Although VH1’s Mob Wives has its fair share of critics, there’s no doubt that Angela Raiola, also known as Big Ang, not only added an element of comedy to the show but also was one of the stars who tried to keep the women in line and not at one another’s throats.
Early Thursday morning, Raiola, 55, died at a hospital in Brooklyn, N.Y., after battling stage 4 brain and lung cancer, a friend confirmed via the star’s Twitter account.
“It is with sad regret that we inform you that at 3:01 a.m. Angela Raiola peacefully ended her battle with cancer, and was called home,” the message on Twitter read.
“She was surrounded by nothing but love from her immediate family, and closest friends. YOU, (Her fans) were some of the most special people in the world, and she loved you immensely,” Vinnie Mendugo wrote on Twitter.
During a recent interview on Dr. Oz, Raiola discussed the struggles she had been dealing with since her diagnosis last March.
“One day I was perfectly fine, thinking I had strep throat; the next thing I know I have stage 2 cancer,” Raiola said. “It’s shocking what happened. First I thought I was cancer-free and I was gonna have a big celebration, have a party, and then a month later I [had] stage 4 [cancer].”