“After the conversation with Caroline I thought I could be a bigger man, but it’s not easy. I wanna hurt her [Teresa] because I’m hurting so much inside.” – Joe Gorga, Season 5 Episode 3 (TH)
Well, from what I interpret in the preview for episode 4, Joe Gorga gets his wish and then some by striking the lowest of blows to Teresa, saying to her: “I don’t call my wife a “c*nt”, you understand?” This is when Teresa throws the bottle of water at him and, rightly so, she says: “I’m done with you.” Of course, this was in reference to what Joe Giudice said on the infamous phone call in vineyard, and Joe Gorga knew damn well that would cut deep in Teresa’s heart.
It is clear by viewing social media and reading their blogs, these women are NOT in a better place today. If they would be, their blogs would perhaps refer to something like, “it is hard watching that time in our lives”, “I cannot believe we were at that place”, “thank goodness all is well now”, you know what I mean. No big get together for the Giudice/Gorga families for Father’s Day (which could be the Sr.’s last one, considering his health in the past several months). Melissa speaks of her deceased father, but no mention of her father-in-law in an interview (see below). Because her father told her to “go for it”, her book will take us through her childhood and she will also tell us how her and Joe have sex. Yuck! I see she must have cashed that Bravo paycheck, her extensions are back.
From Melissa’s interview with OK Magazine on June 16, 2013:
This Father’s Day, Real Housewives of New Jersey star Melissa Gorga is remembering her late father, Anthony Marco, for making her into the woman she is today.
“The best advice my dad gave me is to ‘go for it,’” she tells me during the Remix Rocks The Rooftop with SK Energy event in NYC. “He always told me ‘don’t be shy, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Just go for it.’ That’s what I’ve always tried to do.”
Hm, how does that help?
“It’s helped me, especially being in this business and putting myself out there with my music,” she begins. “I’m writing a book [Love Italian Style] and putting it all out there with what I’ve been through from when I was a young child to how I have sex with my husband— with all the little bits and pieces, I’ve learned to put it all out there, and let people enjoy it.”
Joe’s father was hospitalized in ICU starting late Saturday night, January 5th (Joe’s mother said she called Joe and it seems he told her he was too sick to drive his father to the hospital, so she called for an ambulance at 4 AM). The day before, on January 4th, Joe went to the dentist and was feeling just fine:
“Wow I just left the best dentist office @RauchbergDental without any pain, and a goodie bag” – Joe Gorga, 3:41 PM on January 4, 2013, Twitter
Melissa didn’t tweet about Joe being sick until Wednesday, January 9th, which is also the day she first visited her father-in-law in the hospital (probably not a coincidence):
“How is everyone?! @joegorga has a fever:.( I’m nursing him back to health..” – Melissa Gorga, January 9, 2013, Twitter
Joe went to the hospital on Thursday, January 10th (also probably not a coincidence) but apparently was not admitted:
“I’m dying over here in the hospital this flu kicked my ass. Not a word or movement from Tarzan in 4 days #Pain.” – Joe Gorga, January 10, 2013, Twitter
Melissa was so unconcerned about Joe’s health that she and Antonia went shopping at the Paramus mall (see the photo above of Antonia on the carousel) on the same day Joe went to the hospital:
“Quick stop at the mall.. Little Miss Antonia insisted on the carousel!
” – Melissa Gorga, 1:04 PM on January 10, 2013, Twitter
And she made her hair appointment the next morning, Friday, January 11th, even tweeting about her “amazing blowout” (which you can see in footage from Gia’s birthday party later that day):
“Just left @BogettaSB salon in Cedar grove.. Seriously the best blowout around.” – Melissa Gorga, January 11, 2013, Twitter
Joe did not appear sickly in the footage before Gia’s party and in the photo they tweeted of the two of them out to dinner on Tuesday, January 15th (see photo below). He must not have had the flu that was going around at that time because those who got it were very sick for two weeks — Joe must have recovered quickly since he went out to dinner just days after allegedly going to the hospital for treatment for his runny bowels.
Joe’s father was very sick, in ICU, and could have passed away, so you don’t want to wait days to visit. Both Melissa and Joe were not too sick to be taped for the show, and Melissa was not too sick to workout.
I think Joe and Melissa came up with their stories of being sick to have legitimate reasons for Joe not driving his father to the hospital and for Melissa waiting four days to visit him in ICU. Their stories about being sick are lame attempts to cover their a**es and protect themselves from blame or criticism.
They don’t look sick in the photos they posted to instagram (see photos above) from January 1st through January 13th (apparently Melissa hosted two bottle signings for Voli Vodka during that time period).
On January 12th, Melissa was embroiled with a back and forth with RadarOnLine after they came out with an article slamming her for getting her hair done while Joe was “in the hospital”.
“@radar_online @joegorga Joe was not in the hospital when I got a haircut. Come on….” – Melissa Goraga, 9:30 AM – 12 Jan 13, Twitter
January 13th was the day Mr. Gorga came home. The Golden Globes were airing and Melissa had a get-together. This is when she cooked her sauce and those hot peppers also pictured above in this article. If you are recovering from stomach flu, who the hell would want to eat those let alone smell them being cooked in your house?!
