{{Short description|American reality TV personality (1960–2016)}} {{redirect|Big Ang|the TV series|Big Ang (TV series)}} {{Infobox person | name = Angela Raiola | image = Big Ang 2012.jpg | caption = Raiola in 2012 | birth_name = Angela Joyce Raiola | birth_date = {{Birth date|mf=yes|1960|6|30}} | birth_place = New York City, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|mf=yes|2016|2|18|1960|6|30}} | death_place = New York City, U.S. | other_names = Big Ang | occupation = Television personality | years_active = 2011–2016 | known_for = ''Mob Wives'' | children = 2 | spouse = {{marriage|Neil Murphy|2009|<!--Omitted per Template:Marriage instructions-->}} }}
'''Angela Joyce''' "'''Big Ang'''" '''Raiola''' (June 30, 1960 – February 18, 2016) was an American reality television personality. She was the niece of Salvatore "Sally Dogs" Lombardi (1941–2009), a caporegime ("capo") and drug dealer in the Genovese crime family. Raiola dated gangsters and lived an opulent lifestyle.
Raiola starred in the VH1 reality television series ''Mob Wives'' from its second to sixth and final season in 2016. She was featured in her own spin-off series ''Big Ang'' in 2012 and ''Miami Monkey'' in 2013. At age 55, Raiola died from complications of lung cancer and pneumonia on February 18, 2016.
==Life and career== Raiola was born in Brooklyn, New York.<ref>https://people.com/celebrity/big-ang-dead-inside-her-dramatic-life/</ref> She had two children, Raquel and Anthony (AJ) Donofrio.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://heavy.com/entertainment/2016/02/big-angela-raiola-kids-son-daughter-anthony-donfrio-raquel-children/|title = Big Angela Raiola's Kids: Daughter & Son Raquel and Anthony Donfrio|date =February 17, 2016 |access-date =February 18, 2016 |work=Heavy.com |last=Weigle |first=Lauren }}</ref> She married Neil Murphy in 2009.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}
===2001 arrest=== In May 2001, Raiola was one of fifteen defendants indicted—and later convicted—for their roles in a narcotics operation, which distributed crack cocaine, powdered cocaine, and marijuana in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Federal agents described Raiola as an associate of the drug ring's leader, who was sentenced to nearly thirteen years in prison. She was provided cocaine for "street level distribution," according to an affidavit sworn by a DEA agent and an NYPD detective.<ref name="smokinggun"/> Raiola sold the drug from Brooklyn bars where she worked. The case against Raiola and her codefendants was built with the aid of wiretapped conversations, the work of an undercover NYPD detective posing as a drug trafficker, and a confidential informant (CI) who made cocaine buys at the direction of federal agents. Some targets of the federal investigation were low-level associates of the Colombo crime family.<ref name="smokinggun"/> Raiola was indicted in May 2001 on six felony counts. Along with a conspiracy-to-distribute charge, she was hit with five counts related to separate cocaine sales she made to the CI. At the time of her arrest, Raiola's handbag contained fourteen small plastic bags containing cocaine.<ref name="smokinggun"/>
In March 2003, nearly two years after her arrest, Raiola—who was free on $100,000 bond—pleaded guilty to the indictment's top count. In October 2003, she was sentenced to three years' probation and ordered to spend four months under home confinement. Nine months later, in July 2004, a federal judge issued an order modifying Raiola's probation conditions. She was directed by Judge Sterling Johnson Jr. to enroll in "an outpatient and/or inpatient drug treatment or detoxification program." Court records do not indicate what prompted this order. Of the fifteen defendants indicted in the drug case, nine were sentenced to probation. The other six received prison terms ranging from 33 to 151 months.<ref name="smokinggun">{{Cite web|url = http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/mob-wives-cocaine-dealer-764210 |title= "Mob Wives" Star Once Worked As Cocaine Dealer|date =January 27, 2012 |access-date =February 19, 2016 |author=Staff|work =The Smoking Gun}}</ref>
===The Drunken Monkey=== In 2007, Raiola opened a Staten Island bar, The Drunken Monkey, with her cousin SallyAnn Lombardi who held the license, but the bar was forced to shut down in 2015 due to Raiola's past as a convicted felon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.silive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2015/04/big_ang_on_drunken_monkey_clos.html |title= Big Ang on Drunken Monkey closure: 'I did nothing wrong'|access-date =February 18, 2016 |work=silive.com |last =Steussy |first=Lauren|date=April 27, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/03/after_state_shuts_it_down_big.html|title = After state shuts it down, Big Ang's Drunken Monkey bar issues statement on Facebook|access-date =February 18, 2016 |work=silive.com |last =Annese |first=John M.|date=March 11, 2015}}</ref>
===Reality television=== In 2011, Raiola was filmed in what would become her break into reality television, ''Mob Wives''. She made her debut as a regular cast member in the show's second season, which premiered January 1, 2012. Raiola would remain as a series regular for the remaining duration of the show's run, and while she filmed one reunion episode on February 13, she was on set for only two hours due to her illness.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2016/02/18/big-ang-dragged-herself-off-deathbed-to-do-mob-wives-reunion-episodes/ |title=Big Ang 'dragged herself off deathbed' to do 'Mob Wives' reunion episodes|work=New York Daily News|author=Staff|date=February 18, 2016|access-date=February 19, 2016}}</ref>
