Sometimes, the side characters become our favorites. Whenever their series or films are playing, they are often where our whole attention spans lie. Greg Bennett was once this for me, as his scenes lightened several loads during the earlier days of Real Housewives of New Jersey. Greg entered the scene as Albie Manzo and Chris Manzo’s best friend, but his sarcastic quips routinely stole every scene he was in. When Albie and Chris moved to Hoboken, N.J., Greg and his dog Deloris took over their office, becoming their resident Mister (meaning their man sister, as described by Chris). But then, Greg moved far away, and his face stopped appearing on my screens, so now, I shall hunt this man down and tell you everything I can about his current state of being.
2013 – Greg Bennet leaves RHONJ and moves to San Francisco
When 2013 rolled around, Greg said goodbye to his bridge and tunnel times in New Jersey. He was moving on to the finer things in life, like higher rents, cable cars, and the hilly roadsides of San Francisco. The mother of his non-related brothers, Caroline Manzo, threw him a surprise party. But, like all of us, Caroline wanted Greg to return to the Garden State quickly, well before Greg could even get the chance to depart.
Greg was well aware of Caroline’s surprise party. While his X account is now private, back in the day, he wrote, “Not doing anything at all tonight. What a boring night it will be. So boring with nothing exciting going on.”
He then penned, “I just took Deloris out, showered, made myself look nice, and made the train to meet @Laurenmanzo in 30 mins. I deserve a party or something.”
Heading to his still-public Instagram account, Greg shared an image of his goodbye cake. In cursive penmanship, the word “Bye” is seen. And nothing more. “The best going away cake ever,” Greg captioned, all in with the less is hysterically more joke.
2014 – Greg Bennet helps solve a hate crime
In 2014, true crime and reality television shook hands once Greg helped to land a few criminals in jail. On the night of Sept. 11, a gang violently assaulted two gay men in Philadelphia. Greg was still living in San Francisco at this point, but as a gay man, he had no choice but to jump in with his assistance.
The following Monday, the cops released footage of the assailants. Greg then shared this footage with his followers on X, the artist formally known as Twitter. Then, a “friend of a friend of a friend” saw his shared video. This human sent Greg a picture, and the people within this image looked shockingly similar to the at-large suspects.
Another Twitter user then identified the Center City restaurant in this new image. Thanks to Greg and his massive online platform of followers, each skilled with that stay-at-home, mom-like level of sleuthing, the cops were able to track down who was responsible for this awful hate crime.
2018 – 2019 Greg Bennet moves to New Jersey and says goodbye to his adorable sidekick and fellow RHONJ alum, Deloris
Greg and Deloris, his furbaby of ten beautiful years, moved to Jersey City in 2018. As seen on RHONJ, her fits beat mine every single episode. Her Justin Bieber hoodies gagged me, but her loyal, precious spirit captured my heart the greatest. Sadly, in 2019, Deloris crossed over the Rainbow Bridge, and as expected, her daddy, Greg, remained by her side, heavy, watching as his baby took her weary steps into her fur-ever place of rest.
Hands down, Deloris will always be my favorite pet on Bravo. Greg and his now-husband, Alex Cesarini, loved her well. Their tribute to their little girl following her passing broke me. Cue my tears, falling in the key of E major, like Mariah’s hit song, Hero.
“My heart is broken. My sweet Deloris left us earlier this afternoon. Alex and I were with her until the very end. We spent the last ten years together, moving to 4 different cities and living in 5 different apartments,” Greg began, noting how his baby had remained by his side for many major life events.
Sadly, time is a b*tch, robbing us of our beloved animals far quicker than it rids us of our blasted enemies. Rest in peace, precious Deloris Van Cartier. We are all better off having known you.
2022 – Greg Bennet marries Alex Cesarini
Love is love, especially when combined with a disco-ball-inspired wedding cake. Following many delays, courtesy of COVID-19, Greg and his long-time partner, Alex, tied the knot. Their ceremony took place in New York City, not The Brownstone in New Jersey, but every single member of the Manzo family was in attendance. This wedding transpired on New Year’s Eve, and as their guests counted down from ten to welcome in 2022, their cake ball creation dropped, offering the ever-comical Greg and Alex a chance at cutting their wedding cake.
During their honeymoon in Aruba, the happy couple continued celebrating. Many of their wedding guests, including their mothers, even traveled with them to their destination afterparty, reminding these newlyweds how beloved they are. Greg and Alex, congratulations, and may love always win in your home.
Amen.
2023 – Greg Bennet and Alex Cesarini-Bennet move into their dream house in Connecticut
First comes love, and then comes marriage. Then comes the massive undertaking of bringing a gorgeous house in Connecticut back to life. But if anyone can do this, it is Greg and Alex, who I need to see on a house renovation series, STAT.
On Instagram, Greg shared an image of their new house, joking that he and Alex were “neurotic first-time home buyers.” One year later, Greg went on TikTok to show off their progress thus far. And when I say that these men have an eye, lawd, I mean it.
Gone are the carpets and funkily painted door trims. In their places lie warm paint hues and dark wooden floors, paired with lighter ceiling planks, which help to tie their living spaces together. Bold wallpapers line their dining room, as shades of greens and blues preside over their office and casual living spaces. It is cozy and perfect, making me so glad I looked up where Greg is.
I love seeing how well my favorite side-piece on Real Housewives of New Jersey is now living. But of course, I would love it all the more if Greg (and Alex) appeared back on my screens again, in any form.
TELL US – WAS GREG BENNET ALSO YOUR FAVORITE SIDE FRIEND ON RHONJ? NOW THAT HE IS BACK IN THE TRI-STATE AREA, WOULD YOU LOVE TO SEE GREG POP BACK UP ON BRAVO?
