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The Drita Uncut podcast is a long form conversation hosted by Drita, with friends and guests that include actors, politicians, comedians, athletes, scientists and other critical thinkers.
What's up, guys? I have a very special guest today, and I actually got dressed up, like I had a dress and everything, so to look pretty. And Bugsy saw me leaving, you know, Bugsy. Bugsy boy, my toy poodle. And he took a piss on my dress.
Drita:Dress. That was fun, and I was really happy. I was looking at him. I was you know, the visual, I was like, I cursed out a £4.00. Do whatever you want if you don't make that shit.
Drita:I just wanted to share that with you. So I'm so excited, and you're gonna be excited too. And you know who this is. I have a very special guest that's very special to me. I love her very much, and you know her because she had plenty of shows too as big angistice Janine.
Drita:So, Janine, I'm so happy you're here.
Janine:And I'm so happy to be here.
Drita:No. You have no idea. I was so excited.
Janine:I'm so happy that you invited me. Thank you.
Drita:I just want everybody to know that getting her here was a mission. I'm sorry. I have a dentist appointment. I said, what the fuck are you talking about? It's today.
Drita:It's today? It was hilarious. But Janine had to come here because of many reasons. We have to catch up to see what's going on. And and I tried not talking to her too much.
Drita:Right? Yeah. I was trying to be good about it.
Janine:So there's so much to catch up with. My sister's gonna be gone 9 years in February. I've never been in 9 years. Yep.
Drita:In February. God bless us all.
Janine:So I count the days every single day.
Drita:Wow.
Janine:Yeah, it's horrible. I hate it. 9 years. So I don't know if you know, but we are we was oh, 7 brothers and sisters.
Drita:Yeah. Remember she told me That's incredible. I'll tell you, you have an incredible family.
Janine:Thank you.
Drita:I used to tell, like, when the the each one, like, when they were doing the show and they were doing the spin off for Big Edge
Janine:Mhmm.
Drita:I was sitting there like, what are you guys thinking? She has a huge family, beautiful, amazing people, funny, entertaining. That would have been Talented too. That that would have like, me personally, if I was the producer and I was doing a spin off, no question. I would have been like, Inge and her whole family would have been boom on camera.
Drita:There's so many. It's a beautiful big family. You're blessed for having a big family like that, and everyone's so supportive and loving. You know?
Janine:Good. Thank God. You know.
Drita:Thank God is right. But we gotta talk about look what she brought me a gift. I want you to talk about the book and tell me everything. I can't wait
Janine:to read it. So I actually thought that I was losing my mind when my sister passed away because I was convinced that she was gonna live. She kept saying to me a lot of times, and I used to tell her stop because you put you're manifesting it. You're saying it's not much, I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die.
Janine:What am I gonna do? I'm gonna miss my grandchildren. I'm gonna miss my kids. What am I gonna do without you guys? Like, I don't know what to do.
Janine:So I just keep saying that you're not going to because I feel if you if you put something out in the universe, it's gonna come back. 100%, I agree
Drita:with you.
Janine:And and she would not listen to me. What else is known as Angela? She does what she wants.
Drita:When when she used to say that to me, and I'm gonna I used to say the same thing to her. Yeah. She would say it. I would be choked up and I didn't wanna be, you know, make her feel I was like, you gotta look at things positive, but
Janine:Right.
Drita:She was scared.
Janine:She was so scared. So what she did every night was she watched the St. Jude's channel and she would just watch it and call me and say, if they can do it, I can do it. And I said, okay, well, if that's what's helping you, then do it. So when she passed away, a lot of people asked me, like, flowers were ridiculous.
Janine:And everything was so ridiculous. It's just donate. Even if it's $5 to St. Jude, she loves St. Jude.
Drita:I'm gonna cry. I don't wanna cry. I'm gonna cry.
Janine:What happened was when I went to the doctor and I told my doctor that I think I'm going crazy and I needed nothing else, she told me, go home, Get a black and white notebook, a school notebook, and write down your memories because I was so afraid that I was gonna get Alzheimer's that I was gonna forget her and the times that we had. So I did. I went home. I got the black and white notebook and I just started to write And truthfully, it was so healing. Yeah.
Janine:It was. And I have this really good friend that does, you know, she'll edit and everything, so
Drita:Oh, really?
Janine:That's how you did it? All the stories I kept writing.
Drita:It probably made you feel so good to remember the girl.
Janine:And and some stories, you just had to be on the floor, banging your pants. And sometimes you were like Wait. So
Drita:it's kinda like a diary of your life with them?
Janine:With her. This is my this is about before, this is us before.
Drita:Look at this picture.
Janine:That's before, and then this is after. So I don't know if anybody else knows, but I was born on June 28th. Angela was born on June 30th. So I never ever ever had a cake by myself until she passed away. Even I got married to Dominic the second time.
Drita:Did you just say when you married Dominic the second time?
Janine:The second time.
Drita:Okay. So we have to get back to that. Let's finish this road and then get back to that because that's hilarious.
Janine:So when we did it at well, I did it June 24th, and when I did it, I said, you know what? Bring out the 2 cakes for me and my sister. So they came out with the 2 cakes with the big candles, and the big baby blew out my candles. Oh, my candles.
Drita:She did you ever see that bible video of the the little girl that blew out the little candles? I put a voice over on it. I I is
Janine:that hot candles and I'm like so happy. I'm looking around and I'm she's as I'm looking around, she blows the candle out. It's like so crazy how she was, you know.
Drita:Yeah. But I feel like with Mob Wives, like, I don't think anyone really realized how gangster Anne was.
Janine:And soft at the same time.
Drita:A 100%. It's kinda like like me. I'm super sensitive. People don't even really if you watch the show, you will never really know who I am because you always see me aggravated, but people are fighting with me. But I'm nothing like that's the same thing with Ange, but they also don't see that part of Ange turn like gangsta, like, when we were, oh my god that night.
Drita:You called her. So we were in the appearance. We did an appearance together, which was the best. Anything I did with her, we never ever ever, car rides, anything, spoke about the show or the Mob Wives. Like, people used to think I guess because everyone else, the cast would do that.
