An Alleged NJ Mobster’s Story is So Crazy, It Sounds Like Reality TV

Buckle up - I'm about to tell you the story about two ex-New Jersey Housewives, their husbands, and an alleged mobster.

You might have heard of the show The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Back in the day, it starred Dina and Caroline Manzo, who are both sisters and sisters-in-law, since they were both married to a pair of brothers at one point. As time went on, Dina left the show, divorced her ex-husband, and moved to California. Caroline remained on the show for a couple of more seasons, and even had a short spin-off with Bravo, before stepping away as well. The two sisters no longer speak.

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Fast forward to 2015 - Dina Manzo's husband (who was her boyfriend at the time), was horribly attacked. Today, People Magazine reported that John Perna, an alleged mobster from Cedar Grove, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for the assault.

Here's the crazy part: the article also notes that Tommy Manzo (aka Dina's ex-husband and Caroline's brother-in-law) is accused of setting up the attack on Cantin. Check out this quote from People below:

Prosecutors previously alleged that Dina's ex-husband, Thomas Manzo, hired Perna back in 2015 to assault Cantin, 41, who was the Real Housewives of New Jersey alum's boyfriend at the time, "in exchange for a deeply discounted wedding reception to be held at Manzo's upscale Passaic County venue.

 

That venue, by the way, is The Brownstone - which was featured on The Real Housewives of New Jersey multiple times during The Manzos run.

Are you still with me? Okay, good, because it's only going to get crazier. Caroline Manzo has written a letter in support of her brother-in-law Tommy. Of course, this has caused an even bigger divide between the two sisters, but Caroline's son Albie recently said they're taking the side of the truth.

One thing is for sure, even though the Manzo sisters are no longer on the Real Housewives of New Jersey, this story and the cast of characters sound like a season of a reality tv show.

H/T: Nicholas Rice, People Magazine & Naledi Ushe, People Magazine