​Gabrielle Brzoza, known professionally as Gabby Raye, has been singing for as long as she can remember. "I started singing before I could speak," the 24-year-old Coventry native recalls with a laugh. "I was in the backseat of the car, didn't know how to read yet, and my mom said, 'Listen—that girl's hitting some notes back there.'"
It wasn't long before Gabby's family recognized her gift. Her grandmother bought her a karaoke machine, and though Gabby couldn't yet read the lyrics on the screen, she was determined to learn every word by heart. "The first song I ever learned was Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri," she says. "That song is very special to me."
From Coventry's Got Talent to the Big Apple
Gabby's early performances hinted at the performer she would become. At just 14 years old, she won Coventry's Got Talent—a milestone she still looks back on fondly, even with a memorable hiccup along the way. "I was singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow and messed up a quarter of the way through. I just asked if we could start over." They did, and she nailed it.
In the years since, Gabby has built her experience performing with Jerry Bennett and the Sultans, a collective of musicians she describes as her second family. "The amount of talent in this group is insane," she says. "Many of the people I work with have been on America's Got Talent and The Voice. A few of them are signed." Through the group, Gabby has performed up and down the East Coast, recently taking the stage in New York City—and she's heading to Greece next week to sing at a private wedding.
She landed the opportunity through a chance connection. A friend of her brother's father heard her sing at a Halloween party and offered to introduce her to the group. At 19, she auditioned in Boston, performing Call Me Maybe, Dreams by Fleetwood Mac, and, in a move that may have sealed the deal, Chris Stapleton's Tennessee Whiskey. "I asked if I could sing it even though it was on the guys' list," she says, grinning. "I think that helped."
Songwriting Born From Life Experience
Though Gabby has been singing her whole life, songwriting came later—and with it, a new depth to her artistry. "My mom always told me I needed to know what the song was about when I sang it," she explains. "I used to copy Adele's voice to hit the notes, but that didn't help with the passion behind why I was singing them."
It wasn't until her early twenties, after navigating a few heartbreaks and the emotional complexities of growing up, that she felt ready to put pen to paper. "I needed an outlet," she says simply. When she began sharing her songs with friends, the response was unanimous: these need to be heard.
Now, four years after writing her first song, Gabby has released her debut single, Figure It Out, available on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube—complete with an official music video. She already has 8 to 10 more songs written and is working toward a full album.
A Family of Mechanics With a Singing Daughter
Despite her undeniable talent, Gabby admits her gift is something of a mystery, even to her. "I grew up in a family of mechanics—incredibly talented people—but I don't have a mechanical bone in my body," she says. "I have no idea where the singing talent came from."
Wherever it came from, it's here to stay. With a debut single making its way onto playlists, a music video freshly released, an album in the works, and a potential performance at the PVD Festival on the horizon, Gabby Raye is just getting started.
You can follow Gabby's journey on Instagram at @gabby.rayee and stream Figure It Out now on Spotify and Apple Music.

​For families dreaming of adoption, the process can feel overwhelming—a maze of paperwork, home studies, and difficult decisions. But for Janelle "JC" Roussel, founder of Rhode to Adoption, guiding families through that maze is more than a career. It's a calling.
Rhode to Adoption is one of only three or four licensed private adoption agencies in Rhode Island, serving hopeful parents across the state. Unlike Adoption Rhode Island—a state-funded agency that facilitates foster-to-adopt placements for older children and sibling groups—Rhode to Adoption specializes in infant adoption. The agency is also fully inclusive, welcoming couples, individuals, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
The Home Study: More Education Than Evaluation
At the heart of the adoption process is the home study—a requirement for every family pursuing adoption, whether domestically or internationally. Roussel is quick to put nervous families at ease.
"There's no escaping the home study," she says with a laugh. "But it really should be viewed as an educational process."
The home study consists of three to four interviews designed to get to know the family, educate them about adoption, and ultimately approve them as adoptive parents. It also involves collecting key documents—birth and marriage certificates, financial records, health forms, and references—a process that typically takes two to four months.
Roussel, who has worked in the adoption field for nearly 30 years, says she has only ever said "not now" to three families in her entire career—and never a flat-out "no."
"These families are usually in a really good place," she explains. "Many have experienced infertility, so they've already navigated some loss. I'm very mindful of how vulnerable they are."
The agency also conducts thorough background checks, including state, DCYF (child protective services), and national fingerprint checks, to ensure the safety of every child placed.
Open Adoption: The Research-Backed Approach
When it comes to open adoption—where adoptive families maintain some form of contact with birth parents—Roussel is a firm advocate.
"The children I've seen thrive are those who grow up knowing they were adopted and have as much information as possible about their biological parents," she says.
