Eight Lucchese Crime Family Members and Associates Plead Guilty in Massive New Jersey Gambling and Racketeering Case

Eight Lucchese Crime Family Members and Associates Plead Guilty in Massive New Jersey Gambling and Racketeering Case

  June 24, 2026    Dapper_Don

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A major organized crime investigation targeting the Lucchese crime family's New Jersey faction has resulted in another wave of guilty pleas, as eight alleged members and associates of the Mafia organization, along with three companies tied to the operation, admitted their roles in a sprawling racketeering, illegal gambling, and money laundering enterprise.

The latest guilty pleas represent a significant development in one of New Jersey's largest organized crime prosecutions in recent years. Authorities say the criminal enterprise generated millions of dollars through illegal sportsbooks, poker clubs, and money laundering schemes operating throughout northern New Jersey.

Prosecutors Target Lucchese Crime Family Leadership

According to state prosecutors, several high-ranking figures connected to the Lucchese crime family's New Jersey faction have now admitted responsibility for their roles in the criminal enterprise.

Among the most prominent defendants are:

• George "Georgie Neck" Zappola, identified by authorities as a senior Lucchese crime family figure.
• Joseph R. "Big Joe" Perna, an alleged Lucchese captain.
• John G. Perna, identified as a Lucchese family soldier.
• Wayne D. Cross, described as a Lucchese associate.

Prosecutors alleged that the operation utilized a structured hierarchy similar to traditional Mafia enterprises, with leadership overseeing gambling operations, collecting proceeds, and directing associates involved in various aspects of the enterprise.

Illegal Sportsbooks and Poker Clubs Generated Millions

Investigators say the criminal organization operated multiple illegal poker clubs and online sportsbooks throughout New Jersey.

Authorities previously described a sophisticated network in which managers supervised poker games, handled betting activity, collected proceeds, and coordinated operations across numerous locations. The organization allegedly used shell companies and other methods to conceal gambling revenue and move money through the financial system.

The broader investigation led to dozens of arrests and charges against alleged mob members, associates, gambling operators, and individuals accused of helping facilitate the operation. Prosecutors estimate that millions of dollars flowed through the enterprise during the investigation period.

Additional Defendants Enter Guilty Pleas

Among those pleading guilty in the latest round was Michael P. Frasso of Cedar Grove, who prosecutors identified as a sportsbook agent involved in the operation. Authorities said Frasso admitted guilt to racketeering and related offenses.

Frank Imparato of Saddle Brook, described as a poker club manager, also entered a guilty plea connected to his role in the gambling enterprise.

Joseph Gossweiler of Florham Park, identified as a sportsbook sub-agent and poker club manager, pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges related to promoting gambling.

State officials said numerous other defendants have already pleaded guilty since the investigation became public, bringing the total number of admissions connected to the case into the dozens.

Three Companies Also Admit Criminal Conduct

In addition to the individual defendants, three businesses allegedly used to facilitate or conceal criminal activity also entered guilty pleas.

Prosecutors contend the companies played roles in supporting the racketeering and money laundering aspects of the operation. Authorities have not ruled out additional forfeitures or financial penalties as sentencing proceedings continue.

Organized Crime Remains Active in New Jersey

The investigation serves as a reminder that traditional organized crime families remain active despite decades of law enforcement pressure.

Authorities allege the Lucchese crime family's New Jersey faction maintained influence over illegal gambling operations while generating revenue through sports betting, poker games, and related criminal activities. Investigators say the structure closely resembled historic Mafia enterprises that have operated in the region for generations.

The Lucchese family is one of New York's historic Five Families of La Cosa Nostra and has long maintained a presence in New Jersey through members, associates, and affiliated gambling operations.

Sentencing Still Ahead for Many Defendants

While guilty pleas have now been entered by numerous defendants, sentencing hearings remain pending for several individuals.

