Karen Gravano, one of the stars of VH1’s Mob Wives, was reportedly not welcome at the recent funeral for co-star Angela “Big Ang” Raiola, who passed away last week after a lengthy battle with cancer.
Gravano, who has never shied away from confrontation on the show, was open about her decision to include family stories in her memoir, Mob Daughter: The Mafia, Sammy “The Bull” Gravano, and Me!, despite the opinion of some that she shouldn’t share anything about her father or his business. The controversial decision was a point of contention on the show and may have had something to do with her being unwelcome at the service, according to sources at HollywoodLife.
Gravano wasn’t the only person in Big Ang’s life who didn’t get the chance to pay respects; Brittany Fogarty was banned from attending as well, reportedly due to issues between their families in the past.
It seems the drama from the show has spilled over into Big Ang’s final days, as her co-stars made waves with one another at the hospital and the wake.
“At the wake, the family was furious at how Drita D’Avanzo came in with bodyguards escorting her, which made a scene. There were all family and friends there. This was a private event. None of the other girls behaved that way. One family member even made a comment saying, ‘Doesn’t she know that there’s only one star here today?’ They felt she was trying to steal the spotlight and make it all about her. They felt her behavior was fake and for theatrical purposes,” a source told HollywoodLife.
Karen Gravano did sit down with E! News to talk about Big Ang and how beloved she was, saying she visited her friend in the hospital and couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was even when she was taking her last breaths.
“She doesn’t want us to mourn, she wants us to celebrate her…even yesterday when we were at the hospital and she was basically taking her last breaths…she was beautiful. You know? Her eyelashes were on, and her lipstick, and her head was shaved, but it fit her,” Gravano said.