“Oooo… And spicy long hots to burn my mouth! #yum
http://instagr.am/p/Ub8t7ypC ” – Melissa Gorga, 12:09 PM – 13 Jan 13, Twitter
Someone asked how Joey was feeling and then she randomly announced their upcoming workout DVD:
“Better!! RT @HousewiveFan: @melissagorga How’s Joe feeling?!” – Melissa Gorga, 2:09 PM – 13 Jan 13, Twitter
“So excited to tell you @joegorga & I are coming out with a workout DVD! You can workout with us in your home! More details to come” – Melissa Gorga, 2:52 PM – 13 Jan 13, Twitter
As she watched the Golden Globes, Melissa commented on how exciting it was and gave a shout out to NeNe Leakes – NeNe did NOT acknowledge the tweet at all:
“A huge CONGRATS to @NeNeLeakes YOU’RE AT THE #goldenglobes !!!!! Get it girl!” – Melissa Gorga, 3:52 PM – 13 Jan 13, Twitter
At that point, Melissa gave the shout out to the hospital staff at Chilton Hospital:
“Thank you to all the staff at Chilton Hospital! You were amazing with my @joegorga” – Melissa Gorga, 4:28 PM – 13 Jan 13, Twitter
There was not ONE mention from Melissa of being grateful her father-in-law was home from the hospital!!!
On January 13, 2013, Teresa tweeted about bringing her father home from the hospital:
“Going to get my dad out of the hospital. Happy to be bringing him home on a Sunday!” – Teresa Giudice, January 13, 2013, Twitter
Thank you all for your kind wishes and prayers for my dad. He had a rough winter with pneumonia and his pacemaker surgery, but he’s back up and around and doing great. It was very scary though, because he was really, really sick. It’s so hard to see my father, who was always such a big, strong man, so much larger than life, getting older and having health issues. I know that’s the way of life for those of us lucky to have our parents still, but it’s still hard. Nothing about watching those you love in pain is easy. My dad has emphysema, so he has weak lungs. He’s been in the hospital before, but this last time was the worst because he was in the ICU. We weren’t sure how things were going to go, and my mother and I basically camped out with him. I wasn’t going to leave his side. We were going to cancel Gia’s birthday party, but my dad didn’t want us to. He was in the hospital a week and finally got moved out of ICU, so we did go ahead with Gia’s party.
I think you can see from this episode that Melissa and I do not come from the same place. She twists everything I say or do, and says that I do the same thing to her.I’m sure it’s exhausting to watch, because it is exhausting to live. I love her, she is family, but I’m not sure I’m ever going to like her. At least not all the time. Some people just don’t match your personality, and that’s fine. You can’t be best friends with everyone. Some people don’t like their own blood sisters and brothers. That my sister-in-law and I don’t get along perfectly is not earth-shattering news.
“We don’t get ‘story lines’, they follow our lives and whatever in our lives that is most prominent makes air.” – Jacqueline Laurita, 8:31 PM, June 16, 2013, Twitter
Nicholas is doing great and responding very well to the Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Therapy. (We call it the HBOT.)
[...]
Now I’ll get to the juicy Housewives drama stuff that I know you all enjoy. Interact, analyze, gossip! I totally get it! Let me try to get back to that place when this episode was happening.
When Caroline told me that Teresa expected an apology from me, it made me giggle at the suggestion of it. It was as if Teresa really felt like she didn’t owe ME one. Caroline had also told me that Teresa blamed me for the demise of her family. That bothered me, because I knew there had been hard feelings between her and her family that were never truly resolved long before I ever came into the picture. I felt like Teresa still wasn’t taking any accountability for anything that she had done to destroy our friendship or her relationship with her family. She was still shifting blame onto others. It was a reminder to me as to why I removed that toxicity from my life. It had been a long time since I thought of or spoke about Teresa. She had been out of sight, out of mind. It was a toxic period of my life that I had no desire to go back to. I had too many other important things to focus on. It was unfortunate the way our relationship fell apart, but I decided that I was not going to allow myself to put any more thought or energy into it. It was what it was.
My friendship with Teresa was over because I honestly didn’t believe there would ever be a sincere effort on Teresa’s part to forgive, forget, or move forward past all that was said and done. I pushed any thoughts of her to the back of my mind and did my best to forget about it.
Happy Birthday to Gia! XOXO! It was sad to me not being around Teresa’s kids to watch them grow up. I always thought I would be there for them and was looking forward to it. I would have been the aunt to tell Gia to shave her “grill” LOL!
When I said that Gia’s party was the last place I’d want to be, I meant if I were Melissa. If I were Melissa, I probably would have bought Gia a gift and taken her out for dinner and cake to celebrate instead. I felt like Melissa was walking into the lion’s den, because I knew a lot of people that would be at the party had ill feelings toward her, including Teresa. At least there was an effort on both parts to try to bring the kids together. Melissa told me that Linda had pulled her aside when Teresa wasn’t around to tell her how proud she was of her for coming and that it took a lot of guts.I agree.
