OG and former Real Housewives of New Jersey star Jacqueline Laurita is speaking out on her experience on the Real Housewives.
Jacqueline spoke with us at AllAboutTRH podcast and agreed to answer listener questions as far as her experience on the show. Jacqueline was on the Real Housewives for seven seasons. The show followed Jacqueline Laurita’s struggle to conceive, her complicated relationship with her sister-in-laws, her friendships and the dynamic between her and her teenage daughter.
When speaking to Jacqueline Laurita, we asked Jacqueline her thoughts on her sister-in-law Caroline Manzo and friend Dolores Catania decision to write a letter in support of Dina’s ex-husband Tommy Manzo who at the time was awaiting trial for hiring a hitman with mob ties attack his ex-wife Dina’s husband current Dave Cantin. Tommy Manzo was later found guilty over assault of attacking Dina Cantin’s husband Dave.
Thomas “Tommy” Manzo during a virtual court appearance connected to the case.
North Jersey had reported,
“The Franklin Lakes resident and owner of The Brownstone banquet hall in Paterson had been on trial for the past two and a half weeks for directing an alleged mafia member to assault the then boyfriend of his former wife, “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star, Dina Cantin.
The suspected mob member, John Perna, was given a free wedding reception at The Brownstone in 2015. Perna pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 months in prison. He was released in August 2023, according to federal records.”
Tommy Manzo arrested as alleged accomplice in 2017 assault on RHONJ’s Dina Manzo and David Cantin
Jacqueline Laurita pointed out she is happy that the truth finally came out, and justice would be served and said the whole thing was so “disturbing and scary,” adding, “as far as Caroline and Dolores go, I mean, I have no idea what those letters said or if they even existed. I’m so out of the loop with that. But I did hear from the grapevine that they were character witnesses for Tommy. I know at the time, Caroline and Dolores were close with Tommy and not so much Dina. And they hadn’t been in contact, with Dina in a really long time. And Tommy is Caroline’s husband’s brother. So I could imagine that it put her in an awkward position. And I don’t think either one of them truly believe that Tommy would be capable of this. I think they thought it came from someone else. Um, maybe her ex is family. I mean, her Dina’s husband’s family.”
Jacqueline added that she had not spoken to Dolores or Caroline about it but said she was sure Tommy “Tommy maybe asked them, which he also put them in an uncomfortable situation.” Jacqueline Laurita did say that she would have opted to stay out of it if she were Caroline.
When news broke out that Caroline had written a character letter in support of Tommy Manzo, Caroline’s son Albie Manzo came to her defense saying, “This is why I respect my mother so much. She made a choice that she knew going in was going to be extraordinarily unpopular — that could’ve been easily twisted into something that it isn’t — but she made it anyway because she felt it was the right thing to do,” Albie said on the podcast.
“Put yourself in my mother’s shoes,” Albie asked. “Knowing full well this is going to happen, do you know how much you got to believe in what you’re doing, knowing this is going to be the blowback? That’s why I admire my mother and the courage she had, doing what she did.” Albie explained, “My mother wrote a letter based on the character of my uncle as we know him. The facts as we’ve seen them, as we know him in his life. It’s about one thing: Is he a threat to society? The answer is no. We believe the answer is no.
Albie Manzo, Caroline Manzo and Dina Manzo