Mob Wives on VH1

[MamaJunebug]

Oy. :cry: I'm hooked.

My main interest is Drita Selmani D'Avanzo. Partly because she's like a cross between Fran Fine and my longlost friend Jess - a hardbitten fighter with a heart of gold (Jess, that is).

Partly because of her story. Her parents immigrated from Albania. Her father's Ness Selmani, one of the coaches of Fordham's women's soccer program. Her brother (one of them, possibly) at age 22 caused the death of a 16-year-old in a car chase (he was booked on manslaughter charges, I dunno about any conviction).

Her parents disowned her for marrying outside the Albanian community - the fact that her husband was a criminal may have had something to do with it as well.

And then of course there's Big Ang Raiola, who's received houses, furs and gems from various wiseguys. What I want to know is, as funny and mamabear-ish as Big Ang is, who finds her attractive? The wiseguys, I guess.

What a situation!

[tropaka]

I'm in Canada, so the episodes are a bit staggered...what gets me about this is how these women are courting some real trouble in publicizing their lives.

Drita made me sad, until I saw her complaining from a home that was much nicer than mine (and we're not doing badly). Her closet beats any upper middle class wardrobe I've seen - so I've found it hard to drum up too much sympathy. That said, she's the most sympathetic character out of the whole gang....gives me comfort to think that Statten Island is a landfill.

[MamaJunebug]

Thinking the series will end with this season?

I had the happy serendipity to meet a new friend who has Italian cousins in Staten Island. Before I knew she herself was part Italian, just that she was from the island, I asked what she thought about Mob Wives, whether it's a slam on islanders. She said, "No, it's pretty much the way my Italian cousins live. Constant drama."

I don't know why that tickled me so much, but it did! Possibly because in earlier times, one of my younger cousins was given my name, and to the even younger cousins, we became Angela (my cousin) and Big Angela (me) -- as over-the-top as Big Ang's ... enhancements have been, I have to say that I love her calm, optimistic, realistic demeanor in most of the shows!

Yes, I know she's a convicted felon and used to sell cocaine. We all make bad decisions there and here. More Big Ang! :P <---Big Ang's silent laugh ;)

[slp]

Drita did complain once about her house, but she also spent one episode telling her daughter that they might have to move, and it wasn't the size of the house that made you happy or the neighborhood that you lived in or the money you had. She talked about living in an apartment with several family members and that yes, it was crowded and they were poor, but they were still happy.

[MamaJunebug]

As befits the show and my sanity, I watched with the volume off and just subtitles last night ("The Gathering Storm"). TWOP isn't responding so I'm bringing it here: Did Renee go all nuclear on a lady in group therapy who was just talking about herself (the lady) or some imaginary person? IOW is Renee so freakin' paranoid that any time any body says any thing about any one, Renee assumes, 1,000%, that the person is talking about her?

That's what I"ll presume unitl corrected or I look at the episode again, but if so, it's sad that Jenn Graziano would display her own sister's mental illness like that .... or maybe it's good, it shows people that mental illness happens even in the toughest of families.

Weird all around.

[MamaJunebug]

Whoa, 2+ years since we've discussed this fustercluck!

I can't give it up. It's my only real guilty pleasure on TV.

And yet when I watch it in realtime, I something-something (go crazy? Don't mind if I do!) because it's unwatchable, really.

Like last night. Have these women NOTHING TO DO but criticize Ratalie? Come ON! Don't we want to see the kinds of characters who came to Drita's calendar-unveiling party?

How's Ang's house coming along? Neil was so sweet to her when she broke down about Son AJ's incarcertation, and yet she disses Neil every possible chance - how does he feel about that? Is it just a case of two toughies busting each other's nuts as a gruff way of expressing their frustration and fondness?

Debra Gravano, the true mob wife! I'd've happily watched all the footage of her and her children that wound up on the cutting-room floor (or to use a less antique figure of speech, that didn't get used). That is interesting, her involvement in a family that came from a murderer and stool pigeon, and she still apparently stands by him.

Big Ang is the only other mob "wife," as far as I'm concerned. Renee's ex- was a thug, although he apparently had some "in" with the mob to have been able to snitch on Renee's dad. Drita's husband, again, an ex-thug, no evidence he was ever in the mob.

Ang was, for sure, a mob moll. Is D'Onofrio, the father of her two children, a mobster or your basic street guy? I'm guessing mob.

Also guessing there is a reason that none of these things are explored more in the show.

Just remember, if you're curious: DVR it. You don't want to actually spend an entire hour of your life you'll never get back. Fast-forwarding is your friend.

[MamaJunebug]

Dang you, Jenn Graziano! You actually gave us something seriously fun and dare I say relatable with this episode!

So much for foregoing THIS guilty pleasure!!!

Drita's daughters scrapbooking for their dad, and BOTH their parents going all soft and giggly over it--enjoyable!!

Drita & Ang simultaneously waking up to their friends' insane flip flopping and reminiscing about Ang's previous bar and escapades therein? Gratifying and delightful, respectively.

And Ang doing WAY more than Rolling her eyes – – indeed, telling Natalie D off and leaving the party – – oh, so satisfying!

Also love the mamas, obviously; and the couples therapist? A brave, brave woman.

Next week, Renèe revisits religion. I am so in.

I hope and pray London is recovering from his attack at the bar. What a sweetheart he seems to be. Only question I have about him – – how does he put up with that gal?