Dina Manzo‘s ex, Thomas Manzo, was sentenced to seven years in prison for hiring John Perna to assault Dave Cantin – Dina’s new boyfriend (now husband) – in exchange for a discounted reception at The Brownstone, per reports from NJ1015.com.
The historic Brownstone is co-owned by her sister, Caroline Manzo‘s husband. Caroline defended Thomas after the assault, not her sister.
The crime and the time:
Thomas Manzo was convicted in June by a jury in Newark federal court, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced. In 2015, the 59-year-old Manzo arranged for a known mobster to attack the Dina’s husband, Dave.
The hitman Perna carried out the attack on Dave at a strip mall in Passaic County in July 2015 Dina’s new man was assaulted with a “slap jack.” A month later, a wedding reception was held at The Brownstone for “a fraction” of the normal price.
The cover up:
“Thomas Manzo then worked to cover the paper trail of the event,” prosecutors said. “Perna was sentenced in 2021 to 30 months in prison for the incident. It appeared that he has since been released, after serving that term.”
Thomas Manzo was found “guilty of committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity, conspiracy to commit a violent crime in aid of racketeering resulting in serious bodily injury, and falsifying and concealing documents related to a federal investigation.”
The attorney pointed out that Thomas’s actions after the assault affected the severity of his punishment.
“Whether you’re actually in the Mafia or not, hiring the mob to assault someone because of your marital problems is abhorrent. 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.”
