Joe Bruno's Mobsters - Six Volume Set

by Bruno, Joe

  JB - I think Pagan was on the show to get information for the FBI. I bet he wore a wire on the set. You could never tell what people might say between scenes. I wouldn’t be surprised if the FBI wasn’t instrumental in getting Pagan on the show in the first place. Stranger things have happened.

  Ang - P.S. You make me laugh,

  JB - Ang, like Joe Pesce in Goodfellas??? Make you laugh? Do I amuse you? Am I a clown, or something? LOL!!

  Em – Hmmmm ... Some interesting comments. If you don’t like the show simply stop watching it. I hate the screaming mimes on the show, but I do find it entertaining. I feel sorry for them. They don’t know any other life. I think that one must have empathy for the families. The men that chose this life get whatever is coming to them. Oh, well, good luck to them all!

  Jan - I think the reason Junior was on the show was because Renee was on the show. He had to act like he was trying to make things work with her so as to keep the respect of her father, and the trust of her father, so he could get the evidence that he needed against her father. I do feel sorry for Renee.

  JB - Jan, I totally agree. Pagan was on the show as an FBI plant.

  Dino - YEA! - SOME PUERTO RICAN RAT IS GONNA BLEND INTO BUMSCREW , WISCONSIN. I BET HE IS BEING DETAINED TOWARDS WHATEVER LITTLE TIME HE WILL DO. GOTTA STICK IT OUT. LIFE IS SHORT. ETERNITY IS A MIGHTY, MIGHTY LONG TIME.

  Tin - Remember that the show Mob Wives is prerecorded, so even though it was out in the public what Jr. had done, no one on the show at that time knew anything. Renee didn’t know he was wiretapped when they were getting back together, walking in the park, kissing. It makes reality TV even more real to a lot of people. It will either make the show or break it. Never in reality TV did they show someone doing anything like this. It got me watching and others who don’t want to watch, do it anyway. Admit it. LOL!

  JB - Tin, in my opinion, it would have added to the drama, if at the beginning of the recent shows they would have run a disclaimer telling the truth about Pagan. Then every scene Pagan and Renee were in, you’d know he was lying and see the scene from a different perspective.

  Either way, it’s intellectually dishonest to run the shows without the disclaimer. Most honorable people in the TV business would have run the disclaimer, or cancel the show.

  Joh - No honor amongst thieves, or murderers. One thing that has been proven time and time again, in what these “ladies” refer to as “the life,” is that when the going gets tough, wiseguys will sell out anyone and everyone in order to save their own asses.

  It seems these women voice no reservations when their mob guys use someone else to get ahead. It only becomes wrong when they eat their own. It will be interesting to see how the future will play out for these ladies. Karma can definitely be a bitch.

  JB - Joh - Without this show, these ladies would be anonymous to the general public. There’s nothing captivating about their lives for anyone with common sense to care about. I wish the show would just go away.

  San - I always wondered how they have the big houses; the clothes and things, even with their husbands in prison. But they are married to the mob, so I’m sure these guys have money stashed everywhere.

  When Renee said she was broke, her broke is probably what most of us would find comfortable. She is probably used to big, big money. I hope the dear lady will be alright, I would constantly be looking over my shoulder after having a husband for a stool pigeon. I worry for her and her son’s safety.

  She is so addicted to Hector; everything she has done was for him (like almost dying during plastic surgery). But after getting Daddy put back in prison, I think that would be a deal- breaker for me. I would never speak to him (Pagan) again. And I think her father cut off a relationship with her because of Pagan. Her own father warned her about him; there was something he didn’t like. Daddy was right all along.

  JB - San, I don’t think anyone is going to hurt Renee or her son. Obviously, Pagan doesn’t care about them, so what’s the point of hurting them?

  Len - Wow! How sad when the husband & father of your child just used you to gain more information (for the Feds). He sold out his ENTIRE family!!! How the hell do you sell out your family to a gov’t that doesn’t give a rat’s ass about you? It’s despicable.

  I believed something was up with Junior, when he and Renee went to that Halloween Party and he started bugging out, and became paranoid for no reason. Maybe he saw an uncover agent he recognized.

