In the months since Big Ang passed away after a battle with stage 4 lung and brain cancer, multiple public figures have been accused of falsely claiming close ties with the Mob Wives star.
Everyone from social media firebrand Tila Tequila to recently-fired Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Yolanda Foster has denied allegations of exploiting the death of Big Ang for their own gain.
Now, Ang’s widower, Neil Murphy, finds himself the latest to be accused of cashing in on her legacy.
Murphy recently announced plans to pay tribute to Ang with a memorial concert and dance party in Staten Island.
“It was Angela’s husband Neil’s idea,” said Ang’s lawyer, Stephen Spinelli, in a recent interview.
Spinelli also stated that 100% of the proceeds from the sale of $30 admission tickets would be donated to drug abuse prevention and LGBTQ advocacy charities.
However, Ang’s sister, Janine Detore, believes that Murphy and Spinelli are secretly planning to cash in on the event.
“Don’t you think it’s odd though that a lawyer and estranged husband is doing this?” Detore tells Radar of Online.
“I doubt my niece [Ang’s daughter, Raquel] thought of this. She’s grieving so much, poor thing.”
Detore says she believes that the event, scheduled for July 16, is taking place "too soon" after Ang’s passing.
She also claims that Murphy does not seem to be as devastated by Raiola’s passing as the rest of the family:
“We are so heart broken some days I can’t even function,” she said. “My life has changed drastically and Neil to me seems fine.”
In fairness to Murphy, the fact that he’s not wearing his grief on his sleeve doesn’t mean he’s not in mourning.
Though he and Ang experienced marital troubles in the months leading up to her illness, several sources have confirmed that they were no longer estranged at the time of her death.
Neither Murphy nor Spinelli has responded to Detore’s accusations, but Spinelli has reiterated that the intention of the event is to "raise a lot of money" for Ang’s favorite charities.