Angela Raiola or Big Ang as you might remember is the famous VH1 reality tv star for the series Mob Wives. The show followed lives of women who shared ties with the mob. Big Ang was very popular among fans for her style but her life came to an abrupt end when she passed away in February of 2016.
Angela lived a glorious life full of fame before passing away after suffering from cancer. Her life was full of ups and downs but she was taken too early before her time. Let us now get to know a bit more about the late Raiola.
Angela Raiola: Early Life
Angela Joyce Raiola was born on the 30th of June, 1960, in Brooklyn, New York. She was the niece of the Genovese crime family that dealt drugs and capo Salvatore Lombardi (Sally Dogs.) Angela grew up in a family with drug dealers and cartel members. She was then soon a part of their lifestyle and began operating notorious mafia hangouts.
As Raiola was born in the United States of America, her nationality is American whereas she is ethnically white.
Angela Raiola: Career
Big Ang began as the owner of a Staten Island bar called “The Drunken Monkey.” The bar was in operation from 2007 till 2015 and had to shut down because of Raiola’s run-ins with the law. For the most part, her bars were used as hubs for drug trafficking. In 2001, she was arrested when police found her with several wraps of cocaine in her handbag.
The NYPD later released a statement that said Ang had close ties with a drug dealer who was serving time in the jail. Her inside work and trafficking activities were obtained by the work of an undercover agent who worked for the NYPD but posed as a fellow drug trafficker.
The court accused Raiola on 6 felony counts but she was set free on a $100,000 bond after pleading guilty. However, in 2003, she got sentenced to three years of probation and had to be confined in the home for 4 months.
Angela Raiola: Television
After being on the wrong side of the law for many years, Big Ang gave reality TV a go. She was then cast as one of the members for the second season of VH1’s Mob Wives. Angela is a woman of a large personality and this helped her gather a large fan base. In just a brief time, she then became the show’s breakout star. Next Raiola came up with her own spin-off show called Big Ang. After starring for over one season (10 episodes), Big Ang was adapted into a new spin-off “Miami Monkey.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMcNBOK1zkw
After the unconventional fame, Angela started featuring in different movies like Scary Movie 5 and made small appearances in Staten Island Summer, The Wendy Williams Show, The Dr. Oz Show, etc.
Angela Raiola: Personal Life
Angela Raiola was married to Neil Murphy. The two got married in 2009 and were together until her death. They did have a brief spell when they separated from one another but Neil stayed beside his wife when she needed him the most.
Angela also has two beautiful children Raquel Donofrio and Anthony Donofrio. Angela raised her kids as a single for the most part but she let her daughter keep ties with her father Robert. Unlike her mother, Raquel did not follow the mafia life. She has not one but two masters degree. She is also a married woman with two kids. Similarly, her sibling and Angela’s son Anthony is also a married man having tied knot with Gabriella Celestino on the 28th of August, 2015.
Angela Raiola: Before Surgery & Death
In March of 2015, Angela was feeling extremely uncomfortable in her throat and sought medical attention. Doctors diagnosed her with strep throat and she was placed on antibiotics. However, these medicines did very little to ease her pain.
Two months later, Big Ang went to see a throat specialist who diagnosed her with throat cancer. The doctor found a tumor as big as a lemon in her lungs. They decided to immediately undergo surgery and the tumor was removed. However, it was too little too late for Angela as a tumor had spread to vital body organs.
To slow down the process, Angela was put on chemotherapy which was helping her very little. She later passed away on the 18th of February in 2016 in the presence of her family. Big Ang was 55 years old when she left us and is remembered to this day.
