Ex-husband of ‘Real Housewives’ star sentenced to seven years for hiring mobster

Thomas Manzo, the ex-husband of Real Housewives of New Jersey star Dina Manzo, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for hiring a mobster to assault her boyfriend. U.S. District Judge Susan Wigenton handed down the sentence on Tuesday, which also includes three years of supervised release after Manzo completes his prison term. 

Manzo, 59, was convicted in June by a federal jury for conspiracy, falsifying documents, and committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering.

Federal prosecutors revealed that Manzo hired John Perna, a member of the Lucchese crime family, to carry out the July 2015 attack, in which Dina Manzo’s boyfriend was beaten with a weapon. In exchange for the assault, Manzo hosted Perna’s lavish wedding reception at a restaurant he partly owned in Paterson, New Jersey. Perna pleaded guilty to his involvement in December 2020 and received a 2½-year prison sentence, which he completed in August 2023.

Dina Manzo’s boyfriend, who is now her husband, was the victim of the attack. Manzo's involvement in the mob-related crime has brought significant attention due to his connection to the Real Housewives star. Prosecutors emphasized the seriousness of the crime and Manzo’s ties to organized crime, leading to his sentencing.