Ex-husband of 'RHONJ' star convicted of hiring mobster to assault ex's boyfriend
The ex-husband of "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Dina Cantin, formerly Dina Manzo, was convicted by a jury Tuesday of planning an assault on his ex-wife's then-boyfriend in exchange for a free wedding reception, the Justice Department announced.
Thomas Manzo, 59, was convicted of three separate felonies, including racketeering offenses, following a two-and-a-half-week trial in Newark.
Manzo was found to have hired John Perna to assault the then-boyfriend-now-husband of his ex-wife, Dina Cantin, in 2015. Perna was convicted of the assault in 2021.
Manzo later hosted a lavish wedding reception for free at his catering hall, The Brownstone, in Paterson, New Jersey, after the attack was carried out on July 18, 2015, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey.
When law enforcement began investigating the incident, Manzo concealed and falsified documents in response to a grand jury subpoena, the jury found.
According to court records, Manzo had been "upset" about his ex-wife's new relationship and wanted the attack to "leave a permanent facial scar."
"The facts and circumstances in this case read like something from a bad TV crime drama, but the evidence and testimony presented in court prove it was reality," FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge Jim Dennehy said in a statement. "We truly hope the victims in this investigation are able to move on with their lives and forget about Manzo and his criminal mafia bedfellows.”
Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 15.
Manzo faces a maximum sentence of 20 years on each of the three felony counts: one count of committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity, one count of conspiracy to commit a violent crime in aid of racketeering resulting in serious bodily injury, and one count of falsifying and concealing documents related to a federal investigation.
Manzo and Cantin were married in 2007 at the same venue, and their wedding was featured on the VH1 series "My Big Fat Fabulous Wedding." Cantin starred on "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" from 2009 to 2010, and again in 2014. The pair separated in 2012 and finalized their divorce in 2016. Cantin married her current husband, David Cantin, in 2017.
The 2015 assault is unrelated to a 2017 burglary that involved Cantin and her then-fiance.
In 2021, Perna was sentenced to two years in federal prison for the assault, per the United States Attorney's Office District of New Jersey. He was also ordered to pay $17,816 in restitution.