State prosecutors have recommended prison terms for some of the higher-ranking defendants, while lower-level participants could receive probation or shorter custodial sentences depending on their involvement and cooperation.

The case represents one of the most significant organized crime prosecutions undertaken by New Jersey authorities in recent years and continues to expose the inner workings of an alleged Mafia-linked gambling network that operated across the state.

Key Figures Named in the Investigation

• George "Georgie Neck" Zappola — Alleged Lucchese ruling panel member.
• Joseph R. "Big Joe" Perna — Alleged Lucchese captain.
• John G. Perna — Alleged Lucchese soldier.
• Wayne D. Cross — Alleged Lucchese associate.
• Michael P. Frasso — Sportsbook agent.
• Frank Imparato — Poker club manager.
• Joseph Gossweiler — Sportsbook sub-agent and poker club manager.

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Feds round up Lucchese family's New Jersey crew

Feds round up Lucchese family's New Jersey crew

  April 14, 2025    Dapper_Don

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Buncha wiseguys.

A New Jersey councilman and high-ranking Lucchese crime family members are among dozens nabbed in a massive mobbed-up gambling ring allegedly run out of restaurants across the Garden State, officials announced Friday.

Prospect Park Councilman Anand Shah, 42, allegedly managed illegal poker games and ran an online sportsbook tied to four members of the mob family, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin alleged at a press conference in Newark on Friday morning.

“I’m keenly aware of the public’s perception of elected officials in New Jersey and the lack of trust that so many have in their public officials and governmental institutions,” Platkin said. “The arrest of a city council member only adds fuel to that fire.”

Shah was one of 37 people arrested and 39 people charged in the sweeping gambling case that was part of a two-year investigation that uncovered illegal operations in Woodland Park, Garfield, and Totowa that netted $3 million in illegal profits, the AG alleged.

At the top of the racket was George Zappola, 65, of Red Bank, who is part of the Lucchese ruling panel, officials claimed.

Below him was Lucchese captain Joseph “Big Joe” Perna, 56, of Belleville, and below him Lucchese soldiers John Perna, 47, of Little Falls, and Wayne Cross, 75, of Spring Lake, authorities alleged.

On Wednesday, cops raided four illegal poker clubs connected to the Lucchese family, two of which were run out of the backrooms of restaurants. They also searched a business in Paterson that was storing gambling machines and the homes of seven people who were allegedly managing the gambling operation.

The raid led officials to discover more poker clubs and dozens of people who hosted poker games, worked at the clubs, or managed bettors on an illegal online sportsbook on sites outside the US, Platkin said.

“This was a highly structured, highly profitable criminal enterprise run by people who thought they were above the law,” said Theresa Hilton, the director of the Division of Criminal Justice.

There were high-level managers who delegated daily operations to managers, decided how the clubs were run, settled disputes, and used threats to collect debts, the AG said.

The lower-level managers collected dues — called “rents” — from the hosts of the poker games, Platkin said.

Hosts — or the “house” — had to recruit their own players, provide food and beverages for the games, and financially stake them. For this, the hosts collected a percentage of the bets for themselves, called a “rake,” the AG claimed.

The hosts either paid the dealers or gamblers were allowed to work off unpaid debts by acting as a dealers, the AG said.

Attendees could bet on gambling machines inside the clubs if they were waiting to get into a poker game, Platkin said.

As for online gambling, “agents” ran the sportsbooks for gambling sites abroad and would manage a group of bettors — or “packages,” the AG said.

And the agents and sub-agents had to send up a portion of their profits to the high-level management, Platkin alleged.

The websites allowed the mobsters to use the internet and technology to carry out the same criminal activities La Cosa Nostra had been doing the old-fashioned way since the 19th century, Platkin said.

Shah is charged with racketeering, conspiracy to promote gambling and money laundering and other charges for which he could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted on the top charge.

He is not accused of using his office to carry out the alleged crimes and is not accused of being a made member of the Mafia — but rather an associate of it, officials alleged.

