'Mafia Wives' to take banal rich people shows to a new level

​VH1 is apparently desperate to get in on the rich housewives reality show craze. But rather than picking a wealthy social circle in a city to follow, the cable channel has chosen a slightly quirkier angle: to follow women who are married to or are the daughters of mobsters.

But unlike The Sopranos, there will be no money laundering, body dumping, or backroom deals. Variety online is reporting that all of the wives and daughters featured on the show are married to men in prison for "mob-related activities." And rather than throwing hundreds of thousands of dollars on birthday parties, families will be struggling to make ends meet, despite their previously affluent status.

Though the premise may sound fresh among the Real Housewives of... programmed lineup, the reality television world has a short memory. We're pretty sure this premise has already been explored on Growing Up Gotti. However, who knows what magic will be caught on film when camera crews show up in mafia homes this March.