If you spent any time watching Mob Wives back in the day, you remember Hector "Junior" Pagan. He was the guy who broke Renee Graziano’s heart—and then broke the unspoken code of the streets. People still search for hector pagan jr now because the ending of his story wasn't just a reality TV cliffhanger; it was a massive federal investigation that sent shockwaves through the Bonanno crime family.
Honestly, it’s a mess.
He didn't just walk away from the life. He flipped. He wore a wire. He recorded his own father-in-law, the late Anthony "TG" Graziano, discussing a $150,000 extortion plot. Think about that for a second. Imagine wearing a wire while sitting across from your wife's father, knowing that if that little device is found, you’re basically a dead man walking. That's the level of drama we’re talking about here.
The 11-Year Sentence and Where He Went
The big question everyone asks is where is hector pagan jr now? Well, for a long time, the answer was "behind bars." Back in 2014, Junior was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison.
This wasn't just for mob business. It was for the 2010 murder of James Donovan during a robbery in Gravesend, Brooklyn. Junior was the one who pulled the trigger. Even though he was a high-level cooperator for the DEA, the feds couldn't just ignore a body. Judge John Gleeson gave him credit for his cooperation, sure, but he still had to pay for the life he took.
Without that cooperation, he was looking at life. Easily.
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Why His Current Location is a Mystery
Once he finished that sentence, things got quiet. Real quiet. If you’re looking for a current Instagram or a "where are they now" special on VH1, you’re out of luck.
Here is the reality:
- Pagan became a "rat" in the eyes of the underworld.
- He testified against major figures like Vincent "Vinny TV" Badalamenti.
- The government usually hides people like this.
Most experts believe he entered the Witness Protection Program (WITSEC) upon his release. When you turn on the biggest bosses in New York, you don't exactly go back to your old neighborhood in Brooklyn to open a deli. You get a new name, a new social security number, and a new life in a town where nobody knows your face.
The Fallout with Renee Graziano
You can't talk about hector pagan jr now without mentioning Renee. Their relationship was the emotional core of Mob Wives. She spent years defending him, only to find out he was the reason her father was going back to prison.
It destroyed her.
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Renee has been very vocal in recent years—on podcasts like Ian Bick’s Locked In—about the trauma of that betrayal. She’s dealt with addiction, health scares, and the public shame of being "the one who married the rat." While she’s rebuilding her life, Junior has effectively been erased from the public record.
The Cost of the "Junior" Legacy
His son, AJ Pagan, has had to navigate this whole mess in the public eye. Growing up as the son of a famous informant isn't exactly a walk in the park. While Renee is still a public figure, Junior is a ghost.
Some people think he’s out there living a regular life under a different name. Maybe he's a mechanic in the Midwest. Maybe he's selling insurance in Florida. The point of WITSEC is that we don't know.
The Legal Reality in 2026
So, what is the status of hector pagan jr now in the legal system? His federal supervised release would have been the final hurdle after leaving prison. If he’s stayed out of trouble, he’s a free man. But "free" is a relative term when you have a permanent target on your back.
The Bonanno family isn't what it was in the 1970s, but the mafia doesn't exactly have a "forgive and forget" policy for guys who wore wires on the acting boss.
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Misconceptions About His "Deal"
A lot of people think Junior got off easy.
11 years for a murder? That sounds light to most folks.
But the value he provided to the DEA was astronomical. He didn't just give them small-time street dealers; he gave them the keys to the kingdom. He recorded conversations that proved extortion, bookmaking, and internal mob politics.
In the eyes of the law, he was a necessary evil. In the eyes of the street, he’s the ultimate villain.
What You Can Learn from the Hector Pagan Story
If you’re following this story because you’re interested in the "mob life," the takeaway is pretty grim. There are no winners here.
- Trust is non-existent. Junior betrayed his family. His family (the mob) was already a sinking ship.
- The government always wins. They used Junior until they didn't need him anymore, then they put him in a cell for a decade.
- The "Life" has a long tail. Even in 2026, the ripples of what he did in 2011 and 2012 are still affecting Renee, AJ, and the survivors of the people he helped incarcerate.
If you’re looking for updates, keep an eye on Renee Graziano’s social media. She’s the only link left to that world. While she doesn't speak to him, she occasionally drops nuggets of information about how that era of her life ended.
Next Steps:
If you want to understand the full weight of the evidence he provided, look up the 2012 federal indictments against the Bonanno crime family. It details exactly which conversations Pagan recorded and how he managed to take down "Vinny TV" and Anthony Graziano. This gives you the "how" behind the "where he is now."