Growing Up Gotti
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Growing Up Gotti | |
|---|---|
| Format | Reality |
| Starring | Victoria Gotti Frank Gotti Agnello Carmine Gotti Agnello John Gotti Agnello |
| Country of origin | USA |
| No. of episodes | 41 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes, including commercials |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | A&E |
| Original run | August 2, 2004 – December 5, 2005 |
| External links | |
| IMDb profile | |
Growing Up Gotti is an American reality television series that appeared on A&E on Mondays at 9:00 PM ET. The life of Victoria Gotti, daughter of late Mafia boss John Gotti, and her three sons with ex-husband and Cosa Nostra capo Carmine Agnello: Carmine Gotti Agnello, John Gotti Agnello, and Frank Gotti Agnello.
Due to declining ratings, A&E cancelled Growing Up Gotti at the end of 2005. At its peak, the show received about 3.2 million viewers, but by the end of its run, episodes averaged just under 1.2 million. Growing Up Gotti was shown on the Australian ABC TV in 2005 for approximately 5-6 weeks, but was taken off the air in a situation similar to its original demise - due to failing ratings. It was repeated over summer 2006-07.
Contents |
[edit] Criticism
A&E faced criticism for this show. Some felt that A&E was showcasing a family living in luxury that was purchased by blood money made by John Gotti. They felt the network was glorifying organized crime. Many have also complained about the foul language used on the show, as well as the dysfunctional relationship between Victoria Gotti and her sons. The Smoking Gun launched a parody of sorts entitled Blowing Up Gotti, which consisted of family visits to John Gotti while he was in prison that prison officials routinely taped.
[edit] Episodes
[edit] Season 1: 2004
| # | Airdate | Title | Overview |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 2, 2004 | Selling The House/Blind Date | Meet Victoria Gotti and her three sons. In an attempt to finally get over "the ghost" of her former marriage, Victoria hires a real estate broker to help her sell the family home. Then she meets with a celebrity matchmaker to set up a blind date, but there's trouble when her sons hear about it and Victoria discovers that her date is...bald. |
| 2 | August 9, 2004 | Mother's Day | Family turmoil ensues when Victoria discovers that her ex-husband has sent Frankie an ATV for his birthday. Frankie wants to drive his new toy wherever he wants, but Victoria is terrified that he'll hurt himself. Victoria continues to get her house ready to sell by hiring Luigi, her ace handyman, to fix up the pool. Frankie surprises his mother with a Mother's Day brunch, but the boys spoil it with a fight. |
| 3 | August 16, 2004 | Manscaping | During a hectic day at the office, Victoria meets a male model named Rob and they exchange phone numbers. Meanwhile, John prepares to get a tattoo memorializing his grandfather. When Victoria confronts him, the two get into a huge argument. |
| 4 | August 23, 2004 | Loons Over Miami | Victoria takes her boys and 10 of their wildest friends on what she hopes will be a week of peace and quiet in Miami. Man, is she wrong. The boys "de-pants" their friends, terrorize their two chaperones, and get into trouble with hotel security. |
| 5 | August 30, 2004 | Grad To Meet You | As her oldest son's graduation and after-party loom in the near future, Victoria's schedule spins out of control, prompting her to look for a new personal assistant. On the day of the soiree, tensions rise, pitting brother against brother, especially when John discovers that someone has "borrowed" his prized hair gel. |
| 6 | September 13, 2004 | Dinner Party Animals | In the hands of Victoria Gotti, a dinner party is no small affair. As the event grows nearer, her frustration reaches a fever pitch, sending two of her helpers into a hilarious frenzy of preparation. Meanwhile, the caretaker, Luigi, attempts to help Frankie set up his new basketball hoop, but only succeeds in destroying his bedroom door. |
| 7 | September 20, 2004 | The Godmother | Following in her father's footsteps, Victoria takes it upon herself to aid an elderly woman who is being troubled by burglars in her Great Neck, Long Island residence. Meanwhile, the boys' poor manners prompt Victoria to enlist the help of an etiquette coach named Hilke. |
| 8 | September 27, 2004 | Paul In The Family | After eating a box of cupcakes, Victoria is stunned to learn that she's gained seven pounds. Meanwhile, she is set up on another blind date by the celebrity matchmaker. To get ready for the big date, she sees a nutritionist, works out with a personal trainer, and gets botox and collagen injections. Meanwhile, the boys cut loose at a nearby water park under the inept supervision of their chaperone, Quack-Quack. |
| 9 | October 4, 2004 | Open House of Pain | In a continued effort to get her estate ready for the market, Victoria hires Luigi, her less-than-capable handyman, to fix the pool. While he and his crew fumble through the process, Victoria rants about the boys' frat-house lifestyles, urging them to clean up their act. Luigi returns, wearing nothing but a revealing bathing suit, to inspect a leak in the pool. The open house finally descends upon the estate, but Victoria avoids the parade of gawkers, instead focusing her attention on Luigi's exorbitant estimate on the cost to repair her pool. When Mona returns to show the property to another couple of prospective buyers, Victoria reconsiders her decision to sell it altogether. |
| 10 | October 18, 2004 | Dress To Kill | As Fashion Week hits New York City, Victoria's publicist tries to convince the boys to get involved in a runway show. Carmine ends up being the only one to walk down the runway, but the results are explosive: girls go crazy for the Gotti kids as they attend a street fair in Brooklyn, and the mob scene escalates to the point where they have to evacuate. When Victoria wears a skimpy dress on the catwalk, the boys let her know how they feel about it. |
| 11 | October 25, 2004 | Upstate Without A Paddle | In an attempt to teach her boys discipline and encourage male bonding, Victoria suggests that her sons go on a camping trip with their Uncle Pete. Though the boys dismiss the idea, Uncle Pete strong-arms them into going with him, while Victoria takes a jet to LA for an appearance on a soap opera in the role of a sexy nurse. The boys are immediately out of their element in the wilderness, but that doesn't stop Pete from urging them to connect with nature. |
| 12 | November 1, 2004 | Oh My Gotti: My Dinner With Peter | Victoria and her brother Peter dine in a swanky Manhattan restaurant and dish about Growing Up Gotti's first season. They banter about life, Luigi, single motherhood and raising those Gotti boys. Also includes highlights from future episodes. |