I know Teresa was disappointed that her brother wasn’t there. You can tell there is still love between them. I also think, at this point in time, they were both still disappointed in each other and needed to sort that out. Their next meeting will come soon…
I do remember Melissa saying her throat was hurting during the time Teresa’s Father went into the hospital and Joe had pneumonia. I do remember Melissa worrying about passing that on to her Father-on-Law. I know that Melissa did go to the hospital, because I remember seeing a picture of Antonia with her Grandfather when I asked how he was doing. I have no idea when she went, but at least she went. Especially given the awkwardness between them during this time.
Let’s talk about the gym fiasco, because that whole thing sounded so ridiculous to me. You’ll have to pardon me, because I had no idea there was a stake claimed on one side of the sand box and that I wasn’t allowed to cross the line into the other territory or someone would tell on me. Honestly, I had absolutely no motives for going to the gym other than I wanted to meet the girls for a smoothie, catch up, and practice driving on highways (fear of mine). I was invited by Melissa and it fit into my schedule. End of story.
Melissa wanted me to start getting my “sexy” back by first getting me to work out more often. The smoothie and girl chat seemed much more appealing to me than the work out. I don’t like squeezing my ass in front of people while I work out. I prefer my privacy when I work out. Last, I knew Teresa worked out at that gym at 6:00 in the morning. I went there after dropping my kids off at school, much later than I remembered Teresa ever going. In the scene with her and Kim, I even heard Teresa say to Kim that she had already worked out that day. I never thought for a second I would run into her there. Even if I did, I wouldn’t have cared. At this point in time, she was just somebody that I used to know. As you could see, we were clearly there at separate times. In my opinion, Teresa’s friend, Linda, instigated a problem when there clearly wasn’t one to begin with.
Teresa called it “her” gym as if she owned it. I thought it was so presumptuous of her to think I went there specifically to stalk her. It just sounded ridiculous to me. I wasn’t looking to fight with her, and I wasn’t looking to rekindle a friendship either. At that point in time, I wasn’t worried at all about Teresa’s whereabouts or would even consider planning my schedule around her. I was on my own schedule. We both still shopped and ate at some of the same places. We both continued to go to the same doctor for our cosmetic procedures. Eventually, our paths would cross.
I was really surprised by Teresa’s “friend” Linda’s comments about my “fat ass” not being at the gym for the last however many months she documented me not going. Especially when I ran into Linda soon before that and she was soooo friendly with me to my face and told me how great I looked. I know she’s probably going to read this so…this is for her: Linda, so sorry my “ass” isn’t to your liking, (Chris loves it), but I’ve been kinda busy the last few months doing research and trying to recover my child, raising Autism awareness, starting a new business, keeping up with my house, while still focusing on my family and friends. I wasn’t putting the gym at the top of my priority list. (I put it above bleaching my asshole, but below everything else I had going on.) I have a busy life. But hey, having a fit body CLEARLY isn’t a gauge of how good of a person you are. Seeing as though some of your best friends are actually bigger in size than I am, I hope you didn’t offend them by making them wonder if you judge them and what you say behind their backs, as they saw you do to me. You told me you liked me and that you had nothing bad to say about me when talking to me, but your attitude about me seemed to change when speaking to Teresa. You may be strong, but you’re obviously not strong enough to be your own person. Fall back, soldier! Try working on your heart muscle. It will make you much more appealing.
Teresa commented about how you don’t know the “real” me. I’m not sure where she was going with that comment. I think I have been very consistent in showing viewers who I am since day one. I have always organically reacted, good and bad, to every situation that I have been put in, good and bad.
I have been very open and honest about my life for the viewers. I’ve showed you all the good and bad, happy, sad, and mad. I have no control on what aspects of my daily life you see. If you would like to learn more little tidbits about me, go to http://www.JacquelineLaurita.com under my “About Me” section. Maybe there will be things about me on there that you don’t know already. I’m honest, I’m goofy, I’m caring towards others. I like everyone to get along. I’m emotional at times. Impulsive on Twitter at times (LOL), I’m feisty when challenged. I can hold my own. I’m stubborn at times. I tend to analyze and sometimes even over analyze every situation. I’m a fair person. I’m down to earth. I love my family and being a wife and a mother. I could go on and on, but you get my point. We ALL have different sides to us, depending on the situation we are put in. I’m OK with you seeing my struggles and my faults, because I know that you all have them too.
I think it’s thoughtful that Caroline is trying to put their family back together again.She knows very well that it takes both sides, SINCERELY wanting a relationship at the SAME time, to make it work. It seems like Caroline sees hope for their family and is trying to get them to see it too. I’d love to see their family, as well as our own, come together again as a whole. I just don’t have the energy anymore to fight for it. I’m fighting a different fight. If both sides want it bad enough, it will happen, but like I said, relationships take work on both sides and you need to get to the core of the problem.
