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A surprising interjection. Caroline Manzo weighed in on allegations that her sister Dina Manzo’s ex-husband, Thomas Manzo, hired a mobster to assault her then-boyfriend, David Cantin, in 2015.
“We are heartbroken,” the Real Housewives of New Jersey alum, 58, told Extra in an interview posted on Wednesday, July 1. “This is family on both sides. I want to know the truth, and my allegiance will lie with the truth.”
She added: “We don’t run from things like this. We address them. And I feel comfortable with that because we are being painted with a brush that does not reflect who we are as people.”
Caroline is married to Thomas’ brother, Albert Manzo III. Dina, 48, for her part, has a strained relationship with her sister, brother Chris Laurita and sister-in-law Jacqueline Laurita.
Earlier this week, news broke that Thomas, 55, is facing federal charges after he allegedly orchestrated an attack on Cantin, 40, in 2015. He and John Perna — who is allegedly a member of an organized crime family — were arrested “on charges of planning and carrying out an assault of the Bravo star’s current husband in exchange for a lavish wedding reception,” according to documents obtained by Us Weekly on Tuesday, June 30.
The charges against the men include “committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity and conspiracy to commit a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity.” Thomas and Perna could face up to 20 years behind bars if they are found guilty. They appeared in court via video conference on Tuesday.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey claimed that Thomas hired Perna to attack Cantin. In exchange for the assault, Thomas allegedly promised Perna a discounted reception at his New Jersey restaurant. The businessman allegedly gave him personal information about Cantin, and Perna and another suspected mobster found him in July 2015, followed him into a strip mall and allegedly assaulted him with “the intent to inflict serious permanent injury.”
Thomas and Perna may also have to pay a $250,000 fine for “falsifying and concealing records related to a federal investigation” and “conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud,” respectively. The case is separate to a home invasion Dina and her husband suffered in 2017.
Dina split from Thomas in October 2012. The pair finalized their divorce in February 2016.
The TV personality moved on with Cantin in 2015. The couple tied the knot in June 2017 but kept their marriage a secret until May 2019.
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