mouth.

MY TWO CENTS:

This whole episode was about trying to resolve the Pia/Christina fight for the most part. However, in the process, we have a very good idea of where the alliances and enemy lines are drawn with these women. I think I will break this episode down mob wife by mob wife, in no particular order.

Pia. I have to say that I feel for Pia. I am not a fan of stripping or strip clubs, but I know as a mother, you do what you have to do to provide for your children. Pia could have gotten two full time jobs, made less money and not been there for her daughter all these years. Or, she could be a dancer and work nights, make more money and be there all day for her daughter. It may not work for everyone, but it works for her. So be it. 

Pia’s friends are Nora, Leah and Christina. I knew Pia and Christina would patch things up. This fight was not worth losing a friendship over, especially if it got out of hand for the sake of show drama or because of alcohol. Christina does not judge Pia. She is loyal. Nora says she is Pia’s friend on the one hand, but criticizes how she makes a living on the other hand. Maybe she wants better for Pia, but the “whore” comments are out of line and not what a real friend would say. I think that friendship is on shaky ground. I also think the show will bring Leah and Pia closer together, they are both down to earth and straight shooters when they talk. Pia’s enemy is Renee. Renee chose to judge Pia without even knowing her. She is looking for reasons to attack her all the time and she blindsides her too. Her attacks are all without provocation on Pia’s part. Here is what I don’t get: Renee’s uncle was an alleged hit man for the mob, who she says was her best friend and mentor. How can she cut her uncle slack for alleged murder and not cut Pia slack for trying to support herself and her daughter by harmless pole dancing? Something to think about.

"I got my brass knuckles, but I don't want to fight." says Christina

Christina. Christina makes me laugh for some reason. Maybe it’s the way she explains things. Her friends are Pia and Leah. She thinks she is going to like Renee. How can she? The reason she got mad at Nora in the first place was because she disrespected Pia. No one disrespects Pia more than Renee. There are going to be issues between Christina and Renee, I just feel it. Also Renee seems to be having issues with everyone anyway, what‘s one more? Christina’s enemy is Nora, who thinks of her as an acquaintance at best. Nora did a little pot stirring between Pia and Christina. I see Nora as the common enemy who will unite them and make their friendship stronger.

Nora. I am not sure what to make of Nora still. She says she is friends with Pia, but has said some negative things that a friend would not say. She says she is friends with Renee, but we have seen previews of a huge blow up there too. I wonder if they are going to have a sit down about being late for the luncheon for her dad and the “shirt.” Nora is just getting to know Leah and Christina, the dynamic duo, and I don’t think things are going to go well with either of these ladies either. I guess time will tell.

Leah. Leah is the fan/viewer favorite from what I can see in the comments. People love her funny side, as well as her intense side. They love her Italian expressions too! You always know where you stand with Leah. As she says, she says what she means and means what she says and she doesn’t beat around the bush to do it. I love that about her. Leah is a peacemaker. She doesn’t want to be around fighting. She loves to have a good time. Her friends are Christina and Pia. I am almost sure she will never take to Nora or Renee. I could be wrong, but I rarely am. Leah doesn’t have an enemies yet. Maybe Nora, but it’s not that serious at this point.

Renee. Renee seems intent on having issues with everyone, I don’t know why. She started with Pia. She never gave her a chance and “sucker punched” her with words every opportunity she has gotten. Pia has made a couple of attempts to forge a friendship with her too. Right now Christina thinks she likes Renee, Nora is her “friend” and Leah just met her (and didn’t care for how she judged Pia). Her enemy is Pia, for no particular reason. We have seen Renee fight with her daughter, Giana, have issues with Pia, and start an argument with her boyfriend, Dave. She jumps to conclusions and then believes her own suspicions. Seems to me she has trust issues that are going to affect all her relationships. 

Renee had two sit downs this episode. She confronted Pia in one and Dave in the other. Neither scene showed Renee in a positive light. She was curious as to how they knew each other, but instead of asking them both and getting the facts, she made up a story and convinced herself she was right. Everyone who walks away from an argument with her is guilty? That’s faulty thinking. A person cannot defend themselves against lies that someone else is all too willing to believe. 

