Last week, Mob Wives star Angela “Big Ang” Raiola passed away after battling stage four brain and lung cancer.
As details of Raiola’s final hours began to pour in, we learned that the reality icon died as she lived – surrounded by loved ones, and with no apologies.
Big Ang’s funeral – held today in Brooklyn – was also reflective of her personality, as family and friends honored her final wishes by paying tribute with a disco-themed blowout.
“She would’ve been very happy with the service,” a source close to Big Ang tells Radar Online. “It was a very nice way to remember her life.
“There was an open bar on every floor. And they were passing around sangria as the signature drink.”
Of course, there were somber moments as well, as some who were cut out of Ang’s life were welcomed back into the fold during her final days and permitted to mourn with the rest of her loved ones – while others remained outcasts.
As we reported last week, Ang forgave her estranged husband, Neil Murphy, while she was on her deathbed.
Those in attendance at the funeral say Murphy – who had shown little emotion up to that point – “broke down” during the service.
Raiola didn’t make peace with everyone in her final days, however, as several sources are reporting that fellow Mob Wives stars Karen Gravano and Brittany Fogarty were banned from all memorial services.
One insider explains that both women’s fathers testified against other mobsters in exchange for immunity or lighter sentences.
Raiola – fiercely loyal to her friends and family to the last – reportedly left specified that Gravano and Fogarty be explicitly instructed to stay home.
Clearly, Big Ang stayed true to her cosa nostra code to the end.
