I Married A Mobster: Recap Angela Calvacante “No Way Out”

“No Way Out” is the story of Angela Calvacante who was born into a world of violence in 1963. Her family lived in Howard Beach, Queens, in NYC and the neighborhood was heavily populated by mobsters. She came from a working class family and her father was very controlling, yet she was never told to stay away from anyone. John Gotti, boss of the Gambino crime family, was a celebrity in the neighborhood and mobsters were role models they looked up to. Growing up with these people taught Angela to be tough. Her brother Joey joined the Gambinos and did time in prison. Her sister dated John Gotti Jr.

Angela hung out with bad boys, but decides to move to Maspeth, Queens to get away from the mob influences. She was looking for a better life, but even in Maspeth she was attracted to bad boys, like Sal Bonina, the son of Nick Bonina. Sal drove a Cadillac, he was flashy, reckless and he carried a gun. Her head tells her to run, but her heart makes her stay. She just couldn’t say no to him. She meets Sal’s father, Nick, at a mafia restaurant. She says the waiter was petrified as he served the table, as though if he made a mistake he would be shot on the spot. Nick Bonina was an important member of the Lucchese crime family.

Nick is a powerful guy and Angela soon learns that Maspeth is no better than Howard Beach. Nick pressures Sal to join the family business. Angela decided to back away and not date him any more. But Sal isn’t going along with that. He stalks her, he asks everyone at the body shop where she is, and when they say they don’t know, he shoots up the place. Everyone blames Angela because her boyfriend did all this damage. Against her better judgment, Angela goes out with Sal again.

There was an attraction for Angela, but it came with a price tag. No one would talk to her any more or protect her, they were afraid of Sal. One year later she was pregnant and Sal wants to get married. He gives her a taste of the good life, he buys her a nice car. She thought it was great. She doesn’t ask where he gets his money. He is supposed to be working, but he never leaves the house to go to a job. Sal has a bad temper. He starts drinking. One day he beats her and nearly severs her toe. At the hospital they sew her up without anesthesia because she was four months pregnant.

Angela doesn’t want this life, she doesn’t want to marry Sal. Her mother begs her to marry him. She tells Angela that she has no education and no money, how else will she be able to raise her child. She tells her Sal loves her and he is sorry, marry him. So under all the pressure, Angela marries Sal. A huge wedding was planned by Sal’s family, Angela had no say in it at all. They took over.

The wedding was held in 1982, and according to Italian tradition, everyone brings an envelope for the couple. Angela says she felt like a princess. She opens one of the envelopes and inside was $10,000! She thought she was rich. But her father in-law came along and took all the envelopes from her. He told her that money belonged to him.

Angela grew up with the Gambinos, but married into the Lucchese crime family. It was like she defected. The Gambinos would have nothing to do with her now. She had a baby boy, she had to stay with the other mob wives, there was no life outside the crime family.

Angela was trapped in an abusive marriage with no way out. Three months into the marriage, Sal had to step up in the crime family. He wasn’t really cut out for it. One night Angela gets out of bed to find Sal in the kitchen snorting cocaine. She tells him he doesn’t need that stuff. He puts a gun to her head and tells her to go back upstairs. Angela says she came close to death many times. She couldn’t take it and she couldn’t leave because she knew too much. No one would help her or take her in. She accepts the reality of the situation and thinks she just may have to die in this life, she has no choice.

In 1984 she gets a call from the FBI telling her to get out. They were coming down on the family for drugs. The family, specifically Nick, tests Sal’s loyalty. They tell him to take the wrap for Nick. Sal chickens out and Nick goes to jail.

In 1985 Angela files for divorce. She escapes the marriage but it forced to fend for herself and her son. She works and gets welfare, but it’s a struggle. She asks her in-laws for help for their grandson, but they blow him off even though he is the only grandchild carrying the family name. Sal becomes a drunk, a bum on the street. In 1987 he ends up dying in his sleep from a brain aneurism.

Angela’s wish is that she could forget everything that ever happen to her in that life. She feels that would be the only way for her to have a normal life now, but she can’t.

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I Married A Mobster: Recap “Meet The Famas”



Barbara receiving earrings a.k.a. Hush Gifts

Last night’s 4^th episode of I Married A Mobster told the story of Barbara Fama, wife of Joseph Fama and their daughter, Toni.

The story begins in 1950 in Little Italy, New York City which they describe as a magnet for mobsters. She met Joe Fama when she was 11 years old. He lived across the street. When Barbara was about 15 or 16 years old, Joe asked her out. In 1959 they were married.

Joe was a stand up guy, he worked in construction. Joe and Barbara have 5 children and money gets very tight. Joe takes on extra jobs to make more money. He drives a taxi. He also starts to sell illegal cigarettes, that he transported across state lines, from the south. Toni said it was almost as if he was doing the neighborhood a favor, saving them money on cigarettes.

