Ex-Husband of ‘RHONJ’ Star Sentenced to 7 Years for Assault
Dina Cantin’s ex-husband Thomas was sentenced to seven years in prison for assaulting her current husband.
October 16, 2024, published at 12:58 PM ET
Real Housewives of New Jersey Star Dina Cantin’s ex-husband has been sentenced to seven years behind bars.
RadarOnline.com can reveal that Thomas Manzo took a page out of Tiger King’s book and hired a hitman to attack Dina’s current husband, Dave Cantin, in 2015.
Manzo, 59, reportedly promised a “free, lavish wedding reception” at his catering venue, The Brown Stone, in exchange for mobster John Perna’s attack on Dina’s then-boyfriend.
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Dina was married to Thomas Manzo from 2005 to 2016.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey released a press statement on Tuesday, October 15, announcing that Manzo had been sentenced to 84 months for “hiring and then assisting a Lucchese Crime Family soldier to attack.”
Manzo was found guilty by a jury on June 4 after a two-week trial in Newark.
He was found guilty of 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 .
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Thomas hired a soldier from the Lucchese crime family to attack her current husband in 2015.
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Dina’s ex-husband was additionally sentenced to three years of supervised release.
In December 2020, Perna, a soldier in the Lucchese crime family, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering. He was sentenced to 30 months behind bars.
Perna was released in August 2023.
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Manzo was also allegedly involved in the couple’s 2017 home invasion.
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At his sentencing, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said, “Whether you are actually in the Mafia or not, hiring the Mafia to attack someone because of your marital problems is abhorrent.
“Glossing over the role you played only makes things worse. The jury’s verdict and today’s sentence make it clear that this office will spare no resources in holding accountable anyone who commits such crimes.”
Court documents revealed that the U.S. attorney’s office had originally sought a ten-year prison sentence and worked with Manzo in the early stages of the trial on a plea deal, in which he would have to serve a maximum of fourteen months for his role in the crime; however, he declined the offer.
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Legal filings revealed that Manzo was “angry” about Dina’s new relationship and wanted the attack to “leave a permanent facial scar” on Dave.
This wasn’t the first time Manzo targeted his ex-wife and her current partner.
The 59-year-old was also allegedly involved in the couple’s 2017 home invasion, during which Dina’s $60,000 engagement ring was stolen.
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Dina’s ex-husband was sentenced to seven years in prison for orchestrating the 2015 attack.
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After Manzo’s conviction was made public, Dina, 52, took to Instagram Stories and shared a passage that seemingly addressed her ex-husband’s legal troubles.
The passage read: “Because in the end, the right people fight for you. The right people show up. The right people care, not just when life is easy, but when it’s hard and messy and it hurts all over.” .”
Dina was married to Manzo from 2005 to 2016. She married Dave in 2017.