Drita:Yep. That had that wasn't our relationship or friendship. It was like, well, how do you cook the roast? And what did you tell me to add on it? And blah blah blah blah.
Drita:And then in the car, it was just stories and stories of everything we've been through. I mean, there was one time she made me laugh so hard. This is that I had I thought I was gonna die. I'm not in count. Like, it wasn't I couldn't breathe.
Janine:I know that kind of story.
Drita:Going like this to her, like, please stop Ange. Comedy was on 1,000. She coulda literally had, like, a she coulda been a comedian. I don't those are, like, 2 things. I know everyone knew Ange was funny, but I don't think they really knew to the extent how funny.
Drita:Like, I I I asked to pull over so I could breathe. And because I couldn't breathe, she was laughing so hard and we were the driver was like I
Janine:bet you any amounts of money she had piss in her pants when she
Drita:came home. She was crying. And because I couldn't stop it. And you know what's the craziest part? The story was demented.
Drita:Like, you know, if I shared it with anybody, they'd be like, really? There was the person okay? Did the police come? Was there an ambulance involved? Like, I was laughing, and that's why I think the driver was, like, looking at us, like, okay.
Drita:Like, you're laughing at that. Almost fell off the floor. Andrew was hilarious, but also tough. Like, people don't know how tough she was. Like, she didn't take shit from nobody.
Drita:Everyone's like, oh, yes. She didn't want no problems. Everything was beautiful, fun with her. We never had arguments. It was just great.
Drita:But don't fuck with Anita. Like, nobody really knew that. Like, and Do
Janine:you remember when Renee Fox
Drita:put up? Well, I remember. Well, and she went right. And re she went after Renee.
Janine:Like Chris.
Drita:And I'm gonna tell you something, nobody was holding her.
Janine:Nobody.
Drita:I'm a strong I'm a strong little bastard as I'm small, but I'm strong. And I know what strength is. And I'm telling you, I remember I went home. I said, Leigh, let me tell you something. If she she was so mad.
Drita:So mad. If if she would've got a hold, Renee was fucking finished. I told Renee, you know, like, after. I was like, bro, if she caught you, like, grabbed onto you, you you getting hurt. They couldn't hold her.
Drita:She she was strong as hell.
Janine:I know.
Drita:And she was so mad. And it it, you know, they try to be like, oh, Drita, this I didn't even know why she was. I don't care. I saw her angry. I know I didn't, but I saw her angry and I told her, you know, like, I got you.
Drita:Like, it don't matter. You wanna fucking flip this place upside down. Who do you want me to punch? It was just kinda, like, for her to just be, like, you know, hit this, hit that. That's why the night we went did the appearance, we were having such a good time.
Janine:Mhmm.
Drita:And then you called her.
Janine:And then I called.
Drita:That I
Janine:had to call because I was really nervous at that point. Like, I literally had
Drita:answered. She was all happy, drink she answered the phone. She I look at her whole face change. She's screaming. I couldn't even understand what she was saying.
Drita:She hung up and she looked at me and she was like, tomorrow you break Karen's fucking face. I was like, what? Like, what did you just say?
Janine:I know. It was bad.
Drita:And I got up and I was like, no problem. I mean, that was like a fucking gift for me, but it wasn't like but no. But honestly, that's how mad she was
Janine:So mad.
Drita:At Karen. And Karen came to you in the bar. Right?
Janine:That's what happened. My niece was having her girlfriend's 25th or 26th birthday and Karen was there and she asked me to step outside to talk to her and I was like alright you know I just went And she said to me that my my sister was a rat. And I was like
Drita:But she just went there and said that to you?
Janine:Yeah. I'm like, that's what you're talking about. Like, when my sister got in trouble, I was there. You know, I went to every court appearance. I was there when she had
Drita:And she
Janine:definitely wasn't a rat. I mean, that was a rat.
Drita:She That's that's why she was so angry.
Janine:I said to Karen, she goes, I have the papers to prove it. I said, well, can I see them? And naturally there was no papers. Uh-huh.
Drita:She did that now? I
Janine:said, well, I think I'm gonna have to call my sister, You know?
Drita:And what'd she say?
Janine:She's like, no. That I and her parents. I'm like, no. I'm I'm gonna do whatever I want.
Drita:Why why do that? Why come to you first of all, why insult your sister to you your face?
Janine:And you wanna come to her boss.
Drita:Was it because of the Bravo with Andy when she when they asked her? Because I think it was right after that.
Janine:It could have been. I was so irate about it that I didn't know. I ran to my husband. I'm like, this girl's calling my sister a rat. I gotta call my sister.
Janine:And he was like, what did
Drita:she have? She told me, she goes, after she said break a fucker face, she said, this bitch has called me a rat. She said, I'm gonna get the paperwork from my lawyer and then shove it down her fucking throat.
Janine:She actually did. So she I have it on my Instagram.
Drita:Blake listen. If there's one thing you do not do in the this little world, you never call someone a rat that didn't rat. These people, the, you know, the FBI, which should be the most illegal thing. Actually, Giuliani Giuliani created that shit. So, I mean, I don't know how the laws work, but that's bananas.
Drita:I could do whatever I want. I could fucking do any crime in the world as long as I tell on Janine and then I'm free of my crimes. That's great way to teach you
Janine:It wasn't free though.
Drita:But no. I'm saying that is because if for people that don't understand, that's how it works. So, you know, the one person who is a hardcore criminal could be doing the worst things in the world. Whatever he says is true. It's demented.
Drita:And most of them are usually jealous of the other one who don't wanna go to jail. So usually, it's like, 99% not fucking true. But anyway, Ange never ratted. Ange was legit, and Ang was being called a rat by her co you know, her fucking what does she call? No.
Drita:You know what I call them? Co workers because when I said that, everybody got a little mad, but in truth, that's how I looked Like, they were my coworkers. We're all working on
Janine:this job. To tell you something. She said that to me a few times, you know. Like, because I kept saying don't do it anymore. And she says to me, it's a job.
Janine:I don't even like them. Not about you.
Drita:No. I know.
Janine:But She used to stay dreamer so nice. She used to come to Nocturnal. I met her when she
Drita:was little kids. So young.