Joe goes from selling cigarettes to gambling and dives into the mob. His gambling changes his family’s destiny. Joe is addicted to gambling. When he rolls the dice, the neighborhood joins in. Barbara says she would wait outside clubs until 4 or 5 in the morning for Joe to come out. He told her when he was gambling he couldn’t think of anything else.

Joe decides to open a gambling parlor and becomes a protected associate of the Gambinos. He prospers. But, everything changes one night in 1982. He gets a call in the middle of the night. A high stakesplayer is about to break the bank. It’s an emergency. They lost one million dollars. Joe now owes the mob big money and they make him an offer he can’t refuse, a deal with the devil. Joe is desperate and agrees to take a huge risk. He goes into the drug business to pay off his debt to the mob.

Joe is still a compulsive gambler. Although he is not a made guy, he distributes heroine and becomes a huge earner for the mob. He pays off his debt in a year, but likes the income. For every load of heroine moved he gets hundreds of thousands of dollars. He decides to keep working for the mob and the family is living it up on all the money coming in. When Barbara tells him she is afraid, he would throw 5 to 10 thousand dollars at her, and tell her to go shopping.

Joe outgrows the gambling in Little Italy and moves on to Atlantic City. He gambles so much in AC and the more drugs he sells the more he gambles. One day Barbara wants to have a party in their hotel room and talks to the casino owner. He tells her he will take care of it. He arranges for them to have a huge room and they have 150 guests. That’s when Barbara realized how important Joe is to the casino.

Barbara worries that Joe’s luck will run out. The casino tells her not to let him gamble this much and to hide the money. She decided to spend it on decorating her house. Meanwhile, under her nose, her daughter, Toni, starts using cocaine and she is selling it to support her habit. Toni claims she never knew where Joe’s money was coming from, but Joe kept all the drugs and money in his house locked in a trunk. He put the whole family at risk. He didn’t know you weren’t supposed to keep the drugs and money together and never in your own house. He never learned the basics of drug trafficking 101.

Barbara’s long time feeling of impending doom finally comes to a head. Joe had worked for the mob for 17 years. Her 24 year old daughter is selling cocaine. Barbara tells Joe she doesn’t want the drugs in their house any more. Joe was about to relocate them to another place, but it’s too late. The DEA has been targeting Toni for selling cocaine.

Sixteen agents from the DEA break into their home, knocking doors down, looking for Toni. They put guns to the heads of Barbara and Toni in their own house. Joe is not home at the time. The Feds were there for Toni, but as the search the home they find Joe’s stash. Fourteen pounds of heroine and 3 to 4 million in cash. The FBI agents are screaming and whooping it up. They struck gold! Barbara and Toni are handcuffed and taken away. They are arrested and put in a cell together. It gets worse. Joe is arrested, the whole family is arrested. The Feds really wanted Joe’s connections in the mob and wanted to make a deal using Barbara and Toni. Joe protects his mob connections so the Feds throw the book at Barbara and Toni.

Toni is convicted of dealing drugs and gets 8 years prison. Barbara is convicted of several crimes including distribution of narcotics, acting as an accomplice to her husband, and conspiracy for keeping drugs and money in the house. She gets 34 years…more time than Joe!

Toni says Joe aged overnight. His wife and daughter were in jail. However, Barbara and Toni were both sent to the same prison in West Virginia, which made the time more tolerable. They were two cells away from each other and Barbara says she could hear Toni breathing at night and that was a comfort to her.

In 1989 Toni is released from prison after serving 5 ½ years. She is happy to get out, but afraid to leave her mother behind. She goes to visit her father in prison and sees the worry on his face. In 1992 Joe dies from a heart attack in prison at the age of 57, after serving 8 years. Barbara never saw him, she was released one month after his death. All in all the family served 20 years collectively for their crimes.

All good things come to an end. It makes me wonder what their lives would have been like had they taken care of Joe’s gambling problem and lived a modest lifestyle instead of getting involved with the mob.

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Picture Credit: ID

I Married A Mobster: Premieres Wednesday Night!

Just a reminder that Wednesday, July 13^th at 10:30 PM, Investigation Discovery’s new show, I Married A mobster will air it’s premiere episode. The first episode is the story of Cheryl Caruso and her husband Phil “Philly” Caruso.  Cheryl says she never knew her husband was in the mob and found out when she walked into the court room the last day of trial and heard he was being sentenced to prison.

This new series it not reality television, but it does explore the lives of real women involved with men in the mob. The women chosen for this show come from an era when divulging mob secrets literally meant a death sentence. They are now telling their stories and breaking the mafia’s code of silence, with details about the illegal mob activities of their husbands and themselves.