The show. I think the issue with the show so far is that the arguments have little to no substance. These women get worked up over little things or not the right things. For example, Pia attacked Christina because she wouldn’t let the Nora's "whore" comments go at the dinner and she was trying to be a loyal friend, instead of attacking Nora for making the comments about her in the first place. Christina gets upset over being deleted from “facebook.” Renee creates a fictitious drama in her own head about a hot steamy love affair between Pia and Dave, and then attacks both of them as if it is the Gospel truth. 

I think we all have a good “feel” for who the women are now. I am anxious to see how the rest of the season unfolds that is leading us towards the intense finale that will make reality television history. What did you think of this last episode? What are your thoughts on the women? Have any favorites or any you love to hate? We’d love to know.

Mob Wives Chicago: Jenn Talks About Finale!

What's brewing in the Windy City?

Loyal readers know I have written about Jennifer Graziano before. The woman is an enigma to me. I'm fascinated about what goes on in her mind 24/7. When you meet her, her demeanor is a little on the serious side. She takes her business very seriously. At the same time, you can get the sense she is studying you to figure out who you are and what are your intentions. So, believe me when I say that it's not easy to get any information out of her at all. If the Omerta code of silence still exists, it's deeply instilled in Jennifer. 

Jennifer seems calm and reserved on the surface, which makes my brief conversation with her very surprising. I happened to call her one day while she was at the filming of the Mob Wives Chicago Finale. She only had a minute, but it was the first time I had actually heard Jennifer so excited. She tells me she is at the finale of Mob Wives Chicago and, "It's on FIRE!" That's a direct quote. I press her for details, hoping she will leak something in her excitement, but all she will say is, "We are once again making reality TV history!" That sounds pretty powerful coming from Jennifer Graziano herself, who was there to see it all happen. She had to get back to the filming, so I couldn't get another thing out of her. 

I know that some fans are saying that they are finding it a little hard to get into Mob Wives Chicago. It's a little difficult to get used to new women, new accents and a new city. But, it sounds like there is going to be a lot to look forward to coming up, and that's from Jennifer's own lips. I am going to stick it out and see what the rest of the season holds in store for us. How about you? 

Real Housewives of New Jersey: Teresa Meets Leah in Chi town

You never know who you are going to meet!

Guess who made a trip to Chicago? None other than the popular Real Housewife of New Jersey, Teresa Giudice. Teresa has a new cookbook out for healthy eating and she was in Chicago for a book signing. Teresa got a lot more than she bargained for at the signing.

Leah DeSimone, star of Mob Wives Chicago, went out to Barnes & Noble last night, with some girlfriends, to DePaul University Bookstore in Chicago, in her hometown, to attend Teresa's event. I guess Leah isn't use to the publicity yet because, as she went back out to the car to feed the meter, employees came rushing  out to get her to come back in to meet with Teresa. Leah obliged, but expressed to them that she really didn't want to cut in line. Teresa Giudice, who is currently on RHONJ and recently appeared on The Celebrity Apprentice (and I may add that she did pretty well), has written another cookbook titled "Fabulicious! Fast & Fit." 

Leah went in and posed with Teresa and said she couldn't believe the media frenzy. Leah still has a hard time realizing that people are recognizing her. For one, I personally think that even if she wasn't cast on Mob Wives Chicago, her hair alone is a head-turner. Teresa and Leah chatted and took many pictures for the fans. 

Teresa and Leah at Dinner

After the book signing, Leah took Teresa downtown to Taylor Street for a tour and dinner. Taylor Street is the Little Italy of Chicago which is famous for its many great Italian restaurants. It sounds like our popular Mob Wife was having some fun.

Please follow me on twitter @carmelacorleone I will be blogging the Big Ang show that premieres July 8th at 9:00 PM ET/8C on VH1

Written By: Carmela Corleone

Picture Credit: Leah DeSimone

Mob Wives: Aleeya Graduates!

Absolutely beautiful!

