- Mob Wives
-
Mob Wives 
Genre Reality Starring
Current
Renee Graziano
(season 1 - present)
Drita D’avanzo
(season 1 - present)
Karen Gravano
(season 1 - present)
Carla Facciolo
(season 1 - present)Country of origin United States Language(s) English No. of seasons 2 No. of episodes 11 Production Executive producer(s) Jennifer Graziano
Banks Tarver
Ken Druckerman
Nina DiazProducer(s) JustJenn Productions
The Weinstein Company
ElectusRunning time 42 minutes Broadcast Original channel VH1 Original run April 17, 2011 – present External links Official website Mob Wives is an American reality television series airing on VH1. It follows four Staten Island women after their husbands or fathers are arrested and imprisoned for crimes connected to the Mafia. They have been described as "rats and stoolies" since discussing private family business on TV violates the mafia code.[1] The idea for the show came from Jennifer "Jenn" Graziano, sister of Renee Graziano.
Season 2 is being filmed and will premiere January 1, 2012 with 12 new episodes following. It has been said some new faces have been added but no confirmation on who just yet. It is rumored season 2 is suppose to make season 1 look like a cinderella story.
Contents
Cast
Cast
- Renee Graziano is the daughter of Anthony Graziano, current consigliere of the Bonanno crime family, and ex-wife of Hector "Junior" Pagan, Jr., who has been charged with various crimes with the Mafia.[2][3][4] She describes herself as a "loud, foul-mouthed drama queen".[5] The New York Post reports that her father, Anthony Graziano, will no longer speak with her or her sister Jennifer (the creator of Mob Wives) as a result of their appearances on the show.[6] Her son "A.J." has stated that he does not want to go into "the life", and wants to go to university and become an engineer.
- Drita D'Avanzo works as a freelance make-up artist and is of Albanian ancestry.[7] She is married to Lee D'Avanzo, who has been in and out of prison for such crimes as drug dealing and numerous bank robberies[8] and dated Karen Gravano before marrying Drita.[9]
- Carla Facciolo husband is Joseph Ferragamo, who is also incarcerated at the time of the airing of the series in 2011. Carla and Joseph have two children together. According to the show, Carla wants a divorce from Joseph as soon as he gets out of prison. According to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons website, Ferragamo's expected release date is 24 September 2011.[10]
- Karen Gravano is the daughter of Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, a former underboss of the Gambino crime family, and federal informant.[11][12] She is also the ex-girlfriend of Drita D'Avanzo's husband, Lee. While in the United States Federal Witness Protection Program, she was implicated in a drug ring and served three years of probation.[13] She states, on the show, that she has returned to Staten Island to write an autobiographical memoir, ultimately titled In the Shadow of the Bull. Discussions about the book and its first chapter, which Gravano shares with castmates D'Avanzo and Graziano, caused controversy within the show and outside it as well.[14][15]
Reception
Praise
- Entertainment Weekly's television critic Ken Tucker praised the show in his review, stating, "As someone who’s watched at least a few episodes of every version of the Real Housewives franchise and feels a bit nauseous about it, I didn’t come to Mob Wives with high hopes. But this floridly funny, vicariously vicious reality series exerts a vulgar charm." He notes the fascination of watching excessively made-up people living in apparent luxury and the authenticity of the drama between the women. "By turns funny, appalling, and frightening, Mob Wives is swiftly paced, reality-TV at its most effusively dismaying." [16]
- The Hollywood Reporter critic David Knowles felt the show was significantly better than typical reality TV. He finds the women's internal conflict between their mob past and their desire to break free from that lifestyle to be the underlying question of the series. Knowles notes that the women's story lines are so tense and engrossing that the surveillance-style effect used to introduce them seems unnecessarily cliché. "As we learned from The Sopranos, the wives and children of mafiosos can be every bit as compelling as the gangsters themselves... As for those other real housewives franchises, their endless squabbles and social climbing antics are rendered rather trivial after you watch the first five minutes of Mob Wives."[17]
Criticism
- Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro stated; "I've seen it — It's disgraceful. It paints Staten Island and Italian-Americans in a bad light. It's detrimental because people will think this is what Staten Island is made of. I'm Italian — and this is bad for our doctors, our lawyers, the people who came from Italy to build their lives".[18]
- David Hinckley's New York Daily News review called it a "tired concept, is so bad it should sleep with fishes". The review also said "these are unpleasant people in an unwatchable show". On the other hand, he wrote: "Now it could be added that if this is what you want on TV, Mob Wives is an all-you-can-eat buffet. Imagine the angriest of the "Real Housewives" ratcheted up into overdrive".[19]
