BEHIND THE SCENES: Reality TV Mob Wives x The Artful Bachelorette

Fleur teaching the Mob Wives

The one with all the Mob Wives

Kurt and David our Artful Muses with Big Ang from the reality TV show The Mob Wives

The phone rings one afternoon, and it’s a producer from Mob Wives. I’ve never seen the show, but I vaguely know the premise—something about wives of actual mobsters? I’m honestly not sure if it’s a scripted soap or full-blown real life.

So I do what any reality TV novice would do—I call my mate Sophie. She’s a reality TV producer, Aussie like me, and has known me since I was 17. “Should I do it?” I ask. “100% YES,” she says without hesitation. “Massive audience, great production value—and I love the show.” That was good enough for me.

I watch one episode. Then I scribble a big bold note to myself: Read the contract. Add a clause that protects the model and me—no mockery, no humiliation. We can orbit the drama, but we are not signing up to be the drama.

I call the producer back. I’m in.

Next call: Kurt. I ask him to model. “Sure.” Done. Then Kaolin—can we use your incredible West Village house with the indoor pool and the most magical room for a live drawing session? “Of course.” Boom. Then David—our spunky Aussie server. “I’m in.” Game on.

We’re set to film in two days. I’m ready—and then I get food poisoning. Naturally. But I rally. Ginger tea. Rest. Willpower. And we shoot.

And… it was magic.

From the moment I walked in, the crew was incredible. Quiet, professional, respectful. The director even agreed to the clause edits. “Don’t worry,” he said, “this won’t be a drama-heavy episode.” In fact, they told me it was going to be one of the most heartfelt episodes in Mob Wives' six-season run.

Big Ang—what a woman. She had stage 4 throat cancer at the time. Heavy smoker, deep raspy voice, iconic presence. You couldn’t forget her even if you tried. She lit up the room with this mix of strength and sass that was completely unforgettable.

There were three cameramen—silent, stealthy, like SAS soldiers wedged into the corners of the room, capturing it all like ghosts.

Big Ang said afterward: “This was the BEST—it got my mind off my surgery and a naked guy. What’s better than that?” (Mob Wives, VH1)

This episode ended up being the second-to-last of the entire series. A love letter to Big Ang. The whole shoot felt like that. The energy was joyful. Laughter echoed through that beautiful room.

At one point I joked to the ladies, “You’ll notice I don’t hand out erasers—or as we say in Australia, rubbers—so there’ll be no rubbing out today, ladies!” Cue: uproarious laughter. One of the wives chimed in, “Yeah girls, no rubbing out today!” Cheeky.

When I invited Big Ang to meet the model up close, I said gently, “Don’t be afraid to come say hi.” She bellowed, “I AIN’T A-FRAID OF NUFFIN!” And before I could blink, she ripped the towel off the model. I nearly died. Our poor (very handsome) muse turned beet red. I checked in—he gave a big grin and said he was having an absolute blast. True pro.

The only hiccup? One of the wives stormed out when she saw what we were doing—either genuinely shocked or playing it up. The producers reshot the entrance without her and cut the drama, just like they promised.

They called the penis some very creative names—our team was in stitches the entire time.

A few weeks later, Big Ang passed away. It was devastating. She was a real one. A fighter. A mother, a grandmother, an entertainer—and for two hours that afternoon in the West Village, I got to guide her and the other Mob Wives through something joyful, intimate, and artful.

It was one of the most memorable publicity events we’ve ever done. We celebrated Big Ang, and we celebrated friendship. That’s what this is all about.

RIP Big Ang. 

Watch the Artful Bachelorette in action on the reality tv show, Mob Wives

Here are five juicy facts about Mob Wives 

1. It was created by the daughter of a real mobster. The show was created by Jennifer Graziano, whose father, Anthony "The Little Guy" Graziano, was a reputed consigliere of the Bonanno crime family. Yes, this was real life—not just TV drama.

2. It aired on VH1 from 2011 to 2016. Mob Wives ran for 6 seasons and became a cult hit thanks to its raw, unfiltered look at the lives of women connected to the mob world—mostly from Staten Island, NY.

3. The cast had real mafia ties. Many of the women were either married to, daughters of, or closely related to mobsters serving time—or recently released. This gave the show its unique edge and real-life stakes.

4. Fights were frequent—and fiery. The show was infamous for its explosive catfights. Hair-pulling, table-flipping, and verbal warfare were practically a requirement each season. Producers had to constantly step in to calm the chaos.

5. It sparked multiple spin-offs. Thanks to its popularity, Mob Wives spawned spin-offs like Big Ang (RIP to the beloved star) and Mob Wives: Chicago, though the original NYC-based cast remains iconic.