There is no question that Drita has done a wonderful job raising her girls Aleeya and Giselle, under difficult circumstances.She has had to be both mother and father to her girls. Every fan who has expressed an opinion about the show seems to comment that they enjoy the scenes with Drita and her girls the most. You can see how much she loves her children and enjoys spending time with them. Today Drita is extremely proud of her older daughter, Aleeya, who graduated yesterday from elementary school. Drita shared a picture on Twitter for fans.

I'm sure I speak for everyone here at the blog when I say, "Congratulations" to Aleeya for all her accomplishments on her special day. We wish her nothing but the very best in her new school and we know her future will be filled with hope and promise. Way to go, Aleeya!

Picture credit: Drita's Twitter

Mob Wives: Drita Calls Lee "Ex-Husband"

Drita's looking very happy!

A week or two ago, Mob Mistress wrote a blog about Drita dating a "mystery man" and moving on with her life. We still have no word on who he is, but I listened to a recent radio interview that Drita did and she clearly referred to Lee as her ex-husband. There was some speculation on whether or not Drita would really go through with her divorce, especially since she and Lee have been getting along. Apparently she has either gotten her divorce or soon will be. She sounded pretty definite on the audio. She also sounds very happy. You can hear it in her voice. I guess that with her new man, her new rapping career, her truce with Karen, her puppy Lucky, her beautiful girls, her thousands of fans, she has a lot to be thankful for and be happy about.

Of course, an interview with Drita would not be complete if she didn't mention a little "fighting," but even that issue seems to have soften a little bit. Have a listen and see what you think of the "new" and happier Drita. I, for one, am so glad to see this change in her I could "chirp" about it all day!

Audio credit: mixphiladelphia.com

Mob Wives: Karen Gravano's Shade45 Interview

Karen tells it like it is!

Karen was recently interviewed by Shade 45's J. Medina and she had a lot to say about some interesting topics. The hosts declare, right off the bat, that Karen is the "realest" Mob Wife. I know many people feel that way about Karen.

First topic, Drita and the truce. Next, Staten Island residents still don't like the show. Then her New York Times best selling book, Mob Daughter and how the families of her father's "victims" (mobsters themselves), reacted to it. And Karen in is in negotiations for a movie deal about the book too. Karen explains a little about what happened in Arizona with the ecstasy ring. She talks about Dave and how they are both working on things separately, he in Arizona and she in New York.

Back to Drita and the rapping, what's the deal with that? Karen doesn't want to get too into it, but she says back in 1996, Drita didn't even want to go to the club with her and Dave. But now her rapping is a gimmick, like being a mob wife, and she is making her money where she can. Bottom line, she wasn't rollin' withe the hip hop scene back in the day, but now it's ok. Apparently the hosts are not Drita fans and are very vocal about it! Karen ends by saying Drita is a "green screen gangster."

Picture and Video Credit: Shade45 and J. Medina

and for Underboss, Karen in her new hairstyle!

Mob Wives: Carmela Attends Meet & Greet at Anthony’s Pizzeria

Big Ang at Anthony's Pizzeria Grand Opening

Last night I attended the Meet and Greet at Anthony's Pizzeria. Anthony, who is also known as Cashiolo on Twitter, is a good friend of the Mob Wives and they were there to support his new business. The newly renovated pizzeria has a warm, Italian feel inside. Anthony was a pleasure to meet and he offered  a nice spread of food  for everyone to try, from pizza to hot pastas, and fried calamari. So if you're ever in the area, on 1880 Hylan Blvd in Staten Island, be sure to check it out! And if you are interested in seeing more of Anthony, follow him on twitter @cashiolo !

Renee, AJ and Big Ang

While I was there last night, I got to meet AJ. What a sweet, polite young man. I enjoyed talking to him and it seemed that he had a fan base of his own waiting for him there. The young girls were happy to see him and some seemed to have known him from the neighborhood and shared some history.

