Mob Wives alum Drita D’Avanzo was arrested in Staten Island, New York, after police found drugs and weapons in her home, Us Weekly can confirm.
The reality star, 43, and her husband, Lee D’Avanzo, were taken into custody on Thursday, December 19. Authorities uncovered two loaded firearms — a Smith & Wesson 9mm and a Smith & Wesson .38 caliber gun — as well as 120 pills of hydrocodone/acetaminophen, 22 Xanax pills and a large amount of marijuana.
The couple face charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of marijuana, criminal possession of a firearm, criminal possession of drug paraphernalia and acting in a manner injurious to a child.
The New York Police Department acted on the orders of the district attorney, who requested the search warrant.
Drita and Lee, 50, wed in 2000 and are parents of daughters Aleeya and Gizelle. The family appeared on Mob Wives from 2011 to 2016.
The pair have had more than one run-in with the law. Drita was arrested in February 2016 after an altercation with a woman whom she allegedly punched in the face. She was initially charged with misdemeanor assault, but the case was later dropped.
Lee, for his part, spent time in prison for bank robbery. He pleaded guilty in connection to the break-in of a bank vault in 2008. He was already on federal probation at the time for similar allegations.
According to Drita’s Mob Wives bio on VH1’s website, Lee is “the leader of a Bonanno and Colombo crime family farm team.” She raised their daughters while he served his second prison sentence for bank robbery. Lee spent eight years behind bars after being “escorted away by the Feds” during Drita’s first pregnancy.
Staten Island Live, which broke the news of Drita and Lee’s Thursday arrest, reported that community tips and concerns about activities at their home led to the NYPD raid. The duo are reportedly set to be arraigned in criminal court on Friday, December 20.
Mob Wives aired on VH1 from 2011 to 2016. The reality show focused on the lives of women in Staten Island whose family members were connected to the mafia.
