Investigation Discovery's I MARRIED A MOBSTER Breaks Code of Silence as The Wives of "Family Members" Share Their Side of the Story

SILVER SPRING, Md., June 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- If after your wedding, Colombo, Luchese, and Franzese are names in your new family, then having in-laws with baggage has a whole new meaning. Investigation Discovery's I MARRIED A MOBSTER provides an insider's perspective into the reality of New York mafia families from the first-person point-of-view of the Mrs. I MARRIED A MOBSTER sits down with women and family members who lived the fast-paced lifestyle on the inside of organized crime.  Each woman shares the wild ride from how her relationship blossomed to the realities of living the high life and her family's eventual downfall as authorities locked up her loved ones, and maybe even her.  Narrated and executive produced by Lorraine Bracco, who starred in both Goodfellas and The Sopranos, I MARRIED A MOBSTER launches on Wednesday, July 13 at 10:30 PM ET with 10 world premiere episodes. The series is paired with the second-season debut of Investigation Discovery's hit series WHO THE (BLEEP) DID I MARRY?

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"I like I MARRIED A MOBSTER because it's so different -- it's the first look at what life inside a mafia family is really like -- the passions, the fears and, yes, even the humor!" said Henry Schleiff, president and general manager of Investigation Discovery.  "Who knew that behind every successful Don was a Donna?"

Episodes descriptions for I MARRIED A MOBSTER include:

Cheryl & Philly: A Love Story

Wednesday, July 13 at 10:30 PM ET

Cheryl and Phil "Philly" Caruso's marriage begins and ends with betrayal. Both young lovers walk away from their fiances to start a lavish life together on Long Island funded by Philly's "printing company." Cheryl thinks she's living an honest life, until Philly gets a court summons. Try as he might to conceal the truth from his wife, Philly is convicted of racketeering and drug dealing, leaving Cheryl shattered, broke, and alone in raising their two daughters.

Rat Trap

Wednesday, July 20 at 10:30 PM ET

At 26, Hollywood party scene regular Denyce Franzese vows to get sober. She finds redemption by working as a counselor at a rehab facility, but her life changes forever when John Franzese walks through the door. John is the junkie son of legendary gangster Sonny Franzese and has relocated to the West Coast to get clean. Denyce opens her heart and home to John, but fears he may relapse when he transforms from clean and sober charmer to manic nightmare. The truth becomes far more sinister, however, when John vanishes in one of the mafia's greatest betrayals.

The Grim Reaper

Wednesday, July 27 at 10:30 PM ET

Linda Schiro, a beautiful Brooklyn teen, finds herself in a love triangle with two made men. Both want her for their own despite each already having a wife, so it's up to the Colombo crime family to name the better man. Greg Scarpa, one of the most feared mafia enforcers, takes home the prize, and as the couple's relationship blossoms, they live a life of romance, danger, mystery, and trust. Greg even reveals his past as a paid FBI informant. Linda becomes a doting wife while surviving a gang war, the loss of a child, and being left alone as her husband's world unravels.

Meet the Famas

Wednesday, August 3 at 10:30 PM ET

After marrying Barbara, a gal from his Brooklyn neighborhood, Joe Fama aspires to get out of his blue-collar gig and into the high-stakes game of organized crime and gambling. Their luck becomes fleeting when Joe begins dealing drugs to cover mounting debts. Barbara and their daughter, Toni, turn a blind eye while enjoying the extravagant lifestyle Joe provides for them, until Toni develops a cocaine habit and Federal Agents make a house call.

Additional episodes yet to be scheduled include:

Daddy's Little Girl

Like her mother Linda Schiro, anyone who crosses Greg Scarpa's darling daughter, "Little" Linda Scarpa, will have to answer to the Grim Reaper himself. A Colombo captain and one of the most feared hit men in modern mafia history, Greg's eye is constantly trained on Linda and anyone who dares to harm her. However, danger does not elude Linda and she is drawn into the crossfire of the Colombo family war. The body count hits close to home as Greg realizes there are forces stronger than a father's love.

Working Mom

Most mafia wives turn a blind eye while enjoying the spoils of their husbands' illicit activities. One Staten Island wife, however, couldn't settle for being a mere accessory. Not only did Andrea Giovino closely follow the risky behavior of her mob husband, John Fogerty, but she literally may have blood on her hands. With the FBI knocking at her door, Andrea must decide whether to give herself up or turn her back on the mafia at risk of death.

Love Hurts

Through Staten Island mob daughters like herself, Love Majewski meets Chris Paciello, a member of the Bonanno crime family, as well as Ray Merolle's "The Untouchables," the car-theft operation that inspired "Gone in 60 Seconds." When Chris grows abusive, Love asks for Ray's protection, becoming at once his personal property and accomplice to theft. Chris moves to Miami, but is eventually arrested for murdering a porn king's wife, while Ray is convicted of more than 100 counts back in Staten Island. This leaves Love to live her life in limbo, trying to date normal guys but never fully escaping the FBI's radar.

No Way Out

Angela Calvacante grew up in Howard Beach, NY, where wise guys and trouble lurk around every corner. Despite relocating to nearby Maspeth to escape her mob ties, she soon falls for Sal, the son of Nick "The Baron" Bonina of the high-ranking Luchese crime family. She can't believe the past has caught up with her, but Sal becomes violent and corners her with an offer she can't refuse: his hand in marriage. When Angela attempts to break free from the family's iron grip, the domestic dispute erupts.

I MARRIED A MOBSTER is produced by Kaufman Films for Investigation Discovery.  At Kaufman Films, Kevin Kaufman, Dan Pearson, Beth Fraikorn Andrea Eisen and Lorraine Bracco are executive producers.  For Investigation Discovery, Pamela Deutsch is executive producer, Sara Kozak is vice president of production and Henry Schleiff is president and general manager.

About Investigation Discovery

Investigation Discovery (ID) is America's leading investigation network and the fastest-growing network in television. As the source for fact-based analytical content and compelling human stories, ID probes factors that challenge our everyday understanding of culture, society and the human condition. ID delivers the highest-quality programming to more than 73 million U.S. households with viewer favorites that include On the Case with Paula Zahn, Disappeared, FBI: Criminal Pursuit and Stolen Voices, Buried Secrets. For more information, please visit InvestigationDiscovery.com, facebook.com/InvestigationDiscovery, or twitter.com/DiscoveryID. Investigation Discovery is part of Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's number one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 180 countries.

Please visit the Press Website at http://press.discovery.com/us/id/ for additional press materials, online screeners, and photography.

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