'Mob Wives' Deal With Fractured Families, 'F'd Up' Marriages

By Rob Shuter Posted Jun 17th 2011 06:25PM

'Mob Wives' has become a huge hit for star Renee Graziano (and her sister Jennifer, who is the producer), but the show hasn't come without costs, including the fact the her father, incarcerated former Bonanno family consigliere Anthony Graziano, no longer talks to his daughter.

"My father is not speaking to me right now because of the show. He has his own views, I respect him," she says. "He's my father, I'm his daughter, nothing will ever stand in the way of that. He respects me I respect him but they understand they have to let me grow otherwise I'm going to have an ignorant mentality and never really have my own identity."

Graziano may have been in the dark about her father's alleged Mafia connections -- according to prosecutors, he was for years the consigliere of New York's Bonanno crime family and is currently in prison.

"For me, growing up was very much like the movies and I'm not saying that I'm proud of that lifestyle, that was just my parents," Renee tells me before making clear that as far as she is concerned her father has never done anything wrong. "I think I was in my mid-20's when I thought something wasn't right. Most parents work 9-5, my dad worked 5-9."

Feisty 'Mob Wives' standout Drita D'avanzo had a very different experience after marrying into what she refers to as "this lifestyle."

"I was disowned for it because my father was not having it," Drita tells me. "You never know what you're signing up for. When you're young and in love, you don't really look at the bigger picture and then when you have children, you don't think like that. But it's a roller coaster of a marriage and it's fu**ed up."

The ladies tell me organized crime is much bigger than anyone thinks and that in fact we all know somebody who is involved, including many celebrities.

"Yeah, I grew up around James Caan and Steven Seagal, so for me I got to hang out with a couple cool people," Drita confesses.

So how close to reality was the 'Sopranos'? "Put it this way ... so many people I know were like identical to that person on the show," Drita tells me. Renee chose not to watch it, "because I lived it."

'Mob Wives' concludes its first season June 26.

For my complete interview with the wives, tune into 'Naughty But Nice' exclusively on HDNet at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Tags: Mob Wives, Naughty But Nice With Rob

Comments

(20)

Friday 17 June

By Mike

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All frauds!

By Lawrence

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I watched 3 3pisodes of this and gagged. These women are disgusting! They are not human! More like a bunch of savages!!!

By NAUGHTY BUT NICE ROB

I WAS SO NAUGHTY I THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO THROW ME IN THE POOL!!!

By Sam Kott

Reminds me of home!

Saturday 18 June

By Heidi

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I LOVE the show & Drita is my fav'...... Of course I loved HBO's "The Sopranos" also when it was on !!!

By miguel

These women define the term "obnoxious New Yorkers", I'm hurling.

By helene

it's hard to believe she didn't "know" until she was in her 20s.

By geebageeba

Hmmm ... good thing she avoided having an "ignorant mentality". Or did she?

By allen

these women are a joke...they "act" like they care for their children.....but continue to take the money that is stolen from hard working people...by thieves who would not know hard work...ny italian wops...that horse face renee is a mental midget....buncha drunk losers whining about their husbands in jail.....yeah good mothers......great show !!!!!!....lol

By JENNIFER

i have sat thru this show. REAL gangsta b itches wouldnt throw down in a bar or (Renee's kitchen) than hug it out an hour later.... WEAK

By covington7

This show is a prime example of what is wrong with this country. We aggrandize people like this 'Mob Wives' and their fathers/husbands, and worship the lifestyle with shows like 'The Sopranos'. The dumbing down of America,

By leon

What's with these people waving their arms when they talk? Put your hands in your pocket and talk with your mouth!

Sunday 19 June

By Trisha

I love love this show really enjoy it so much!!! I hope it never ends... Drita is my fav. but all the ladies are great. Also love the music that plays with it, fab and fun show, yah they are a little crazy but that's what makes these ladies extra special. There is not another show out there like this. These ladies live a pretty incredible life really and through it all you have to say they are very strong women for what they've gone through and for raising kiddos on their own.
Signed,
A normal life living mama living thru the exciting lives of others on tv even for just an hour every sunday night. For that I say, thank you! :)

By peter

Is this a joke??? They live an "incredible" life HOW??? Their fathers & husbands are MURDERERS, their lives are a living hell. Plus many of the women on this show are being threatened by the mafia for breaking the code of silence & spilling mob secrets on the air. That doesn't sound incredible to me.

By scir91onYouTube

they are very sexy wh0res. YUM!!

Monday 20 June

By Beth

Okay, these girls scare me. I don't even like to say the word mob.

Tuesday 21 June

By Pookie

I guess when you love yourself as much as they do, there's not much room to love others.

Saturday 25 June

By papaknuck1942

It's called confidence, Pookie. It's knowing who you are and not taking any bones in life. You don't know who you are...then everybody you know tells you who you are.

This is a fun show. If you know the life...you'll laugh, you'll understand. If you don't know the life...well, there it is.

Tuesday 05 July

By Mary

This show is just glamerizing being a theif. They couldnt get on a housewives show because all their husbands are in prison. Thats great! Then they are surprised when more of their family gets arrested?

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