FREEHOLD, NEW JERSEY: Dina Manzo has come a long way since her time on 'The Real Housewives of New Jersey,' but her ex has just moved behind bars.
Dina's ex-husband, Thomas Manzo nicknamed Tommy Two Hits, is seeking a plea deal following a mob attack on her and her new husband, The Messenger reports.
Tommy is accused of paying a suspected member of the infamous Lucchese crime family to track down David Cantin and give him a "permanent facial scar" for dating Dina after they split up in 2012.
Tommy was arrested in May 2017 for the house invasion, in which Dina's then boyfriend was battered with a baseball bat. Dina was defrauded of a $60,000 diamond ring.
John Perna was given discounts at the Brownstone in return for roughing up Dina and David.
Tommy renounced his right to a speedy trial in connection with the alleged horrific attack carried out by John Perna.
"Plea negotiations are anticipated. [And] both the United States and the defendant desire additional time to negotiate a plea agreement, which would render any grand jury proceedings and any subsequent trial of this matter unnecessary," reads an order issued on August 17 by Newark federal Judge Kevin McNulty.
Tommy will have postponed the trial for the sixth time. However, this is the first time a plea bargain has been suggested or proposed. Tommy also recruited a new attorney, Christopher Adams, in November of last year. He's currently free and clear thanks to a $100,000 bond.
Tommy has until November 17 to reach an agreement with the prosecution. If convicted, Tommy faces 43 years in prison.
What happened between 'RHONJ' alum Dina and Tommy Manzo?
Tommy was not on 'RHONJ' when Dina debuted for the first two seasons, and then again in Season 6. Dina said that Tommy's absence from the show was due to his business prominence.
Despite Tommy's absence and rigorous work schedule, she asserted that she and Tommy were blissfully in love.
Dina and Tommy's 2005 wedding was featured on a VH1 reality show, and she acknowledged that Tommy had been unfaithful before they married.
In addition, she said on 'RHONJ' that Tommy proposed to her amid a split. When she reappeared in season 6, the couple was officially separated but still living together.
Dina ultimately decided to move on after years of living in uncertainty and struggling to end their marriage. Tommy was known for adultery, according to his buddy Kim DePaola.
"Dina was madly in love with him, and she sat home every night waiting for him," Kim explained to The New York Post. "She was a good wife. He was off at The Brownstone doing his thing, if you catch what I’m saying." Dina and Tommy got married in 2005 and divorced in 2013. Three years later, it was finalized.
Why did Dina Manzo leave 'RHONJ'?
Dina was interviewed by Daniel Amen, MD, on the Scan My Brain podcast.
She explained that she was "the first one of the Housewives series to actually quit and leave," and that her "peace was more important." While some of the Housewives "love the chaos and the hair pulling," she didn't. She went on to say that she has "seen first-hand how much it changes people."
What did 'RHONJ's Luis Ruelas do to Dina's husband?
"Dina’s husband, David [Cantin], called me because I’m friendly with David," Joe Gorga stated during an April 2023 edition of the Bravo show.
Joe went on to say that Teresa Giudice and Dina had a falling out because David and Louie 'Luis' Ruelas fought about business. "And it f—ked up another relationship in Teresa’s life," Teresa's younger brother, Joe, said.
Later in the show, when chatting with his wife, Melissa Gorga, Joe proceeded to criticize Luis.
"That’s why I look at Luis like, ‘Shut up,'" he explained. "I don’t want Luis being fake and faking with everybody because he just wants everybody to be nice with them. Because no, be real."
"He wants to help everybody, comes in like he’s God. You’re [not] doing s—t," the father of three added.
"I hear Luis and Dina’s man have an argument over business, these two are no longer friends," Melissa later said in a confessional.
What happened between 'RHONJ' alum Caroline and Dina Manzo?
Caroline Manzo is married to Tommy's brother, Albert Manzo, and supported her brother-in-law in 2022, forcing Dina to come out against Caroline and subsequently Caroline's son, Albie.
Caroline and Dina haven't spoken or seen one another in years. Dina previously claimed that her older sister became "jealous" after she married Tommy.
