RHONJs Lexi Ioannou Details Stepfather Tommy Manzos Menacing Ways

Tommy Manzo and his brother Albert Manzo were brought into The Real Housewives of New Jersey because of their wives, two sisters named Caroline Manzo and Dina Cantin. The families were on the show at the start of the series and fans watched as a divide formed between the family. When Dina divorced Tommy, she left the show and Caroline and the rest of the Laurita siblings seemingly sided with Tommy over their sister, Dina. Now, Dina's daughter Lexi Ioannou has opened up about her family's betrayal.

In a piece written on her blog, titled "Don't Poke the Bear," Ioannou talked about how she lived for years afraid of poking at the "bear" that was her ex-stepfather. Dina and Tommy were married from 2005 to 2016, while Ioannou was between the ages of 9 and 20.

"We’ve all heard the expression, preached it, and subscribed to the mindset that we are powerless against those we perceive to exert dominance over us. Bears are formidable creatures, embodying an immense strength that elicits both fear and respect. For over a decade, I have kept silent in fear of poking Tommy Manzo , my stepfather of 15 years — a proven to be dangerous man, who won the loyalty of my blood family," Ioannou wrote at the start of the post.

She explained that Tommy was not an open and honest man while married to her mother. "Behind closed doors he was an unavailable husband, a notorious cheater, and a workaholic." Ioannou went on to talk about how Tommy originally started the divorce amicably, recognizing his failure in their marriage. But Ioannou points out that when Dina began dating again, he switched.

She writes that he aggressively kicked her out of the house she grew up in, forcing her to lose heirlooms and keepsakes she had. Ioannou went on to talk about how it led to the attack on her mother and her mother's now-husband, Dave Cantin:

"Tommy’s rage continued to manifest into acts of unspeakable violence, beginning with a calculated physical attack in 2015, aimed squarely at my mother’s new husband. A spineless act of jealousy and retaliation. This was followed by a harrowing home invasion in 2017, an attempt to instill terror in both my mother and her husband."

Tommy Manzo Was Convicted of Orchestrating an Attack on Dina and Dave Cantin

Image via Bravo

In 2015, a man named John Perna of the Lucchese Crime Family attacked Cantin, leaving him with significant injuries. Perna is what is known as a "made man" and a member of the mafia. He attacked Cantin and then, shortly after, celebrated a wedding at the Manzo-owned Brownstone Restaurant. Perna pled guilty and served his time for the crime, and is already out of prison. Now, Tommy has been convicted for his part in it.

While the investigation was underway, Tommy “concealed and falsified documents” that related to the wedding of Perna at the Brownstone. He was convicted of "hiring, then assisting, a soldier in the Lucchese Crime Family to assault” and was sentenced to seven years in prison with three years of supervised release. Ioannou wrote in her blog post:

"The unsettling truth was that the only person capable of being involved in such horrors was Tommy. For the years following he would insistently try to contact me, wielding me as a pawn in his twisted games and holding me emotionally hostage. These incidents were terrifying and involved the people closest to me. The memories of them cast a long, daunting shadow over our lives, each of us carrying our own experience of trauma and pain.

In April of this year, I sat in court listening to Tommy’s attorneys plead not guilty, weaving mine and his relationship into their defense narrative. They painted his actions as misguided attempts to protect me. As I listened to the testimonies from mob associates, friends, and law enforcement, the magnitude of his obsessive rage became painfully clear. His reach was unnerving, employing private investigators and violent men to track our movements over the course of many years. I found myself covered in a veil of shock and shame, struggling to reconcile how I could be raised by a person capable of such harm. Tommy’s guilt was ultimately established in the court of law, leading him to a prison cell."

The Real Housewives of New Jersey is available to stream on Peacock in the U.S.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey follows the dramatic lives of a group of affluent women living in the Garden State. Centered around family, friendship, and fierce rivalries, the series delves into their personal and professional endeavors. With lavish lifestyles as the backdrop, the show captures intense confrontations, heartfelt moments, and the complexities of balancing relationships and social expectations.

Release Date May 12, 2009

Main Genre Reality

Seasons 13

Franchise The Real Housewives

Producer Andy Cohen

Production Company Sirens Media

Number of Episodes 222

Franchise(s) The Real Housewives

Stream on Peacock