Real Housewives Ex-Husband Imprisoned After Hiring MOBSTER Hitman

The ex-husband of a Real Housewives star has been imprisoned for seven years after hiring a mobster to assault the new boyfriend of his ex-wife.

And you thought the TV show was dramatic…

At a glance:

  • Thomas Manzo, ex-husband of “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Dina Manzo, was sentenced to seven years in prison for hiring a mobster to assault her boyfriend.
  • Manzo was convicted of conspiracy, falsifying documents, and committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering.
  • Mobster John Perna, who carried out the attack, was sentenced to 2½ years and released in August 2023.

Thomas Manzo, the ex-husband of “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Dina Manzo, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for hiring a member of the Lucchese crime family to assault her then-boyfriend in 2015. Manzo, 59, of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, was convicted in June of multiple charges, including conspiracy, falsifying documents, and committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering. In addition to his prison sentence, Manzo will serve three years of supervised release after his time behind bars.

According to federal prosecutors, Manzo enlisted the help of mobster John Perna to carry out the assault in exchange for hosting a lavish wedding reception for Perna at a restaurant Manzo partially owned in Paterson, New Jersey. The attack occurred in July 2015, with Perna reportedly beating Dina Manzo’s boyfriend, who is now her husband, with a weapon. A month later, Perna’s wedding reception took place as agreed.

Perna, identified as a soldier in the Lucchese crime family, pleaded guilty in 2020 to his role in the attack and was sentenced to 2½ years in prison. He was released in August 2023 after serving his time. The violent crime was seen as part of a broader pattern of racketeering activity linked to the Lucchese crime family.

The case attracted widespread media attention, not only due to its ties to organized crime but also because of Dina Manzo’s celebrity status as a cast member on the popular reality television series. Manzo’s sentencing marks the conclusion of a legal battle that has spanned several years, underscoring the serious consequences of criminal conspiracy and mob-related violence.

U.S. District Judge Susan Wigenton, who presided over the case, delivered the sentence, bringing some closure to a high-profile case that involved both reality TV fame and real-life criminal activity.