Stay tuned and buckle up! You are in for a bumpy ride. There’s a long windy road ahead of us before we get to our destination. Follow our journey.
primak said on June 16, 2013 on Jacqueline’s Bravo blog:
“You’re the most immature adult on a reality series I’ve ever witnessed. God bless your son and I wish your family the best in his treatment but your are delusional when it comes to relationships. You used to be my favorite and I can’t even stomach you anymore. Everyone has their faults, you just refuse to admit yours, and everyone else is to blame. The mere fact that you were friends with Teresa for years and then you fight and immediately befriend her sister-in-law who she has issues with screams high school mean girl behavior. Grow up, you have a special needs child who needs you. Maybe it’s time to step away from the cameras and focus on your son instead of exploiting him.”
Leopard_Man_ said on Jacqueline’s Bravo blog:
Every season you go off the handle and attack someone, Dina, Danielle, Teresa. But, heaven forbid someone say anything about you and you go ballistic. No it was not a very nice thing for Linda to call your behind fat, but good lord you have certainly have dished it out to others! Only works one way with you. PS, I’m sure you are equally outraged about Kathy’s insults about Linda.
Meeting Moo Shoo (Excerpt)
By Caroline Manzo
Sunday, June 16, 2013 5:30 PM
If you remember, Joe and Melissa came to my Hoboken apartment, and while they were there they shared that they were still having issues with Teresa. I felt so bad for Joe that night. He seemed sad, angry, and hopeless. I have been in his shoes and I know exactly how he feels, and because of that I asked if he would meet with me for coffee. I wanted to give him a pep talk, there was absolutely no hidden agenda on my part at all.Hearing Melissa say that she was confused as to why I secretly met with Joe and that I should stay out of it was hurtful. The conversation I had with Joe was about his relationship with his sister and his parents. I didn’t want to drag Melissa into another conversation out of respect to her feelings, knowing that she doesn’t like to be put in the middle of their issues. I’m sorry she never told me this, I would have explained myself to her and listened to her concerns.
Joe asked me to go speak to Teresa for him, and I did as he asked. When I sat down with Teresa I spoke from my heart with no “team” shirt on at all. Throughout the next few episodes I have to deliver a few messages to family members and friends. First I had to tell Joe what Teresa’s response was to his request, then I had to tell everyone else where they fit in the healing process. It wasn’t fun, and as I watch it now, it makes me nauseous. I did what I did and said what I said, and I have no regrets. Keep watching, it gets interesting.
bravoliscious said on Caroline’s Bravo blog:
1. You said that Joe wanted a relationship with his sister. Either that was not his desire, or he drastically changed his stance. He clearly did not want anything to do with her.
2. It is obvious that you stirred the pot. You stirred it with Jacqueline and then again with Joe.
3. I wanted to believe that you really cared. It does not appear that this was the case. It is more like the desire to bring on drama.
4. You are in no position to tell others that they must make amends with family.
Ldenver said on Caroline’s Bravo blog:
First off, I am so so sick of everyone treating Joe and Melissa as if THEY are victims. Joe has serious psychological and emotional issues. I could not believe you lectured Theresa for being friends with Kim D, when clearly you and your family hate Theresa, and Joe hangs with all of you, and ALLOWS all of you to gossip and bad talk his sister, and he chimes in! Hypocrite!!!
Melissa was right, you should stay the hell out of it. And it is very inappropriate for you to meet HER husband alone for coffee without clearing with the wife first! Shame on you!
You say Joe asked you to meet his sister, and JAC said that Theresa got you involved…BULL…you got yourself involved and lied about what Theresa said. Theresa did not blame JAC, saying it was all her fault her family was broke up. It is so hard to watch you and your family anymore. To say you have no Team shirt is delusional at best. You are a pot stirring trouble maker Caroline, through and through, you have single handedly caused so many hard feeling between these family members time and again. Did you not learn anything from last season.
What’s that old saying…Oh yes, I think it goes like this: “With friends like you, who the hell needs enemies.” I hope this is you and your families LAST season. I feel ICKY after watching you and the Gorgas anymore………And maybe if JAC was a little less hateful and snidely, she would be a little more sympathetic where her son is concerned. When my son was 6 years old, he was diagnosed with Autism…being hateful was the LAST thing on my list of things to do.
“Melissa made such a big deal that Joe Guidice did not go to the hospital when her son Joey was born, so good for Teresa on calling out Melissa for not going to the hospital to see her father-in-law.”
In season 5 episode 3 of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Teresa confronts Melissa at Gia’s birthday party on January 11, 2013, about not visiting Teresa’s dad until four days after he was admitted to the hospital.
According to Melissa’s tweets on Wednesday, January 9th, Joe was running a fever and she was nursing him back to health:
“How is everyone?! @joegorga has a fever:.( I’m nursing him back to health.” – Melissa Gorga, January 9, 2013, Twitter
Apparently she was unable to nurse him back to health, since, according to Joe Gorga’s tweet on Thursday, January 10th, he was in the hospital (and this was the excuse he used not to attend Gia’s party on January 11th):
“I’m dying over here in the hospital this flu kicked my ass. Not a word or movement from Tarzan in 4 days #Pain.” – Joe Gorga, January 10, 2013, Twitter
However, according to Melissa in episode 3, Joe went to the hospital on Saturday, January 12th because he had the flu and her father-in-law was admitted to the hospital the next day, Sunday, January 14th.