- UNICO National, an Italian advocacy group, said the show is tantamount to "trash TV like Jersey Shore. I hope it dies because no one watches it. We were mobsters and mafiosos with The Sopranos, bimbos and buffoons with Jersey Shore, and now we're back where we started. It's a disgrace".[20]
- Gawker.com said "This seems like a terrible idea for a reality show! Would anyone watch a show called Mass Murders' Wives?"[21]
- Staten Island Advance's SILive.com "Entertainment Comment of the Day" April 25, 2011 was about the show. The comment was "Out of interest we only watched about twenty minutes of the first episode and couldn't stomach watching the second. We don't know what's so interesting about a bunch of low-life women (the one pictured is a real piece of work) who think that husbands that go off to prison is like spending a year at college. I bet their kids are real proud of them. Any glorification of a life of crime is pathetic. They all deserve whatever misery that comes along".[22]
- They have been described as "rats and stoolies" since discussing private family business on TV violates the mafia code.[23]
Victims' response
- Relatives of murder victims killed by the cast members relatives are not happy about the show. Jackie Colucci, whose brother Joseph was murdered by Salvatore Gravano in 1970, stated: "She should be ashamed that her father is a murderer and a drug dealer. I would be ashamed and crawling in a hole and staying out of the limelight".[24]\
Cast History
Season 1 Season 2 Renee Graziano 
Drita D'Avanzo Carla Facciolo Karen Gravano Series overview
Season Episodes Season Premiere Season Finale 1 11 April 17, 2011 June 26, 2011 2 12 January 1, 2012 March 4, 2012 3 Season 1: 2011
Ep # Title Airdate US Viewers (million) 1 "Made in Staten Island" April 17, 2011 1.4[25] This reality series follows allegedly "connected" women and how their lives changed when their men go to prison. In the opener, Karen Gravano, the daughter of Salvatore "Sammy The Bull" Gravano, returns to Staten Island after 10 years in Arizona. 2 "The Bitch is Back" April 24, 2011 1.406[26] Drita gets news from prison; and Karen and Renee clash at Carla's party. 3 "Mob Bust" May 1, 2011 1.355[27] The Feds make a huge mob bust, and Karen, Renee's, and Drita's world is completely turned upside down. 4 "Do You Know Who I Am?" May 8, 2011 1.204[28] Renee hosts a psychic party; Carla loses control of her twins and considers telling them about their fathers incarceration. 5 "Unfinished Business" May 15, 2011 1.186[29] Renee goes wild during a ladies night out; and Drita comes to terms with having a husband in prison. 6 "Dumb or Stupid" May 22, 2011 1.495[30] Karen and Drita continue to fued; and when Renee invites them to sit down and sort our their differences; tempers flare and everyone comes to blows. 7 "Total Chaos" May 29, 2011 1.064[31] Carla and Renee Fight; and Karen's and Drita's unresolved issues heat up. Meanwhile, Carla prepares for her husband's return from prison; Karen awaits a visit from her daughter; and Renee goes looking for love in all the wrong places. 8 "Relapses, Rats & Raccoons" June 12, 2011 1.195[32] Karen's book deal makes news, and her progress on the book stalls; Drita tries to explain the concept of being a rat to her daughter; and Carla prepares for her husbands release from prison. 9 "Take This Book & Shove it" June 19, 2011 1.151[33] Carla's husband returns after 6 years in prison; Renee learns of Junior's deceit and faces a hard decision; and Karen finishes the first chapter of her book and give it to Drita, which stirs up old animosity in Drita. 10 "Rumble On The Rooftop" June 26, 2011 1.308[34] While Carla adjusts to life without a husband in jail, Renee is ready to turn a new page. Drita continues to steam about Karen giving her the first chapter of her book and when stunning revelations about Lee surface, Drita is pushed over the edge. When Drita attempts to lay it all out on the table during a sit-down with Karen and the other women; all hell breaks lose! 11 "Reunion" July 10, 2011 2.7[35] They pushed each other to the brink; Now see additional footage as the cameras continue to roll and find out what happens as all four Mob Wives come face-to-face for the last time. Season 2: 2012
Ep # Title Airdate US Viewers (million) 1 "TBA" January 1, 2012 2 "TBA" January 8, 2012 3 "TBA" January 15, 2012 4 "TBA" January 22, 2012 5 "TBA" January 29, 2012 6 "TBA" February 5, 2012 7 "TBA" February 12, 2012 8 "TBA" February 19, 2012 9 "TBA" Febraury 26, 2012 10 "TBA" March 4, 2012 11 "TBA" March 11, 2012 12 "TBA" March 18, 2012 References
- ^ http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/cultist/2011/05/mob_wives_forget_about_it.php
- ^ http://www.hollywoodlife.com/2011/04/17/mob-wives-renee-graziano-karen-gravano-drita-davanzo-carla-facciolo/
- ^ http://www.realitytea.com/tag/junior-pagan/
- ^ http://starcasm.net/archives/95831
- ^ Lefkowitz, Melanie (24 May 2011). "'Mob' mentality". New York Post. http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/mob_mentality_nqOOqdREeWg8l3THxVo58M.