Janine:Like, I
Drita:was She said that. We have a big age gap and that was a big difference then. Like, everybody that's older, even with the mom
Janine:bod Like now.
Drita:They were so that 10, 11 years is a big jump. I was only 10. You're 21 in the clubs. You are the older girls. I didn't hang out with you.
Drita:I didn't grow up with you. That's the truth. Andrew's like, what, 15 years older? At this age, no age matters. But at that age, it's a bitch.
Drita:Andrew's like like, there for me. I had a lot of problems during those years in the bars, and she did so much for me. And I I would have been in jail at least, like, at 5 times maybe if it wasn't for Ange. And Anche saved me from, you know and every time, like, I would beat up people or whatever, there was, like, a pool game and they took my money or whatever happened. I end up in a May life.
Drita:So the place was turned upside down and Andrew was like, my baby. Why you like to test me in that?
Janine:It's she was like, I walked in and
Drita:she goes, Junita, just that vase, that I'll be mad about if it breaks.
Janine:She's so funny.
Drita:But she saved me from so much shit. And I remember, like, some, like, gangsta guy was like, who did this? You know? And she's like, a little my little baby, Dreamer. She's tiny.
Drita:She's harmless. Who did this to
Janine:this thing? I'm so harmless.
Drita:Yeah. But she really, like, you know, I I used to watch her, like how respected people don't realize that Ange was so famous before being famous.
Janine:Jeff. Right? So what my my little motto is the show didn't make Big Ang. Big Ang made the show.
Drita:That is the best. That's well, that's the truth. That's the truth.
Janine:Yeah.
Drita:When Ange came on and I I remember as soon as they put her on, I was I told my whole family, This was the smartest decision. They're like, why? I said, you'll just wait. She's gonna make this show. She's gonna skyrock this show's gonna skyrocket.
Drita:And it's it. I believe that's where the, you know, I knew there'd be jealousy because of it and she would blow up and you know, because that's just the way people are and they
Janine:were jealous. Matter where you went, always no matter we could be on getting on an airplane. We could be on a, in a funeral. Oh, I know the guy in that next funeral. Could you get in the funeral that we're supposed to be in?
Janine:Get in here. You know what
Drita:I mean? Yeah. But Ang and Ang I
Janine:didn't know every single body.
Drita:No. She knew everybody. Everyone. One time I'll tell you a funny story. One time I'm in front of the club in Staten Island.
Drita:It was freezing outside. You know you don't wanna go do the cold check, so we literally have little outfits. We have no clothes on. We're standing in the front. A limo pulls up just like the movies.
Drita:Everybody had to wait and usually, we got in right away because we knew the people there, whatever, and the guy goes, well, everybody's gotta wait right now. So one of the girls goes, oh, who's who's in the limo? Is it, like, movie star or whatever? Out comes Ange in the most incredible, because I have an obsession with coats, the most incredible fur coat. Right?
Drita:So she gets out, it's made to the floor, like gangster. She gets out her hair, makeup, nails. And let me tell you something. Nobody did their lips back then. Nobody did what Ange did back then.
Drita:So all the people and it's so funny how everybody was jealous of her or they would talk shit. Everybody did it after the fact, but she was, like, the blueprint. That's right. Sorry. Nobody did it.
Drita:Nope. Nobody. So
Janine:My shit.
Drita:No one had their work done. Ange came out, did whatever she wanted, and and every and then her tits were just that was the one thing I remember when I first met her. I just was in shock
Janine:because I was a kid.
Drita:I couldn't believe it. And you know what?
Janine:Wait. I didn't hear the fuck.
Drita:I sleep on my stomach. So when the second I was introduced, my ex boyfriend was like, this is Big Ang. The second she, like, looked at me, she was like, oh, she goes, you and she would like put a hand on my chin. She's like, you're such a beauty. And I see the I never saw that before.
Drita:I never did. I mean, it was I saw it that's all I looked at, and I Wait a minute.
Janine:Maybe you can see it.
Drita:To her was, how do you sleep? Because I was a stomach sleeper. So I go, how do you sleep? She started laughing, and we were laughing, and that was it. I mean, we from then on, she just was my baby, my baby.
Drita:That's what she called me. And I was the worst. I was a bad baby. But she still didn't matter. It didn't matter.
Drita:Whatever I did, it didn't matter. No. Anybody like Yeah.
Janine:Once she loves
Drita:you. Right. Like That's it. She like it was like she, you know and then what what anyway, back to I'm jumping. Back to when she gets out.
Drita:She gets out with her mink. Everybody's like, who's that? Who's that? And I was like, that's Big Ang. And Big Ang had, like, this guy come out and she goes, that's not what I said.
Drita:Move over there. She was she was the boss of the men that got out of the car, and it was the best thing I ever saw. I'm like, and she's like, oh, my baby's here? You have my baby on the side of you? The guy goes, no.
Drita:We were just letting her in. She was like, Kamo, she was so gangster. I was such a I was so underage to be going. I don't even know how we was there any rules back in the day?
Janine:Was there any rules? She had no rules. How is it
Drita:like the barn never closed? Like was there any laws? I think of my stories and I'm like, were these even real at one point? Like, you know what I mean? When I'm I was talking to one of the producers, like, telling them, like, my life story and things.
Drita:And and I'm telling the story and I'm thinking in my head, no one in the room believes this is real. They think I make shit up. My brother told me that too. He was like, I don't I don't tell stories about you in college. He's like, not because they're demented, it's because they think I'm lying to try to be entertaining.
Drita:So and I get that now. I get that because they're so insane. They are. No. They're insane.
Janine:And and her stories were very insane.
Drita:Like, and and the amount of, like, fights, like, it is just nuts. And who goes to jail? Nobody. Like and Ange said that once on the show that had me rolling. She's like, oh, then you could get stabbed in my nobody's nobody went to jail.
Drita:No there was nothing. It was like a free for all
Janine:of No one said anything. Everybody became blind.
