Updated news on the Gambino, Genovese, Bonanno, Lucchese and Colombo Organized Crime Families of New York City.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Mafia Wife author Lynda Milito fires off cease and desist letter to VH1 over Mob Wives concept


The author of "Mafia Wife" wants VH1's "Mob Wives" to sleep with the fishes - legally speaking, that is.
Lynda Milito, the widow of murdered Gambino capo Louie Milito and author of the Cosa Nostra tell-all "Mafia Wife: My Story of Love, Murder and Madness," has hit producers of the all-in-the-crime-family reality series with a cease-and-desist letter.
Late last month, Milito attorney Joseph Garrity, of the Deerfield Beach, Fla., firm Garrity Weiss, put the "Mob Wives" producers on notice. Those parties include the Weinstein Co., Ben Silverman's Electus production company and show creator Jennifer Graziano's JustJenn Productions. Graziano is the daughter of imprisoned Bonanno crime family consigliere Anthony Graziano.
According to the letter, in August 2010 a representative of Milito's literary agency contacted Weinstein Books about a sequel to "Mafia Wife" called "Mafia Secrets." (The book has not been published.)
In the correspondence, the rep also mentioned that "Mafia Wife" "was currently being pitched and adapted for film," Garrity writes.
The lawyer goes on to note that several months later, on April 17, 2011, "Mob Wives" premiered on VH1 and said the TV production has "striking similarities to Ms. Milito's original works."
Garrity said he has since received a response on behalf of Weinstein Co. from the Los Angeles-based law firm of Greenberg Glusker.
The response: fuhgeddaboudit. They said "Mob Wives" was in development long before Milito's literary agency contacted Weinstein Books.
Garrity said he wants the show's producers to provide him "with any information they have to support that claim."
Despite Milito's businesslike handling of her claim, we suspect at least some of her beef is personal. One of the "Mob Wives" cast members is Karen Gravano, daughter of Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, ex-Gambino underboss-turned-FBI informant.
As Garrity explains, "My client believes that Sammy Gravano had something to do with the murder of her husband," whose body has never been found.
Milito also seems to be sending a message to Weinstein Co. chief Harvey Weinstein on her website Mafiawifelive.com.
At the top of the home page it reads: "Harvey Weinstein I am right in front of you."
A rep for the Weinstein Co. did not get back to us by deadline.



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