  Poor Renee. God doesn’t give you more than what you can handle. Renee will get through this. Life’s too short. I hope Renee and her father can repair their relationship. As far as Junior’s concerned, he’ll get dealt with in his own time. God bless them all!

  Lin - I have watched this show and the one good thing about it, it does not glorify the mob life like so many other movies did; like Goodfellas and the Gotti movies.

  Clearly as dumb as some of these wives are - like Renee- they stay with their loser husbands, and are faithful and love them, only seeing them in a visiting room. And if the tides were turned, none of the husbands would do the same.

  Drita woke up and decided to dump her loser, and Karen and Carla are in limbo. Sounds like Carla is wishing for her and Joe to hook up again. Usually I am not attracted to these Guido types, but Joe is one fine-looking man!

  As for Renee - what a piece of work! A complete drama queen. Everything is a major issue with this woman. It’s like being happy is not something she ever wants. I think she needs some heavy- duty therapy and heavy doses of Valium!

  And I could tell right off that RAT was only sucking up to her, because he knows she will wait for him; send him his salami and faithfully visit. He does not love her; probably never did. Just wanted into “the life” and what better way than to marry the daughter of a major capo?

  And it sounds like old Renee took it on the chin every day; him with other women and his stints in prison. And when she asked him on an episode if he loved her, he actually had to muster up a lame yes, like it was killing him (which it probably was). And there she sits - all teary-eyed. It’s clear this loser has her completely under his thumb?

  And here she thinks he is going do a year-or-so bit, and she happily agrees to be there for him. Little does this woman realize how he was going to rip out her heart. He leaves a “Goodbye Renee” letter. He does not even have enough stones to admit he is looking at way more time and charges, and was turning himself into the Feds.

  And isn’t it a coincidence that her father gets popped that same night Junior disappears? Like no one can figure out he flapped his lips? He is nothing more than a loser rat and it is too bad he donated the sperm to make AJ, as the poor kid’s life has now been revealed to kids who might not have known his family has mob connections?

  Can you imagine the flack this kid has had to take?

  But there is Renee flipping out, who I do not feel is a good mother at all, and the other wives - their parental skills are also a tongue-in-cheek with me.

  Renee is on the floor wailing like a banshee; screaming into her phone. The troops come running to comfort her, as they all know the life and prison and death loom over them every waking minute of every day.

  Now kindly, I will toss her the bone where she now has to live with the fact her loser husband is a mob rat and her world has been rocked. She fully expected to wait for this loser, and then he gets out and they all live happily ever after, right? Just a fantasy now.

  Her daddy will likely never get out of prison again and who knows what will happen to that rat-bag Junior?

  JB - Lin, that rat-bag is going to live the “Life of Riley,” either in a country-club prison, or on the streets of a far-away city; maybe even Hawaii. Probably one, then the other.

  Sug - Oh Lord! I just read that Renee had plastic surgery and almost died? I must’ve missed that show. Dang she had plastic surgery and still looks like that! Somebody needs to get sued!!

  Sug - I agree with Len about the Halloween party when Junior started bugging out. I
think he saw someone there he needed to get away from, because it was just after that when he “surrendered.” He probably saw someone he didn’t need to be recognized by. I thought that was fishy.

  Me - I’m actually glad they didn’t say anything about Junior, since I’m not from N.Y. and don’t read the Times or the Post. It made a great cliffhanger and I couldn’t wait for the next episode. Then we find out he turned state’s evidence and now the cliffhanger is - will he live? Junior wasn’t my favorite character to begin with, since he has absolutely no personality.

  Lac - My thoughts and prayers go out to Renee’s family. Hector is such a loser! I know he will be killed soon, because tons of people are putting a hit on him. It all goes to show he had the nerve to put his face on live shows. Well, we found out he is a rat bastard. Hector, you better pray they keep you locked up, because everyone is coming for you – rat!

  Ter - I'm wondering how much Hector’s girlfriend knows? Remember, Renee said he had talked to his girlfriend a lot the weekend prior to his going into the WPP. Did she go with him? Can girlfriends come along into the WPP?