Drita:Right. Like, you couldn't be the rat. Like, nobody wanted to tell on anything. Who you
Janine:are, where you live, they didn't know anything. I'll tell you. I kinda liked it like that, though. I love talking about
Drita:it right now. This is fun. This is like this is making me feel so happy because these are also stories I I can't wait to read your stories. I don't even want you to share them because I want everybody to read it. I really want you to read it.
Drita:And,
Janine:My meatball recipe is in this one. It is? Mhmm.
Drita:Shut the
Janine:I didn't put it in the the Bitchin' in the Kitchen and because, I don't know if I already knows, but we were it was so funny. My husband started it.
Drita:Wait. Well, Bitchin' Kitchen.
Janine:Bitchin' in the Kitchen is my cookbook.
Drita:Is your cookbook. So Yes. And you didn't bring that from
Janine:I forgot it.
Drita:Well, we're gonna have to get that.
Janine:I love this picture. Happened was when Shubble came out and we did the book party. Okay. Okay? Shelley, do you remember Shelley at VH 1?
Drita:My favorite actually, you just said that. She's my favorite person from VH.
Janine:A sweet person.
Drita:Like, the nicest woman ever. And everyone's like, in this field, everyone's like, no.
Janine:She she was wonderful. So she was talking to me during everything, and she was asking me, you know, because she's not a saying, about meatballs, how do you make your meatballs, this, that, and the other thing. I said, why don't you come over to my house, and I'll teach you how to make them? So she says, really? And I said, yeah.
Janine:Just come to my house. So go to the next day, and my sister naturally calls me when she gets up, and she goes, so what do you think? So I said, oh, god. I think it went great. I really like that Shelley lady.
Janine:She's gonna come over. Why Shelley come in your house? I said, well, you teach her how to make meatballs. She goes, alright. Just make sure I'm not filming.
Janine:I said, No. She wants to make me the teacher. She goes, My meatballs are definitely better than yours. And I said, are you fucking crazy? Your meatballs ain't better than mine.
Drita:No. You got
Janine:He was listening to us.
Drita:Serious. Your meatballs are balls are serious.
Janine:So I said she goes, are you nuts? She goes, you know what? I'm gonna I'm gonna come over. We're gonna make meat balls. Her and her and I.
Janine:And we're gonna pick the fans to come and and say, and you're gonna get this, that, and the third. And I'm like, he was on Twitter going, the Riola sisters, they're on fire, meatball, and he was doing all that.
Drita:Oh, you the the the food, the way Ange cooked really, honestly, was out of this world.
Janine:Now Carrie Keegan
Drita:But did you cook just as good as her with every dish or just
Janine:Just as good. Yeah.
Drita:So you guys are just gifted. You were on a show with the meatball, I I watched it. Can't eat it. Because I love cooking.
Janine:With the big morning buzz.
Drita:Yeah. That was the best.
Janine:The night before I make this cute hat with this table on, like, the strainer on it with all these meatballs and, you know, this thing coming out of it was really cute. And I said, let the winner wear the wheatball crown. So we get there, and she's going bigger is better, and I'm going less and more. I'm gonna win. I'm gonna do and we're going back and forth, back and forth.
Janine:So the day before, I said to her, Angela, you know what? I'm gonna make rainbow, some of them now, and then the rest of them, I'm gonna make them tomorrow. So I don't want you to think I'm, like, jabbing you, like, in you, you know, because I know she was busy. She goes, no. Alright.
Janine:I'm just gonna have to make more mind there. I said, alright. Fine. Not a big deal. Well, she comes first of all we got Guy Fieri's Kitchen
Drita:the American Girl. That's sick. Right?
Janine:We had 2 executive chefs, 4 judges and my sister comes in with a fucking loaf of Italian bread, a pound of macaroni, a salad. I'm like, wait a minute. Well, I thought you were busy. She goes, I'm gonna get the whole meal. I said, that sucks.
Drita:She was trying because
Janine:I only have meatballs.
Drita:Having it to you to say you go to queen meatball. She wasn't having it.
Janine:She was not having it. So I said to Carrie, I said, what are you gonna do? Because they're gonna know if they see here, put down all this stuff on her plate, and I have 3 meatballs, 3 3 in the sauce, 3 fried. That's just not fair. They didn't know, you know, and she's popular.
Janine:So Carrie said, don't worry, but we're not not gonna have them in here. We're gonna go out. Didn't go out. I said all right. Okay.
Janine:Here I am. I'm putting my synthetic meatballs and my other 3 pathetic meat and Angela's putting her bread she's got a slice on an angle a salad.
Drita:She making it look good right?
Janine:So we put our plates down for the 2 guys. And they said, we know this originated out of the same kitchen. But this one here is so much better.
Drita:It was mine. Oh, did she get pissed?
Janine:If you see my picture, when we hold we held the $5,000 check because we were able to get
Drita:That, I remember. I remember that.
Janine:My name on it, and she was I was like, oh, so I'm the meatball. Come on. My son. And she was freaking hot, man. Oh, she was mad.
Drita:So wait. So then you won the challenge and you guys donated the $5,000 to a charity? Yeah. That's awesome.
Janine:It was great. Did you
Drita:well, didn't you live in Sheepshead Bay? Dominic. Well, what what happened when you borrowed Dom's car? You were with Ang. You mean I know.
Drita:I don't know. I I I remember there was, like, a really a great story, so I wanna talk about that.
Janine:My sister walked like Daisy Duke shorts all the time and we were dying for Randazzo's. I was pregnant. Was I pregnant? Yeah. I was pregnant.
Janine:When was my dad? I was pregnant. I love Randazzo's. How did you see it? 7.
Janine:We're all sons and 2 daughters. So, anyway, we were dying for it, and she said, alright. I'll go. So she took my minivan and went down to Ships at Bay. So, anyway, she picks up the ship survey.
Janine:We ordered it. All cops pulled her over, and she's like, what? You know? Like, she wasn't doing anything wrong. They really wanted to pull her over to talk to her, but then they ran something, like a VIN number, and it was a tag, job, car.
Janine:I'm driving fucking kids around in this, so I don't know.
Drita:Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. The cops pulled her over the kitchen and stuff and probably just look it up and maybe we're gonna tell her.
Drita:It's alright.
