Angela ‘Big Ang’ Raiola Dead At 55: Family Confirms ‘Mob Wives’ Star’s Death After Denying Hoax Report

“Mob Wives” star Angela Raiola, best known as “Big Ang,” died at the age of 55 in the early hours of Thursday after battling stage 4 cancer, Raiola's friend Vinnie Medugno confirmed via the star's Twitter account, on behalf of her family. The confirmation comes just hours after the family denied earlier reports of her death.

The news of Raiola’s death was also confirmed with her family members by TMZ.

On Wednesday, Entertainment Tonight reported about Raiola’s death. However, the family later released a statement contradicting the report.

Raiola was first diagnosed with stage 2 throat cancer in April 2015 after doctors found a tumor the size of a lemon in her throat. She underwent two surgeries to remove it. In October, she found out she was cancer-free, but later discovered that the disease had spread to her right lung and brain, and had also reached stage 4.

Raiola is survived by her two kids, Raquel and Anthony, and has six grandchildren.

Just days before her death, the VH1 reality star talked about her fear of dying, with celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz. “Sometimes I feel like I’m going to be fine and sometimes I just don’t think I am,” she reportedly said. “I can’t make sense of this. One day I was perfectly fine, thinking I had strep throat, then I have stage 2 throat cancer.”