I also enjoyed finally getting to meet Renee. She was the one Mob Wife I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet and I was grateful  that I got to enjoy her in a more laid back atmosphere. It was unlike the crowds at the clubs, where there are 100's of people are waiting and seeking the attention of the cast at the same time; this meet and greet was more like my house on Sundays. I got to talk to Renee and she was so gracious to take endless photos with everyone and sign autographs. She has a very down-to-earth personality.

Renee signs autographs

And then I met with Big Ang. I did meet Big Ang once before at 900 Park, but didn’t have enough time to talk one on one with her as I did last night. She's very warm and has such a robust personality that only she wears well. She definitely has a one of a kind spirit and it's no surprise that she is so popular and was offered a spin-off show. The Big Ang show will premiere on July 8th at 9 PM/8C on VH1. I met some of Big Ang's siblings and they were just as charming. I have a feeling that some of the people I met last night will be making an appearance on the Big Ang show. The premise of the show will be focused on Big Ang's life, her friends and family. Parts of the series will be filmed in the Drunken Monkey, Big Ang's bar. I'm looking forward to seeing this group of people come to life on the television screen. Just as gracious as Renee, Big Ang took plenty of photos and also signed autographs for fans.

Of course I have saved the best for last! Yes Chiara, Jenn was there. Once again, I want to thank Jennifer Graziano for creating a show that not only has helped her inner circle of family and friends deal with the past and future of their own lives, but has brought a circle of people together on Twitter and the blog, creating their own unique “family.” I have a whole bunch of photos of Jenn and I, but she twisted my arm and so I have promised not to post them. They are for me to enjoy and if Chiara is nice enough to me - I may send her one.

Thank you for reading my post and allowing me to share my perspective and experience. Please follow me on twitter @carmelacorleone

Written By: Carmela Corleone

 Picture Credit: Carmela Corleone

Real Housewives of New York: What The Hell Moments S5E3

Heather helps Sonja with branding, then invites her to London!

Episode three is titled the “Boozy Brunch” but I keep seeing “Boozy BUNCH.” Oh  well. I don’t know how I watched the entire hour this week. There were hardly any real “what the hell” moments for me to even poke fun at. This episode was really, almost entirely, to set up next week’s episode, where all the fighting will take place. Here is what happened…

Aviva gets a call from Heather inviting her to London, Ramona isn't a happy camper

Heather helps Sonja get her “brand” together for her new business venture. In the process she gets a call that requires her to go to London and she invites Sonja and tells her she is going to call Aviva and Carole too, since all four women had a very enjoyable brunch earlier in the episode. No mention of Ramona or LuAnn, who are away on business. Of course, Sonja is only too delighted to accept the invitation and so are Aviva and Carole. In fact, Aviva gets her invitation on the phone while Ramona is right there!

There is a lot of nothing happening in most of the episode and chit-chat we could all do without. Ramona manages to get a few more digs in about Heather’s “not listening” when people speak. However, when Ramona gets wind of the London trip she is the one who starts “tripping.” She is waiting for an invitation, but it doesn’t come. Then we see previews of next weeks’s episode. The previews were the best part of this week’s episode. Ramona is going to attack Sonja for not being a good friend because she had the audacity to accept Heather’s invitation to London. I may tune in for this one because LuAnn does in fact get her invitation next week too! That is sure to burn Ramona’s sorry ass. Once again Ramona will be at odds with everyone else.

LuAnn and her daughter both seemed shocked at the "baby" idea.

Then there is a “What The Hell” is LuAnn thinking? We saw previews of this season and we are now getting around to LuAnn’s bright idea of having a baby with Jacques. LuAnn is a mere 47 years old. I wouldn’t say that’s old, but I do think it’s too old to have a baby with her 37 year old French boy toy. First of all it takes time to get pregnant and to carry the baby. She could be 50 before anything happens, if in fact it can, and she hasn’t started going through menopause yet. Just last year I recall she was ridiculing Ramona (not that I fault her for that) for thinking she was pregnant and now she wants a baby? I can’t believe she is really serious. It’s just a new, outrageous storyline designed to keep us tuning in. What next? Fertility treatments?