Janine:Yeah. They wanna probably meet her.
Drita:That is
Janine:hilarious.
Drita:Do Ange know? No.
Janine:None of us know. Only Dominic know. But I'm not even my kids are out in this car. Now she calls me from the police station, and then it's around the corner from my house.
Drita:Wait. Wait. Wait. She got arrested?
Janine:Nah. She got in trouble. No. So now she
Drita:to the police. She goes
Janine:to the police arrest me. Who's the car? He says, oh, it's my brother in law's car, my sister around the corner. Don't go there. I'll arrest me.
Janine:She's telling them. So she calls me and she goes, I'm around the corner and this is what are you doing in the police station now? Where's the food? She goes, it's with me. She said, but they wanna arrest Dominic.
Janine:I said, for what? She goes, the car the minivan's a tag job. Wish I had to ask for the tag job was because I had no freaking idea. Then I said, you're making me ride around with a car like this with my kids in it? Right?
Janine:That's number 2. So, Nancy, Angela
Drita:Hold on. These are the type of stories that are hilarious, and that's why the driver was like, that's funny. We were on the floor to I didn't remember this whole story but That's what I said. Angela, let
Janine:Dominic go. So she goes, oh, no. My sister will kill me. I can't go. Please keep me.
Janine:Keep me. I don't wanna go home. Because she knows I would've went crazy. Right. You know?
Janine:But he said, Janine, I have to go. It's my car. Aw. You know?
Drita:That's how she got up?
Janine:So she he went around the corner. They arrested him, and then she came home. She's back to flight to come home. I said, what did you do that they stopped you? She goes, I didn't do nothing.
Janine:I said, those it's so fucking shorts you got on. I said, that's what it is.
Drita:Yeah. Daisy too. So They
Janine:just wanna meet her.
Drita:Like I said, you know, some people are just born with that presence and Ange had it. That's it. There's nothing you know, you can't you have to have that or you don't have it and that's it. It's an unexplainable thing. You know, when she pulled up in front of the club, it's just people thought someone famous came.
Drita:Well, she was. Right. Right. Everybody knew Big Ang. When peep people don't understand everybody.
Drita:And it wasn't like Staten Island. I'm talking Everywhere. Everywhere. Every borough. Every borough, restaurants, Everywhere.
Drita:Florida. When you can. You know, like, even, like, people don't understand, like, in this lifestyle, you're just walking in. You're treated like you're famous.
Janine:That's right.
Drita:They, you know, they you know, first, you've got the tables. You're treated extra special. It's a it's a different, like, feeling. So, like, everybody that would
Janine:watch the show Right?
Drita:Well yeah. And that and it's comfortable. I mean, there's demented things that end up happening, but I feel like you get used to it. That's the thing. Getting used to things that I feel like a normal person.
Drita:I'm not saying I'm not normal, but as like a normal life, meaning no violence, they don't, you know, see anything crazy or hear crazy stories. I know thing all the things I've been through, they've been, like, seeing 40 doctors probably. Because, like, a lot of times, like, I would tell a story, like, now even doing a book or doing the show and diving deep into my life, there's things I never ever repeated or thought of in 20 years, Janine. I got so it is like I'm
Janine:It's healing. Right?
Drita:It is healing, but at the same time, I I get anxiety, and then there's things that are too much and too deep, and I'm like, I I just completely learned how to block. I know that people, doctors talk about it, talk about it. I think opposite. For me, what works is it does, it's gone. It doesn't exist.
Drita:Just like an ex boyfriend, you, you know, like, or a friend. Someone fucks me over. I it's like my brain mentally visits your grave and you jerk you're just non existent. So you don't irritate me because you don't you're not alive
Janine:I guess it's pretty good to be like
Drita:that, though. My I tell my daughters that, like, they they're like, how do you do that? Like, I don't think everybody's capable of doing that, and it's probably not the best advice because I'm not a doctor. But I will tell you, it it is a great beautiful thing. Why relive something that's making you stress and cry?
Drita:Why? Talk it. Let it out. Why? What am I letting out?
Drita:Mhmm. For what? Why do I wanna talk about that?
Janine:I cry a lot, though.
Drita:Because you rethink things that are I cry a lot of it. That's my point. Now if I'm a I'm a doctor and you're on my chat Mhmm. And I say to you, that's what happened to you? Don't ever think of that again.
Drita:I mean, I'd probably make no money then. Right? So it boils down to how do I make money from you? Let's discuss it. You need to let it out.
Drita:And every week you're crying because you're fucking reliving a horrendous thing and you're going to leave sad and you're going to need to see me again. I would never make money as a doctor. I would tell you that does not exist anymore. Do not relive it. Do not rethink.
Drita:Why are you crying? Why are you thinking about it? You know, oh, they tell me, like, and I listen, I've been through it. I've been through it. Anybody sits on a chance, has this happened to them?
Drita:I'll be like, Alright. Check, check, check, check. I don't even think there's something I didn't that didn't happen to me. I I feel like I lived from my age, I feel like I lived 2, 3 lives already. It's it's really messed up.
Drita:I mean, thank God I'm I do the block block out.
Janine:I understand.
Drita:You understand? Like, when one of the producers is like, I can't believe you went through that. I'm like, not only did I go through that, I never discussed it again. A, I would never ever, you know, say anything that could put anybody or get anyone in trouble. And B, if it was hurtful to me, I do I I'm not gonna rethink it.
Drita:Once I feel like it's coming or I think about it, boom, gone. Like someone breaks your heart.
Janine:It's good.
Drita:You're gonna cry. They're gone. You're gonna keep crying over and reliving that we fucking ran on the beach like 2 dicks and and and and torn balloons in the air so I could be in shambles with snot bubbles. For what? I have to replace you.
Drita:You died. You're not alive. You don't exist. I guess that's good. That's how I My
Janine:like, my mother's gone 36 years.
Drita:I have to ask you something. Your mom died the same age as Big Edge?
Janine:The same month? The same
Drita:Or I have age? No. I'm gonna tell you why. I'm asking you before you say anything.
Janine:Okay. Go ahead.