He’s due on Tuesday in Morris County court, where prosecutors will be arguing for him to be kept in jail while his case plays out.

Shah didn’t immediately return an email request for comment. Lawyers for Zappola, Cross, and John Perna didn’t immediately return requests for comment. It was not immediately known who was representing Joe Perna.

https://nypost.com/2025/04/11/us-news/nj-politician-lucchese-mobsters-arrested-in-gambling-ring/

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Ex-husband of Real Housewives of New Jersey star gets 7 years for hiring Lucchese Soldier to beat up new husband

Ex-husband of Real Housewives of New Jersey star gets 7 years for hiring Lucchese Soldier to beat up new husband

  October 17, 2024    Dapper_Don

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Dina Manzo’s ex-husband was sentenced Tuesday to seven years in prison after being convicted of hiring a mobster to attack the “Real Housewives of New Jersey” alum’s new spouse.

The US Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey announced in a press release that Thomas “Tommy” Manzo was ordered to serve “84 months in prison for hiring, then assisting, a soldier in the Lucchese Crime Family to assault his ex-wife’s current husband.”

A jury convicted Tommy, 59, on June 4 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.

In addition to prison time, Judge Susan D. Wigenton sentenced Tommy to three years of supervised release.

“Whether you’re actually in the Mafia or not, hiring the mob to assault someone because of your marital problems is abhorrent,” US Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said in a statement Tuesday. “Covering up the role you played only makes it worse. The jury’s verdict, and today’s sentence, make clear that this office will spare no resources to hold accountable anyone who commits such crimes.”

Dina, 52, has not publicly commented on her ex’s sentencing, but she did post a cryptic quote to her Instagram Story on Tuesday.

“Because at the end of the day, the right people fight for you. The right people show up. The right people care, not only when life is convenient, but when it is difficult and messy and it aches all over,” the quote read.

Tommy was accused of hiring Lucchese crime family member John Perna to physically assault Cantin, who Dina’s boyfriend at the time, at a strip mall parking lot in New Jersey in 2015.

Prosecutors claimed Tommy had hired Perna because he was “outraged that his former wife became romantically involved with another man.”

Perna was also convicted after pleading guilty in 2020 to committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity. He was released from prison in 2023.

“The facts and circumstances in this case read like something from a bad TV crime drama, but the evidence and testimony presented in court prove it was reality,” James E. Dennehy, the head of FBI’s Newark field office, said in a statement in June after Tommy’s guilty verdict.

Dina, who has not starred on “RHONJ” since 2014, married Cantin in 2017. They recently moved to Montecito, Calif.

https://pagesix.com/2024/10/16/celebrity-news/rhonj-dina-manzos-ex-tommy-sentenced-to-7-years-in-prison/

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Ex-husband of Real Housewives of New Jersey star convicted of hiring mobster to attack new lover

Ex-husband of Real Housewives of New Jersey star convicted of hiring mobster to attack new lover

  June 05, 2024    Dapper_Don

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The ex-husband of “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Dina Manzo was convicted Tuesday of hiring a mobster to beat up his former beau’s new lover — and now he’s facing more than four decades in prison.

Federal prosecutors said Tommy Manzo, a prominent New Jersey restaurateur who lives in the ritzy suburb of Franklin Lakes, planned the 2015 attack on David Cantin, Dina’s now-husband, then recruited an alleged mafioso from the Lucchese crime family to pull it off.

In return, the feds said, the 59-year-old Manzo promised his hired gun a free wedding at his catering hall, The Brownstone in Paterson, New Jersey. 

After a two-week trial in Newark federal court, Manzo was found guilty of committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to commit a violent crime in aid of racketeering resulting in serious bodily injury and concealing documents related to a federal investigation, the feds said in a press release.  

“The facts and circumstances in this case read like something from a bad TV crime drama, but the evidence and testimony presented in court prove it was reality,” James E. Dennehy, head of FBI’s Newark field office, said in a statement.

