Angela Raiola

June 30, 2025

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

Angela Raiola was born on June 30, 1960, and is one of the most well-known reality T.V. stars in the business. Raiola first became famous when she starred in the reality T.V. series “Mob Wives” from 2012 to 2016. Because of the show, she got two of her own spin-off series, namely “Big Ang” and “Miami Monkey.” Raiola, unfortunately, died in 2016 due to health complications.

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Angela Joyce Raiola

Nickname:

Big Ang

Birth date:

June 30, 1960

Death date:

February 18, 2016 (age 55)

Zodiac Sign:

Cancer

Height:

5' 8"

Net Worth:

$500 thousand

Background

Angela Joyce ‘Big Ang’ Raiola was born on June 30, 1960. She was the niece of Salvatore ‘Sally Dogs’ Lombardi and a caporegime in the Genovese crime family. She was married to Niel Murphy, who she married in 2009, and had two children, Raquel and Anthony (A.J.) Donofrio.

Raiola first became famous as a reality T.V. star when she starred in the reality T.V. series “Mob Wives” from 2012 to 2016. The show documented the lives of women tied to the mafia. This group of women is described as “a sisterhood whose hierarchy is determined by its members’ ability to remain silent about the actions of their husbands, fathers or sons.” This was her big break and because of the show, she got two of her own spin-off series, namely “Big Ang” in 2012, which followed her marriage and life as a bartender, and “Miami Monkey” in 2013. Raiola opened a bar in Staten Island in 2007. The bar is called The Drunken Monkey and her cousin SallyAnn Lombardi was her business partner because of her license. Unfortunately, the bar was shut down due to Raiola’s history as a convicted felon. Her spin-off reality series “Miami Monkey,” which premiered in 2013, revolved around Raiola and Lombardi as they worked to run and grow their business, which was constantly under threat of being shut down.

Unfortunately, Raiola died in 2016 due to health complications. She was a formidable but loveable reality T.V. star and her legacy on VH1 will never be forgotten.

Career timeline

2007

Her Bar

Raiola opens a bar with her cousin on Staten Island.

2012

Her T.V. Debut

Raiola stars in the reality T.V. series “Mob Wives.”

2012

“Big Ang”

Raiola stars in her first spin-off series, “Big Ang.”

2013

“Miami Monkey”

She stars in her second spin-off, “Miami Monkey.”

Why We Love Angela Raiola

She was formidable
Even as Raiola’s health declined in 2016, she continued to appear on “Mob Wives.” She stayed true to herself and her values until her death, and that’s admirable.
She was a fan favorite
While other women on “Mob Wives” would get into heated arguments on-screen and on Twitter, Raiola seemed to stay a fan favorite throughout the show. She added comic relief and common sense to tense situations.
She loved to party
Raiola was very fond of hosting and throwing parties. She even went as far as to invite the entire cast and crew of “Mob Wives” for dinner as an excuse to cook and entertain some guests.

5 Surprising Facts

She was a ‘mob moll’
Raiola was known as a ‘mob moll’ because of her relationship with many male gangsters.
Her nickname
Her nickname, Big Ang, stems from her big personality and her fondness for plastic surgery.
She was a smoker
Raiola admitted to having been a smoker for more than 40 years.
She was a drug dealer
Raiola was a drug dealer for the mafia back in 2001.
The crew loved her
Raiola would often feed the crew of “Mob Wives” and they loved her for that.