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

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Wives and girlfriends of New York's most notorious mafiosi dish all in new TV series


The real-life mob wives, clockwise, from left: Cheryl Caruso, 'Big' Linda Schiro, 'Little' Linda Scarpa, Angela Calvancante, Love Majewski and Andrea Giovino
Heartbreak and tragedy: The real-life mob wives, clockwise, from left: Cheryl Caruso, 'Big' Linda Schiro, 'Little' Linda Scarpa, Angela Calvancante, Love Majewski and Andrea Giovino

Forget omerta!
These glamorous wives and girlfriends of some of New York's most notorious Mafiosi are finally emerging from the shadows -- and for the first time dishing tales about made men who thought nothing of using a hacksaw on their rivals in the afternoon and then coming home to nice pasta dinners with their families.
The gals talk about sleeping with mobsters who end up sleeping with fishes -- and recall dressing in evening gowns and stiletto heels while their hubbies' victims were being fitted for cement boots.
One of the blabbermouths, "Big" Linda Schiro, was the common-law wife of feared killer Greg "The Grim Reaper" Scarpa.
She fondly remembers her late husband as a man who was "caring, giving to those he loved."
But she also noted, "If you did him wrong, he would kill you."
Some of the women insist they had no idea what their guys did for a living.
"Everything was picture-perfect," says Cheryl Caruso, whose husband, Gambino associate Phil "Philly" Caruso, is out of prison and now says he's on the right side of the law.
She says she learned the truth at his trial.
"I heard the judge say, 'That's it, guilty, 15 to life.' I didn't know what to do. I never expected to hear those words," she says through tears.
"Those were the only words I understood. That was the end of my fairy tale. It was just hell after that."
The ladies have all agreed to star on a new reality show that features teary interviews, dramatic re-enactments and tales from the front lines of some of New York's bloodiest family wars.
"I Married a Mobster" promises to be a bizarre cross between "GoodFellas" and "Jerry Springer" -- and the women are hoping for a big mob hit.
Mafia groupie Andrea Giovino brags about bedding a bevy of mobsters, including a drug runner, a capo in the Bonanno crime family and even one of John Gotti's closest pals, convicted drug kingpin Mark Reiter.
"I looked for my support, for a man to support me," Giovino said.
She was eventually lured into the life herself and was busted by the FBI in 1992 for loan-sharking.
"It's a very hard life and very unattractive when you're in the midst of it," said Giovino, who now lives in rural Pennsylvania.
Denyce Franzese tells how she fell hard for John Franzese Jr., the son of mob royalty -- reputed Colombo underboss John "Sonny" Franzese Sr.
"I didn't really care," she said. "What attracted me to him was his sense of humor."
She recalls being introduced to his dad, one of the most notorious gangsters of all time.
"I walked into the kitchen and I looked and went, 'This is the big "Sonny" Franzese?'
"He was just so loveable. A huge teddy bear."
The show debuts July 13 on cable's Investigation Discovery channel.


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