Drita:You say something. A conversation I had with Anne, when in my house. She came over. We weren't filming, and she sat. I'm gonna be sad because it was, like, you know, when she was sick, it was hard.
Drita:But we were on campus, so I don't know whatever. And I was, you know, trying to be real positive. So, she had said to me before she found out she was sick, she said to me, you know what's crazy? And the only reason why she brought up your mom is because she said, you live right now when my mom, when I visit my mom, your mom was buried?
Janine:By Angelus. Mhmm.
Drita:By Angelus. So she said, you know, my mom died, so young. She goes my age. So I look at her and I was like, no way. And she's telling me everything.
Drita:She was very, you know, it was an emotional conversation. But then she says to me, that scares me. That's weird. Like, this that's like me dying this year. That was when she said that to me, that was maybe a month before she found out that she had cancer.
Drita:She said that to me.
Janine:My mom just hit the floor and had a brain aneurysm.
Drita:That's what she told me. Oh my god. So wanna hear what's something
Janine:that's so weird. It's also in the book. But, Angela died at 55. June, she would have been 56. In February 18, 2016, my mom died February 8th.
Janine:Gonna be
Drita:say bumped too. Right? Mhmm.
Janine:And Angela was born June 30th. My mother was born June 21st. So I calculated all the the days. So my my my mother lived 20,320 days, and then Angela lived 20,321 days. So I'm right in the middle of both of them, on the 28th June.
Janine:So I thought that when I was 55, that was it for me. Actually, Donna You
Drita:don't think like that anymore. Right? I had a long conversation with you
Janine:about I used to call them, and my psychic used to call me and say, you have to stop calling them. I didn't even speak to her. She didn't even know she would be calling me, and she said, you gotta stop calling them, because they'll come for you. Don't call them. You have to stop.
Janine:Oh, I believe in that. So she I stopped. You know me.
Drita:I'm very spiritual. That's why I had that conversation with Andrea. I said that has to go away from your brain and your thoughts. You cannot say that. Don't even say
Janine:it out loud. You could not stop saying it.
Drita:I know. And I used to, like, literally fight with her and be like, please stop saying that. Don't talk like that. Who is the doctor? God?
Drita:Don't fucking let a doctor tell you shit. Doctor never told her that. No. I'm not saying he did. It's it's okay.
Drita:So this is this is crazy. In there's this I don't remember. I'm not gonna say exactly which country it is, but the doctors there give you a choice on telling you if you're gonna die, you have cancer, you could die in 6 months. They did it with 1 guy, and the guy told them if I have something that's because he knew he was sick. That's really, like, I could die soon?
Drita:I don't wanna know. I don't wanna know. I don't. I will sign papers. I don't wanna know.
Drita:They were like no. And there's no wars really. It's a kinda like a not a third world country but it's not like here. So the doctor was like, alright. Over here, that'd be illegal.
Drita:You're fine. Do you know how many years he lived?
Janine:Probably
Drita:long. 14 fucking years not knowing that he was on his deathbed over there. Why did that happen?
Janine:I think because you manifest it.
Drita:You manifest it and your brain Yeah. Is thinking of you first of all, being nervous and and and scared and anxiety. Mhmm. They say, oh, it brings illness. Of course it brings illness.
Drita:Everything else starts to not work. I went to. Listen. I I could preach all day long. I I literally had a nervous breakdown the second time, Lee went to jail.
Drita:I was very sick, very sick. See, now we could go back to me saying I block out everything, but when I was blocking out my stress, I did it to the point where I just made believe nothing was wrong. I got sick like that too.
Janine:Did you really?
Drita:Yeah. Because I will when the second time I I couldn't see my daughters. When I didn't have when I was pregnant, nobody realizes. I was only 3 weeks married, like, 1 month pregnant. Lee got six and a half years.
Drita:So we weren't even like, it was the beginning. It was the beautiful honeymoon stage. It was amazing. We were so happy. We were so in love.
Drita:We just finished the house. I'm having a baby. 3 weeks after our marriage, I have 5,000,000 cops, FBI, raiding the home, taking him from me. I'm I'm young. I look at my daughter now at her age.
Drita:I was only what was I? 23? I I I'm young, and I lost everything that day in one second. Him going away 6a half year, no bail. They give Jeffrey Dahmer bail.
Drita:Bleeding a bail. No bail. So his words to me, and I'll never forget it because when the FBI was raiding the house, you know, I was I was dreaming. You know, I'm a dreamer. I was dreaming something was wrong, and I kept saying, is everything okay?
Drita:You know? Long story short, when they raided the house, he got up. I have FBI agents literally strapped. It looked like they're in the army, right, Coming through windows, breaking down doors. He went in the bathroom.
Drita:This was crazy. He was washing his hands. He's OCD. Washing his face. There is people storming in the house.
Drita:I'm pregnant. I'm looking at him in the bathroom and I know, like, I got real emotional tears that come into my eyes. And I'm not saying anything. I'm just looking at them. I know they couldn't come up any second.
Drita:And he goes, don't worry, my love. I'll get there. I'll be right I'll be right now. I'll take care of everything. Don't stress.
Drita:They're like, yeah. Well, they come flying in. But he was, like, brushing his teeth, washing his face. I was like, what the fuck? I mean, the way he was handling it kinda made me not scream a bug because I was just like, I think that, you know, his energy was just so calm, which is crazy.
Drita:But I don't know how anyone could be that. He was like, what makes him think I gotta brush my teeth, wash my hands. I'm not gonna be able to probably do that for some time. Like, you know what I mean? But so that whole time, I kept thinking, okay.
Drita:He's gonna get bail.
Janine:I need it.
Drita:So right. And he'll take care of everything.
Janine:But he's never gotten it?
Drita:No bail. It's, like, unheard of. I I remember. I think I passed out when I was sitting there, and then they they said, like, that many years and I I I go to my head. I was at the beginning of my pregnancy and I'm thinking, this baby's not even gonna meet him till she's in kindergarten.
Drita:That sounded like a lifetime Why? And you have to remember, like, at that time, like, you know, at all time with my parents, my father, mister straight laced legit was, you know. So there's so much to what I have been through. That's why doing the show or the scripted series, like, when I look at my own character sitting on the outside Mhmm. Looking in, and I was in such a different kitchen, different world, the the parents, everything.