“We truly hope the victims in this investigation are able to move on with their lives and forget about Manzo and his criminal mafia bedfellows.”

Besides the jail time, Manzo faces fines of up to $500,000, the feds said.

He will be sentenced Oct. 15.

Manzo’s attorney, Zach Intrater, declined to comment Tuesday afternoon. 

The conviction slams the door on Manzo’s marathon case, which began when the feds indicted him in 2020 for an assault they said happened about five years earlier.

That’s when Manzo — whose family has owned The Brownstone since the 1970s — offered a deeply discounted wedding to mob capo John Perna of Cedar Grove, New Jersey, in return for Perna roughing up Cantin.

“Manzo was outraged that his former wife became romantically involved with another man,” prosecutors said in court documents. “Rather than accept that, as law-abiding individuals do, Manzo wanted to extract physical revenge. Unwilling or incapable of doing so directly, he leveraged his catering hall.”

Perna and a guy from his crew caught up with Cantin in the parking lot of a Passaic County strip mall in July 2015, then worked him over with a slapjack, the feds said.

The savage attack left Cantin battered and scarred, according to court documents.

Perna — the son of former mob capo Ralph Perna — later pleaded guilty to committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity and was sentenced to nearly three years in prison.

He was released last August, according to jail records.

Meanwhile, Manzo remained free on bail as the case against him proceeded at a nearly glacial pace. 

Earlier this year, a federal judge dismissed the first set of charges because prosecutors had taken too long to bring them to trial.

But authorities quickly re-indicted him, and the long-dormant case finally began picking up steam. His trial finally began May 20. 

“As a unanimous jury found, Manzo committed multiple offenses by providing a free wedding in exchange for the assault and then concealing documents relating to that wedding,” US Attorney Philip Sellinger said in the statement.

“He will now face just punishment for his crimes.”

Manzo married Dina in an over-the-top 2005 wedding chronicled on the VH1 reality series “My Big Fabulous Wedding.”

But the couple split in 2012 over his alleged infidelity, “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Kim DePaola told The Post in 2020 — though the couple didn’t officially divorce until 2016.

https://nypost.com/2024/06/04/us-news/rhonj-dina-manzos-ex-convicted-of-mob-tied-attack-on-her-new-lover/

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Ex-husband of Real Housewives of NJ star looks to throw out charges he hired Lucchese Soldier for beating

Ex-husband of Real Housewives of NJ star looks to throw out charges he hired Lucchese Soldier for beating

  January 29, 2024    Dapper_Don

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He’s asking the court to fuggedaboutit.

The ex-husband of “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Dina Manzo is looking to throw out a years-old racketeering case that accused him of hiring a Mafioso to rough up Manzo’s new beau.

Attorneys for Garden State restaurateur Tommy Manzo have asked a federal judge to dismiss the case against him because they say he’s been denied the “speedy trial” afforded to him by law.

The case centers on a 2020 indictment that says Manzo cut a deal with a Lucchese crime family soldier to rough up his ex-wife’s then-boyfriend, David Cantin, in a North Jersey parking lot five years earlier.

His alleged accomplice — reputed mafioso John Perna of Cedar Grove, New Jersey — has already served time behind bars for the “Sopranos”-style beatdown, Manzo’s attorneys say their client should be cleared because the court’s glacial pace has violated the federal Speedy Trial Act of 1974.

“The last day that Mr. Manzo could have been brought to trial on the Indictment in compliance with the [law] was December 10, 2022,” attorneys Marc Agnifilo and Zach Intrater wrote in a Jan. 19 federal court filing.

“But no effective continuance was signed until nearly eleven months later,” they continued. “There is no question that there has been a violation of the [Speedy Trial Act] in this case … the indictment against Mr. Manzo must be dismissed.”

In a Friday afternoon statement, Intrater added that Manzo is “a respected businessman who looks forward to these charges being dismissed so that he can get back to his family and the work that he loves.”

