Jennifer Graziano's Girl Power Award!

It's all the talk this morning on Twitter! Last night Jennifer Graziano, Creator and Executive Producer of Mob Wives, Mob Wives Chicago and Big Ang, recieved the Girl Power Award at the Green House in Manhattan. The Awards were sponsored by Cherry Martinez and CherryOnTop.com to honor Jennifer for all her accomplishments. Many of our favorite Mob Wives were present to honor and celebrate with Jennifer. Here is just a glimpse!

Ramona, Karen and Renee watch as Jennifer receives her award,

The crowd!

Renee & Jenn sharing a moment.

Cherry, Charlamagne and Renee

Of course everyone at the blog sincerely and warmly congratulates Jennifer Graziano for the well deserved recognition for all she has achieved in a very short time. It's nothing short of remarkable! Please feel free to post your comments to Jennifer below as she often reads the blog!

Picture credit: Cast Twitter Accounts

Mob Wives: Renee’s Exclusive Interview w/Cherry

We saw the exclusive interview Renee had with Cherry Martinez on her radio show, Lock Down Love, on last week’s episode of Mob Wives. The show is about people who have loved ones who are incarcerated. Now the entire interview has been released for fans to listen to again. Renee talks about her father and her ex-husband Junior.

It’s obvious that Cherry and Renee are good friends and that’s why she feels comfortable talking with her over these sensitive issues. Renee feels that by talking about these issues it will help her let go of what has been holding her back for so long.

Renee explains she met Junior right after he was released from prison. Renee had issues dating at the time because guys would not want to go out with her because of who her dad was, Anthony “T.G.” Graziano. Her dad always told her if they have good intentions they will come back. Junior kept coming back, so she thought he was the right one. He was a strong, handsome man that she saw as a prince, but he ended up being the prince of darkness. It’s difficult for them to get into the story about Junior becoming a “snitch,” because it’s so sensitive. Renee says she is coping the best that she can. She loved Junior more than anyone will ever know. She says she has stopped loving him and has no respect for him. He got many people in trouble, he put her own father in jail. Renee feels if you get caught doing what you do in the street then you take your punishment like a man even if it means dying in prison, with respect. Renee says he is the worst kind of snitch. He put a wire on his watch and went into her father’s house and taped conversations. She says he is no father and he is no man to her and she would spit on him if she could. Renee’s advice to other women who know their man is a snitch is to walk away and move on. Renee says she has a ways to go, but she and AJ are strong and they can handle it.

UPDATE: This morning on Twitter Renee tweets that she is in the hospital having her heart checked. It seems to me that the anxiety she is suffering over AJ’s arrest, on top of everything else she has been through,  is starting to affect her health. We recently posted a blog on AJ’s innocence, however the news media has been sensationalizing the facts and making it sound like AJ had bad intentions when he was just trying to be a good Samaritan. We wish Renee a speedy recovery and hope this issues are resolved soon so she can have peace of mind where her son is concerned.

Mob Wives: Karen's Interview With Cherry!

Cherry Martinez interviewed Karen Gravano this week at Power 105.1. They begin by talking about Mob Daughter, Karen’s new book, being released on February 14th (Valentine’s Day gift, hint, hint). 

Karen says she is very proud of this book, it is her foundation. In it she talks about her life from the time she was born up until the present. It’s her story and it tells about experiences she went through in her life because of who her father was and the lifestyle he chose. The book explains more about who Karen is and why she decided to be on Mob Wives. Karen says it’s a really good book and it’s about family and the culture they grew up in. 

Cherry wants to talk about the time Karen went about to have her beautiful baby. (With a shout out to gorgeous Karina!) Cherry is going to verify Karina’s bloodline and then give Karen a certified “hood pass.” Cherry asks, she is definitely mixed, right? Karen says, yes. Cherry says she has heard Karen on the phone with Karina’s dad, Dave, and asks if they are in a relationship? Karen says she feels they will always have a relationship because they share a child together. Karen says, “are we a couple?” it’s complicated. They have been through  a lot of things throughout their relationship, which has been for 14 years now, but he spent 10.5 years in prison. Karen adds, she will always have a love and respect for her daughter’s father and he will always be a part of her life. Cherry says that Dave wants her home. Karen says he did, but we will see that play out on the show. And Karen reveals that Dave might be doing a special guest appearance at some point (which means yes, he will be on the show!) Cherry is excited about that! Karen says he is light skinned and fine! And she says she doesn’t discriminate when it comes to men as long as they are real. She says Dave if from New York and she met him at the China Club, in 1997, right after New Year’s. Karen says they were both there with friends and she introduced herself to him as “Gina,” which was her aka name at the time, because she was a “weed dealer” and she writes about this in her book. She gave him the first bag complimentary, but he called the next day. She thought he was calling for more, but he was calling for her and they have been together ever since. And Cherry makes a big point of saying he moved to Arizona to be with Karen, which is a huge deal for a black man. 

