During the first couple of seasons of Real Housewives of New Jersey, fans got to know sisters Dina Manzo and Caroline Manzo. They were married to two brothers. While Dina was married to Tommy Manzo, Caroline was married to Albert Manzo. RHONJ viewers saw Dina’s close relationship with her daughter, Lexi Ioannou.
However, after Dina left the show she divorced Tommy and found love again with David Cantin. Then Tommy hired an alleged member of the mob to attack David in 2015 outside of a strip mall. And, in a bizarre turn of events, Tommy paid off the mobster with a discounted wedding at The Brownstone. That is the famous event venue owned by Tommy and Albert.
Finally, Tommy was convicted of “hiring, then assisting, a soldier in the Lucchese Crime Family to assault” David. He received a sentence of seven years in prison, with three years of supervised release.
Lexi Ioannou sounds off on Caroline Manzo’s decision to side with Tommy Manzo over Dina Manzo
Dina and Caroline have been estranged for many years. After Tommy’s arrest, Caroline stated, “We are heartbroken. This is family on both sides. I want to know the truth and my allegiance will lie with the truth.” However, Caroline wrote a letter in support of Tommy, vouching for his character. Well, that would certainly explain why the sisters have no relationship.
Now Lexi is addressing the complex situation via her blog, Bohochicken. In the post Don’t Poke the Bear, Lexi wrote, “The fallout from my mother’s marriage to Tommy is a complex tapestry of emotions and betrayals. I find myself at a perpetual loss to understand how the man who tormented my mother garnered the support of my own family.”
Then 23-year-old Lexi talked about Caroline. “She often rocked me to sleep as a child and stepped in as a second mother, welcoming us into her home during the uncertain period following my mother’s separation from my father. Yet, in a staggering betrayal she would later choose the side of my mother’s (sic) abuser and go as far as writing a character letter in defense of Tommy,” Lexi said. “What could compel someone to form an alliance with a felon over their own blood?” That is a great question, Lexi.
Lexi slams Tommy as a “notorious cheater”
She added that she was afraid of Tommy, and called him “a workaholic” and “notorious cheater.” After Tommy realized that Dina was moving on with her now-husband, David, Tommy turned his rage towards Lexi. “He violently shook me awake on a sleepy winter morning, giving me just thirty minutes to ‘get the f*ck out.’ In that chaotic moment, I lost not only my home but also irreplaceable heirlooms,” Lexi explained. How awful!
Next, Lexi discussed the horrible home invasion in 2017, when both David and Dina were attacked. Finally, she wrote of realizing that she is the bear in the story of her family. “A devoted daughter coming to the defense of her mother and a keeper of truth who has been poked for far too long,” Lexi wrote. You go, Lexi!
The Real Housewives of New Jersey is streaming on Peacock.
TELL US – WHY DO YOU THINK CAROLINE SIDED WITH TOMMY OVER DINA? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF LEXI’S COMMENTS?