  But - How did Renee’s father let her marry this guy? He’s not Italian. And Sammy the Bull’s daughter got knocked up by a black guy. My uncle is turning in his grave

  Families of Sammy Gravano’s Murder Victims Seek Profits from Karen Gravano’s New Book.

  It might be a losing battle for the families of the murder victims of Sammy “The Bull” Gravano, but it might be a fight worth fighting, just on principle.

  The families of Sammy “The Bull” Gravano’s murder victims, although they were unsuccessful in suing Sammy Gravano in New York State court, did receive a settlement in Arizona, under the “Son of Sam” law, of $420,000 split eight ways, or $52,500 for each of the eight families involved in the lawsuit. This money was taken from Sammy Gravano’s share of the profits from his 1997 book “Underboss.” Now the families of his victims want the same deal on the basis of the profits from Karen Gravano’s new book, “Mob Princess, Sammy the Bull and Me.” Their argument is that Karen Gravano is also profiting from the death of their relatives.

  So far the family’s legal attempts at monetary compensation have been unsuccessful.

  Karen Gravano, one of the stars of VH1’s Mob Wives, said in a recent television interview promoting her book, “I did not commit these crimes. I’m just writing a book about my life.”

  However, the families of Sammy Gravano’s victims (Gravano admitted to being involved with 19 murders) feel differently.

  “My brother was killed once in real life; my brother was killed in Sammy’s book. My brother was killed in her book. Enough is enough,” said Rosanne Massa, concerning her brother, Michael DeBatt. “Having our family members killed over and over again is not a way to hold to our hearts the memories that we have.”

  Although Massa described DeBatt as a “good kid” and a talented football player, the truth is DeBatt willingly got himself involved in “the life,” and paid for it with his life. However, this did not make a difference in the Arizona lawsuit against Sammy Gravano, nor should it be relative now.

  Lynda Milito was the wife of mobster Louie Milito, who was also killed by Sammy Gravano. She said recently, “I’ve had it; I’ve really had it.”

  This claim sounds a little hollow since Lynda Milito wrote her own Mafia book in 2003 entitled Mafia Wife: My Story of Love, Murder and Madness.

  Lynda Milito claims her case is different from Karen Gravano’s because she supported herself and her children by working as a real estate agent. That may be true, but the fact remains that her dead husband was a mobster, too (and a vicious one) and once you enter into “the life,” you know your neck is on the chopping block 24 hours of every day.

  Laura Garofalo, whose mobster father Edward was killed by Sammy Gravano in 1990, also chipped in with her feelings about Karen Gravano and her new book.

  She said, “It’s harrowing to hear Karen Gravano boast week after week on her reality show Mob Wives that violence is ‘in my bloodline.’ She continues to utilize her and her father’s criminal enterprises to lure viewers and generate revenue for herself and VH1.”

  True Laura, but your father was up to his neck in the mob, too, and he paid for it with his own neck.

  In fact, most, if not all, of Sammy Gravano’s murder victims were deeply involved in organized crime. They chose that life to live, but that doesn’t mean Sammy Gravano had the right to take their lives; no one has that right.

  However, I find it hard to generate the same amount of sympathy for the families of mobsters who were murdered, as I can for the families of innocent civilians who were killed, either by the mob or otherwise. Yet, the character of the murder victims should have no bearing on any upcoming family lawsuits concerning the profits from Karen Gravano’s book.

  The bottom line is this: whereas what Karen Gravano is doing by appearing on Mob Wives, and writing her book about her “Life With Father,” may stink to high heaven, I still don’t see how the families of her father’s victims have a legitimate case under the “Son of Sam Law,” which basically says you can’t profit from crimes you have committed by either writing a book, or having a movie made based on your life (T-shirts and coolie cups are out, too). The law says nothing about members of your family being banned from doing the same thing.

  Can the law be changed?

  It’s doubtful, but that doesn’t stop the victim’s families from trying to do something. Laura Garofalo admitted as much when she said in a letter to the Arizona AG., “We hope at least to get the law changed so it has more teeth.”