Then they watch a little Mob Wives. Cherry wants to know how Karen feels watching the episode? And then Cherry asks, is there any way that Karen and Drita can ever come together and have a sit down and iron this thing out? Karen answers, we can have a sit down and she thinks they should have a sit down because she thinks that she and Drita are unclear about certain things and to Karen it’s all about the meaning of friendship. Karen says that when she returned to Staten Island, she got in contact with Drita because she believed they had a relationship that Drita is saying they didn’t have. Karen felt they could reconnect. Karen never felt that they were no longer friends. She felt betrayed, but not that the friendship was over. And what Karen wants from Drita is for her to explain to her how it is she felt that she and Karen were no longer friends. In Karen’s mind, when you are friends with someone, you are friends with someone until you have a falling out.  And Karen says, neither she nor Drita had any kind of argument, all that happened was that Karen moved away. Karen says she has been living in NY almost a year and she has friends in Arizona that she hasn’t talked to so does that mean they all aren’t her friends? She says when Ramona went away they didn’t talk for a couple of years. Karen and Jennifer found out she was stuck in a foreign country and they reached out to her to try to get her back. And they are as close as ever. Not talking during a separation didn’t change the fact that they were friends. And here the interview ends!

Be sure to get your copy of Mob Daughter on February 14th, for yourself or for a loved one who loves Mob Wives or the Mob! It’s hard to imagine growing up in that lifestyle and Karen is letting the world know exactly what was involved.

Picture and Video Credit: Power 105.1, Cherry On Top

Mob Wives: Ramona's Q&A With Cherry!

Ramona doesn't hold anything back

I have to say I was very impressed by Ramona's interview with Cherry. There is no pretense at all. Ramona is very open and up front about anything asked of her. I can't do the interview justice because Ramona has a way of using words that is all her own. You have to watch all 8 minutes and see for yourself. Here is the meat of it:

Cherry welcomes Ramona and calls her “the real deal” meaning her grandfather is “Lefty Guns” Ruggiero, and the story of Donnie Brasco was about him. Cherry asks her if she feels like “royalty?” Ramona says that she and Karen never grew up that way, they never threatened people saying they were going to call their uncle or so and so. They never dropped names, they always handled their own business. They never used the “name card” to get into places, they didn’t want anyone to know they were getting into places because they weren’t allowed to be there. To Ramona, her grandfather was just her grandfather.

Ramona talks about going to see Karen after getting arrested. She says her voice was cracking a little bit because her emotions were real and it had just happened. The worst part about being in jail for her was that she was freezing, and because of that her voice was hoarse. All she could think about were her children. She knew she didn’t do anything and the truth would come out, but she was cold, tired and thinking about her kids. Ramona says she has been released and her part has been resolved, but her boyfriend is incarcerated. 

Ramona was there when they filmed the “sizzle reel” before season one because Jennifer Graziano is her lifelong friend. Jennifer asked her to be on the show, but Ramona had personal reasons why she couldn’t do it at that time. But, even though she wasn’t in the show, she says she was always there when Jennifer had parties and all the mob wives were invited. She adds, “So to sit here and watch Carla say, lies always come back to bite you in the ass anyway, that girl Ramona; that girl Ramona was always at places where you were.” She says she doesn’t know Carla for many years, she is from Brooklyn and Ramona isn’t. So these are Ramona’s friends and Carla just came into the circle now. When she says “that girl Ramona” it could be just something she is saying for television. Ramona says she has known Renee for about 25 years, their families have been lifelong friends. She grew up with Karen. And she does know Drita, that part of the circle, they tried that it didn’t work. 

Cherry says it's been said that Ramona came on the show to back up Karen, when all along Ramona was supposed to be part of the original cast. Ramona says she and Karen have been always been friends, but people on Twitter who write “I hate you, I want to kill you” are just computer thugs who would never say that to her face, but they might ask for a picture if they met her. She doesn’t respect people who want to get all gangster on the computer and more than that she doesn’t respect people who take time out of their day to write something negative towards her.