Teresa tells a different story. Her father received his pacemaker in November. He had issues and was hospitalized during the early morning hours of Sunday, January 5, 2013, which many still would refer to as Saturday night since the sun had not risen on the new day.
Teresa to Juicy: I can’t believe my dad got sick again.
Teresa on a phone call with her mom: What happened last night?
Teresa’s mom: He can’t breathe, and then he went into the hospital.
Teresa’s TH:
I got a phone call from my mom at 3 o’clock in the morning saying that my dad ended up going to the hospital again. He had pneumonia. Soon as my dad was in the hospital, I dropped everything. Everything else doesn’t matter, it’s just my dad.
T: You called the ambulance?
T’s mom: Yeah, yeah. I called the ambulance at 4 o’clock in the morning.
T: And then what, you called Joey?
T’s mom: Yeah, I called Joey, and he was sick too. He had a fever and everything.
Switch to Joe and Melissa:
Joe Gorga: Oh, I’m dying!
Melissa: Cover your mouth!
J: I had some soup – it came right out of my ass…
M: O God, spare me the details! Why don’t you just go lay down.
J: I hate being sick. You know, my father’s in the hospital, and he’s going through pneumonia. His heart is weak. He’s in bad shape. He’s got so much water in his lungs, tubes down his throat.
M: Make sure you don’t go to the hospital with this! God forbid, he catches it. I think I’ll go with Antonia because you can’t go.
Switches to Teresa and Juicy in the car:
T: I hate them getting older.
J: The reality is, one of these times he’s not going to come out of it.
T: Don’t say that!
J: Well, it’s the truth, whatya gonna do?
T: Now you’re making me cry.
J: That’s life babe.
The following is the transcript of the video above, where Teresa confronts Melissa at Gia’s party.
Teresa TH:
I overhear Melissa telling Kim that she went to the hospital the next day. Why is she lying? How did you go the next day when my mother and I were there? Maybe we missed you… maybe we saw your… maybe your ghost was there!
At the party:
T: So, I heard you went to go see… um… my dad at the hospital.
Melissa: He looks good. He was sitting up.
T: You went four days after he went into the hospital?
M: No, I went the day after he went in.
T (shaking her head): Noo…
M: Yes I did. Joey brought him there on Monday night and I went Tuesday night.
T: Noo you didn’t.
M: What day did he go in?
T: Saturday night at 4:00 in the morning
M: No it was not Saturday night… No, it wasn’t! (waving her hand) What day did I go?
Kim D. looks on inquisitively and then gives a little smirk as Melissa continues waving her hands.
M: Hold on! I have to figure out what night everything was cause I will. It wasn’t Saturday because Joey went to the hospital… Yes (shaking her head) yes…
T: Melissa, it’s my dad!
M: Yes, you are right!
T: My dad even said “Melissa didn’t even call me to see how I was doing.”
M: Why would he say that?! I spent the whole day at the hos… I went with Antonia?!
T: Okay! Alright! That’s good!
M: Why are you interrogating me?
T: I’m not “interrogizing” you, sweetheart! (Another Teresa-ism!!)
M: I didn’t go four days later! That’s what I’m telling you…
T: Alright… (waving her hand)… You’re right, Melissa! (sarcastically).
M: And if I did… and if I did it’s because I have three kids…
Kim D. continues to look on intently tongue in cheek.
M: Who cares when I went! Of course I went to see him!!!
Teresa shakes her head.
Teresa TH:
I don’t know why she would even lie that she went to go see my dad. I think she’s just trying to protect her image. If she was lying about anything else, I wouldn’t even make a big deal about it. But because it has to do with my dad, that’s a big deal to me.
Back to the party:
M: Why are you lying?
T: You called the nurse? I’m lying?!
M: Yeah, but I didn’t want to call him! Hey…
T: I was there every single day! I’m lying? How bout you and me go to the hospital together and we’ll see if my dad’s lying!!
Kim D.’s tongue is stuck in her cheek as she looks away.
Melissa TH:
First of all, it wasn’t four days. My husband took his father to the hospital at 3:00 in the morning on Sunday. Monday and Tuesday I had a really bad sore throat. On Wednesday, I took my daughter to the hospital to see my father-in-law when my throat felt better. That’s not four days in my book.
Back to the party:
T: My father said to me… my father – your father-in-law…
M: Honey, I called…
T: Don’t call me Honey.
Camera shot over to Joe Giudice.
T: We’re not in that “honey” term – Okay?!
M: Oh, I didn’t know. You’re nice one second and you’re like this the next! Make up your mind!
T: Well, make up my mind?! When it comes to my parents, they love you more than anything. Give them the respect back.
