Former 'Real Housewives of NJ' Star's Ex-Husband Sentenced: Hired Mob for Violent Assault

Thomas Manzo, the ex-husband of a 'Real Housewives of New Jersey' star, receives a seven-year prison sentence for his involvement in a mafia-aided attack against his ex-wife’s current husband.

In a striking case blending reality TV fame with organized crime, Thomas Manzo, the ex-husband of a former "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star, has been sentenced to 84 months in prison. The sentencing occurred in Newark federal court under U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton. Manzo was convicted of violent crimes in aid of racketeering and obstructing justice by falsifying documents during a federal investigation.

Manzo, 59, from Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, faced charges after a jury found him guilty on June 4, 2024, following a rigorous two-and-a-half-week trial. The convictions include committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to commit a violent crime in aid of racketeering, and falsifying documents to obstruct a federal investigation.

“Whether you’re actually in the Mafia or not, hiring the mob to assault someone because of your marital problems is abhorrent. Covering up the role you played only makes it worse. The jury’s verdict, and today’s sentence, make clear that this office will spare no resources to hold accountable anyone who commits such crimes,” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger.

The case revealed that in the spring of 2015, Manzo orchestrated an assault against his ex-wife's then-boyfriend. He hired John Perna, a soldier of the Lucchese Crime Family, to carry out the attack, compensating him with a lavish wedding reception at The Brownstone, a catering hall in Paterson, New Jersey, that Manzo co-owns. The wedding, which took place in August 2015, saw about 330 guests in attendance, including numerous members of the mafia.

The assault was executed on July 18, 2015, marking a violent chapter in a saga of personal and criminal entanglements. Further complicating matters, in 2019, Manzo was found to have concealed and falsified documents relating to the Perna wedding in response to a grand jury subpoena, an act which added to his charges and subsequent conviction.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Manzo to three years of supervised release and ordered him immediately remanded to custody following the trial.

This case was brought to a close through the combined efforts of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado, and several other law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of the Inspector General and local New Jersey police departments.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kendall R. Randolph, Thomas S. Kearney, and Special Counsel Bruce P. Keller represented the government, highlighting the serious implications of Manzo's ties with organized crime and his attempts to manipulate justice through violence and deception. This sentencing not only concludes a high-profile criminal case but also underscores the ongoing efforts of federal and local agencies to combat organized crime and protect public safety.