  Good luck trying. But I think this lawsuit will reach the inevitable “dead end.”

  Dead End , starring Humphrey Bogart, was a mob movie too.

  Karen Gravano on the Cover of Mob Candy Magazine

  March 4, 2012

  I must admit I vaguely heard of Mob Candy, but I wasn’t sure exactly what it was (was a magazine selling chocolate in the shape of a gun?).

  So I went to Mob Candy’s website, and lo and behold, there was a video posted that was aired on the VH1 Show Mob Wives, which features an interview with Karen Gravano, daughter of mob rat Sammy “The Bull” Gravano. The reason for the interview was - get this - Mob Candy is not only publishing the interview with Karen, but they are also displaying a seductive photo of her on the cover of Mob Candy.

  I got a sneak preview of the cover, and there Karen was, dressed in a black and white dress, her hands on her hips, lips pursed in a snarl, which seems to say, “Yeah, that’s right! What about it!”

  Not very sexy; sort of like a Mack truck glaring down at a tiny Volkswagen before it crushes the smaller car under its wheels.

  My first reaction to the cover was that Karen looks about 30 pounds lighter than she does on Mob Wives. Then I saw on the same page a previous cover with Renee Graziano as the cover girl. Renee looks much lighter than she does on Mob Wives, too. But unlike Karen, Renee looks downright foxy - white wraparound dress with right shoulder exposed - black belt and black sequined gloves, with the forefinger of her left hand placed gently between her pursed lips.

  Very sexy indeed.

  No doubt, Hector “Junior” Pagan,” another rat like Sammy, wasn’t good-looking enough for this woman.

  Renee’s just not my type of gal, but alluring nevertheless.

  However, both covers give praise to the wonders of Photoshop. Heck, with the proper technique, Mob Candy could make Camryn Manheim look 50 pounds lighter; Michael Moore too.

  Mob Candy had some big lug with a Brooklyn accent and a loopy smile, and wearing a stupid cap, conducting the interview with Karen; asking questions Mob Candy claims nobody else had the nerve to ask.

  After Karen made her grand entrance and proclaimed, “Now I feel like a Mob Princess,” the interview went something like this:

  MC – “What do you say to our readers who say your father disgraced the Mafia by ratting on his best friend?

  KG – “If they don’t und
erstand the Mafia, then they shouldn’t speak about it.”

  JB - (That’s me) “Karen, the problem is that people do understand the Mafia; do understand the rules and regulations; what you should do and what you must never do. That’s why some people are outraged your father became a government informant.”

  MC – “Would you have done the same thing as your father; given the same situation as your father? (Become a government informant)

  KG – (Hesitates) “It’s hard for me to answer that because I wasn’t in his situation.”

  JB – “That sound like a definite maybe to me.”

  MC – “Has anyone messed with you since you’ve been back? (in New York)”

  KG – (Defiant) “Messed with me? You could call my father Sammy the Bull, or Sammy the Rat. But he’s still family; he’s still my father. So if you mess with me, you’re going to have a problem. Point-blank! Period!”

  JB – (Almost speechless, but not quite) I guess that was a roundabout promo for future episodes of Mob Wives.

  Ladies, go back to your corners and wait for the bell to ring. Then come out wailing.

  Nails and teeth are allowed; no guns, knives, bats, or chains.

  Sorry, I won’t be around to see it.

  I’d rather watch reruns of the Lawrence Welk Show.

  Responses to “Karen Gravano on the Cover of Mob Candy Magazine”

  Bru - Karen the cow.

  Lis - Seriously....no one wants to see Karen trying to be sexy. She looks like a man in heels.

  Mob Wives – March 4 Show

  March 7, 2012

  In a startling turn of developments, on Monday, March 5, I had an amazing 1104 hits (in one day) on my blog Joe Bruno on the Mob. And more than 90 percent came on previous articles I had written on the show Mob Wives, or on the characters appearing on the show: Renee Graziano, her ex-husband-turned-government-informant Hector “Junior” Pagan, or on Karen Gravano, the daughter of mob turncoat Sammy “The Bull” Gravano.