Cherry goes back to ask how Ramona tried getting to know Drita in the past and why didn’t it work. Ramona says it was prior to the show. Drita hung out with her sister, Jennifer and Karen for many years. Her sister hung out with Drita in the clubs, they fought together. Drita was in her parents home, but she never hung out with her much. Drita was never her cup of tea, she isn’t into that type of girl. So when Ramona came back, Drita was married to Karen’s ex-boyfriend, Lee, who Ramona grew up with.  Drita was also very friendly with Jennifer at the time and they tried to go out a couple of times. But people who have jealousy and tell lies, they become the most dangerous things in life, and that's what Drita really has created. She has said so many things that are such lies and her ego on television has gotten so large that it is what it is. As far as fighting, I don’t need to be a man, but I will have to go that route if you are going to raise your hands to me. But she has created this persona on television and they only live five minutes from each other. Ramona says, let her come knock on my door and put me in the hospital. 

Cherry asks if she wants to clear up anything from the fight and how is her lip. Ramona says she didn’t get punched or she would have had a bruise. She got a cut on her upper lip so obviously something sliced her. But she never got knocked out and no ambulances ever came, so right their people’s credibility went right out the window. Ramona says she went out there to stop a fight because she knows Karen’s temperament and she knows Drita’s temperament. She could see it was getting heated. Ramona says, “A we are at a party, B I don’t want my friend to catch a case, and as much as I don’t really like Drita, she does have two children so let’s just stop the madness. Why do we all have to fight.” So she went over to them to diffuse the situation, neither of them needed to get more riled up. The interview wraps up. Watch it, you'll like it!

Picture and Video Credit: Cherry On Top, Power 105.1

Mob Wives: Renee Graziano Interview With Cherry Martinez

Part 6: The Priest Story!

This 6 part radio interview, on Cherryontopdotcom, with Renee took place on May 9 to May 11, and I found Renee to be playful, charming, engaging, funny, entertaining AND all with no cursing. The interviewer, Cherry, had known Renee before the show and they had a great rapport. It was relaxed and easy going and I really enjoyed it. There is maybe 40 to 45 minutes of viewing from the 6 parts, that you can watch at various times, that touch on different subjects in Renee’s life. Let’s get down to business!


Part 1: Renee brings Cherry a gift of earrings from “Rich Rocks,” a company that makes fake jewelry and Renee loves it. At this point we are only 3 episodes into the show. The subject of Jail Mail Inc comes up first. Renee explains that she has spent 25 years dealing with her loved ones being in jail. Her father has currently been in prison for 11.5 years and Junior is in and out, and due to go back. She plans to have Jail Mail Inc up and running by the end of the first season. Her website will send cards to inmates for you to loved ones, once you register. This is not about the money for Renee, in fact it’s very personal. She has written 8 to 10 thousand letters to inmates over the past 25 years. It’s all about supporting loved ones who look forward to their “mail call” and listen for their names. She knows first hand how important her own letters have been to her loved ones.

Part 2: AJ Pagan is the topic of this segment. When they went to Florida in April, AJ told Renee that she didn’t need sunglasses because she wouldn’t be recognized. No sooner they step off the elevator and take three steps they here “OMG, OMG! Are you AJ from Mob Wives?” The young girls recognize him and he is taken aback by it, but he is a very well grounded young man. He was never star struck as a child and Renee has always worked with famous people, but it has never affected him.

What was AJ’s reaction to Junior’s (Hector Pagan) Mob Bust. AJ seems very strong, but Renee always wants to know how he is feeling and keeps trying to get him to open up. AJ doesn’t react, he has to be strong, and he didn’t have a normal childhood. His father went away when he was four or five and he has known prison visits all his life. His father, Junior, has been in prison 6.5 years of his life. AJ credits Renee with teaching him how to be strong and she feels maybe she hasn’t given herself enough credit for being a good role model to him.

What are the misconceptions of prison life? Renee says that people should understand that everybody is a human being regardless of what they did. She doesn’t fault the government for doing their job and has no ill will towards prisoners, who were doing their jobs, maybe not the right jobs. But everyone is human, everyone has a heart. So stick together and support your loved ones.

Part 3: How did all the women meet? Renee credits her sister, Jenn Graziano, of JustJenn Productions, who is the Executive Producer and Creator of the show with it’s success and bringing together all the women. Renee has known Carla since she was 16 and met her when Carla was dating a friend of hers. Karen and Renee were friends since early childhood because of their fathers, but lost communication when Sammy turned informant and Renee was told never to speak to Karen again. Renee says she met Drita about 15 years ago. Karen and Drita are both long time best friends of Jenn and Renee is friends with Carla and that is how they all got together.

