Unusual sisterhood forms on new series ‘Mob Wives’

By Frazier Moore

AP Television Writer

NEW YORK

Meet four women with family problems:

Renee Graziano’s dad is Anthony Graziano, who is a high-ranking member of the mob, Feds say, and is currently serving time for racketeering. Her ex-husband has also had a scrape with the law on a gambling charge.

Drita D’avanzo is the wife of Lee D’avanzo, the alleged leader of a Bonanno and Colombo crime family team who has been incarcerated for bank robbery — twice — spanning most of their married life.

Carla Facciolo’s father went to prison when she was a girl. Now her husband, a former broker, is behind bars for stock fraud. She tells her twin girls that daddy’s away, working.

Most notable of all, Karen Gravano is the daughter of Sammy “The Bull” Gravano, the notorious mob turncoat who cooperated with the government to help take down John Gotti and the Gambino crime family. He, too, is currently in jail.

Not surprisingly, all four women have crossed paths through the years and, in certain cases, been lifelong pals. All are single mothers.

Now they’re bonding at their Staten Island, N.Y., stomping ground for a new reality show, “Mob Wives.” A sort of “Growing Up Gotti” multiplied by four, this lively, eye-opening series premieres Sunday at 8 p.m. on VH1. Keeping it all in the family, the show’s creator and producer is Jennifer Graziano, Renee’s sister.

“We are all similar women who come from a similar world and the same life situations,” says Karen, who, for a future episode, was hosting a kaffeeklatsch recently in her living room that overlooks New York harbor.

“I think our parents tried to keep us out of it, but it’s the only world you know,” she says, “and in Staten Island, everybody looks up to gangsters and street guys like they’re celebrities in Hollywood.”

But Karen has learned there’s a downside to the underworld. That’s part of her reason for being in “Mob Wives.” She is also writing a book about Growing Up Gravano.

Why not? As she reasons, “So many people have judged me already because of who my father is, and the type of lifestyle they believe we led.”

Renee happens to be absent for this get-together, but when taping begins, Karen, Drita and Carla chatter for nearly an hour. Probably just snippets will end up on the air, but, taken as a whole, the session is funny, earthy and oddly relatable. It would make a good talk show, a much-bleeped version of “The View.”

Arranged on Karen’s couch, the women tear into a slew of hot topics, including how these women are condemned by some in their community for going on TV.

“I’m not a gangster and I’m not telling the story of being a gangster,” says Karen. “I’m telling MY story.”

“They’re small-minded,” says Carla of the disparagers.

“They’re small-minded and they have big mouths,” snaps Drita. “They should just shut up.”

Nods all around.