RadarOnline reported that an argument between Teresa and Joe Gorga at Kim D’s jewelry party a week later, on January 18, 2013, was over Teresa not visiting her brother during his brief stay in the hospital for the flu beginning on January 10, 2013 — he must have recovered quickly because he was photographed dining out with Melissa on January 15, 2013.
“Just left @BogettaSB salon in Cedar grove.. Seriously the best blowout around.” – Melissa Gorga, January 11, 2013, Twitter
Shortly after this argument transpired, an anonymous commenter at Fame-Whorgas on January 16, 2013, revealed the identity of “bulldog”, Melissa’s alleged lover during the first 4-5 years of her marriage, who was a former boyfriend.
“Doubt this article from the Associated Press (see below) gets posted, but I’m putting this on each of the Housewives Bravo blogs. Seems us viewers are not ‘loved’ like the cast mates always make out LOL. They kind of blame us for their fighting!! The ladies don’t seem to mind the money they’re making! Why don’t we boycott the RHONJ so that we don’t contaminate their getting along? I hate to think I’m the one making them fight or hurting their families!!!” – Katie1958, Housewives’ Bravo Blogs, June 11, 2013
By ALICIA RANCILIO, Associated Press
June 11, 2013
Fans of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” may find this hard to believe, but the ladies are getting along.
The show, which airs Sundays on Bravo (8 p.m. EDT), has returned with new episodes, and as this fifth season progresses, viewers will see the five women and their families work on their relationships.
Of course, the road to peace wasn’t easy for Teresa Giudice, her sister-in-law Melissa Gorga, cousin Kathy Wakile, and castmates Caroline Manzo and Jacqueline Laurita. As Manzo describes it:
“One step forward, 10 steps back.”
The New Jersey “Housewives” gathered at a New York City restaurant recently to talk about family dynamics and relationships playing out on TV and how the show has affected them.
AP: When a new season starts airing, do you dread it or look forward to it?
Wakile: Dread! (Laughs)
Gorga: I think it’s a little of both. It’s crazy when it comes on because there’s a lot said that you don’t see that’s filmed, and then we’ve come so far from where we were in the beginning, so it’s very hard to re-watch the beginning, but you just have to remember it was before the makeup and before everything got better in all of our situations.
Manzo: There’s also the social media aspect. The assumption viewers make not really knowing what’s going on, not really knowing how things played out, and they’re not very forgiving in what they have to say. For me, it’s all encompassing; and we film for six months. We don’t know what’s gonna make it on the shows. We see it three days before you do. The anticipation for us is, ‘When that DVD comes, what’s on this?’
Laurita: It’s not always our full conversations. It might be a snippet of it.
Wakile: The whole conversation can’t possibly make it. We’ve done so much work and the episode will air, and it will be something that happened so long ago, and our good feelings will get ripped apart by everybody making comments, and you start to question your relationships again. You’ve got to be really confident and know in your heart that you did come to a good place.
AP: What did it take for all of you to find peace?
Laurita: The show might be responsible for some of the fighting, but the show is also responsible for bringing us together, because if it wasn’t for the show and having us there, we would’ve probably gone separate ways and that would’ve been it.
Gorga: That’s the truth, I believe that.
Laurita: Because you’re on a show together, you’re kind of forced to face it and get deep to the roots.
AP: Do some viewers prefer to see you fighting?
Manzo: Oh, they love it.
Laurita: They do, but then when you fight they’re like, ‘Why can’t you guys get along?’
Gorga: When you’re fighting they don’t like it, and when you’re getting along they’re like, ‘Boring!’
Wakile: It’s what makes us different than the other (‘Real Housewives’) shows because these are our lives and our families as well. You may not know why we feel the way we feel. You may see some of what we’re feeling, but you don’t know where it stems from.
AP: Do people on social media sometimes add fuel to the fire?
Giudice: Sometimes they twist it and make it worse than it is.
Manzo: And it’s crazy because I don’t pay attention to it, but it’s such a huge part of what this show has become.
Laurita: It’s like, ‘You don’t know the full story.’
Manzo: You have to have a hard shell around you. For me, five seasons in, I’m bulletproof, but somebody that’s new in the game, it’s very distracting.
Wakile: And you’d hate for it to chip away on the work that you’ve come so far, and then these people start getting in your head.
AP: Did you ever think it’s never going to be fixed?
Gorga: Oh, yes.
Laurita: When you’re angry and you’re in it, you don’t see the light at the end.
AP: Has filming affected your marriages?
Gorga: It’s definitely pressure, but only the strong survive.
Giudice: It’s made ours stronger, definitely, because people are trying to come after my marriage and say that my husband is cheating on me blah, blah, blah, and I’m like, ‘All right, whatever. OK.’
Gorga: This whole season my marriage is under attack basically.
AP: Teresa, your husband seems like he shrugs off that stuff.
Giudice: Oh, he don’t care. It doesn’t really bother me because I know he’s not cheating. I don’t want my kids to hear.
AP: Has this experience made you look at other reality shows differently?
Manzo:When you’re watching it,you know (what’s real and what’s not). It’s very obvious to us now. It’s like a trained eye.
