Luke McKibben, the former assistant of RHONJ OG Dina Manzo, slams the Manzo family for betraying the RHONJ OG and turning their back on her amid Tommy Manzo’s attacks.
Slowly but surely, some of those closest to Dina Manzo are speaking out after her ex-husband, Tommy Manzo, was sentenced to seven years in prison.
The US Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey announced on Tuesday, October 15th, that Thomas “Tommy” Manzo was sentenced to “84 months in prison for hiring, then assisting, a soldier in the Lucchese Crime Family to assault his ex-wife [Dina Manzo]’s current husband.”
In addition to prison time, Tommy was sentenced 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. “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.”
In June, Thomas “Tommy” Manzo was found guilty by a federal grand jury for “conspiracy, falsifying and concealing documents and committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity” after he hired Lucchese crime family member John Perna to rough up Dave Cantin, the then-boyfriend of his ex-wife, Dina Manzo, in 2015.
Now, Dina Manzo’s friend and former assistant, Luke McGibben, is speaking out, and he isn’t holding back. You may remember Luke from season one if you’re an OG RHONJ fan. He was Dina’s assistant, who eventually moved back to Ireland.
On Instagram, Luke slammed the Mazno family for turning their backs on Dina Manzo and her daughter, Lexi, while supporting Tommy throughout this legal drama.
Luke wrote:
“It’s really disheartening to see that after all this time, and now with the truth finally out, there’s still silence from certain family members.
Dina deserved better from the people closest to her, and it’s frustrating that even after all the evidence the apology she deserves still hasn’t come.
RHONJ storyline, which everyone bought into all these years, was built around the idea of family. But when it really mattered, Dina and Lexi were left standing alone. I urge you all to keep that in mind next time—whether it’s a show you watch, a podcast you listen to, or a cookbook you buy—just remember who and what you would be supporting. #RHONJ.”
He also cheekily tagged the post’s location to The Brownstone, the Manzo family’s event venue in Paterson, NJ.
Dina Manzo commented on Luke’s post and thanked him for his constant support and love. The RHONJ OG also admitted to the “pain” caused by seeing her family “choose the side” of her abuser.
“Luke, I know you have a loving mother but know you will always have a second one in me. You, above my own blood have been the constant in me and Lexi’s lives. Always there for us, always true to what’s right not for what you can get from someone. You had a front row seat all those years to the truth and stood by it. You didn’t have to make this post or anything else you’ve done but know your loyalty and true care and compassion you have for us throughout this ordeal means so much. When your own “family” chooses the side of your abuser, the pain runs so deep. You are appreciated more than you’ll ever know. We love you ??.”
Caroline Manzo, who is Dina Manzo’s sister, infamously wrote a letter of support for her brother-in-law, Tommy Manzo wrote a letter of support to help Tommy get out of jail after he was arrested for allegedly orchestrating an assault and home invasion on Dina and her husband, Dave. RHONJ’s Dolores Catania also wrote a letter vouching for Tommy’s character.
The mom of three also publicly said she was “heartbroken” over the charges against Tommy.
“This is family on both sides,” she said to Extra TV in 2021. “I want to know the truth, and my allegiance will lie with the truth. We don’t run from things like this, we address them, and I feel comfortable with that because we are being painted with a brush that does not reflect who we are as people.”
That same year, Albie Manzo defended his mom‘s choice to publicly support Tommy.
“[My mom] made a choice that she knew going in was going to be extraordinarily unpopular, [that] could’ve been easily twisted into something that it isn’t, but she made it anyway,” Albie said on his Dear Albie podcast. “Because she felt it was the right thing to do.”
“My mother wrote a letter based on the character as we know him,” he continued. “The facts as we’ve seen them, as we know him in his life. Is he a threat to society? The answer is no. We believe the answer is no.”
Meanwhile, Jacquline Laurita, who is sisters-in-law with Dina and Caroline, touched upon Caroline writing a letter of support for Tommy while appearing on the AllAboutTRH podcast earlier this year.
Jacqueline called the whole ordeal “disturbing and scary,” adding, “As far as Caroline and Dolores go, I mean, I have no idea what those letters said or if they even existed. I’m so out of the loop with that. But I did hear from the grapevine that they were character witnesses for Tommy. I know at the time, Caroline and Dolores were close with Tommy and not so much Dina. And they hadn’t been in contact, with Dina in a really long time. And Tommy is Caroline’s husband’s brother. So I could imagine that it put her in an awkward position. And I don’t think either one of them truly believe that Tommy would be capable of this. I think they thought it came from someone else. Um, maybe her ex is family. I mean, her Dina’s husband’s family.”
Real Housewives of New Jersey isn’t expected to return for season 15 until late 2025 or early 2026.
As always, stay glued to AllAboutTRH for the latest, greatest, and most exclusive Real Housewives of New Jersey tea on the internet!