‘RHONJ’ Alum Dina Mano’s Ex-Husband Found Guilty of Hiring Mobster to Brutally Assault Her New Man!
‘RHONJ’ Alum Dina Mano’s Ex-Husband Found Guilty of Hiring Mobster to Brutally Assault Her New Man!
Former Real Housewives of New Jersey star Dina Manzo’s ex-husband Tommy Manzo has been found guilty of enlisting a mobster to viciously attack her then boyfriend, David Cantin.
Tommy Manzo was convicted for planning an assault on his ex-wife Dina’s new husband. The attack, executed by a mob soldier, left the new husband with serious injuries.
Dina Manzo’s former spouse, Tommy Manzo, has been found guilty of enlisting a reputed mobster in 2015 to attack her then-boyfriend.
Tommy Manzo, 59, was convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy, falsifying and concealing documents, and committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity. The conviction follows Tommy hiring the mobster to assault Dina’s then-boyfriend — and current husband — David Cantin, in exchange for a grand wedding reception.
Federal prosecutors stated that Tommy Manzo, a prominent New Jersey restaurateur residing in the affluent suburb of Franklin Lakes, orchestrated the 2015 attack on David Cantin, now married to his ex-wife Dina. Tommy allegedly recruited a mafioso from the Lucchese crime family to carry out the assault.
According to federal prosecutors, the 59-year-old Tommy Manzo offered his assailant a complimentary wedding at his event venue, The Brownstone in Paterson, New Jersey, as compensation.
Following a two-week trial in Newark federal court, Tommy Manzo was convicted of committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to commit a violent crime in aid of racketeering resulting in serious bodily injury, and concealing documents related to a federal investigation, according to a press release from federal prosecutors.
Tommy, faces a potential sentence of up to 43 years for the offense, which occurred on July 18, 2015. His sentencing is scheduled for October 15. Federal prosecutors characterized John Perna, the mobster implicated in the crime, as a member of the Lucchese Crime Family.
Prosecutors asserted that Perna orchestrated his wedding reception at The Brownstone catering hall in Paterson, New Jersey, owned by Tommy, in August 2015.
Perna pleaded guilty to committing a violent crime in support of racketeering activity in December 2020 and was sentenced to two and a half years in prison. He was released in August 2023.
Court records indicated Tommy had been upset about his ex-wife’s new relationship and wanted the attack to leave a permanent facial scar on Cantin. FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge Jim Dennehy said:
“The facts and circumstances in this case read like something from a bad TV crime drama, but the evidence and testimony presented in court prove it was reality. We truly hope the victims in this investigation are able to move on with their lives and forget about Manzo and his criminal mafia bedfellows.”
Earlier this year, a federal judge threw out the initial charges due to prosecutorial delays in bringing the case to court.
However, authorities promptly refiled the charges, and the case, which had been stagnant for years, began to progress. The trial ultimately started on May 20.
“As a unanimous jury found, Manzo committed multiple offenses by providing a free wedding in exchange for the assault and then concealing documents relating to that wedding,” US Attorney Philip Sellinger said in the statement.
“He will now face just punishment for his crimes.”
The case centered on a 2020 indictment stating that Tommy cut a deal with a Lucchese crime family soldier to rough up David Cantin in a North Jersey parking lot five years earlier.
Tommy and Dina, 52, who appeared on the first two seasons of RHONJ and officially departed the Bravo series in 2015, were married in 2007 at The Brownstone.
“Manzo was outraged that his former wife became romantically involved with another man,” prosecutors said in court documents. “Rather than accept that, as law-abiding individuals do, Manzo wanted to extract physical revenge. Unwilling or incapable of doing so directly, he leveraged his catering hall.”
Their highly extravagant wedding aired on the VH1 series, My Big Fat Fabulous Wedding. The couple separated in 2012 and finalized their divorce in 2016. Dina Manzo and David Cantin tied the knot in 2017.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 15.
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