Drita:I understand like when I do Moblives, these girls that they they were born in it. It's different.
Janine:It is different. It's very different.
Drita:Like in a way, I look at myself, and I'm like, what an asshole. Like, you chose to be in this? I mean, really. Like, they were born in it, and I but I was young, and I I was so used to it. I was just so used to it.
Janine:So what did you do? You had Aaliyah alone?
Drita:I had Aaliyah alone, and I had at that moment, I had to sell, like, a $1,000,000 house. I had bought a condo, shredded, ripped it apart, redid it. I had this, like By yourself. I had to do that but move back in my my mom's. So picture my my dad just he just tried to have a conversation with me like this guy might these 2 things, dead or jail.
Drita:Like, you you know, you have soccer scholarships. You have everything going for you. What are you thinking? It it it, you know, it was so hurtful. It was it's hard.
Drita:It was hard for my parents. Now I'm a parent, I'm like, my god. My poor parents, you know. I was so good in school.
Janine:I was never a soccer star.
Drita:Of that. Every every Sunday I was in the newspaper how Drita eats sleep soccer. So it was just so it it it is sad because then I look and then but they they were there for me if it wasn't for my family. That's why having a big family is beautiful, but having a good family, it doesn't matter if it's 3 or a 100. Yeah.
Drita:The ones that love you
Janine:and they're
Drita:there for you 100%. Because without my mother and my father, oh my god, I would have been fucking screwed. Yeah. I mean, he got 6a half years. That's not chump change.
Janine:And he went to state or federal?
Drita:He went to federal and
Janine:So they move can move him anywhere.
Drita:Yeah. They can move him anywhere. But going on jail visits wasn't even, like, weird to me. My ex boyfriend was in jail. I went to visit him.
Drita:It was just that long time, you know.
Janine:My brothers went to jail for a while, so I spent I just had a newborn. My third son was born, on December 9th, and we went to spend Christmas in jail with one of my brothers.
Drita:Right. So you know what? People are so judgmental, or they'll be like I
Janine:wouldn't care. No. I I didn't care anymore. It was like, you know, my Did you
Drita:ever go to MDC?
Janine:I never went to MDC. The whole thing. No. I wouldn't go there.
Drita:Well, I had I had a fight with the guard in MDC.
Janine:Mm-mm.
Drita:I had a fight with her. Like, she was such a motherfucker. I don't know what it was with me. She just hated my guts, and they want me to let me in. We waited in ice weather.
Drita:Leah was a baby. She loved her dad. Can't wait to see him. Aw. And I I went in the front of the line.
Drita:I said, if I wait for the hour, is it okay that she's wearing a hood? She's 3 years old. I know hoods on our lap. Yeah. It's fine.
Drita:I waited an hour and 40 minutes, got to the front. She was like, nah. You can't come in. We were frozen. She was like, you can't come in.
Drita:I'm not even kidding. I I went crazy. Why did you do that? Oh, no. It gets worse.
Drita:Another guard comes down and she was like, you could, go inside. And she looked at her and she was like, why do you always give people problems? We go inside, she's inside. Aaliyah was running around and Aaliyah went and opened where she was standing, like, the gate, and she yelled something like, get your fucking hand off. She didn't finish the sentence.
Drita:She didn't finish the sentence. I came flying. I jumped out of my seat. I just called her out. I said get out behind that counter.
Drita:I'm gonna fuck you up. You ain't even a real cop. I'm beating your face in right in front of everybody. I was like, wait. I didn't give a fuck.
Drita:He just saw it. And now I'm calling on She just
Janine:saw it.
Drita:Yeah. I swear to God. Now I'm screaming and I don't I don't look, you know, I'm angry. I am red. Veins are all over.
Drita:Spit is coming out, I transformed. Everybody in the visiting room was just like, what just happened? I was sitting there like with a bun prior to it, I was like, so I call her out. I'm screaming come out. She don't come around.
Drita:I said, you know 1 on 1, I'm gonna break your fucking face. You you abused me on the front. I said, now you think you're abusing my kid. I said, so now I'm gonna ask you a question. I said, what are you doing, banging my husband?
Janine:What I was going? She goes,
Drita:I don't even know who he is. I said, shut the fuck up. Every time she would talk, I said, you're not allowed to talk. I said, you wanna talk, you have to fight.
Janine:Now I'm the god.
Drita:Now yeah. I was going crazy. No, Jenny, I was going crazy. Then then, Aaliyah's sitting there with her. She had, like, little chips and she's she's, like, literally, like, you shouldn't curse at me.
Drita:And all of a sudden, the warden comes. The warden fucking who has the warden? Only me. My cousin went on visits to visit a husband for years. She goes, none of this shit happens to me.
Drita:I go in the back and the warden's like, how are you? I was like, I am fucking pissed. I said, I didn't do a crime. I'm being treated like a crim if you treat me like this, how how do you treat the inmates?
Janine:Oh my god.
Drita:I said, this bitch got a problem on me. If she wants to fight me, we should just fight. And he goes, alright. You can't do that. And I said, well, but it's okay.
Drita:She abuses me? I said, that shit ain't happening either. I said, I wanna know something funky's going on over here with these guards. I said, because she got some she got a problem with me and I wanna know what it is now. I said, and you ain't kicking me out of here.
Drita:I waited in the freezing weather and I went on and on and on. He knew I was just not happy.
Janine:Which you gave me. And he just looked
Drita:at me and he goes, you didn't have to finish. He's like, I honestly am gonna let you stay. I said, I'm not staying in the room with her. He goes, I'm gonna make her go in the front. It was when she was leaving, he goes, you go in the front, everybody in the visiting room is
Janine:clapping.
Drita:But the best part is Lee is waiting because they have to wait in a spot for their visit. And someone was like, yo, there's some crazy he's like, some crazy bitch just calling out so and so whatever. And we're like, does she have red hair? It was funny. I love problems, Injeda.
Drita:I had another fist fight. I'll tell you another time. Rikers brawled. Melee brawled bloodbath on the side of the road. Fucking disaster.
