Thomas Manzo, the ex-husband of The Real Housewives of New Jersey’s Dina Manzo, has been sentenced to seven years behind bars.
In a press release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of New Jersey on Tuesday, October 15, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced that Thomas, 59, was sentenced to 84 months in prison for “hiring, then assisting, a soldier in the Lucchese Crime Family to assault” Dina’s now-husband, David Cantin, in 2015.
The document noted that Thomas was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and “ordered him immediately remanded.”
Thomas, who resided in Franklin Lakes, was convicted by a jury on June 4 after a two-and-a-half week trial at Newark federal court. He was found guilty on one count of committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering, one count of conspiracy to commit a violent crime in aid of racketeering and one count of falsifying and concealing documents related to a federal investigation.
Sellinger was quoted in the document, telling Thomas during the trial, “Whether you’re actually in the Mafia or not, hiring the mob to assault someone because of your marital problems is abhorrent. Covering up the role you played only makes it worse. The jury’s verdict, and today’s sentence, make clear that this office will spare no resources to hold accountable anyone who commits such crimes.”
The Associated Press reported in June that Thomas had hired somebody to attack Dina’s then-boyfriend, Cantin, 44, on July 18, 2015, in exchange for a “free, lavish wedding reception.”
The outlet also reported that federal prosecutors described John Perna, the Lucchese Crime Family soldier, as a “mobster,” claiming that Perna’s wedding reception was held in August 2015 at The Brown Stone catering hall in Paterson, New Jersey — a venue owned by Thomas.
In December 2020, Perna pleaded guilty to “committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity.” Perna received a two-and-a-half-year sentence behind bars and was released in August 2023.
ABC News reported at the time that court records showed Thomas had been “upset” about his ex-wife’s new relationship and wanted the attack to “leave a permanent facial scar.”
One day after Thomas was found guilty, Dina, 52, shared a social media photo of herself raising her hands up to the sky as the sun shone down on a large monument. When one of her followers commented on the image, “Light always wins!!!!! ✨✨✨✨✨,” Dina replied, “ALWAYS ✨.”
On Tuesday, when news of Thomas’ sentencing was released to the public, Dina took to Instagram Stories to share a telling passage. “Because at the end of the day, the right people fight for you. The right people show up,” the passage read. “The right people care, not only when life is convenient, but when it is difficult and messy and it aches all over.”
