TMZ reports that Ang passed away in a Manhattan hospital, surrounded by love ones.
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Angela Raiola, better known as “Big Ang” on VH1’s reality series “Mob Wives”, died early Thursday morning after losing her battle with stage 4 cancer, according to her Twitter account.
Her rep released a statement saying Ang passed at 3:01 a.m. I love you more than you’ll ever know. She starred in the spin-off “Big Ang” and its retooled version, “Miami Monkey”, although both were short-lived.
Raiola, nicknamed Big Ang for her almost 6-foot height, was a popular cast member on Mob Wives, despite not actually being a “mob wife“.
On Wednesday, rumors swelled that Raiola was near death.
“The news that has been reported is totally inaccurate”, the statement said. “Please respect her family’s privacy at this time as they mourn the loss of such an fantastic woman”. Stephen Spinelli, Raiola’s attorney, said he could not reveal details of her health status but he confirmed that the reality star is now hospitalized.
In March 2015, Raiola underwent a procedure to remove a “lemon-sized” tumor from her throat. “I was gonna have a big celebration … and then a month later I was stage 4”. A cigarette smoker for 40 years, Raiola said she stopped immediately after her first cancer diagnosis last year. She went on: “I been taking care of everything since I been married to him”.
“Ang also admitted she felt her husband Neil Murphy never offered the support she needed during her cancer battle, so they split because she felt like he never stepped up to the plate”.
That same day, someone close to the 55-year-old posted a message on her Twitter explaining her status!
Raiola’s sister, Janine Detore, told local newspaper The Staten Island Advance that Raiola isn’t “doing well”.
Big Ang is survived by her two kids, Raquel and Anthony, and has six grand children.
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Big Ang announced her cancer had returned at the beginning of January when she debuted her newly shorn hair in preparation for more chemotherapy.
