Mob Wives Will Return To VH1 On January 1st And Mob Wives: Chicago To Debut In The Spring

They don’t usually set off fireworks for New Year’s Day, but we’re definitely going to see some sparks fly when season two of Mob Wives returns to the airwaves on January 1, 2012. In addition to the confirmation that our four favorite Staten Islanders are back to finish what they started in season two, we’re also going to get a dose of the Windy City when VH1 launches Mob Wives: Chicago in the spring as well.

Also a new member is added to the cast, Ramona Rizzo. The granddaughter of Benjamin “Lefty Guns” Ruggiero has signed on to be a castmember on the second season of Mob Wives. Rizzo, who is a childhood friend of Karen Gravano. The New York Post reports that Rizzo was incredibly close with her grandfather, who was portrayed in the film Donnie Brasco, by Al Pacino. Mob Wives executive producer Jenn Graziano says “Her grandfather is the one person — aside from her father — who’s probably Ramona’s biggest hero…When they were making ['Donnie Brasco'] — and this is Ramona’s personality to a T. She went to the set, called Pacino out of his trailer and said: ‘I understand you’re playing my grandfather. You’ve got a job to do. You need to play him right. This is what he was, and this is what he wasn’t.’”

Graziano also describes the relationship between Gravano and Rizzo, saying “Karen and Ramona grew up together, did their first Communion together and slept over each other’s houses. They’re really close and call each other ‘cousins.’ They’re probably tighter than real blood cousins, but they’re not related.” Get to know Ramona even better by following her on Twitter (@RamonaRizzo888).