Most boring scenes of the show? The prolonged scene of Aviva giving her two kids a bath! Please! I thought that would never end. When it finally does she gives us her education and employment resume and it seems she has a law degree. I guess she will be giving legal advice later in the season. As long s she stops mentioning her leg i will be happy. Meanwhile she loves being a stay-at-home mom, good for her. Just what stay-at-home moms want to see when they escape to watch television, more domestic duties.

Best part of the lunch with Mario and Carole are Ramona's expressions!

Next snooze fest is when Ramona Mario and Carole go to lunch because Ramona wants Carole and Mario to meet. Why? I’m not sure, maybe she has a secret agenda. However, all the while they dine, Ramona complained that Heather never lets anyone talk. Then Ramona proceeds to cut her husband, Mario, off three or four times, when he is trying to get a word in edge wise. What a hypocrite!

I'm not wild about Harry Dubin

I’m not wild about “Harry,” but he has slept with three out of the six women: Aviva, Sonja and LuAnn and none of them seem to be complaining. I say let’s have a big, awkward “What the Hell” moment and invite him to a party where all six women will be. It beats talking about him behind his back every time they get together.

Most tacky moment is when Ramona realizes she wasn’t very sympathetic when Heather mentioned her father had died in episode one, so she goes over to her, in the middle of a party, and apologizes and gives her a hug. Does anyone besides me think this was a ploy on Ramona’s part to get an invite to London? Do the sayings “a day late and a dollar short” or “too little too late” mean anything to Ramona? Oh well she is not invited anyway, as far as we know and let's hope it stays that way.

Finally, I have to mention that I actually heard Ramona say, “It’s too early [in the day] for Pinot.” I could have sworn I heard that last night, but this morning it feels like a dream.

Mob Wives Chicago: Recap “The Aftermath” Ep 102

Nora waves Pia's hair around like a flag!

The fight between Pia and Christina continues. Renee is embarrassed. Christina feels that Pia got up in her face and says, “no one disrespects me.” Nora finds some of Pia’s hair on the table and waves it around. Christina feels she has the upper hand. All the women get kicked out of the classy restaurant. Pia is offended at being kicked out because it was Christina who started the fight. A feisty Pia tells the security guard she isn’t afraid of him. Christina is upset because Pia went crying to her about what Nora said and then makes her look like an ass by telling her to stay out of it. Pia leaves with Nora and Nora tells her she never liked Christina, she is a “nitwit.” Christina and Renee leave together in the other limo. Pia is upset because she is the one who brought Christina into the group.

At Renee’s house, Nora and Renee discuss what happened at girl’s night out. Renee thinks it was disgusting. Nora feels bad because she was the one who put the gathering together and there was a terrible fight. Nora blames Christina’s behavior on too much alcohol. Renee says a friend should never put a hand on a friend. Renee says that Pia confided in Christina and brought her into her issues with Nora. Nora wants to talk to Pia and Renee calls Pia to invite her over to talk and have coffee. Renee also wants to tell Pia what she thinks of her.

Pia is feeling ambushed, what kind of invitation is this?

Pia arrives at Renee’s house to meet with Nora and Renee. She says she was shocked by Christina’s behavior, but before she can say any more, Renee warns her to be on her good behavior, she doesn’t want trouble like there was at the restaurant. Then Renee tells her that she isn’t used to being around people like Pia; she has never associated with a stripper/dancer “whatever you are” before. They have no class. Pia feels ambushed. This was supposed to be a meeting to discuss the fight. Renee tells Pia that she got up at the restaurant and that made Christina go on the attack. Renee thinks Pia should apologize to Christina. Pia says, No, Christina physically attacked her. Nora says it was embarrassing, she should nip it in the bud, and cut her ties with Christina. Pia doesn’t want anyone telling her what to do.

Christina is torn about the fight; part of her is embarrassed and the other part is glad she stood up for herself. Christina meets Leah and tells her all about the drama, about how Pia chose to address her issues with Nora at the restaurant. She tells Leah that Nora told her to stay out of the discussion. Pia was “flappin’ her gums,” and then Pia got up in her face. Christina says, that’s when she grabbed her. Leah is not happy. She says she wishes she had been there, she would have put that b!tch in her place. Christina doesn’t know what to do, stay friends and work it out or cut ties with Pia. Christina wants an apology.

