That's a completely different topic. What you learned in your course is only dispelling the myth that organized crime = Italians.

Regarding this topic, the scholars who acknowledge the existence of organized crime (not all do) tend to acknowledge that Italian organized crime has a distinct culture from other organized crime groupings. This culture is essentially Italian/Italian-America culture, but it takes on a stigma and exaggeration when it is associated with organized crime.

This is why it is offensive that in many movies and shows the Italians are playing organized crime roles or are loosely associated with it. People who don't know any better associate Italians/Italian culture with organized crime, period, because of this media saturation. I think the promoters on RH of NJ knew that when they did the commercials and preview show. They wanted to spark viewer curiosity.

I was using it in support of stereotyping these people as being Italian and living in New Jersey, and therefore being connected, as wrong since it isn't true (sorry if I didn't make that clear) that connected people are like this, or people like this are connected. In essence that it doesn't work both ways. I'm not saying there aren't people out there like this, but it isn't the current trend in Organized Crime.

I find former USSR (aka Russian) Organized Crime rings fascinating as they are quite prolific on the west coast.

Dirty confession, I considered reading the book about Danielle's ex, to the point I looked it up on WorldCat.

You're blurring the topic, but I think the main point has been made.

less camera time on Lexi, please. thanks.

Theresa's kids are annoying as hell. Screaming at the dinner table and saying "no...nooooo..." when the mother tells them to close their ears. Ugh.

What's the kid's name who was doing the photoshoot? Yeah...she's a bitch.

Milania is the name of Theresa's (the housewife I think you're referring to) youngest daughter. She's so cute but a brat. The kid's name that was doing the photoshoot is Gia and yes I totally agree she's a bitch! lol. I wonder how they'll behave once they're teenagers.

They might become annoying and uncontrollable teenagers.

Jacqueline's daughter, Ashley? Yeah, she was being a major bitch at the photo shoot. If she wants to be a model/actress, she should learn to respect the photographer, and she should be thankful that her mom gave her that opportunity in the first place.

I'm happy for Theresa getting her new "bubbies"; she didn't go overboard with them.

DrPhil, you can take the "might" outta that. those kids are destined for brattiness:rolleyes:
and Ashley, i hope she has another dream in mind 'cause modeling isn't it. no one wants to work w/that attitude plus she wouldn't go far on ANTM. her personality is so unbecoming, it makes her less attractive...

Danielle knew it was a bad idea to bring the book to the table which is why I think she did it...she has no tact, or class. I think that the other children (Lexi and Danielle's kids, basically) should have been told to leave the room because they really shouldn't have been exposed to what all was going on. Money definitely doesn't buy class.

Those children shouldn't have been exposed to it at all! Why didn't the mothers stop and leave? Why didn't the men say something? What is wrong with all of them? Fighting over a book that has nothing to do with any of my business? I don't think so...

DING DING DING!

As i watched, i was so shocked that the men didn't quell things earlier.

Y'all are forgetting this is TV. Every season ends with a big dinner/party, etc where things are hashed out. The producers probably wouldn't have liked it if anyone tried to stop the fighting.

Either Jacqueline's or Caroline's daughter said something along the lines of "wait I wana see this!". Theresa tried to stop Danielle because she wanted her kids out of the room but Danielle kept going until someone put their foot down and I don't remember who it was that took the kids. Lexi and Danielle's should have been out but from everything that Danielle talks to her kids about, I'm not surprised she didn't ask them to leave.

Theresa is a bad ass. I love her. I love Caroline too cuz she just laid it out there and was calm as hell. I loved the "thick as thieves" comment. I could totally hear one of my family members saying that.

I've been thinking about it and there's no way this family is mafia. No Mafioso in their right mind would put their family and business out on display like that.