AP: By the time we see the reunion episode do you think you’ll all still be friends?
Manzo:We’re hopeful but we don’t know what lies ahead of us. We know how our last few weeks of filming was, we know what our final scene was, but we don’t know if any of that’s gonna make it on.We don’t know the story that’s gonna be told.So to say if we’re gonna be in this same place four months from now, it’s an impossible question to answer.
Gorga: We’ve come this far. It would be really sad to go backwards.
“How many times has Caroline said in recent weeks ‘Who knows?’ That tells me alot – this ‘good place’ is not as good as we are being led to believe and very tenuous at best. IMO, these replies of ‘who knows’, ‘we’ll see’, etc. is to protect the storyline for Season 6. IF there is a next season. This is the approved Bravo response. If the ratings increase with everyone getting along, they may stay with that storyline, with only some minor tiffs here and there. On the other hand, if the viewer response is negative, then Bravo has the option to go back to all the backstabbing and cruelty. It’s all about the storyline. I keep thinking of Fredo saying, when he and Messy went to Teresa’s Milania Launch, that it was only for show, but then it came out that they were in a good place. He goofed by saying that. Apparently he didn’t get the feel-good memo. I always wonder if, in reality, they have always been on good terms and are simply playing the character they were hired to play. Then I think of the pain on Gia’s and Teresa’s faces and that pain is definitely real. – TNMom, June 12, 2013, Fame-Whorgas
In season 3, when Joe and Teresa were discussing the tabloid headlines, Joe Giudice said, as a matter of fact:
“This is what we signed up for.”
And they are paid accordingly — why else would the cast keep coming back?
When Jacqueline isn’t working with him, she’s online researching the next best treatments and therapies to try. 100% of her life is devoted to helping her son.
On selling their house:
I know the perception out there is that we’re doing it for one reason: to get away from the Giudices. But the truth is, we put our house on the market months before strippergate. It was a bad time to sell though because of the economy, so we took it off. When all the drama of last season started happening, we decide to put it back on… That sink, incidentally, is in the kids’ playroom bathroom. They were messing around in there, and broke it. It’s my fault we had it anyway. I ordered the sink online based on just a picture. Big mistake. When it arrived, Joe took one look at it and said, “What a piece of crap. I’m putting it in the kids’ playroom.” FYI: A marble replacement is on order. It won’t be cracked.
Joe put his heart and soul into our house. His father wasn’t in construction.He had to teach himself how to do it on his own. He’s as proud of himself as I am of him and our home. It’s our baby. Yes, we built it. Yes, we love it. And we’ll do it again. We’ll love our next home even more. We already found the perfect lot in Franklin Lakes, where we lived when we got married and have wanted to return to. Franklin Lakes is much closer to Paterson where Joe goes to work everyday.
The reason I pushed our broker Jerry to sell “now or never” was because of Antonia. I didn’t want her to have to switch schools in a higher grade. I know from personal experience that it gets harder to make new friends the farther along you are. My Mom and I moved to Florida when I was a freshman in high school, and that was a disaster for me. I know Antonia is a long way from high school. I just think the sooner she gets settled into a new school, the better. The drama with the Giudices was the final push to get us serious about moving. It seemed like the right thing at the time.
On the episode, it comes off like Joe didn’t want to sell and agreed to it only because of me. Some people might believe I gave him my blood to put him in a house-selling trance. That’s just gross! Joe wanted to put it on the market as much as I did—and to get a good price. To my Joey Michelangelo, our house is a work of art. He’s in the business. He knows what it’s worth—3.8 million, even without a pool!
We weren’t too impressed with Jennifer Dalton’s realtor skills. When we met her at a Sandy Hurricane fund-raiser, she talked a good game. She came up to me and said, “I’m a high-end realtor. I know your house is on the market. Let me sell it!” We already had a broker, but Joe said, “If she has buyers, she can bring them over.”
She brought a client over all right, but then nitpicked about one crack in over a 10,000 square foot house? That’s how she sells a place? I wish she’d spent as much time in the gorgeous kitchen with acres of marble countertops and trim work galore rather than crowd three people into my kids’ playroom bathroom.
I thought having the boys around would help transmit the idea that “love lives here.” Of course, Gino and Joey started in with each other as soon as people came through the door. How freaking adorable are they?
On her father-in-law’s surgery:
During this episode, Joe’s father went into the hospital to get his pacemaker. Whenever a loved one goes to the hospital, it’s frightening, especially my father-in-law. He’s struggled with health issues for years. Grandparents are everything to us. I love how Joe’s parents speak in broken English, and bring that Italian vibe to the house. We cook with them, and they tell us about their lives in Italy. They instill the old world values and culture in our kids. We love them so much. It was also cute seeing my nieces write get-well-soon letters to him. I’m sure they made him feel loved.
On Caroline and Teresa:
Caroline and Teresa had their talk. I appreciated Caroline’s going to bat for us. She’s dealt with a lot of the same issues in her own family and felt personally motivated to preventing it from getting worse in ours. The two of them have been friends for a long time, and had a lot of air to clear. At first it felt like she was getting too involved, but now you can see her heart was in the right spot. Caroline and I get along really well, and I love her kids and always will.