The US Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey declined to comment Friday.

Manzo’s request is the latest salvo in a lengthy court battle that’s thrust one of New Jersey’s most infamous families into the spotlight yet again — for all the wrong reasons.

Slapjacks and dirty deals

Manzo, 58, of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, married Dina in an over-the-top 2005 wedding chronicled on the VH1 reality series “My Big Fabulous Wedding. ”

But the couple split in 2012 over his alleged infidelity, “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Kim DePaola told The Post in 2020 — though they wouldn’t officially divorce until 2016.

Federal prosecutors say Manzo got angry when Dina began seeing Cantin, an entrepreneur.

He allegedly hired Perna, reputedly a made man with the Lucchese crime family, to bust him up with a slapjack in front of a Passaic County strip mall, according to federal court documents.

In return, Manzo allegedly promised Perna a deeply-discounted wedding reception at The Brownstone, the well-known catering hall in Paterson, New Jersey, that his family had owned for decades.

At first, everything went according to plan, prosecutors claimed.

Perna grabbed a member of his crew and worked Cantin over on July 18, 2015, court documents said.

About a month later, The Brownstone hosted an opulent, 330-guest wedding for Perna’s family that was attended by a number of other crime family capos.

But of course, the feds eventually ruined it.

They arrested and indicted both men in the summer of 2020. A year later, Perna pleaded guilty to a charge of committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity and was sent to the slammer for nearly three years.

And Manzo, although free on bail, has languished with a federal albatross around his neck even as he runs his restaurant, which has long been a hangout for North Jersey politicos and bigwigs of all stripes.

The family business

Manzo’s father, Albert “Tiny” Manzo, bought The Brownstone from its original owners, the Clune family, back in the late 1970s, according to a history written by Rita Clune.

The Clunes had bought the “desolate, burned out” building just after World War II, she wrote. They turned it into a bar, then a banquet hall before selling to the 400-pound Tiny — whose nickname was steeped in irony — in the late 1970s.

An alleged mob enforcer, he’d once run for city mayor on a law-and-order platform whose main plank was bringing back public hangings at Passaic County Jail.

But the mobster’s fortunes eventually turned sour, and authorities found his naked body tied up in the trunk of his Lincoln Continental outside a Hillside, New Jersey supermarket in August 1983, with four bullet wounds cutting through his torso.

He and Gambino family soldier Peter A. Campisi had reportedly skimmed money from a mobbed-up casino on Staten Island — although rumors abound to this day about what actually led to his gangland execution.

His sons, Tommy and his brother Albert, have run the restaurant in the years since his death.

Other legal troubles

Of course, even if Manzo were to beat the federal rap, that doesn’t mean his problems are over.

He’s also embroiled in another court case involving his “Real Housewives of New Jersey” ex — this one stemming from charges that he and another man busted into Dina and Dave Cantin’s home in Holmdel, New Jersey, and beat them in 2017.

The Cantins — who married in June of that year — told cops that two men broke into their townhouse and attacked them as they walked in around 11 p.m. on May 13, according to NJ.com.

They hit Cantin with a bat and punched Dina several times, tied them up with zip ties and made off with cash and jewelry — including a new engagement ring.

During the attack, “an Italian guy with a North Jersey accent” told the pair: “This is what happens when you f–k with people from Paterson,” according to the affidavit.

Manzo and another man, James Mainello of Bayonne, were charged with robbery, burglary and aggravated assault for the crime.

But little information is available about the case, which has moved at a similarly slow pace and remains frozen until Manzo’s federal charges are resolved.

Christopher Adams, Manzo’s attorney for the state charges, did not respond to multiple inquiries requesting comment.

The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office said the next hearing is April 29, but declined to comment further.

