Dina (formerly Manzo) Cantin’s ex-husband was arrested today for allegedly plotting an assault on her current husband in 2015. Two years later there was another attack that appears to be unrelated so far. But, perhaps they need to take a look at that one too. Click here for the details.
U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said 55-year-old Thomas Manzo, of Franklin Lakes, hired Lucchese-linked mobster John Perna, 43, of Cedar Grove, to attack the then-boyfriend of ex-wife, Dina Manzo. Tommy offered to greatly reduce the price of Perna’s upcoming wedding reception in exchange for the attack. Manzo was charged with conspiracy to commit a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity. The attack occurred in July of 2015 and the wedding reception happened the following August. More than 330 people attended including numerous members of the Lucchese crime family.
Manzo was also charged with falsifying and concealing records related to the federal investigation of the violent crime. In 2015, a federal grand jury subpoenaed documents related to the Perna’s wedding reception at The Brownstone Restaurant. Manzo failed to turn over the documents and instead allegedly submitted false documents with a false certification. In November 2019, agents with the FBI executed a search warrant at the Brownstone Restaurant and seized invoices for the August 2015 Perna wedding reception and other relevant documents that were not previously turned over.
Related Post: Dina Manzo And Boyfriend Beaten During Home Invasion
Tommy is part owner of The Brownstone along with Albert Manzo. Albert is married to Caroline Manzo who used to be a “housewife” on RHONJ. Caroline is also Dina’s sister. Did you follow that? Two brothers married two sisters.
Perna was charged with committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity. In 2016, Perna was also charged in an unrelated matter regarding his automobile. That charge was conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud related to the submission of a false car insurance claim. He claimed his Mercedes has been stolen and allegedly had it set on fire to get the insurance money to pay the car off. At the time of those charges he was already sentenced to state prison for a racketeering charge involving a huge gambling ring allegedly run by the Lucchese crime family. He went to state prison in 2016 was paroled for those charges in July of 2019.
Each charge for both men all carry the same sentence of a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine per charge. The are set to be arraigned this after noon.
I imagine that Caroline has a lot on her mind with her brother in-law attacking her sister’s “fambily.” What a mess this is. What is the deal with New Jersey???
Sidenote: Sorry for delay, I had a short window of opportunity where my sanity lined up with the weather and made a quick trip to Publix. NO PANIC ATTACK! It’s a miracle
Thank you for posting and explaining this! Wow
Omg Jersey ?
Holy crap! That is one messed up Manzo brother. I hope Albert wasn’t involved. I like him.
Me too!
I feel awful for Dina, she must have lived scared shltless for years… think Carolyn is likely pretty unimportant in that/any ‘crime’ family (meaning she just does as told) and Bet that Tre knows a WHOLE lot more juicy inside info than she would or could ever tell
Having said that.. this is a reality show I really really really wanna see
seriously, we wasted our time watching fights about sprinkle cookies while this was going on
Best comment ever!!! Fuck the sprinkle cookies, I want some mafia drama!
Great point! Mafia stuff is way more fun and entertaining than family cookie drama.
I always thought Dina was sketchy as heck.
Right, I’m sure he didn’t know (sarc). You guys are funny.
This would explain why Caroline and Dina are on the outs.
I think Albert is inherently involved if he co-owns a business that paid to assault someone. I guess this might be what Tre has been hinting at for the past few years. TT: do supermarkets give you panic attacks? I dealt with that too. They are too sensory overstimulating to all of the senses for me…especially the lighting. I would either get a panic attack immediately or a migraine the next day.
Yes, but I didn’t always. It started in the past few years as my anxiety escalated. Shopping at Whole Food used to be my favorite thing. Especially on a “work day” when I was in there right along all the rich housewives, lol.
I had on an KN95 five mask for the first time yesterday and it alllowed the cool air through so it wasn’t as stifling as the cloth masks.I still wear the cloth ones for gardening, short trips to one or two less crowded places, walks around the block, etc. But the KN95 allow some air in. It made all the difference. Plus I had no anxiety that day anyway. It’s always better to start from a sane place than to walk into the store already anxious.