Each episode will include interviews with the women, as well as dramatic re-enactments and photos. The stories of the individual families featured will be told from the perspective of the wives of mobsters. They will talk about what their lives were like before and after the FBI turned their worlds upside down. Lorraine Bracco will narrate the series which delve into various mob related crimes, including murder.

Some of the women had no idea that their husbands were in the mob. Others knew, but didn’t care, because they were enjoying the lavish lifestyle the money afforded them. And then there were those who not only knew, but also participated in the crimes themselves. They eventually all suffer as law enforcement eventually incarcerates their men and even some of the women themselves.

We will be watching each week and blogging about the women’s stories and, our opinions will be generously sprinkled in, for your reading pleasure. It sounds like an interesting concept.

Picture Credit: Investigation Discovery

All written content is exclusive property of The Mob Wives Blogspot and is protected by copyrights or other intellectual property rights. You are prohibited from using, copying, altering, modifying, or changing our work. Unauthorized use of this is strictly prohibited. Violators are punishable under federal law. In simple English, stop f*cking jacking our work.

I Married A Mobster: Love Majewski’s “Veritas Cosmetics”

Looks like Drita D'Avanzo isn’t the only Mob Wife interested in pursuing a career in cosmetics. Investigation Discovery’s Love Majewski, from their new show, “I Married A Mobster,” has already gone that route. Her line is called. “Veritas Cosmetics,” and her website is quite impressive at first glance.  Here is a little glimpse at her resume:

According to her bio on the website, Love is a licensed cosmetologist and celebrity makeup artist. She began her journey at the age of 17 when she went to work for Estee Lauder in NYC. She took her experience from there to Chanel Couture, where she first started doing celebrity makeovers. Her success and reputation in the cosmetic world lead her to a position at Saks 5^th Avenue.  Her notable celebrity clientele list includes: Elaine Stritch from 30 Rock, the late Natasha Richardson, Winona Ryder, Jennifer Love Hewlett, Finola Hughes, ,Foxy Brown, Donna Summer, Lenny Kravitz, Eddie Cibrian, Glenn Close & the late George Carlin.

Love was eventually offered a position by Kanebo to sell the most expensive line of skincare products in the world. Love reluctantly left her position at Saks to pursue this amazing opportunity. Her work in cosmetics has taken her to many countries around the world.

You can read about many more details of her life and career, check out their products and see pictures of their cosemtics work in the media at: Veritas Cosmetics

Veritas also has a blog site where they offer many makeup tips and techniques, what changes to make in your makeup for summer, and tips for busy moms who don't have much time to apply makeup.

Veritas Blog

Picture Credit: Investigation ID, Veritas Cosmetics, Love Majewski

All written content is exclusive property of The Mob Wives Blogspot and is protected by copyrights or other intellectual property rights. You are prohibited from using, copying, altering, modifying, or changing our work. Unauthorized use of this is strictly prohibited. Violators are punishable under federal law. In simple English, stop f*cking jacking our work.

I Married A Mobster: Andrea Giovino’s Story

Andrea Giovino’s story, “Working Mom,” is due to air on July 20^th at Investigation Discovery. She is one of the wives in their new show, “I Married A Mobster.” According to Andrea, she was an active part of the mob, participating in illegal activities. She was given a choice of either going to prison or becoming an informant, she chose the later. Her crimes consisted of loan sharking and money laundering. However, she was well known enough for John Gotti to comment, “She's got more balls than some of the guys that are around me."

The Feds had enough evidence on Andrea to build a strong case, one that might get her a 10 year prison sentence. She says a lot of what she learned, she learned as a child from her mother, who also did some work on the side for the mob. Her mother even encouraged her to marry a mobster. In their world, mobsters got all the respect and had all the power. So Andrea married a drug runner and had four children. But her life was far from peaches and cream. There was always talk of violence and stories about people she knew getting killed.

She talks about her friendship with John Gotti and from what she knew of him, he was a “gentleman.” She says in 1992 the Feds had her phone tapped and got evidence on her for participating in drug distribution, marijuana and cocaine in Brooklyn and Staten Island, along with her husband and brother. Though she feels she could have dealt with being in prison, she turned informant because she had her children to raise. This required that the government move her and her children to an undisclosed location because she had started receiving threats against her life and she refused to enter the witness protection program.

Her objective in telling her story is to inform the public of all the pain, suffering and heartache this lifestyle brings to a family. Sure she misses the material things that the lifestyle was able to provide, but she has come clean about her past and now her priorities are very different. She currently lives in Bucks County, Pa and has written a book called, “Divorced From The Mob.” 

To read many more details of Andrea’s story, click on the following link, it’s a very good read. The Two Mobs by David Kohn @ cbs news . 

Check out Andrea's website; where she's written an honest, heartfelt letter about her life.