The Mob Bust was reported to be the largest in US History says Renee, and there ended up being 135 mobsters arrested. She describes Junior (Hector Pagan) as her ex-husband, her best friend, the person she likes fighting with the most, the one who protects her, the person she loved most. When the phone rang at 5am, she knew immediately what to do. She yells up to AJ to get dressed because they have to go to court. She refers to herself as pathetic because she continues to allow her ex-husband’s problems to become hers, but the reality is he is still her son’s father, and they are still there for each other. She claims she is not still in love with Junior, she loves him to death, but there is nothing romantic between them. But, they have never really severed all ties and moved on. Renee feels she needs to let go in order to have a healthy relationship with someone new.

Part 4: The popularity of the show! An estimated 2.2 people watched the show the first two weeks it aired. Why is that? Renee says the girl fight must be responsible and laughs. Cherry wants to know if it’s all “real.” Renee answers, the only thing fake about her is her nose. She gives 100%, there is no acting involved. So what does the future hold for Renee? Renee says she would love to “act.” because she has always been a drama queen. After the series ends she will go where God takes her. She is focused on Jail Mail Inc right now. She would also like to write a book. She is open to ideas. She is happy right now and the show is helping her find her identity.

How does her family feel about the show? Renee explains that her father, Anthony "T G" Graziano doesn’t speak to her now because of the show. After she made the decision to do the show he told her “you made your bed, sleep in it.” He told her he loves her and he would always love and protect her, but they could no longer talk to each other. He is not comfortable with her speaking so freely about her life. She respects that and her father. But, She says she needs to live her own life; her father lived his and he has her mother, they will be married 50 years, they’re good. This is about Renee, and not in a selfish way, Renee needs to know who she is. Her mother loves her.

What has she learned about herself from the show? Renee’s list is impressive, she learned: to stop whining, to depend on herself, not wait for a man to do things for her, she’s a better mother because she is giving AJ a better direction in life, she needs to diet because the cameras are abusing her by adding weight, she has learned to live and let live and not to take things so personally.

Part 5: How do the other women treat her? Renee replies that her sister, Jenn, treats them all the same, she does not get any kind of special treatment just because they are sisters. Jenn is a businesswoman and there is no playing around. In fact, she says that Jenn treats her much the same way AJ does, by telling her off when she needs it. The other women consider her to be emotional, overly sensitive and a drama queen. Renee says she didn’t choose to be a drama queen because she likes it---it’s due to the “life” and how she was raised. She said that Karen showing up at her door after the Mob Bust was “out of left field” and unexpected…just like when she showed up at Carla’s party.

How does Staten Island feel about Renee? What does she encounter at the supermarket, for example. She says she has been stopped everywhere she goes and so far, outside of two people, it’s been all positive. Renee doesn’t care if you love the show or hate it, as long as you watch it, she is good with it.

Does AJ have to deal with Renee “haters”? So far no, says Renee, but she prays it never happens because her son is off limits. She is not saying she is threatening, but he is an innocent child, he shouldn’t have to defend his mother. He lives his own life and if anyone decides to attack him in any way, they will be answering to her and his daddy too. There is no playing around when it comes to AJ.

Part 6:  Does AJ have groupies? If he does, he hasn’t told Renee, but there are a lot of young girls following him and he gets recognized everywhere. Renee says he is so, so humble and she goes to him with everything she can. He is in public school now, but he was in a private school. Here’s a little story Renee enjoyed telling and I enjoyed hearing…for me, best part of the interview! AJ went to Catholic school and he hadn’t made his Confirmation yet. So the priest called him “pagan” instead of Pagan. AJ corrected him, and said it’s “Pagan.” The priest says it’s “pagan” until you make your Confirmation. (Uh oh!) Well, Renee paid the priest a little visit. She knocks on his door and yells, “No, it’s GRAZIANO! Got that!?!   I’m not playing with my son.” She tells him not to call him “pagan” because AJ believes in God and that a foul thing to do. The priest said he hadn’t meant anything except that AJ hadn’t made Confirmation. She answered, not making Confirmation is one thing, but calling “pagan” in front of everybody at school? And then she removed him from the school (and converted me into her fan). She said nothing bothers AJ, but this bothered him. Renee tells the story better than I do, you must have a listen!

Her advice for women with men in the mob? She sings, “Stand By Your Man.” that’s her advice. If you love, him stick it out. If you have children who want their father in their life, stick it out. But if you don’t love the guy set him free and move on and set yourself free too.

There are a few more little tidbits here are there, in the interview. Renee does a great job and I am so glad I finally had the time to watch it. This week I am on “Team Renee!”

Picture and video credit: Cherryontopdotcom, 105.1 Radio Station
Link to parts 2 - 6  Part 2 of 6 Renee and Cherry  on youtube.com