The Gorgas came to The Real Housewives of New Jersey during the third season of the show. With Joe Gorga‘s sister Teresa Giudice as their entryway onto the reality show, Melissa Gorga was soon on display as one of the franchise’s stars. But over the course of the fourteen seasons of the show, the family feud between the Gorgas and Teresa took center stage. But who’s to blame? If you’re Team Tre, it’s most definitely the Gorgas. For some fans, and Teresa, the Gorgas are the villains of this story. If you believe Teresa, they’re the ones who sent her to prison.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey has been a Bravo staple since 2009. With fourteen seasons completed, The Real Housewives of New Jersey has shined a light on the lavish lives of women in the Garden State. Though Season 14 ended with a whimper, The Real Housewives of New Jersey has a lot of history to retell as the future of the program hangs in the balance.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey follows the dramatic lives of a group of affluent women living in the Garden State. Centered around family, friendship, and fierce rivalries, the series delves into their personal and professional endeavors. With lavish lifestyles as the backdrop, the show captures intense confrontations, heartfelt moments, and the complexities of balancing relationships and social expectations.
Family First and Family Last on ‘RHONJ’
The first family of The Real Housewives of New Jersey began with the Manzos. For the first two seasons, the focus was on the beauty and dysfunction of Caroline Manzo, Dina Manzo, and Jacqueline Laurita. As their story quickly shifted to something no longer salvageable, the show introduced Teresa’s family into the fold. It was her sister-in-law Melissa and her brother Joe, alongside her cousin Kathy Wakile. In hopes of bringing in a new dynamic and energy to the show, Bravo instead got one of the longest-running family dramas that rivaled a Tennessee Williams play. It was heightened. And it was dark. With years and years of emotional turmoil and whiplash, viewers had a front-row seat to a crumbling family that never deserved to be thrust on the screens. The Real Housewives of New Jersey may have been a catalyst to the overall outcome, but there were always seeds of jealousy and animosity looming.
When Joe and Melissa arrived on the show, it wasn’t anything shocking or surprising to have another part of the family. As mentioned, the big Italian family was already established. Yet their presence opened up testing wounds and a new side of Teresa. The once affable side character to the A plot soon became the central figure in the action. And for fourteen seasons, she remained there. Whether she brought them on or they were invited on their own, Melissa and Joe’s presence on the show always irked Teresa. It was a sour spot for her, and something she would throw back into their faces whenever she could. She blamed them for breaking up their family and causing animosity and resentment from their parents. Yet, with the cameras rolling, the familiar dispute never found a resolution. Rather than find hope, the mess seeped through into every nook and cranny.
Thou shall never forget the “last supper.”
One of the more unfortunate family woes wasn’t the main Gorga versus Giudice feud, it was how Joe and Melissa treated Kathy Wakile and her sister Rosie Pierri. They truly wanted peace to be found for their cousins. While Kathy was a main cast member, she was a great ally and peacemaker for Joe and Melissa, which caused Teresa to question her loyalty. Oh, and Teresa was fully convinced that the cannoli recipe was hers, not Kathy’s mom’s. While Kathy may not have been the most engaging television, she was easily one of the most genuine and authentic personalities. So when the opportunity arose for Kathy and her family to make amends with Teresa, she went to Joe and Melissa to vouch for her. And they refused. In that moment, they had to side with Team Tre, knowing Teresa would cut them off too. In turn, they ended up tossing away an actual relationship. It’s been years and they’re still not on great terms, which is unfortunate. Kathy never deserved the treatment she received from any of her family members.
Melissa and Joe Had Their Own Story To Tell
Part of being a part of a show like The Real Housewives is being able to tell your own story. For Joe and Melissa, that seemed to be their goal. Unfortunately, they were intertwined in the story arc involving Teresa. As much as Melissa wanted to break free and put herself “On Display”, there was always a side of Envy that got in the way. Melissa tried her best to become her own person, making her own music and opening her own business, but she was never given the freedom and acknowledgment as Teresa constantly rained on her parade. Perhaps that led to the rift enlarging. Teresa was never happy for her sister-in-law. In fact, she never felt her sister-in-law was good enough for her brother. Was she in on the plan to expose Strippergate alongside Kim DePaola? The jury’s still out on that one. Nevertheless, Melissa spent the majority of her time being a passive player until her husband encouraged her to fight fire with fire.
Perhaps there had always been lingering effects from strippergate that were never addressed. Perhaps that may have led to the actions the Gorgas took when there was a chance for peace and complete reconciliation. They always wanted to be the ones that appeared to take the tighter ground, and yet, they ended up causing bigger rifts for them while creating others to unite. When it came to Jacqueline Laurita, she had a rocky relationship with Teresa, but now, it seems they’ve found peace. But when Teresa returned from her prison sentence, she blamed the Gorgas for sabotaging her attempt at reconciliation.
Joe Gorga is a family man. He loves his wife. He loves his kids. No one was ever going to get in the way of them. Not even his sister. Teresa Giudice is a woman who demands loyalty. If you don’t show her the respect she deserves, you become an enemy to her. She tried to make Joe believe he was being disloyal by picking his wife over her. She even would use the parent card to attempt to guilt trip him. It never worked, and it caused an anger inside of him that, if you were Team Tre, made you see him as a villain. In turn, it caused Melissa to be the doting wife who too, was in the wrong.