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Wednesday, April 24, 2024 | Back issues
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Big Ang’s Bro Sued by Real Estate Partner

BROOKLYN (CN) - Claiming that the brother of reality television's "Big Ang" isn't pulling his weight in a real estate deal, his business partner wants a judge to let him out.

The lawsuit filed Tuesday in Kings County Supreme Court centers on a 50-50 partnership in Brownstone Real Estate, a Brooklyn brokerage active since 2004.

For the past four years, the company has manned two offices, one in Cobble Hill and the other in the Park Slope, according to the complaint.

Vinny DiMartino says he ran the office in Cobble Hill, while the Park Slope office fell to Stephen Raiola, whose sister Angela stars on VH1's "Mob Wives."

But "sharp differences" erupted, resulting in "division and dissension among Brownstone's agents," according to DiMartino's six-page complaint.

DiMartino counts "at least two legal actions" against the company "as the result of incidents arising out of the actions of agents who were supervised by Mr. Raiola."

Pursuant to a settlement to one of those actions, the company is now being watched by the New York State Attorney General's Office, according to the lawsuit.

DiMartino says company has evolved into two "distinct firms."

"While they do business under a common name, these two offices operate out of different physical facilities, serve different neighborhoods, employ different agents and mange them in a way that reflects the different business cultures and philosophies," the lawsuit states.

DiMartino says he outpaced Raiola in sales and did double the work, but Raiola reaped the benefits.

Raiola also has subjected his partner to potential legal action with a "frat boy" environment at his office that many agents find unprofessional, according to the lawsuit.

They've talked about dissolving the business for over a year, but nothing's happened, according to the complaint.

DiMartino says Raiola has refused to sign any contracts for dissolution that have been drafted.

The two remain "deadlocked" because Raiola wants to hang on to his "status quo so that he can maintain his convenient current arrangement and collect half of the company while petitioner does the majority of the work," according to the complaint.

DiMartino wants out.

Per "Mob Wives" lore, Raiola's uncle, the late Sal "Sally Dogs" Lombardi, was a mob boss for the Genovese family.

"Big Ang" joined the second season of the reality show in 2013.

DiMartino is represented by Manhattan attorney Marc Elliott.

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