You have to be mistaken, there is no such thing as the “mob.” A classic line one would most likely hear from any family member that is involved in the “lifestyle,” as they like to call it. Everyone knows that in the mafia lifestyle, you must live by the words of: loyalty, honor, respect, and keeping your mouth shut.

My favorite reality TV shows is Mob Wives on VH1. Mob Wives is set in Staten Island, NY, and takes us into the lives of four women that are associated with the Mob. The first is Renee Graziano, daughter of Anthony Graziano, mobster in the Bonnano crime family. Karen Gravano is daughter of Sammy “The Bull” Gravano, or Sammy “The Rat,” whichever way you like to see it. I’m sure many of you heard of him, but he was the underboss of the Gambino crime family who turned FBI informant. Because of that, he’s lived in the witness protection program and even had plastic surgery done to alter his appearance to avoid any “hits.” The other two ladies are an Albanian and Italian. They married men who are basically robbers; I don’t consider them true mobsters like Gravano and Graziano. There are two seasons of the Mob Wives in NY, and currently there’s one in Chicago. The Chicago one has to grow on me; I’m not the biggest fan of it yet.

I like that these women are tough, and they don’t take crap from anyone, but it does help that they have “back up,” if you know what I mean. You wouldn’t dare cross their paths or get on their wrong side.

One of the connotations that people may have about the mobster lifestyle is that it’s glamorous; well this is the show to prove to everyone that it really is NOT glamorous at all. Yea, they may have the money, the houses, the cars and jewelry, but that’s all blood money. These women deal with men in their lives going in and out of jail constantly. As much as I love this show, it kind of irks me at times. The women sit there and say what good men their fathers were and how respected and loved they were… Okay, your father was either a murderer, thief, drug dealer, or a combination of them all. I understand that he might have been the apple of your eye, but come on now. Anyway, I’m not trying to go too much into detail because I don’t know who could end up reading this blog. All I need is to wake up with a horse’s head in my bed.

As we’re on the topic of mobsters, one of my favorite TV shows hands down is The Sopranos. Great show, great acting, great story, great everything. Yeah, it is cool to see Tony Soprano and how no one messes with him. To others, it looks like he has the life. But little does everyone know, he’s got to constantly be on his toes to watch out for the Feds and everyone else. I’ve done a lot of research about this lifestyle, and I have to give credit to The Sopranos; the show writers are right on the ball with authenticity. When you compare Tony Soprano and his family to these women and their fathers on Mob Wives, it’s so true. If you haven’t seen this show, I highly recommend it! Quick shout out to Scarface and The Godfather. Love those movies as well, and love Tony’s accent in the movie.

I love Mob Wives and I do laugh; it seems that every “wrong” person has a realty show – bayou people from Louisiana hunt alligators, hicks from the south make duck calls, bounty hunters that look like they came out of Barnum and Baily’s freak show capture fugitives, and Botox filled woman from NY, NJ, or wherever, show us how pitiful…I mean splendid… their life is (I really can’t stand the Housewives shows.) Just add the mobsters! What’s next… I think they should do a Greek reality show. If only…