That’s about two weeks after the April 16 jury selection for his federal case, meaning the North Jersey legend’s legal battles could soon be coming to a close — for better or worse.

https://nypost.com/2024/01/28/metro/real-housewives-star-dina-manzos-ex-husband-looks-to-throw-out-charges-he-hired-mobster-to-beat-up-her-boyfriend/

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The unsolved murder of a New Jersey based Lucchese Soldier

The unsolved murder of a New Jersey based Lucchese Soldier

  May 19, 2023    Dapper_Don

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Lucchese soldier sentenced to nearly three years in prison for assaulting former husband of Real Housewives of New Jersey star

Lucchese soldier sentenced to nearly three years in prison for assaulting former husband of Real Housewives of New Jersey star

  June 11, 2021    Dapper_Don

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A reputed Mafioso was sentenced on Thursday to two-and-a-half years behind bars for assaulting the husband of former “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Dina Manzo.

John Perna, 44, an alleged soldier in the Lucchese crime family, had roughed up Manzo’s new beau at the request of her jealous ex-husband Tom Manzo in July 2015, Acting US Attorney Rachael Honig said in a statement.

In exchange for his strongarm services, Perna allegedly got a huge discount on a wedding reception at Manzo’s ritzy Patterson restaurant, Brownstone.

“The reception was attended by over 330 guests, many of whom were members of the Lucchese Crime Family,” the statement said.

Perna, the son of reputed Lucchese capo Ralph Perna, was accused of using a slap jack to beat up Dina Manzo’s new boyfriend (now husband) David Cantin in a Passaic County strip mall parking lot.

Dina and Tom split up in 2012 and divorced in 2016. They were on the outs at the time of the assault.

Dina, who appeared on the first two seasons of “Real Housewives of New Jersey” married Cantlin in 2019.

Perna will have three years supervised release after he gets out of the clink – and he’ll have to pay almost $18,000 in restitution, a federal judge ordered at sentencing.

The alleged Cosa Nostra member is the son of reputed Lucchese capo Ralph Perna, who was accused by the feds of running the faction’s Garden State operations.

Tom Manzo, 56, was recently charged in a separate incident that accuses him and associate of targeting his wife and her new husband in a 2017 home invasion.

“This is what happens when you f—k with a guy from Paterson,” one of the assailants said before they left, according to prosecutors.

https://nypost.com/2021/06/10/mafioso-sentenced-for-attacking-real-housewives-husband/

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Lucchese soldier admits assaulting husband of reality show star in exchange for a discounted wedding

Lucchese soldier admits assaulting husband of reality show star in exchange for a discounted wedding

  December 16, 2020    Dapper_Don

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An alleged soldier of the Lucchese crime family admitted Wednesday that he assaulted the current husband of a former “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star in exchange for a discounted wedding at an upscale venue in Paterson owned by the former Bravo star’s ex-husband.

According to an indictment, Thomas Manzo, Dina Cantin’s (formerly Manzo) ex-husband, allegedly hired John Perna in the spring of 2015 to assault his ex-wife’s then-boyfriend in exchange for a deeply-discounted wedding reception at The Brownstone in Paterson, where Manzo is an owner.

Perna, 43, of Cedar Grove, pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court via videoconference to committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity.

In July 2015, Perna and another man allegedly involved in the Lucchese crime family followed the man to a strip mall in Passaic County, where they attacked him using a slap jack with “the intent to inflict serious permanent injury,” according to the indictment.

In return, Perna held a “lavish wedding reception at Manzo’s restaurant for a fraction of the price” in August 2015, which was allegedly paid for by another Lucchese associate and close friend of Manzo’s, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Perna, who previously served prison time related to running a multi-billion-dollar gambling enterprise with other members of the Lucchese crime family, faces up to 20 years in federal prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced April 28, 2021. His attorney did not immediately respond to a comment on the guilty plea.

Manzo’s case remains pending.

Michael Critchley, Manzo’s attorney, said Perna did not mention his client when he pleaded guilty to the attack Wednesday. Critchley said he viewed that as a “complete exoneration” of Manzo. He said Manzo has no intention of pleading guilty to what he has been charged with.

