The ex-partner of former “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Dina Cantin, formerly Dina Manzo, was convicted of selecting a mobster to assault her then-boyfriend in 2015, the U.S. Attorney’s Business office for the District of New Jersey explained in a statement Tuesday.
Thomas Manzo’s case — explained by a federal agent as virtually like a “bad Television set crime drama” — concluded this week when a unanimous jury uncovered him guilty of scheduling the assault from Dave Cantin, who Dina married in 2017.
In exchange for the assault, prosecutors stated Manzo presented the mafia member a totally free marriage ceremony reception at his cafe — which Manzo then tried to conceal.
Manzo was observed responsible in Newark federal court docket on a single depend of committing a violent crime in support of racketeering action, a single depend of conspiracy to commit a violent criminal offense in help of racketeering resulting in major bodily injuries and one particular depend of falsifying and concealing files associated to a federal investigation. He had beforehand pled not responsible to the rates.
“He will now experience just punishment for his crimes,” U.S. Atty. Philip R. Sellinger mentioned.
In the course of the almost three-week demo, federal prosecutors argued that Manzo hired John Perna of the Lucchese criminal offense household to assault Cantin. Perna, a thoroughly initiated member of the mafia, in any other case acknowledged as a “made guy,” and a crew member assaulted Cantin on July 18, 2015.
The attack, prosecutors mentioned, remaining Cantin with “significant accidents.” The next thirty day period, Perna held a “lavish” reception for about 330 attendees at Manzo’s Brownstone Cafe. Even though below federal investigation, Manzo “concealed and falsified documents” relating to the wedding ceremony. He now faces up to 43 several years in jail. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 15.
Perna pled guilty to the assault in December 2020 and was sentenced to two and a 50 % decades in prison he was produced final August.
“We genuinely hope the victims in this investigation are ready to transfer on with their lives and overlook about Manzo and his prison mafia bedfellows,” Unique Agent in Demand James E. Dennehy explained Tuesday.
The Connected Push contributed to this report.