I’m usually OK in Whole Foods. I think because they use a lot of directional lighting instead of just blinding white fluorescents. I don’t know exactly, but lighting is a big trigger for me (especially migraine-wise). Not being to breathe freely is a major trigger of physiological anxiety and restricted breathing through masks kind of makes me feel mid panic attack. All of those things stack up. Most of my CBT included breathing through a straw to simulate that feeling of not being able to breathe. I should have just worn a mask…sheesh.
Interesting. I thought that the reason Whole Foods is (ususally) better is because it just seems NICER than say Murder Kroger. lol. Murder Kroger closed and New Kroger sucks just as bad. It’s bigger and there is only one way in or out. So you are a LONG ASS WAY from the door if you are on the ice cream aisle. Anywhere I go, and this was before the crazy, I always know where all the exits are, and keep my eye on the main one to see who is coming and going.
I can’t find it here and I guess I never thought about it but “murder Kroger.” Are you from ATL? Would that be the Kroger on Monroe? We used to affectionally call it the “KroGay” before smart phones and hook up apps. That place was our hook up app. ?
Nah this is an OTP Murder Kroger. I remember going to the Disco Kroger when I was WAY underage and going to The Limelight half nekkid though. And what was that Kroger y’all had a vigil for five or six years ago? I can’t remember the name of that one.
Wow! Are Dina and Caroline on good terms now or still not speaking? What a bunch of thugs.
Who knows. I can’t even keep up with what siblings I am speaking too. 🙂 Siblings…
The Limelight!!! Yes, I remember. I’m an Atlanta native, and 18 was the legal age for fun back in the day.
Speaking of masks, I won’t wear one in my garden or walking around outside away from people. Masks make me feel like I’m suffocating literally and figuratively in this heat.
I am so fortunate to have been sent a variety of masks. I don’t wear one in my garden but I do on the rare occasions that I walk the dog. (he has a big back yard) Because people don’t know how to social distance. We usually walk about the bus parking lot at the school next door. No one really wears a mask when walking but there are close spaces where we often come face to face with others.
Even if Al and Caroline had nothing to do with this otherwise (and I have a hard time believing they did), they need to cut off Tommy ASAP. This is nothing short of disgusting, and this right here explains why Dina and Caroline haven’t been speaking.
(I know this hit attempt happened long after Dina left RHONJ the first time, but Dina’s often said that there’s way more to her split with Caroline than just Teresa G.)
I love love love Caroline, but Albert isn’t squeaky clean himself…
Do you really believe that a family “as thick as thieves” didn’t know? This is horrible!
If he had just paid for it personally, that might be believable. But, the business paid for it. Plausible deniability is unlikely. At best, Al turned a blind eye.
I wonder if Caroline grew to know over time. Maybe when they first married she had no idea but then she found out over time. I think in the end she was protecting her kids. She can’t really undo who her husband’s family are once her kids are born. Maybe she tried to paint them in a better light for her kid’s benefit?
Knowing that her father in law was found in a trunk should have clued her in. He was apparently skimming money from the mob and got caught.
Yea, Caroline was the one who didn’t want her “fambily” discussed on the show. She didn’t want her husband’s mistress discussed. She didn’t want her father in law who was allegedly found dead in a trunk (I think there were more details to the alleged state of his corpse…TT ???). Caroline was damned adamant Teresa’s dirty laundry be aired though when she berated her on Jac’s deck that night for not being open about her legal issues. Jac & Caroline were fine w/questioning Teresa at the reunion though about Joe’s cheating. I’m not a Teresa fan, I think she’s dumb as a rock, but the Caroline/Jacqueline hypocrisy always pissed me off.
TT, didn’t people try to accuse Dina & her now hubby if staging that attack??? Correct me if I’m wrong. I’m glad the truth has surfaced.
There were actually two attacks. The one related to this post and another in 2017. Neither were faked. The new husband was pretty severely injured and Dina took a few blows herself. See link in post.
Tommy’s ineptitude notwithstanding, Dina and the boyfriend must each have a screw or two loose to support the DA in any form, 5 years post attack. They know exactly who was responsible, or I’m sure they could narrow it down. With this drama resurfacing, do they think they can continue a golden lifestyle in Ca? These things don’t just go away after “justice”. Kinda thinking that the boyfriend is shady, and has a past as well. Who’s kidding who here?