- ^ Singla, Vinita (May 1, 2011). "Married to the 'mob&apos". New York Post. http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/married_to_the_mob_m5Ur79Y9DWIgfsP0fhsBqJ.
- ^ Mob Wives » Cast › Drita D'avanzo: "Full Biography". http://www.vh1.com/shows/mob_wives/cast_member.jhtml?personalityId=14733. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
- ^ http://starcasm.net/archives/95831
- ^ accessdate=8 May 2011 "VH1 'Takes It to the Mattresses' With Amped Up Drama on New Series 'Mob Wives'". New York Post. 23 March 2011. http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/03/23/mattresses-new-vh1-series-mob-wives-amps-reality-drama/ accessdate=8 May 2011.
- ^ http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/InmateFinderServlet?Transaction=NameSearch&needingMoreList=false&FirstName=Joseph&Middle=&LastName=Ferragamo&Race=U&Sex=U&Age=&x=0&y=0
- ^ http://www.hollywoodlife.com/2011/04/17/mob-wives-renee-graziano-karen-gravano-drita-davanzo-carla-facciolo/
- ^ http://starcasm.net/archives/95831
- ^ "VH1 'Takes It to the Mattresses' With Amped Up Drama on New Series 'Mob Wives'". Fox News (New York Post). March 11, 2011. http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/03/23/mattresses-new-vh1-series-mob-wives-amps-reality-drama/. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
- ^ "Mob Wives Season 1 Episodes". TVguide.com. http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/mob-wives/episodes-season-1/325016. Retrieved 2011 July 11.
- ^ "Sammy the Bull's daughter lands TV gig". UPI.com TV. 2010, December 22. http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/TV/2010/12/22/Sammy-the-Bulls-daughter-lands-TV-gig/UPI-60261293075377/#ixzz1Rnx2OrJM. Retrieved 2010, July 11.
- ^ http://watching-tv.ew.com/2011/04/17/mob-wives-vh1/
- ^ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/tv-review-vh1s-mob-wives-179069
- ^ http://www.silive.com/entertainment/tvfilm/index.ssf/2011/04/mob_wives_ignites_ire_of_state.html
- ^ Daily News (New York). http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-04-15/entertainment/29449110_1_real-housewives-karen-gravano-mob-wives.
- ^ http://entertainment.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474979248381
- ^ http://gawker.com/5716227/mob-victims-not-happy-with-mob-wives
- ^ http://www.silive.com/entertainment/tvfilm/index.ssf/2011/04/silivecom_entertainment_commen.html
- ^ http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/cultist/2011/05/mob_wives_forget_about_it.php
- ^ http://gawker.com/5716227/mob-victims-not-happy-with-mob-wives
- ^ http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/04/19/vh1s-mob-wives-makes-an-offer-2-2-million-viewers-cant-refuse/89948/
- ^ http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/04/26/sunday-cable-ratings-nba-khloe-lamar-the-killing-breakout-kings-housewives-game-of-thrones-much-more/90557/
- ^ http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/05/03/sunday-cable-ratings-more-death-of-bin-laden-ratings-khloe-lamar-law-order-ci-in-plain-sight-army-wives-housewives-game-of-thrones-much-more/91296/
- ^ http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/05/10/sunday-cable-ratings-bullshawks-tops-law-order-ci-in-plain-sight-army-wives-housewives-game-of-thrones-much-more/92058/
- ^ http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/05/18/sunday-cable-ratings-heatbulls-slam-dunks-law-order-ci-in-plain-sight-army-wives-housewives-game-of-thrones-much-more/93124/
- ^ http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/05/24/sunday-cable-ratings-heatbulls-scores-big-law-order-ci-in-plain-sight-army-wives-housewives-game-of-thrones-much-more/93748/
- ^ http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/06/01/sunday-cable-ratings-my-big-fat-gypsy-wedding-breakout-kings-game-of-thrones-the-killing-more/94362/
- ^ http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/06/14/sunday-cable-ratings-game-of-thrones-real-housewives-kardashians-in-plain-sight-army-wives-more/95543/
- ^ http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/06/21/sunday-cable-ratings-falling-skies-game-of-thrones-the-killing-in-plain-sight-law-order-ci-the-glades-and-much-more/96119/
- ^ http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/06/28/sunday-cable-ratings-more-true-blood-falling-skies-kardashians-law-order-ci-the-glades-and-much-more/96709/
- ^ http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/07/12/vh1s-mob-wives-reunion-special-scores-a-season-high/97832/
External links
- Mob Wives at the Internet Movie Database
- Roberts, Fiona (2011, June 20). "'Call me Mafia princess': Meet the gangsters' molls of Staten Island, TV's newest reality stars". The Daily Mail.
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