The former husband of a woman who appeared on “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” has been found guilty of planning a violent attack on the woman’s current husband, according to federal prosecutors.
Thomas Manzo, 59, hired a member of the Lucchese Crime Family to carry out the attack on his ex-wife Dina Manzo’s new boyfriend in 2015, prosecutors said. He offered to host a free wedding reception at a business he owned as payment for the attack.
Manzo was convicted of several charges, including committing a violent crime in support of criminal activity, conspiracy to commit a violent crime resulting in serious bodily injury, and falsifying documents related to a federal investigation.
His lawyer has not yet commented on the verdict.
“Thomas Manzo hired a member of the Lucchese Crime Family to carry out a vicious assault on his ex-wife’s then-boyfriend, causing the victim to suffer significant injuries,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger.
Manzo was arrested in 2020. The mob member who carried out the attack, John Perna, pleaded guilty in December of that year and was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison in 2021.