VIDEO: Toni Marie Ricci and Michael Bell Collaborate on Groundbreaking Book and Art Phenomenon: SCARS OF A REAL MOB WIFE 

Accompanied by artist Michael Bell, Toni Marie Ricci spoke to What's The 411TV correspondent Barbara Bullard about the genesis of I MARRIED A MOBSTER and her forthcoming book, SCARS OF A REAL MOB WIFE.

The conversation took place at Tene Nicole Marketing and Public Relations' Shopping Night Out to benefit Beating Cancer in Heels.

The television show, I MARRIED A MOBSTER, gave Toni Marie Ricci an opportunity to tell her story about being married for 17 years to someone who lived the mob life in an unfiltered manner. Toni Marie Ricci believes that her upcoming book, SCARS OF A REAL MOB WIFE, will show women that they can move out of bad situations and go forward with their lives.

Michael Bell hopes that the entire process of creating the art to accompany SCARS OF A REAL MOB WIFE was a cathartic process that helped Toni Marie Ricci to release some of the things that she has experienced emotionally.

He sees his seven-portrait series of Toni Marie Ricci's life as groundbreaking, as it has never been done before. The first painting will encapsulate everything and the next six will unfold like chapters in a book.

Michael Bell said, "When you're creating a narrative portrait of someone's life, it's a way of letting that person know that their story matters, it should be immortalized, it should carry on, longer than it might even make headlines in the news."

"These paintings will say what the words in the book will often fail to describe accurately. They will do what words can't say. It's pretty amazing," he added.

SCARS OF A REAL MOB WIFE is expected to be released, along with the art installation, in early 2013.

Shopping Night Out was conceived by Nikkia McClain, Founder and CEO, Tene Nicole Marketing and Public Relations. Shopping Night Out benefits Beating Cancer in Heels, a non-profit organization created by Marlena Ortiz, a 28-year-old breast cancer survivor.