The sister of Mob Wives star Angela “Big Ang” Raiola is speaking out after she was told by her landlord that the large Big Ang mural tribute is to be painted over after some found it to be offensive.
After starting a Change.org petition to save the mural, Janine Detore spoke with TMZ in a video shot in front of the mural. “My landlord came to me and said that there’s people in our community that want to take the mural down because it’s offensive,” Janine reveals. “How could it be offensive?” she asks incredulously. “My sister practically put Staten Island on the map!”
Janine lists some of the charity work that her sister was involved in, including working with children with cancer. “How could this face be offensive?!” she asks, gesturing at Big Ang in the mural. “It’s like losing her again,” Janine says, before pleading with her landlord to let the mural remain.
Here’s the video:
As I mentioned, Janine started a petition to save the mural, which currently has more than 5,000 signatures. Here is Janine’s write up for the petition:
When my sister, Big Ang from Mobwives passed, I decided to have a hand drawn mural of her drawn on the side of my children’s boutique, which is called The Country Mouse and is located on 570 Forest Avenue S.I, NY. Since I don’t own the building, I had to get approval from my landlord and he said it wasn’t a problem so I had it painted.
A year and a half as gone by since my sisters passing and since I’ve had the mural there and the amount of support I gave gotten from it has been overwhelming. I have people coming from England, Texas, Brazil, and Florida just so they can meet me and see the mural on the side of my store.
A few weeks ago, my landlord decided to tell me that the mural is upsetting people and that he’s been getting calls from judges about it and he told me he wanted to paint over it. My sister, Big Ang, has done so much for the Staten Island community between Hurricane Sandy and the charity work she’s done for special needs children. People have no problem coming into my store and asking for donations, which I’m glad to give, but my landlord wants to tell me it’s “upsetting people,” which I think its a lie.
I hope I am able to gain moral support and have a bunch of petitioners sign this campaign so that my sisters mural DOES NOT GET PAINTED OVER! Thank you, Janine Detore.
Mob Wives and Big Ang fans will surely remember the mural from when it was unveiled shortly after Big Ang’s death. Her co-star Drita D’Avanzo even filmed a tribute music video for her song “Big ANGel” in front of it:
Janine’s plea has sparked a bit of a debate online, as many folks are arguing in favor of the landlord — especially in that it is his or her right to do whatever he or she wants to do. Perhaps Janine should launch a GoFundMe page instead and try to raise enough money to buy the building!
Either way, we do love Big Ang and we do love the mural! Keep fighting Janine — you have a lot of folks pulling for you!