Nora and Renee are driving to the cemetery. Nora wants answers regarding her father’s burial. She says the government took her father’s body from the funeral home the day he was supposed to be buried. The government says they returned the body and it was buried, but Nora never saw it. Nora and Renee go way back, they were friends for many years when Nora’s Dad and Renee’s uncle had business dealings. They get to the cemetery and it’s closed. Nora needs closure and she wants to exhume the body and find out who is in the casket. Renee supports Nora, who needs to find out what happened.

Christina never imagined she would be going through all this in her life; living with her ex-husband because of finances and lying to her nine year old daughter about their divorce to protect her. She sees a therapist. She tells her she feels like a bad mother living a lie and that in the end everyone is going to get hurt anyway. Then she tells the therapist about her physical fight with Pia. The therapist says she doesn’t have to apologize to Pia in order to bring it up, she just has to say she wants to clear the air. Christina says the trust she had with Pia is tainted now.

"So what if they deleted you on facebook? Throw a party!" Leah's good advice!

Christina and Leah meet up for lunch. Christina tells her she went to the therapist and cried about her daughter. Then she says Pia deleted her from Facebook and Nora deleted her too. Leah tells her so what if they deleted you, have a big party. Christina says she is confused because she didn’t do anything to Nora. Leah then tells her about an incident where Nora was very disrespectful to her. It happened at a gathering with family and Leah put her arm around her, in a friendly way, when Nora turn to her and said, in a nasty tone, “take your arm off me.” Leah says she would have beaten her within an inch of her life right there, if there weren’t other people present. Leah tells Christina that Pia is not a friend.

Renee and Giana meet and Renee apologizes for the argument they had over Giana visiting her father in jail. Renee has been under a lot of stress because her ex-husband is suing for custody of their 10 year old daughter, Isabella. He wants Isabella to live with him. Renee can’t bear the thought of that happening. Giana says he is just trying to make her life hell. Renee hopes the justice system protects Isabella from her father. Giana says there is no way any judge will rule in his favor. Giana comforts her mother and tells her to be strong.

It's all a facebook "glitch," says Nora. But is it?

Christina meets Nora to discuss being deleted from facebook. She wants to know what the problem is between them. Nora doesn’t know why Christina wants to talk to her, but when Christina tells her about the facebook issue, Nora says it must be a glitch, she hasn’t even been on facebook. Christina is skeptical and says, “since when does facebook have a glitch?” Nora says she has more important things to worry about than facebook. Nora has an issue with Christina. She tells her she is sick of hearing people call her father a “hit man.” Christina did it at the restaurant. Christina says she was just repeating what she heard other people saying. They discuss the fight. Christina says she was just defending herself. Nora says it was more that that, she had Pia in a headlock. Nora tells Christina that she is not a friend of hers, she is just an acquaintance. Christina is offended by her remark.

Pia goes to Nora’s apartment. They have made plans to go to the funeral home to get some answers. Nora wants to know where her father is buried. She hasn’t spoken to her family since his burial. She is now looking for a paper trail, who signed and authorized his burial. She is feeling anxious and wants the truth. Nora then tells Pia she talked to Christina and that she will not apologize to Pia because she feels justified in defending herself. Pia is now pissed because Christina went to Nora to talk about the fight before coming to see her.

Leah goes to Christina’s house. Christina tells Leah about meeting Nora to discuss the facebook issue. Nora denies deleting her. Leah says Nora is nuts and likes to cause trouble. Christina says she will meets up with Pia and ask her why she went after her at the restaurant. Christina says if she goes after her again she will defend herself.

Nora moved to Chicago for answers and she goes to the funeral home to get some. She introduces herself and is handed a large, manila envelope. Someone in the family called the funeral home and told them to just bury her father and they couldn’t be bothered to be at the burial. Nora looks at the paperwork and her sister’s signature is there. Nora is furious and feels betrayed by her sister.

