'RHONJ' star Dina Manzo's ex-husband charged with planning assault of her current husband

Anthony Zurita, NorthJersey.com
·2 min read

The ex-husband of "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Dina Manzo was arrested and accused of orchestrating the assault of her current husband in 2015 in exchange for a "lavish" wedding reception, authorities said.

Thomas Manzo, the ex-husband of the reality TV show star Manzo, was indicted on charges that he conspired and committed an act of violence in aid of racketeering, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said Tuesday in a news release.

In 2015, Manzo, allegedly hired John Perna, 43, of Cedar Grove, New Jersey, to assault his ex-wife's then-boyfriend so that Perna would get a "deeply discounted" wedding reception at the Brownstone in Paterson, New Jersey, where Manzo is a part-owner.

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In this July 21, 2014, file photo, Dina Manzo attends "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" White Party at the Woodbury Country Club in New York.
In this July 21, 2014, file photo, Dina Manzo attends "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" White Party at the Woodbury Country Club in New York.

Perna, who was described in the statement as a "soldier" in the Lucchese crime family, committed the assault in July that year, authorities said. Perna then had the wedding reception in August, where he paid a fraction of the price, the statement said, where 330 people attended including members of the Lucchese crime family.

Manzo also falsified documents when the FBI was investigating the assault, where federal authorities requested certifications and documents relating to the wedding in August, the statement said. Federal agents then used a search warrant to search the Brownstone restaurant and obtained invoices from the wedding and other documents that Manzo had failed to give to authorities, according to the release.

Manzo and Perna could face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the racketeering charges against them.

Anthony Zurita is a breaking news reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to all the major news happening in North Jersey, subscribe here. To get breaking news directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.

Email: zuritaa@northjersey.com Twitter: @AnthonyRZurita

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: RHONJ: Ex-husband of Dina Manzo planned assault, authorities say