Dina Manzo's ex-husband Tommy Manzo is asking a judge to dismiss a racketeering case in which he was accused of hiring a gangster to beat up Manzo's then-boyfriend and now-husband David Cantin.
The restaurateur's lawyers, Marc Agnifilo and Zach Intrater, asked a federal judge to dismiss the case, claiming he was denied a “speedy trial,” according to the New York Post.
The case stems from a 2020 indictment alleging that Manzo made a deal with a member of the Lucchese crime family to attack Dinas, 51, and his boyfriend, 44, in a North Jersey parking lot five years earlier.
Gangster John Perna, 44, of Cedar Grove, New Jersey, was convicted of the attack in 2015 and sentenced to two and a half years in prison.
But Manzo wants the case dismissed, claiming the court's excessively slow pace violated the federal Speedy Trial Act of 1974.
Dina Manzo's 51-year-old ex-husband, Tommy Manzo (seen with Dina), is asking a judge to dismiss a racketeering case in which he was accused of hiring a gangster to kill Manzo's then-boyfriend, now-husband, David To beat up Cantin (44).
The restaurateur's lawyers asked a federal judge to dismiss the case, saying he was denied a “speedy trial,” according to the New York Post; Dina in the picture with David
“The last day on which Mr. Manzo could be brought to trial as charged in the indictment [law] “was December 10, 2022,” says the federal court filing filed on January 19.
“But it was not until almost eleven months later that an effective continuation was signed,” it continued.
“There is no question that there has been a violation of the law [Speedy Trial Act] “In this case, the charges against Mr. Manzo must be dismissed,” the filing concludes.
Intrater also added in a statement Friday that Manzo “is a respected businessman who looks forward to these charges being dropped so he can return to his family and the work he loves.”
Perna pleaded guilty in 2020 to a federal indictment of committing a crime of violence in furtherance of racketeering activities.
In exchange for his services, Perna reportedly received a huge discount on his wedding reception at Tom Manzo's Brownstone restaurant, Patterson.
“The reception was attended by over 330 guests, many of whom were members of the Lucchese Crime Family,” the New York Post statement said.
According to prosecutors, Perna and a gangster associate attacked Cantin in July 2015 in the parking lot of a New Jersey mall with a slapjack, a striking weapon favored by gangsters.
44-year-old gangster John Perna – a member of the Lucchese crime family – was convicted in 2021 of the 2015 attack and sentenced to two and a half years in prison
Prosecutors said Dina's ex-husband hired Perna to attack Cantin because he was angry that she had moved in with her new boyfriend after their breakup
According to prosecutors, Perna and a gangster associate attacked Cantin in July 2015 in the parking lot of a New Jersey mall with a slapjack, a striking weapon favored by gangsters
In exchange for carrying out the attack, prosecutors say Manzo allowed Perna to host a lavish wedding reception at his brownstone restaurant (pictured) in Paterson, New Jersey, for a fraction of the price
The incident left Cantin, who married Dina in 2017, with a permanent scar on his face
The incident left Cantin, who married Dina in 2017, with a permanent scar on his face.
Dina and Manzo separated in 2012 and divorced in 2016, and their marriage was in crisis at the time of the attack.
Both Manzo and Perna were arrested and charged with conspiracy and committing a crime of violence in furtherance of racketeering activities.
Manzo pleaded not guilty. He was later charged in a separate incident in which he and an associate are accused of targeting his wife and her new husband during a 2017 home invasion.
Manzo is co-owner of the Brownstone venue with his brother Albert. The venue appeared on episodes of RHONJ when Dina was on the show.
In addition to organizing the alleged assault, Manzo was also accused of falsifying and concealing records when federal authorities investigating the assault subpoenaed the venue to subpoena documents related to the wedding.
Manzo failed to deliver relevant documents in response to these subpoenas and intentionally submitted a false document regarding receipt, the indictment says.
Dina (seen here in 2010) appeared on seasons one, two and six of Real Housewives of New Jersey and also appeared as a guest in season four
FBI agents raided the venue in November last year and seized wedding reception invoices and other relevant documents that had not previously been turned over.
Dina appeared on the first two seasons of The Real Housewives Of New Jersey in 2009-2010 before returning for the sixth season in 2014.
She appeared alongside her siblings Caroline Manzo (seasons 1–5) and her brother and sister-in-law Chris and Jacqueline Laurita (seasons 1–5). She is the godmother of Teresa Giudice's youngest daughter, Audriana, 10.
She has a daughter from a previous relationship, Alexia Ioannou, 23, who was born in 1996.