Renee is getting ready for her court date for the custody battle for Isabella. She is scared. She calls Nora for support. Nora says everything will be fine. Renee says she has to fight for her baby.

Christina and Pia resolve nothing! 

Christina says she will make the first move to meet Pia. Pia says she is meeting Christina just to stop her mouth from running. They meet. It’s awkward. Pia tells her she is upset because she met with Nora before coming to her. She feels stabbed in the back. Christina says that makes no sense. Christina tells her she was trying to encourage Pia to stand up for herself at the restaurant, she had her back and then, Christina says, all of a sudden she had to watch her own back. Nothing is settled. They can’t agree.

Nora is headed to Renee’s house to ask about the custody hearing. Renee tells her it’s not looking good, nothing is making sense. She thinks they will take her daughter away from her. She gets hysterical crying. Renee screams it’s about money and power. Nora wants to get her a good lawyer to help her fight. Nora promises to always be there for her.

MY TWO CENTS

Still trying to get used to the Chicago accents, but I’ve had a chance to watch episode one again and now, episode two. Something does not sit well with me about this “fight” and I feel my old skepticism about “scripting” rearing it’s head again. The facts are that Nora insulted Pia at least three separate times in episode one. The first time is when Pia comes to visit her with a gift to welcome her back to Chicago and Nora is very judgmental about her “pole dancing.” The next time Pia hears from her cousin, who isn’t likely to lie to her, that Nora referred to her as a “whore.” The third (and fourth) time was at the restaurant when she sees the silver shoes and Nora says something like how could she wear those and look like a “whore” like Pia. When Pia confronts her about what her cousin told her, Nora denies it and says let’s forget about it. Then Nora adds that she always tells the truth when she drinks! BUT, instead of the fight being between Pia and Nora, as I would expect, the fight ends up being between Pia and her good friend, Christina, who was there to support and defend her against Nora’s insults. On top of that, Renee, Nora’s other good friend, also insults Pia, unprovoked, by saying “a rat is a rat is a rat” for no reason. I think that is why Christina, who went to the dinner angry at Nora, ends up saying, “I keep hearing from people that your father was a hit man.” She wanted to get her own dig in there, at Nora, for Pia. Why Pia suddenly dropped her issue with Nora and decided Christina was the “bad guy” I don’t know. Maybe Nora didn’t want to get into a physical altercation so the producers turned it around to have the fight between Pia and Christina instead? Pia and Christina can always make up, they have a history. So let’s create some early drama and then patch things up later when we get some new drama. I just can’t buy this fight no matter how you package it. I’ll just blame it on the alcohol for now. They made sure we saw them all take several “shots” when they first got there.

The good news is that no one is really happy the fight took place. The rest of the episode consists of several meetings between pairs of women to discuss the fiasco. Nora blames Christina and alcohol. But Renee seems to think Pia is to blame for bringing Christina into her issues with Nora and for getting up at the table and making Christina feel threatened. No one blames Nora for insulting Pia.

When Pia gets invited to Renee’s house to talk to her and Nora, she goes right over. There is a huge “What The Hell” moment, as Renee immediately insults her as she walks into her house! She tells Pia she doesn’t want any trouble. Who invites someone for coffee and then “ambushes” them? Pia and I were both stunned by that greeting. Renee wants Pia to apologize to Christina. Nora wants her to cut her ties with Christina. Pia can’t believe what she is hearing and neither can I. This time they can’t blame the alcohol!

Leah is a good friend of Christina’s and is always there to advise and listen. Leah is a firecracker. She has a strong personality and is very passionate. She also has some bad blood with Nora and I wonder what will happen if those two are ever in the same room. Nora has a habit of blurting out insults and Leah is more than ready to take her on.