“An innocent man doesn’t plead guilty,” Critchley said.

Manzo has been indicted on charges of committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity, conspiracy to commit a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity, and falsifying and concealing records related to the federal investigation of the violent crime.

Federal authorities began investigating the incident shortly after the assault. Manzo allegedly did not comply with subpoenas sent to the Brownstone Restaurant seeking documents related to Perna’s August 2015 wedding reception.

He allegedly failed to provide the requested documents and “deliberately submitted a false document regarding the reception to the government, along with a false certification,” authorities said.

Manzo owns The Brownstone with his brother, Albert, who is married to Dina’s sister, Caroline, another former “RHONJ” cast member.

https://www.nj.com/news/2020/12/alleged-crime-family-soldier-admits-attacking-husband-of-former-rhonj-star.html

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New Jersey based Lucchese soldier pleads not guilty to assaulting husband of reality show star

New Jersey based Lucchese soldier pleads not guilty to assaulting husband of reality show star

  July 10, 2020    Dapper_Don

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The ex-husband of a “Real Housewives of New Jersey” cast member and a reputed mobster have pleaded not guilty to plotting to assault the star’s current husband.
Tommy Manzo, 55, of Franklin Lakes, NJ, allegedly hired John Perna, 43, a purported soldier in the Lucchese crime family, to attack the new beau of Manza’s ex-wife, Real Housewives star Dina Manzo, in July 2015.
Both men pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges Wednesday during an arraignment hearing conducted through videoconferencing in New Jersey federal court.
Perna, of Cedar Grove, used a slap jack to beat David Cantin, the TV star’s current husband, in a strip-mall parking lot in Passaic County, the federal indictment said.
In return for the attack, Tommy Manzo allegedly gave Perna a hefty discount to throw a large wedding reception the following month at a Paterson catering hall that Tommy co-owned.
Perna threw a “lavish wedding reception at Manzo’s restaurant for a fraction of the price.” More than 330 people attended the soiree, including scores of Lucchese mobsters, prosecutors said.
Tommy Manzo, 55, and Perna, 43, both face charges for committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity, as well as fraud and other charges.
Tommy and Dina were married for 11 years before their divorce was finalized in 2016.
Perna, 43, has also pleaded not guilty to beating up Cantin, who was dating Dina Manzo at the time. Cantin and Manzo later tied the knot in 2019.
He was also hit with a count of insurance fraud for falsely reporting his Mercedes Benz was destroyed in 2016 after setting it on fire with other Lucchese mobsters.

https://pagesix.com/2020/07/09/ex-of-rhonj-star-dina-manzo-pleads-not-guilty-to-assault/

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Lucchese mobster is son of former head of crime family's New Jersey operations

Lucchese mobster is son of former head of crime family's New Jersey operations

  July 01, 2020    Dapper_Don

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The alleged Mafioso accused of assaulting the husband of ex-“Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Dina Manzo is a real “family” guy, authorities say.
Suspect John Perna is the son of reputed former longtime Lucchese crime-family capo Ralph V. Perna, who the feds once accused of running the Mafia faction’s New Jersey operations.
Authorities got a serious glimpse into the inner workings of the alleged crime family-within-a-crime family during the massive takedown of a $2 billion-plus illegal online sports-betting operation in 2010 — and it wasn’t pretty.
Ralph V. and two of his sons — John and Joseph “Little Joe” Perna — were convicted in the scheme, which reflected the Perna criminal dynasty’s reliance on bookmaking, an investigator told the Philadelphia Inquirer at the time.
Wiretaps caught the sons once boasting about “Daddy’s” rise to the top.
Federal tapes also revealed how the sons were initiated as Lucchese soldiers at a ceremony at Joseph’s Toms River home in 2007 — with New York City reputed mob bosses Joseph “Big Joe” DiNapoli and Matthew Madonna in attendance, the paper said.
At one point, Joseph was heard griping on tape, “I made $67,000 in the last 10 days and I don’t have a dollar . . . not a dollar. . . . It goes to the house and this and that and bills.”
Both he and his brother were also caught plotting assaults on those who didn’t pay their debts, the paper said.
In 2016, Ralph V. landed an eight-year prison sentence for his role in the gambling scheme, while his sons got 10 years each, all part of plea deals, NJ.com reported at the time.
John got out of state prison in July 2019 — and was cuffed Tuesday for allegedly assaulting Manzo’s then-boyfriend and now-husband in 2015, the year before he was convicted in the gambling operation.
The feds say John Perna was hired by Manzo’s ex, Tommy Manzo — and in exchange for the assault received a steep discount for his wedding reception at Manzo’s catering hall in Paterson the next month.
Both John Perna and Manzo pleaded not guilty at their arraignment Tuesday.