Drita:I mean, I don't know why everybody. People just bother me. I don't talk to anybody. I sit on the bus. I stare at the floor.
Drita:I'm like, don't talk to me. Don't I swear to God. A lot of those. Janine, I think in my me. Don't I swear to God.
Drita:A lot of those. Janine, I think in my head just ignore me. Ignore me. Don't talk to me because of my temper and I know I'm gonna fight if they bother me. And I don't look at anybody.
Drita:I'm like, just leave me alone and then all of a sudden, it's just it's kinda like my whole life was like that. I don't want to fight. I don't want a problem. I just want like people think, oh, why do you have so many fights? You like it?
Drita:Yeah. I like coming home from a visit with a ice pack on my fucking head. I'm limping. My mother's like, on the visit, Rita? Why don't they police over that?
Drita:That's embarrassing. My head's all in not cracking me up. Bro, it's crazy. And and that doesn't happen to no one else. And Lee's in jail and they're like, well, it was a bad fight.
Drita:And Rikers is
Janine:I've never been.
Drita:They say
Janine:they should
Drita:shut it down. I had a fist fight in there. I was very I'm a visitor and I had a Wow. No. It was vicious.
Drita:It
Janine:was crazy.
Drita:Everybody was crazy. I think the security the the guys that worked there were fucking drug dealers. The the whole thing I mean, allegedly I don't know am I supposed to say that, but, it was demented. Rikers Island was demented. That that whole story, I'll save for another time for you.
Drita:But You're coming back because you have to bring me a cookbook. Absolutely. So I want everyone to check out the book, Angela, my system, my friend, our big journey by Janine. I think that you are going to love it. I cannot wait to thank you for bringing it to me.
Drita:I can't wait to read it. I'm gonna actually have it right here right now. That's what I was holding on to it like someone was gonna steal it from me. What is this?
Janine:So, this is the Staten Island Advance, and it was February 23, 2006 edition that she was in when she passed. She was also I wanted to show you this. This is People Magazine. You know, they do it once a year. It's like a flip magazine.
Janine:People we lost.
Drita:Business?
Janine:Yeah. Wow. So I wanted to show you that. This. I never saw this one.
Janine:A lot of people I saw. A lot of people don't know, like, a lot of things. I literally have a chest
Drita:Look at this.
Janine:How close Tremendously. Huge. At we're all hustle
Drita:in it.
Janine:And I wanna one day give it to one of her grandchildren because I don't want her legacy to just disappear.
Drita:She can never never ever disappear. I think of her all the time. I talk to I literally talk to every time I'm cooking, but she's taught me, I was like, I wanna master steak. And then, like, then we would talk about ingredients and all. It's so funny, all the drama that went on in the show and me and her talking about, no.
Drita:You gotta season it this way. Like, these girls were going ape shit and me and her are talking about how to season a steak or what you do.
Janine:You and her were
Drita:It's a different friendship. It was a friendship. It wasn't a coworker. A girl. I know I grew up with her.
Drita:That's it. I grew up with her. Like, really
Janine:I don't think they could be anybody's friends. Yeah. It's me. No. They're just not friendly people.
Drita:I mean, you know what? I only met Carla once before the show.
Janine:That's it?
Drita:Once. We'll talk about that another time. The the first time I met Carla, we'll talk about that when you come back with your cook But, the meatball the meatball, recipes inside Yeah. That's that's great.
Janine:A lot of people thought it was in the cookbook.
Drita:I like that you put it in there.
Janine:Yeah. So but because it was our story.
Drita:And what about this?
Janine:These are the things I bought her and I never knew she saved these things, but she did. Oh. So she was very sentimental. Also, I had tattoo today she died, my sister, my friend. But in actuality, if you see the card that she gave me for my birthday 1 year.
Drita:There's a special person on whom I depend to know me and love me, my sister, my friend. Is that where you got that from?
Janine:No. No way. That's what I wanted to tell you. I I had this forever, and I didn't touch anything for months.
Drita:She even underlined. She underlined because she
Janine:never could like write me a whole letter. I can't believe it says that. Okay. Now read this out. That's incredible.
Drita:Happy birthday to someone I like having for a friend. So you you love having for a sister. That's cute.
Janine:Yep. I'll love So now these. Right?
Drita:She put Angela and Louie? She's so funny. And Louie the dog Louie or Louie?
Janine:Louie is the dog. No. I love her. So these 2 I wanted to show you because I wanted to have her handwriting on my body. Okay?
Janine:So I have it here. Right? Oh my gosh. So, the tattoo artist, she said to me, you know, she made a mistake. She said, love you every much, but she erased it.
Janine:Here, she didn't erase it. So she said, let me just take this out. So I I said absolutely not.
Drita:Yeah. No. That's great.
Janine:My sister.
Drita:That's great.
Janine:But she would call me up and say, how do you spell it again? She couldn't call me for my cards, so she would mess my cards up. I wanted to show you that.
Drita:I would I would pay anything to see Ange in school.
Janine:She didn't for what?
Drita:No. I know. I would have loved to seen her in a classroom. Can you picture big Ange sitting in a classroom? Oh, priceless.
Janine:Big Ange's big Ange when she was 13. That's how big she was back then.
Drita:Well, I'm so happy you came. I love you.
Janine:And I'm so happy to be here.
Drita:And you know what? You're gonna come next time. We'll share more we'll share more stories because the stories never end and, with the cookbook. But check out Janine's book
Janine:when she came to And I will bring the meatballs next time. But I'll see.
Drita:Maybe I'll maybe I'll challenge you to meatballs. I'm gonna lose. It's just for fun. It's just we can taste it. We'll have the crew taste it, and it doesn't matter if I lose because I'm gonna be like, how'd you oh, wait a minute.
Drita:I might not lose. You wanna have the recipe? Yeah. We can't even do that anymore. She shared the secret.
Drita:I'm sure she has something under her sleeve. There's some shit she didn't put in there. Don't even give me that shit. There's something that she's like, I ain't telling them about that because then mine won't be the best. But, anyway, thank you, guys.
Drita:I will see you next time.
Janine:Love you. Thank you. Love you.