Huh?
What do you mean by your comments? What leads you too believe that her husband is shady ? Why can’t they continue their life in California?
Settle down. Since it is difficult for you to raise questions, here goes: Dina knew Caroline’s past, how FIL was found, has lived in Jersey all her life. Yet she goes all out for the “wedding of the century”, on a cable paid TV show w/Mr Tommy Manzo. She then does a Housewives stint- keeping him ABSENT every episode. She says the are separate but still TOGETHER. ( watch intro episodes). She then disappears with a “car salesman”- and OH BY THE WAY, by their nature they are shady- yet he’s got a past. Fast forward to the Feds following and stirring this stuff. Not sure what you know about crime, gangs, mobsters, money laundering etc., but it’s not all ‘rose and diamonds.’ Am I in the FBI war room? Do I issue warrants? NO. But I sure as hell don’t sit in front of Bravo TV with rose colored glasses on. Even when drinking my best.
Oops. One more thing. Don’t bother with Wikipedia or some of the other sanitized sites. He inherited a bunch of money from daddy at the car dealership. He’s not self made, or a solo working dude. He has stuff- like we all do. But some stuff is way bigger than others.
Albert had an affair?
That is disappointing.
He seems like such a solid guy.
Men!
It was briefly brought up at a reunion after stuff began coming out about a mistress. Caroline told Andy she’d be foolish to think that he had been faithful for 30 something years of marriage. I kinda thought that was what you’re supposed to do when you get married…be faithful, but I have known people who feel like that’s what men do and you can’t change them.
I think everyone misconstrues what Caroline says. She didn’t say she had knowledge or knew for a fact Albert had an affair, she simply said she would be “foolish” to think that it wasn’t a possibility. In my opinion that is one of the realest statements ever made by a housewife. No, no one ever wants to think they’re husband cheated but they would be naive to think it’s not a possibility. And it’s always the ones saying “‘my husband would NEVER do that” that end up looking foolish.
Amen to that, MissRaider.
I thought it was pretty strange that Dina and her husband moved from Malibu to this farmhouse in San Juan Capistrano back in some farm land. I wonder what that was about? Didn’t seem like they were there long before listing it for sale.
Thanks for differentiating that the home invasion was a separate time—i was completely confused and didn’t know that was a different event. (I couldn’t figure out why the weren’t mentioning her and not the husband!) I appreciate that you made it clear.
Guess someone didn’t get the message that the sopranos fade to black in the end….It’s about to get interesting….a 20 year in becomes a great reason to start talking.
Better 20 years with possibility of early release v. dead if you talk.
Her current husband got jumped at Lauren’s wedding too. Tommy felt “disrespected” that Dina brought him.
This sauce is meaty!
? Love this!
Then, in Jersey and other parts of the NE, it’s called “gravy” if it has meat in it. ?
Wow! At the season 1 reunion, Caroline and Dina were so riled up about viewers speculating about the NJ/Sopranos comparison… now this. Good grief. Caroline must be beside herself.
Their lives are so much more exciting than mine!
*Sigh*
2015… was this around the time that the Caroline Manzo branch said no more TV show?
Here’s a Caroline Manzo Timeline, just because you are my favorite.
https://tamaratattles.com/?s=Caroline+Manzo
What? I’m not your favorite? ?
Sssssh! She doesn’t know about us! 😉
Moms aren’t supposed to admit to having favorites
Or pimp them out on Twitter – Do I get commission? Can it be Italian linen sheets as they seem to have given you a whole new lease of life.
I cannot afford linen sheets, and you will have to pry mine out of my cold dead hands. I intend to be buried with them. It’s going in my will.
I will arrange the wake.
Here’s to your coffin!
May your coffin have six handles of finest silver!
May your coffin be carried by six fair young maids!
And may your coffin be made of finest wood from a 100-year-old tree,
that I’ll go plant tomorrow!
I’m good with all of that except the young maids. I’m going to need six men, STRONG LIKE OX to be the pall bearers.
back off, prostitution whore!!!!! I AM THE FAVORITE!!!
You made me giggle- Great start to Midweek Madness Wednesday.