Picture Credit: ID, Andrea Giovino website
Video Credit: Better, The Secret Lives of Women

All written content is exclusive property of The Mob Wives Blogspot and is protected by copyrights or other intellectual property rights. You are prohibited from using, copying, altering, modifying, or changing our work. Unauthorized use of this is strictly prohibited. Violators are punishable under federal law. In simple English, stop f*cking jacking our work.

I Married A Mobster: Episode 1 Sneak Peak- Cheryl Caruso

Cheryl Caruso sharing her story on the Mobfessional couch.

Discovery ID has saw fit to throw out a little bait.  We at The Mob Wives Blogspot are always willing to nibble on anything mob related.  As we've written before I Married A Mobster premieres next Wednesday, July 13.

The first mob wife up to bat is Cheryl Caruso.  She's a blond beauty today.  So I imagine she was a beauty yesteryear.  She appears until this very day well maintained.  We'll have to watch to find out if she's self-maintained or is Philly still chipping in for the lashes and manicures.  Within seconds, we learned Phil "Philly" Caruso is arrested on drug related charges & cloning of sell phones.  Cheryl shares she didn't know what was going on.  All she knows is her husband is wearing orange & she has two girls to take care of.  I don't mean to be mean.  But am I suppose to be a babbo?  When will a mob wife or side dish just step up to the plate and say, "I knew."  I get dating someone for several months and not knowing.  I do not understand marrying, living with, wearing furs, and making babies not knowing.  Before someone says, "You don't understand Mob Mistress."  Trust I very much understand.  Whether or not I fall for the, "I didn't know", I will be tuning in every Wednesday faithfully to watch various women reveal their stories of mob love & heartbreak.  Here's the video:



What was your take on Cheryl's claim to not knowing?  Did she know?  Or did she know without the details of her husband's printing business?  Excuse my language, I am a retired sailor.  Why have I seen the ugliest f*#$ing couch on Mob Wives and now I Married A Mobster insulted my eyes with a burgundy version?

Video credit: Discovery ID

All written content is exclusive property of The Mob Wives Blogspot and is protected by copyrights or other intellectual property rights. You are prohibited from using, copying, altering, modifying, or changing our work. Unauthorized use of this is strictly prohibited. Violators are punishable under federal law. In simple English, stop f*cking jacking our work.

I Married A Mobster: Wednesdays We Have A Show To Watch

Teresa Guiduice of 'The Real Housewives of New Jersey' photo'd with Love Majewski of 'I Married A Mobster'

As many as our readers know the catalyst for the Mob Wives Blogspot was VH1's hit series Mob Wives.  We will always blog about Mob Wives & it's cast.  Yet, we will blog about other shows, movies and books.  Chiara clued me into Discovery ID's upcoming show, "I Married A Mobster."  Honestly the show couldn't be premiering @ a more perfect time. 

Yesterday we received an anonymous courtesy comment correcting & complimenting one of our posts.  We thank you Anonymous!  We are glad you like our blog and what we do.  We are the blog built by Chiara's fingertips, Underboss' testerone, Isabella's interesting perspective & my 'I.D.G.A.F.' attitude.  It takes all kinds around here.  It is what it is.  You like it or you don't.  Bottom line, many come back to read us.

The anonymous commenter shared with us interesting tidbits in a comment:

Linda Schiro of 'IMAM' with longtime flame Mobster Gregory Scarpa Sr.

1. The show was done in secrecy.  It was conceived & reconceived several times.  The original name was "Mob Wives".  JustJenn Productions beat them to the punch.  Let us pray Drita D'avanzo of "Mob Wives" isn't reading this blog entry.  You know one word or the slightest move can send her into a violet rage.  Punch may be a trigger word for her.

2. They enjoy reading our blogs.  They consider us an accurate source as far as Mob Wives goes.  We try so very hard.

3. I Married A Mobster (IMAM) is not a reality series per se.  It is more like a mini movie which combines interviews (with the women, friends & family), arrest records, newspaper articles, court documents, books, movies and magazines.

Now you know we love some inside information.  So here it goes:

The episodes contain 4 re-enactments from each of the ladies' lives.  Lorraine Bracco of 'Goodfellas' & 'The Sopranos' fame narrates, interviews and an Executive Producer.  The women of I Married A Mobster are far from happy.  Most share that their lives are and were nothing like what one sees, in the movies & on television.  From my personal experience I agree.  I shared my story once on here during a chat box night, never again. 

We at The Mob Wives Blogspot are definitely more than ready to blog about "I Married A Mobster."  We are excited to get our fingers typing away about the new Discovery ID series.  The Mob Wives Reunion airs Sunday, July 10.  I Married A Mobster premieres Wednesday, July 13.  The blog Gods are smiling at us.  Considering it's airs on Wednesday nights it's not like we are cheating on Mob Wives.  Look for upcoming blogs on the men who loved, abused and even sometimes abandoned the women of I Married A Mobster.  I am thankful years ago I had the sense to walk away.