Dina Manzo’s daughter Lexi is speaking her truth and calling out abuse at the hand of her former step-father, Tommy Manzo.
In case you missed it: Tommy was recently sentenced to 7 years in prison following his conviction of hiring a mobster to attack Dina’s current partner.
Tommy is the brother of Albert Manzo — Caroline Manzo’s husband. The sisters were married to brothers, for context.
On October 23, Dina’s daughter released a personal essay titled, “Don’t Poke The Bear.” In it, she details the hurt she and her mother experienced when her family sided with their abuser.
“I could write a novel as to what made Tommy such a complicated man to be raised by, but instead I’ll speak to how I came to fear a man who promised to keep me safe and what it feels like to lose the love of my extended family,” the 28 year old begins.
“Many of these family members were also figures I feared to confront, leaving me emotionally stranded.”
Lexi Calls Out Caroline
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Bravo fans clocked Caroline’s involvement with Tommy for years. Siding with your brother in law over your own sister? Writing letters of support?
Lexi put into words what we were all thinking about the Manzo matriarch.
“Caroline was more than an aunt to me; she often rocked me to sleep as a child and stepped in as a second mother, welcoming us into her home during the uncertain period following my mother’s separation from my father.”
“Yet, in a staggering betrayal she would later choose the side of my mother’s abuser and go as far as writing a character letter in defense of Tommy. What could compel someone to form an alliance with a felon over their own blood? Some might describe it as, “thick as thieves.”
Lexi goes on to say it’s not just Caroline who sided with Tommy.
“Other family members chose the path of silence—offering neither empathy nor acknowledgment, their complacency an acceptance to his crimes. I have been severed from a once-beloved village of aunts, uncles, and cousins, all because of these fractured alliances. My phone is yet to ring, perhaps this shows how cunning of a man Tommy is or how shallow humans can be.”
Lexi has opted to remain quiet these 10 years in an effort to not “poke the bear” and make matters worse.
We can’t imagine the emotional toll of losing your entire family when you need them the most.
“I share this truth not only for myself but for my mother and for all of those who quietly endure their pain. I invite you to reclaim your power if you feel you’ve lost it. Be the bear,” she closes out her statement.
Sending so much love to Dina and Lexi during this time!