Wow this is sad, if it wasn’t awkward enough With the Manzo’s. I can see Teresa blaming Caroline And Jacqueline Just because she doesn’t have the full information. Btw TT thank you for breaking it down because I was confused and I wasnt sure if this was the same Incident or a different one.
Oh how the plot thickens. Wow, wow, wow, this family! I read that timeline and how interesting the fall out was around the time of the first incident.
Certainly not good publicity. And I can’t imagine Caroline was happy having the FBI poking around The Brownstone. Albert’s brother sounds like a real trouble maker. The payoff for attacking Dina’s beau was a wedding reception…sounds like a scene from the Godfather.
Does anyone know if the Manzo brothers are still single?
This cougar is wondering! ?
Albie posts about a serious girlfriend but not sure about Christopher
I was always a Christopher fan. If I had to pick between the two.
Here is where I’m supposed to post! Wasn’t popping up before on my phone! Only place to reply was under those above. Anyway- I think they knew who their attackers both times worked for, and can’t see how it’s going to serve them to go after Tommy 5 years post attack. It won’t end with the charges and conviction.
Still don’t get your point. The police and perhaps the feds did the investigating and brought the charges. The charges were just filed today. None of that was up to Dina and her husband. What are they supposed to do say, “We know who it is and we don’t want the prosecuted?”
Kinda- its 5 years old. Why did it take this long? Plus they moved out of state. One attack 5 years ago must have surfaced when feds were looking into other stuff. Or? It was an attack just on husband/boyfriend at the time. He knew who did it. Dina knows Tommy is bad news. You cant expect justice to take care of mob or gang crime. People on the outside come find you. Maybe Tommy is small potatoes, but why take the chance?
Prosecution of mafia/organized crime gangs is a different animal than bringing charges against a…sole proprietor?? If there are other cases against someone in the gang, they have to leverage them strategically. Probably, someone was arrested and gave up the information for a plea. It’s a waiting game. Also, the Manzos are high profile, locally…I mean, there’s name recognition. They (Caroline, at least) have publicists. They have made a big deal about their friends in law inforcement. You don’t want to set a foot wrong bringing charges against them. 5 years isn’t very long for all of that to come together. Again, broken record, but they’re talking about a business being used to find this. It’s a big deal. Every cent they’ve spent will be audited by federal prosecutors.
I have that problem sometimes too and then the fear of the WLS becomes real! I have been assured it’s probably my “damn phone” and then reassured of my safety by our fearless leader…
Is it them that’s pursuing prosecution? If the FBI is involved….? IDK. I feel bad for Dina, she tried to get out and away…I’m going to go read the timeline. I remember mob submessages when Dina was on the show and after she left but it wasn’t broken down well enough for me to understand so it got a pass in my pea brain. I mean, hello NJ! What the heck?
FBI investigations usually take a lot of time. So five years makes sense especially if it is connected to other crimes.
Hopefully Tommy Manzo was not Dina’s kid’s baby daddy
No he’s not Lexie’s dad. Lexie’s dad was Greek because he took her there on vacation and Dina had a meltdown about it
Love and light to everyone involved lol. I do think it’s funny that Dina would marry someone like that in the first place. You don’t think she would have an inkling that this guy was a little crazy? Maybe she didn’t care and wanted the $$$$$. Also I wonder what Caroline is thinking? Will she call her brother in law “garbage”? Time will tell
Caroline is a hypocrite! The Manzos have always been connected.
I’m sure the Feds went this route to prosecute them since they have evidence for this but knowing full well there are probably many more crimes/people they want to nail.
I wonder if Albert knew of all of this? He seems to live at the Brownstone. It would seem to me he would at least ask why a 330 person reception only paid x amount? Especially knowing who it was and that they are part of a huge crime family.
I’ve been wondering about the Al and Brownstone aspect of this too. Since Tommy discounted the Brownstone event to go toward payment of this illegal hit, wouldn’t the Brownstone be implicated in the crime? It was probably a substantial amount, wouldn’t Al and others be aware?
Things can’t be all rosy in the Manzo camp these days.
