Angela Raiola Biography, personal life, career, spouse, fortune

Angela Raiola or Big Ang as you remember her is the famous VH1 reality TV star for Mob Wives series. The show followed the lives of women who shared bonds with the mob. Big Ang was hugely popular among fans for her style, but her life came to an abrupt end when she passed away in February 2016.

Angela lived a glorious life full of glory before passing away after suffering from cancer. Her life was full of ups and downs, but she was taken too soon before her time. Now let’s learn a bit more about the late Raiola.

ANGELA RAIOLA: EARLY LIFE

Angela Joyce Raiola was born on June 30, 1960 in Brooklyn, New York. She was the niece of the drug-dealing Genovese crime family and capo Salvatore Lombardi (Sally Dogs.) Angela grew up in a family of drug dealers and cartel members. She then quickly became part of their way of life and began organizing notorious Mafia hangouts.

As Raiola was born in the United States of America, her nationality is American while she is ethnically white.

ANGELA RAIOLA: CAREER

Big Ang started out as the owner of a Staten Island bar called “The Drunken Monkey.” The bar was open from 2007 to 2015 and had to close due to Raiola’s run-ins with the law. For the most part, its bars were used as hubs for drug trafficking. In 2001, she was arrested when police found her with several envelopes of cocaine in her purse.

The NYPD later released a statement that Ang had close ties to a drug dealer who was serving time in prison. His inside job and trafficking activities were obtained through the work of an undercover agent who worked for the NYPD but posed as another drug dealer.

The court charged Raiola with 6 felony counts but she was released from $100,000 bond after pleading guilty. However, in 2003, she was sentenced to three years probation and had to be housebound for 4 months.

ANGELA RAIOLA: TELEVISION

After being on the wrong side of the law for many years, Big Ang tried reality TV. She was later cast as a member of the second season of VH1’s Mob Wives. Angela is a woman with a big personality and that has helped her gather a big fanbase. In a short time, she then became the star of the show. Raiola then created his own spin-off show called Big Ang. After playing for more than one season (10 episodes), Big Ang has been adapted into a new spin-off ‘Miami Monkey’.

After the unconventional stardom, Angela started appearing 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 married in 2009 and were together until his death. They had a brief spell when they parted ways but Neil stayed by his wife’s side when she needed him most.

Angela also has two beautiful children Raquel Donofrio and Anthony Donofrio. Angela raised her children mostly single, but she let her daughter bond with her father Robert. Unlike her mother, Raquel did not follow mafia life. She has not one but two masters. She is also a married woman with two children. Likewise, her brother and Angela’s son Anthony is also a married man having tied the knot with Gabriella Celestino on August 28, 2015.

ANGELA RAIOLA: BEFORE SURGERY AND DEATH

In March 2015, Angela felt extremely uncomfortable in her throat and sought medical attention. Doctors diagnosed her with strep throat and she was placed on antibiotics. However, these medications provided very little pain relief.

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 his lungs. They decided to have surgery immediately and the tumor was removed. However, it was too little too late for Angela as a tumor had spread to vital organs in the body.

To slow the process, Angela was put on chemotherapy which was of little help. She died on February 18, 2016 in the presence of her family. Big Ang was 55 when she left us and we still remember her today.