https://pagesix.com/2020/06/30/alleged-mobster-in-dina-manzo-case-is-real-nj-family-guy-feds/

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Former husband of reality TV star and Lucchese soldier busted for assualt and other crimes

Former husband of reality TV star and Lucchese soldier busted for assualt and other crimes

  June 30, 2020    Dapper_Don

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The ex-husband of one of the stars of the Bravo television show “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” and an organized crime soldier were arrested today on charges of planning and carrying out an assault of the Bravo star’s current husband in exchange for a lavish wedding reception, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Thomas Manzo, 55, of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, and John Perna, 43, of Cedar Grove, New Jersey, are each charged by indictment with committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity and conspiracy to commit a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity. The indictment also charges Perna – identified in the indictment as a soldier in the Lucchese Crime Family – with conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud related to the submission of a false car insurance claim, and Manzo with falsifying and concealing records related to the federal investigation of the violent crime. Both defendants will make their initial appearances today by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In the spring of 2015, Manzo, one of the owners of the Brownstone Restaurant in Paterson, New Jersey, allegedly hired Perna to assault his ex-wife’s then-boyfriend in exchange for a deeply discounted wedding reception for Perna held at the upscale venue. Perna, who is a “made man” in the Lucchese Crime Family with his own crew, worked with his associates to plan and carry out the assault, which took place in July of 2015. In exchange for committing the assault, Perna held a lavish wedding reception at Manzo’s restaurant for a fraction of the price, which was paid by another Lucchese associate and close friend of Manzo’s. The wedding and reception, held in August 2015, were attended by approximately 330 people, and included many members of the Lucchese Crime Family.
Separately, prior to the date that Perna was scheduled to begin serving a state prison sentence in January 2016, he falsely reported that his Mercedes Benz was stolen and destroyed. Perna filed an insurance claim for the destruction of the Mercedes Benz in order for the balance due on the Mercedes Benz. However, Perna had staged the vehicle theft and arson with other members of the Lucchese Crime Family.
The charge against Manzo for allegedly falsifying and concealing records related to the federal investigation of the July 2015 assault relates to federal grand jury subpoenas that were sent to the Brownstone Restaurant seeking documents related to the August 2015 Perna wedding reception. Manzo failed to turn over relevant documents in response to those subpoenas and deliberately submitted a false document regarding the reception to the government, along with a false certification. In November 2019, agents with the FBI executed a search warrant at the Brownstone Restaurant and seized invoices for the August 2015 Perna wedding reception and other relevant documents that were not previously turned over.
The violent crime in aid of racketeering activity count against both defendants carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The conspiracy to commit the violent crime in aid of racketeering activity count against both defendants carries a maximum potential penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud count against Perna carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years of in prison and a $250,000 fine. The falsifying and concealing records related to a federal investigation count against Manzo carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Joe Denahan in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges and arrest.
The government is represented by Senior Litigation Counsel V. Grady O’Malley and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendall Randolph of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/ex-husband-real-housewives-new-jersey-star-and-lucchese-crime-family-soldier-indicted

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