'Mob Wives' Brings Attention To Brittany's Family

Brittany Fogarty may be new to Mob Wives, but when she joined the series, some of the other cast members already had ideas about her. Like all of the women on the VH1 reality show, the new star has connections to organized crime, specifically through Brittany's father, John Fogarty, also known as "Big John." And he's not exactly popular among the rest of the Mob Wives cast.

According to The Guadian 's profile of her mother, Andrea Giovano, in 1992 both of Brittany's parents were "indicted on the same charges of conspiring to distribute marijuana and cocaine in the Brooklyn and Staten Island area." In order to protect his wife, Fogarty cooperated with the government and "pleaded guilty to a string of crimes," which included confessing to "an undisclosed number of murders." As a result, Giovano was not convicted and was sent to the Witness Protection Program, while Fogarty served six years in prison before also joining the Witness Protection Program, The Guardian reported.

Brittany's mother is also known for her experience growing up "in the life," as the Mob Wives would say. In The Guardian article, Giovano shared what it was like for her after she realized that her upbringing wasn't the norm. "I've had to learn what normal behavior is. If you're brought up without role models to teach you right from wrong, how are you supposed to have a clue?" she said. Giovano went on to write a book about her experiences, Divorced from the Mob: My Journey from Organized Crime to Independent Woman, which not only dishes gossip about specific Mafiosos, but also why she ultimately decided to leave "the life" behind.

In the above interview with Bikini.com, Brittany explained what it was like growing up as Giovano and Fogarty's crimes came to light, which made for an unconventional childhood. When Giovano entered the Witness Protection Program, Brittany's family moved from Staten Island to Pennsylvania. She claimed in the interview that while people may criticize her father for cooperating with the government, that began with Mob Wives star Karen Gravano's father, Sammy "The Bull," who, according to the NY Daily News, "admitted to 19 murders and helped convict 39 organized crime colleagues." Like Fogarty and Giovano, Sammy Gravano also entered the Witness Protection Program, however, he is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for "running an Ecstasy ring," according to the NY Daily News.

All of this still affects Brittany, as she is trying to fit in on the final season of Mob Wives while coming up against preconceived notions about her family. But if there's one thing Brittany got from her family, it's the ability to stay tough in even the most difficult of circumstances.

Image: VH1