Last night, it was incorrectly reported by Entertainment Tonight that beloved Mob Wives star Angela “Big Ang” Raiola had died of stage four cancer at the age of 55, leaving behind a son and a daughter – Raquel and Anthony Donfrio (pictured above). Unfortunately, the false rumors became a reality around 3 a.m. as Big Ang’s Twitter account confirmed in the below statement.
This is @vinniemedugno on behalf of the family of Angela Raiola, please see below:
In recent years, son Anthony (called AJ by mom Big Ang) had turned his life around, having a family with his own children. Big Ang’s grandchildren were the light of her life, as were her kids. Her son AJ was married to wife Gabriella Celestino with the help of David Tutera’s CELEBrations and Big Ang was a huge part of the adventure.
While many saw Anthony now and then on Mob Wives, Raquel appeared on Big Ang’s spin-off shows including Miami Monkey(pictured below).
In 2012, AJ was arrested and accused of dealing cocaine. According to Reality Tea, AJ’s defense was that he was selling cocaine to feed his own addiction, so he was sentenced to rehab. Back in 2001, Big Ang underwent charges for drugs as well. In 2003, she pleaded guilty to some of the charges, which resulted her in receiving house confinement along with probation.
As for Raquel, Wetpaint reports that she has a son named Sal and she is highly educated, with two master’s degrees. With Big Ang having six grandchildren total, Raquel is sure to have more children than just one son. She has also worked as a seventh grade teacher. Though Raquel has stayed out of the spotlight since her time on Big Ang’s “Miami Monkey” show, she has been the subject of tabloid rumors. For example, there were reports that former Mob Wives star Alicia DiMichele’s incarcerated husband, Eddie Garofalo, had an affair with Raquel. According to Wetpaint, there was no proof the rumors were true.
RIP Big Ang. We love you.