According to U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger, the ex-husband of a former star of the Bravo reality show “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” was given an 84-month prison sentence today for hiring and then helping a soldier in the Lucchese Crime Family attack his ex-wife’s current husband.
The trial for Thomas Manzo, 59, from Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, lasted two and a half weeks and was held in Newark federal court. He was found guilty on June 4, 2024.
Manzo was found guilty by a jury of three counts: one count of violent crime in aid of racketeering, one count of conspiracy to commit violent crime in aid of racketeering, and one count of lying about and hiding documents connected to a federal investigation.
“It’s disgusting to hire the mob to attack someone because of problems in your marriage, whether you’re in the Mafia or not.” It gets worse if you try to hide the part you played.
According to Sellinger, the decision from the jury and the sentence given today make it clear that this office will do everything possible to hold those responsible for these crimes accountable.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Manzo, who co-owns the Paterson, New Jersey, catering hall The Brownstone, hired Lucchese Crime Family soldier John Perna to attack the boyfriend of his ex-wife in the spring of 2015.
He paid Perna by throwing a free wedding reception for him. The attack on July 18, 2015, was led by Perna, who was a “made man” with his own group.
There were about 330 people at the Perna wedding in August 2015 at the Brownstone. Many of them were also members of the Lucchese Crime Family.
In response to a grand jury subpoena four years later, Manzo hid and lied about documents connected to the Perna wedding.
Judge Wigenton gave Manzo a prison sentence plus three years of supervised release and ordered that he be held right away.