Now I have to get into the whole Facebook issue before I die laughing. Christina is upset because Nora and Pia deleted her from facebook. I don’t know how Leah listened to that with a straight face, but I busted out laughing. I know plenty about facebook and unfriending people and it’s not that earth shattering. How are we going to take these women seriously if they get upset about facebook? Anyway, Christina seems to think it’s okay for Pia to unfriend her because they had a fight, but she had no issue with Nora, or so she thinks. She forgets that she called her father a “hit man” and Nora is sensitive to that, but whatever. Nora tells her maybe it’s a glitch because she hasn’t even been on facebook. Christina doesn’t believe in facebook glitches. That tells me that Christina doesn’t use her facebook much either. Facebook is famous for glitches. However, the timing of Nora’s “unfriending” is suspicious. I agree with Leah, that Christina should throw herself a party. She doesn’t even like Nora, so what if she deleted her from facebook, she did her a huge favor. Later, Christina decides to meet with Pia to try to resolve their differences, but because things got physical, neither one of the ladies are ready to makeup.

The other two storylines need to develop  more. Nora’s quest for answers about her father’s body and burial seems to get resolved at some point because we now know she was able to get a court order to exhume his body. We will just watch as this all plays out over the season. She should finally get her closure.

The other storyline is Renee’s custody battle for her younger daughter, Isabella, age 10. I am finding it hard to swallow than a court would consider granting full or partial custody to an ex-felon who spent time in prison for God knows what. I think her ex-husband would be lucky to get supervised visitation, if that. On top of that, we are supposed to believe that a judge would allow the child to be removed from a stable and loving mother and home and placed with a father who has a criminal past? Is it me or does this seem a little too outrageous? The father has no job, but he does have money. Doesn’t that make him a bit of a flight risk? He could take his daughter anywhere if given custody. We don’t exactly know all the facts about the case, but based on what Renee has said, it seems very unlikely that she has anything to worry about.

I am getting a better understanding of who is friends with who, but the loyalty, trust and respect between friends is on some shaky ground. The solid friendship I see so far is Leah and Christina. Pia and Nora are supposed to be long time friends, but Nora says too many things that a friend wouldn’t say. Renee and Nora are supposed to be good friends, but we saw a preview where Nora says to her “I hope you lose your daughter!” Ouch! Pia and Christina…even after the physical altercation, I think they will patch things up. Why? Because I am not buying the fight and I think it was for our (the viewers) benefit.

What do you think? Have anything to add? I’d love to know!

Mob Wives: Renee's Father's Day

TMZ is reporting that last week Renee and her son, AJ, went to visit her father in prison after not seeing each other for seven months. Renee and AJ are very close to Mr. Graziano and I'm sure the "Father's Day" visit made him very happy. 

Also on Twitter, Jennifer Graziano tweets pictures of Renee at Coney Island today, looking like she is having a wonderful time. This family outing seems to be doing Renee a lot of good. It's nice to see her enjoying herself and it seems she has had a quick recuperation from her recent surgery performed by Dr. Fiorillo. 

Renee on a ride!

Renee, Jenn and Family

Is Renee taking a boxing lesson? 

Maybe season three is beginning to heat up?

Renee tweets, "This is the best day ever!" And, we are so happy to hear that!

Picture Credit: Twitter

Mob Wives: AJ & Sydney's Prom Night

They make a beautiful couple!

It's no secret that AJ has been a favorite cast member of mine since I first saw him on Mob Wives. I've even written a couple of blogs on him and have had the opportunity to meet him this year at Karen's Book Release Party. It's been a hard year for AJ and he has experienced a few blows, but tonight he is going to his Senior Prom with his long time girlfriend, Sydney. They will be out making happy memories. Renee has been kind enough to share pictures of her handsome son and his date with fans through Twitter.  But not everyone who reads our blog uses Twitter, so I have taken the pictures and posted them here for everyone to see. 

Sydney "pretty in pink," and always!

I hope tonight is just the beginning of many new and exciting experiences and memories for AJ. In a few days he will be graduating high school and he has endless possibilities ahead of him in life. We all know how proud Renee is of her son and what a wonderful job she did raising him. So before he runs off for a night he will never forget, he stops to take a picture with his mom and don't they look great?

Beautiful Renee and Handsome son, AJ

Picture credit: Renee Graziano's Twitter