Fear, she acknowledges, is the most common reason adoptive parents shy away from open adoption arrangements. They worry about the child's loyalty or the possibility of the adoption being contested. But Roussel says those fears are largely unfounded.
"You hear about those situations because they're so unusual. They make the news precisely because they're rare."
In her experience, many adoptive families develop meaningful, respectful relationships with birth parents over time. She recalls one birth mother who attended the wedding of the daughter she had placed for adoption years earlier.
Roussel also stresses the importance of being honest with children about their adoption from day one. "If you're uncomfortable talking about it, they're going to be uncomfortable with it," she says. "Get used to the conversation when they're a baby. By the time they're two or three, it's just part of the family story."
The consequences of keeping adoption a secret, she warns, can be significant. Children who discover later in life that they were adopted are rarely upset about the adoption itself. "They're upset because you lied to them for 20 years," Roussel says plainly.
An Unlikely Path to Adoption Work
Roussel's journey to founding Rhode to Adoption is, by her own admission, an unlikely one. She holds a master's degree in criminal justice from Salve Regina University, earned a black belt, and once tested for positions with the FBI, Marshalls, and DEA.
A hiring freeze redirected her path. She found herself in human services—running a substance abuse facility, managing a boys' home—before receiving an unexpected call about an opening as an adoption manager.
"I didn't know anything about adoption," she admits. "But they trained me. They sent me all over the country."
She fell in love with the work and spent years building expertise across multiple agencies before deciding to strike out on her own. Rhode to Adoption opened just a year and a half ago, and Roussel says it was the best professional decision she's ever made.
"I wish I had done it 10 years ago, honestly."
A Book for Every Family
In addition to running the agency, Roussel recently published a children's book called The Band Family—a story designed to help parents and caregivers talk to children about adoption from an early age. Rather than the typical animal characters found in most adoption books, Roussel drew on her background as a professional drummer and musician, centering the story around musical instruments.
Crucially, the characters in the book have no assigned genders, reflecting Roussel's belief that every family looks different. There are two pages of thoughtful conversation starters—tools for parents, therapists, and teachers to open meaningful discussions with children about their feelings around belonging, identity, and family.
The Band Family is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
A Resource for Anyone Considering Adoption
For families who aren't sure where to start, Roussel emphasizes that Rhode to Adoption is happy to simply talk—at no cost.
"Call, text, email—whatever works for you. Getting information so you can make a mindful decision is the whole point."
Roughly 20% of the families she speaks with are ultimately better suited for foster-to-adopt programs through Adoption Rhode Island, and she actively helps connect them with that pathway. "We're not competitors," she says. "We both want the same thing—to place children in loving homes."
For more information about Rhode to Adoption's services, or to get in touch with JC Roussel, visit www.rhodetoadoption.com.

​Alan Gordon, a Republican candidate for Rhode Island Attorney General, is positioning himself as an outsider ready to shake up one of the state's most powerful legal offices. In a recent interview with the Rhode Island Wave, Gordon laid out an ambitious platform centered on legal reform, energy innovation, and what he describes as a pattern of corruption in the current administration.
Gordon, who grew up in Pennsylvania before relocating to Rhode Island in 2014, holds a law degree from the University of Buckingham in England—a top-five-ranked institution at the time—and passed all 12 England and Wales bar exams on his first attempt. Though his legal practice has been largely limited to private ecclesiastical law, he argues that his courtroom experience fighting charges brought by the sitting attorney general more than qualifies him for the role.
"If defeating the sitting attorney general in court without a lawyer qualifies one for the office, then I qualify," Gordon said.
That legal battle, he explains, stems from his 2018 independent run against current Attorney General Peter Nerona. Gordon alleges that he and his campaign manager, Anne Armstrong, were subjected to politically motivated raids and charges—including a fentanyl kingpin statute he claims expressly excludes cannabis—none of which resulted in convictions. He confirmed that the final aspect of that case was dismissed, expunged, and sealed against Armstrong the very morning of the interview.
Gordon says witnessing what he calls corruption in the attorney general's office firsthand is precisely what drove him to run. "I saw corruption in that office that I realized had to be going on in other people's cases—people who aren't so well-spoken or well-trained and aren't so able to stick up for themselves," he said. "Running means I'm going to stand up for those people."
Streamlining the Legal Process
One of Gordon's most substantive policy proposals involves redirecting how Rhode Island handles constitutional challenges to federal laws and executive orders. He criticizes the current attorney general for spending significant time and state resources filing lawsuits in district courts that inevitably wind their way to the Supreme Court anyway.
Gordon argues that under Article 3, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, states can bring cases directly to the Supreme Court—bypassing the district court and appellate process entirely. "We're going to save the taxpayers years of legal uncertainty and millions of dollars, and devote those legal resources where they should be: fighting crime," he said.
