Philly's new 'Mob Wives' star gets real

WHEN YOU HEAR that a rapper needs to do community service, what do you do?

If you're Natalie Didonato, you call him up and ask to help out.

South Philly's Didonato, the newest cast member on VH1's "Mob Wives," recruited rapper Meek Mill to help out in her own charitable offerings.

"We delivered 10 bikes to kids around the city and we did a weekly feed-the-homeless event," she said about working Mill.

Didonato gets her "Mob" title from her cousin Frankie D'Alfonso, a/k/a Frankie Flowers, who was gunned down on a South Philly street corner in 1985.

Didonato's mission as Philly's newest reality star is to put her charities at the forefront. The Realtor (she works with the Condo Shop) and music manager (with her company Puro) has worked with Women Against Abuse and Toys for Tots.

"A lot of people, when they become stars or are in the limelight, just try to put attention on themselves," she said. "It's all great and financially amazing, but I still want to stay grounded and I want to stay true to who I am."

But how do you stay true to yourself when producers want fireworks?

"Nat D. is on the show, but I'm a woman of many different personalities," Didonato said. "The show is 100 percent real. It's not scripted. The producers will give you some story lines, like they'll tell you something right before the camera is on, but what you see is what you get with me."

Especially when that comes to her rivalry with fellow Philadelphia mob wife Natalie Guercio, who Didonato says she has "problems with."

"She's hurt some of my friends," Didonato told me.

Didonato is not wasting time making the scene in Philly. Today she'll be on WIP to discuss a possible Wing Bowl role with Angelo Cataldi and tomorrow she will judge ring-girl competition for celebrity-boxing impresario Damon Feldman's company at Central Park (650 Baltimore Pike, Springfield, Delco).

"You always have haters and people who want to see you do bad," Didonato said, "but I have a lot of people pulling me in the right direction."

Actress Rosario Dawson will be in town Tuesday at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (3680 Walnut St.) to headline the University of Pennsylvania's MLK lecture series. Joining Dawson are her partners in Studio One Eighty Nine, Tiffany Persons and Abrima Erwiah. Studio One Eighty Nine is a collective of artists seeking to promote African and African-inspired work through their online store, their in-house agency and a fashion collection.

Dawson has spent time in Philly before, starring in the Philly-shot "Explicit Ills," directed by local actor Mark Webber (the son of homeless advocate and former Green Party vice-presidential candidate Cheri Honkala), also starring the Roots' Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Paul Dano.

"Broad City," starring Wayne's own Abbi Jacobson and produced by Amy Poehler, was renewed for a third season by Comedy Central before the second season even premiered (it hit your TV last night at 10:30, by the way). "Broad City" follows Jacobson and BFF Ilana Glazer as they surreally make their way through being twentysomethings in New York. Co-starring on the show is comedian Hannibal Buress, who reminded an audience at Chinatown's Trocadero Theatre that Bill Cosby had been accused of sexual assault, setting off the firestorm that has rightfully marred Cosby's legacy.

Boxer Bernard Hopkins will celebrate his 50th birthday on Monday at Parx Casino (2999 Street Road, Bensalem), starting at 6:30 p.m. Joe Conklin will intro The Alien, who will then make some remarks. Attendees also will get to see the official weigh-in for Tuesday Night Boxing, featuring Philadelphia featherweight Eric Hunter vs. Rene Alvarado.

Philly's own Walt Reeder Jr., founder and CEO of Big Bloc Entertainment, will be honored for his 15 years in the biz at this Sunday's All-Stars of Hip-Hop concert featuring Public Enemy, KRS-ONE, Naughty by Nature, Big Daddy Kane, MC Lyte and Special Ed at Boardwalk Hall.

Reeder, a booking agent, has repped the likes of Frankie Beverly & Maze, Ne-Yo, Public Enemy and Fantasia.

On Twitter: @PhillyGossipDN

Online: ph.ly/DNGossip