The timeline you posted above was EXCELLENT reading! Had a great afternoon – and im getting old! Look at the dates, seems like yesterday and years ago all at the same time. Caroline was the best! Knew her stuff, and didn’t like you before she liked you. My kinda gal! Funny that Andy was crazy about her as well. Teresa over Caroline? No way in hell in my house!
It’s always fun to pull a timeline. All you have to do is enter a name or a topic in my search box and up it pops. I use my own search box eleventy five times a day.
Night y’all!
You can’t tell me Albert didn’t know wannabe Fredo was cooking the books. When Dina married Tommy, they were on a season of Bridezillas. I’ll have to see if I can find it.
Agreed! No way no how the Manzos aren’t at least rubbing shoulders with a shady element all these years. Especially when “Tiny” was found murderers in the trunk of his car.
Now we now why Tommy was so adamant about not appearing on RH. He wasn’t as stupid as Joe Guidice, at least. But criming and then trying to cover it up? Bringing an army of FBI agents into your family’s place of business?
Maybe that’s why Caroline was fine keeping her kids out of the Brownstone.
Wow… good point. I always thought they took the fact that all three kids wanted no part in the family business surprisingly well.
I loved Caroline when she was on the show. I stopped watching for a while however T & J taxation issues drew me back in.
Many years ago the FBI ( private plane ) flew into Gibraltar to raid a Company.
I was the lucky/unlucky person designated to meet them on arrival at Gibraltar Airport under the cover of darkness. No runway lights on total darkness.
The Gibraltar Airport, sometimes called North Front Airport, is considered the most dangerous airport in Europe. … One of the scarier aspects of this airport is that a busy street, intersects the runway. Because of this, when a plane lands or takes off, the road has to be closed and the pilot has to brake straightaway so the plane does slide into the sea.
Plan landed on 1st attempt – I was highly impressed until they all got off the plane- all men who constantly called me Ma’am – I was hoping for at least one female.
They where amazing to watch cool, calm collected, extremely polite, a well oiled machine, they came, they saw, they conquered and they left with boxes of documents, computers, and 3 Company Directors in handcuffs.
If it has taken them 5 years to get Manzo and he is a small fry linked to the mob I would keep watching folks.
This is like a gift! I’ve never liked Caroline; probably because she reminds me of my mother in law, is a Trump fan and is friends with Bernie Kerik. They talk big about family, excuse bad/criminal behavior and point fingers at everyone but themselves. I met her once. She and Albert came to my office to meet with my then boss. Albert was VERY friendly, Caroline not so much. Due to confidentiality agreements, I can’t tell you where.
I think this is the reason Dina and Caroline don’t get along, they blame it on the show and Teresa but I think this is it… I wonder if Caroline sided with her brother-in-law when Dina and Tommy split?
Anyways, this is some deep stuff. I feel bad for Dina. Tommy sounds like a monster.
I just read the indictment..
It sounds as if someone inside the family, reporting to Perna, has flipped. accomplice-1 is who carried out the attack and arranged the disappearance of the Mercedes that Perna went on to claim had been stolen. The Racketeering charges for both crimes all stem from this guy’s view point. It seems as tho Tommy’s involvement and subsequent charges are just frosting on the cake
Outside the obvious IRS issue re the super cheap reception.. I don’t know about future / pending charges. this indictment would Sound an immediate alarm to anyone else (ie.. Al) involved who would immediately destroy documents / evidence. Including any Intimate Manzo ties to a crime family
Good stuff! So glad someone could read the actual meat-aka facts/allegations!
What a great post! And I hope you gave yourself a pat on the back TT for having an anxiety free trip to the store! Go girl!!! It’s not easy but you did it!
Anyone see Caroline’s comments on this? Guessing her and Dina are still estranged.
Yes. Said that she will be on the side of truth which can’t sit well with Dina
Where did she make a statement? I see nothing on IG for five days.
I don’t think it was an official statement, just gave comment to a well known celeb media outlet. Not sure if I’m even allowed to say that here. Just wondered if anyone else had seen it.
She said it on an interview with “Extra”
Caroline Manzo was quoting as saying “This is family on both sides. I want to know the truth, and my allegiance will lie with the truth.” Which to me translates to I don’t believe my sister or the FBI, or I am sticking my head in the sand or something along those lines. It was not a ringing endorsement of her sister or the 5 year investigation.