==Illness and death== Raiola was first diagnosed with cancer in March 2015, which her doctors said was "positively" caused by smoking cigarettes. Raiola, a smoker of 40 years, quit smoking the day she was diagnosed. She was then told she had a "lemon-sized" tumor in her throat, for which she underwent surgery in June.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Mob Wives: Angela "Big Ang" Raiola Opens up About Throat Cancer |url=https://people.com/tv/mob-wives-angela-big-ang-raiola-opens-up-about-throat-cancer/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241208035314/https://people.com/tv/mob-wives-angela-big-ang-raiola-opens-up-about-throat-cancer/ |archive-date=2024-12-08 |access-date=2026-04-17 |work=People.com |language=en}}</ref> In August she revealed she was diagnosed with lung cancer.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dickens |first=Aaron |date=August 21, 2015 |title="Big Ang" Diagnosed with Lung Cancer |url=https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2015/08/21/-big-ang--diagnosed-with-lung-cancer |access-date=April 17, 2026 |website=ny1.com |language=en}}</ref> By December 2015, Raiola had been declared cancer-free twice, however, by January, Raiola was diagnosed with stage four brain and lung cancer.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Reality Star Angela 'Big Ang' Raiola Has Stage 4 Brain and Lung Cancer |url=https://abcnews.com/Entertainment/reality-star-angela-big-ang-raiola-stage-brain/story?id=36711829 |access-date=April 17, 2026 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref>
Raiola died at 3:01 a.m. on February 18, 2016, at a hospital in New York City, due to excessive complications from the cancer.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/18/entertainment/obit-big-ang-angela-raiola-dies/index.html |title ='Big Ang' Raiola, 'Mob Wives' star, dead at 55 |date = February 18, 2016 |work = CNN |last = Respers France |first = Lisa}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=February 18, 2016 |title='Mob Wives' reality star Angela 'Big Ang' Raiola has died |url=https://abc13.com/post/mob-wives-reality-star-angela-big-ang-raiola-has-died/1205510/ |access-date=April 17, 2026 |website=ABC13 Houston |language=en}}</ref> At the time of her death, she lived in Ward Hill, New York.<ref>https://www.silive.com/news/2022/12/pete-davidson-is-not-the-first-celeb-with-a-staten-island-address-here-are-some-other-famous-borough-homeowners.html</ref><ref>https://www.silive.com/entertainment/2017/02/big_angs_colorful_dream_home_s.html</ref>
Raiola's funeral mass was held on February 22, 2016, at Basilica of Regina Pacis church in Brooklyn, New York, and attended by Mob Wives co-stars Karen Gravano, Drita D'Avanzo, Carla Facciolo and Renee Graziano.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Macatee |first=Rebecca |date=February 22, 2016 |title=Big Ang's Funeral: Mob Wives' Karen Gravano, Drita D'Avanzo, Carla Facciolo & Renee Graziano Pay Respects |url=https://www.eonline.com/news/742236/big-ang-s-funeral-mob-wives-karen-gravano-drita-d-avanzo-carla-facciolo-renee-graziano-pay-respects |access-date=April 17, 2026 |website=E! Online}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=McRady |first=Rachel |date=February 22, 2016 |title=Big Ang Laid to Rest Following Funeral Service Attended by 'Mob Wives' Co-Stars |url=https://www.etonline.com/news/182862_big_ang_laid_to_rest_following_funeral_service_attended_by_mob_wives_co_stars |access-date=April 17, 2026 |website=Entertainment Tonight |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Filmography== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Character ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 2012–2016 | ''Mob Wives'' | Herself | Main cast member (seasons 2–6) |- | 2012–2013 | ''The Wendy Williams Show'' | Herself | Guest |- | 2012 | ''Big Ang'' | Herself | Main cast member |- | rowspan="2" |2013 | ''Miami Monkey'' | Herself | Main cast member |- | ''Scary Movie 5'' | Real Housewife | Feature film |- | 2014 | ''Bethenny'' | Herself | Guest |- | rowspan="5"|2015 | ''The Real'' | Herself | Guest |- | ''Staten Island Summer'' | Herself | Feature film |- | ''Celebrity Wife Swap'' | Herself | Season 4, episode 10 |- | ''Couples Therapy'' | Herself | Main cast member (season 6) |- | ''David Tutera's CELEBrations'' | Herself | Season 8, episode 7 |- | 2016 | ''The Dr. Oz Show'' | Herself | Guest; last television appearance before her death |}
==Bibliography== * ''Bigger Is Better: Real Life Wisdom from the No-Drama Mama''; {{ISBN|1451699603}} (2012)
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|4872625|Angela Raiola}} *[https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/158293272/angela-joyce-raiola Angela Raiola] on Find A Grave
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Raiola Angela}} Category:1960 births Category:2016 deaths Category:Mass media people from Brooklyn Category:21st-century American actresses Category:Actresses from Brooklyn Category:Businesspeople from New York City Category:Genovese crime family Category:American people convicted of drug offenses Category:Deaths from pneumonia in New York (state) Category:Deaths from lung cancer in New York (state) Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:Television personalities from New York City Category:American women television personalities