He also proposed a novel approach to representing the full spectrum of Rhode Island residents in federal cases, suggesting collaboration with law schools or civil liberties organizations like the ACLU to present both sides of contentious legal arguments to the court.
Energy and Innovation
Beyond legal reform, Gordon raised several unconventional energy proposals. He has pledged to take a tough stance on the Public Utilities Commission amid growing frustration over skyrocketing electricity and distribution costs in the state.
More unusually, Gordon claims that the Rhode Island State House dome was designed by the same architect as Nikola Tesla's Wardenclyffe Tower and may have the capacity to generate geomagnetic power. He says he plans to assemble a team of electrical engineers to investigate the structure and, if viable, attempt to harness it as a power source.
Gordon also referenced a bioengineered algae technology he says was patented by college students and later acquired by private energy interests. He intends to pursue the patent's release to the public—potentially through eminent domain—so Rhode Islanders could produce their own home heating fuel.
Additionally, he discussed the possibility of reverse-engineering a so-called "Havana Syndrome" device, reportedly acquired by the Pentagon, into a medical healing tool—a project he says Armstrong and her team are prepared to lead.
The Race Ahead
Gordon faces no Republican primary opponent and will go up against Democratic candidate Keith Hoffman in November. He noted that Hoffman recently received a campaign contribution from former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, a detail Gordon views as evidence that his candidacy is being taken seriously by the other side.
For Rhode Islanders curious about his platform, Gordon's campaign website is AlanGordonRI.com.

​Jennifer Graziano, the creator and executive producer behind the hit reality series Mob Wives, is bringing her latest project—an immersive theater show called Married by the Mob—to Rhode Island this September. The show is set to take place on September 20th at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet in Cranston, with doors opening at 3 p.m.
"New England, specifically Rhode Island and Boston, are all of our new favorite cities," Graziano said in an exclusive interview with the Rhode Island Wave. "We're so excited to come there and show you guys what we have."
The show, which debuted earlier this year, sold out its first three consecutive nights. Graziano describes it as a fully immersive experience that blends the drama and flair of reality television with the intimacy of live theater. "Everyone in the audience is part of the family, part of the wedding," she explained. "Anyone who wants to join—they're up on their feet, they're dancing, they're eating. You really feel like you're at an over-the-top, crazy mob Italian family wedding."
From Reality TV to the Stage
Graziano, who created and produced Mob Wives for six seasons starting in 2010, said the show grew out of fan demand for new content while the network reboot remains in development. "We've had such demand from fans wanting something," she said. "I wanted to give them something in the meanwhile."
Drawing inspiration from immersive dinner theater experiences like Tony and Tina's Wedding, Graziano merged the confessional-style format of reality TV with live theatrical performance. The result is a show that feels, as she puts it, "like an episode of reality TV happening all around you."
Starring in the production is Renee Graziano, Jennifer's sister and a fan-favorite cast member from Mob Wives. Joining her is internet personality and Italian-American entertainer Kristin Falcone (@thathairdressakristin), known for her popular variety show in which she portrays a range of colorful characters.
Dinner, Drama, and a Few Surprises
Attendees can expect more than just a show—the event includes a full Italian-style dinner, dancing, and plenty of audience participation. "There's food, dinner, dancing, drama, reality TV, and a family feud going on," Graziano said. "You get to take sides on which family you want to be on."
Rhode Island locals will also have reason to pay close attention to the guest list. Graziano confirmed that aunties of the Rhode Island Housewives cast will be making guest appearances, with the possibility of additional surprise guests yet to be announced.
"When we go into a certain market, we want to get celebrities or influencers from that city to come play an official role in the play, be in the audience, and really make it feel like home," Graziano explained.
A Premium Experience
While the format shares some DNA with traditional dinner theater, Graziano is quick to point out that Married by the Mob aims higher. "It's got meat on its bones," she said. "There's a love story, there's a family story within it. It feels a little more premium than your typical murder mystery—you're really getting a story and a play." The cast is largely made up of theater-trained actors, rounded out by a mix of celebrities and influencers.
The Rhode Island show runs approximately two and a half hours, with a meet-and-greet available prior to the 3 p.m. start time. Ticket holders will receive details about meet-and-greet timing in their confirmation email.
For Graziano, Rhode Island is just one stop on a rapidly expanding tour. Upcoming shows are also scheduled in Hudson Valley and New Jersey, with Florida and Las Vegas already on the horizon. "Vegas is calling already," she said, "so that's exciting."
Tickets for the September 20th Rhode Island show are available now at marriedbythemob.com.


What: Married by the Mob – Immersive Theater Experience
When: Sunday, September 20th, 3:00 p.m. (meet-and-greet prior)
Where: Rhodes on the Pawtuxet, Cranston, Rhode Island
Tickets: marriedbythemob.com