Jersey Justice: RHONJ Ex and Mobster Pal Sentenced for Home Invasion and Stalking

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Jersey Justice: RHONJ Ex and Mobster Pal Sentenced for Home Invasion and Stalking

Tom Lavecchia

A former Real Housewives of New Jersey husband and his accomplice have been brought to justice for a disturbing home invasion and stalking campaign that terrorized a local couple. The case, stemming from a 2017 incident in Holmdel, reached its conclusion in October, delivering prison sentences for both perpetrators.

Thomas Manzo, the ex-husband of RHONJ star Dina Manzo, and James Mainello, of Bayonne, were both sentenced for their roles in the crime. The victims were Dina Manzo and her then-fiancé, now husband, David Cantin, who were assaulted in Cantin’s Holmdel townhouse.

Mainello admitted to being one of the two intruders who violently attacked the couple with a bat, stealing an engagement ring and cash. His actions earned him a seven-year sentence in state prison, with over six years required to be served before parole eligibility.

I interview John Pennisi, who was an ex Mafia who attended the wedding that was allegedly gifted to the mobster associated with the case:

Manzo’s involvement went beyond the home invasion itself. He was also convicted of stalking the couple and separately, in a federal case, for plotting a previous assault on Cantin in 2015. For the stalking charge related to the Holmdel incident, Manzo received a three-year sentence in Monmouth County Superior Court, to be served concurrently with his ongoing seven-year federal prison term. The prior federal conviction involved a mobster paid with a lavish reception at a New Jersey venue to carry out the 2015 assault.

The emotional toll of these crimes was laid bare in an online essay written by Dina Cantin’s daughter, Lexi Ioannou, following Manzo’s federal sentencing. Titled “Don’t Poke the Bear,” Ioannou’s piece detailed the family’s trauma and the complex web of emotions and betrayals stemming from her mother’s relationship with Manzo. She described the psychological warfare that began when Manzo realized her mother was moving on, highlighting the lasting impact of his actions on the entire family. The case serves as a stark reminder of the real-life consequences behind the headlines, and the long road to healing for victims of such crimes in the Garden State.

Dave is a great guy as I actually interviewed him for my Podcast, New Theory Podcast.

It is definitely a crazy story as you think you were watching “Mob Wives” with all of this drama. Either way, I’m glad that justice is served in this case.

Tom is a lifelong New Jersey resident, Rutgers and FDU alumni and the publisher of The Digest.