Tony D’Angelo Says ‘The Don Of NXT’ Character Was His Idea, Did Not Choose Members Of D’Angelo Family

Insight into the creation of ‘The Don.’

Up until Tony D’Angelo’s return to WWE NXT in December 2025, he had been known as ‘The Don of NXT,’ during which he portrayed a mob boss character.

D’Angelo spoke about the origins of that character while on No-Contest Wrestling and stated that it was his idea to bring it to television.

“Well, to me, it wasn’t that hard, because it’s a part of who I am. I’m Italian. We have Sunday dinners and that was just my life for a while — well, forever really but… people, I’ve heard ‘em go, ‘I can’t believe they gave him that gimmick’ and blah, blah, blah and I was like, ‘Well, it was actually my idea,’” he laughed. “It was a pretty easy transition. I wasn’t out of my realm at all.”

As for the D’Angelo Family, which the final form included Tony D’Angelo, Adrianna Rizzo, Luca Crusifino, and Channing ‘Stacks’ Lorenzo, Tony D stated that he did not choose who would be in The Family.

“That was kind of not on me. But, I didn’t have a problem with the people I worked with.”

D’Angelo is back as a singles talent with a new character and presentation. He is heading into an NXT Championship bout at the Stand & Deliver Premium Live Event. He’ll be in a Fatal 4-Way with Ricky Saints, Ethan Page, and the champion Joe Hendry.

If the quotes in this article are used, please credit No-Contest Wrestling with an H/T to Fightful for the transcriptions.