On apologies:
Everyone feels that they’re entitled to an apology from everyone. No one is on the same page about who’s at fault, who’s to blame, and who should say, “I’m sorry.” It’ll take a miracle to sort that all out. But even in New Jersey, miracles do happen. Keep watching!
We made cards for my dad who was going into the hospital to get a pacemaker. It was such a stressful time for us. You can see I could barely talk about it without crying. I still can’t talk about my parents without crying. They are everything to me. I can’t start my day without talking to them.
When I was growing up, like most kids, I thought my dad was too strict and my mom didn’t know anything. Now they are my best friends. My dad is my shopping buddy. I adore him. I named Gia after him (his name is Giacinto). My mom is who I turn to for advice. She’s always telling me not to let things upset me, that you’ll make yourself sick with worry.
We do have a small family — it was just me, my brother, and my parents.That’s why it was so shocking to have my brother not want to talk to me.I didn’t grow up with lots of siblings — some you talk to, some you don’t. It was just me and him, and we never fought.
On Melissa’s reason for moving:
Of course it was very hard to see Melissa say (over and over and over) how she was moving because she didn’t want her kids to grow up near my kids. But I will say their house is beautiful and very well made. Joey did a wonderful job. It’s in our blood. My father did construction in Italy and when he first came to America.
On meeting with Caroline:
When Caroline texted me to meet with her, I really had no idea what she wanted. I wasn’t nervous, because we hadn’t seen each other in a long time. The reunion was horrible, but I really just wanted to move forward. I really just wanted everyone to forgive and forget.
I was confused at first when Caroline said my brother had asked her to meet with me. I didn’t mean he was “scraping the bottom of the barrel” as a personal insult to her, it’s just that if Joey wanted someone to be a go-between for us, why would he ask someone I wasn’t in a good place with?Then she said it was her idea to talk to me for Joey. That didn’t make any sense to me either, since unless she had figured out some magical way of fixing her own problems with her siblings, she didn’t have any more answers than I did. I didn’t ask her about her family to start a fight, I just wondered (and was hoping) that’s why she thought she could fix my family. Then I decided that maybe this was her way of trying to reach out to me, sort of her way to apologize for last year. I’m glad I met with her, she did look good, and the place we met was adorable.
On her friendship with Kim D:
I did want to clear up one thing from our 2-hour conversation. Caroline asked why I was still friends with Kim D. when Kim admitted to trying to set up Melissa as a stripper. I mentioned my brother apologized to Kim D. for the fight they had about it, but still wouldn’t talk to me. The rest of that story is that my brother and Melissa MADE UP with Kim D. They were all fine.If they were fine, why wouldn’t I be OK to hang out with her?Caroline and Jacqueline were also good with Kim D.I don’t know why if everyone that was there that night was good with Kim D., I should be the only one to suddenly turn my back on her? I don’t do that to people.
Kim D. never did anything to me, and she actually apologized to me for dragging me into the whole thing with Melissa.I had nothing to do with it.Melissa knows that, Caroline and Jacqueline know that, and my brother knows that. Kim D. admitted it to everyone, apologized, and they accepted her apology. And yet they were all still mad at me. For what?
I apologized to each and every one of them last year as many times as I could for anything I did or said to them. They accepted my apology, we were good, and then they all used the Posche Fashion show and Kim D.’s attempt to reunite Melissa with someone from her past against me.They knew all along it was never me. Why they pretended to believe it was, I don’t know. I don’t know if I’ll ever know.
For me, this is ancient history, for all of you it’s fresh and new. It’s going to be difficult to navigate through this viewing process from week to week without letting what I see and hear affect where my state of mind is right now. It also is going to be a challenge not to give away too much of how the story ultimately ends. Hey, but I’m never one to shy away from a challenge, so here goes!
On her caged dogs:
Oh, one last thing, before you go nuts and assume the Shepherds are caged and live a life of misery, think again, they have a HUGE run that has a dog house, water, and even a fan to keep them comfortable when they are not running around the yard playing catch with their Daddy Albert and Fran’s boyfriend, Hank. When we are filming we keep them in the run for the safety of the production crew. Remember, these dogs are trained to protect, so a cameraman lurking around the corner is not exactly in a favorable position! Chaos and Atlas are very much a part of this family and are loved dearly. Trust me, Frannie would hand our asses to us if they weren’t!
On Jacqueline:
Jac and Chris deal with Nick daily, realistically speaking, minute to minute with an unflinching positive attitude towards recovering Nicholas so that he may one day walk into a room with that gorgeous little face of his and say, “Hi Mom, Hey Dad, how was your day?” I know one thing for sure, if love can heal, this day is imminent in Little Nick’s future.
On Teresa and Joe Gorga:
Finally, let’s discuss my meeting with Teresa. Last week I received numerous Facebook and Twitter comments about my meeting with Joe Gorga. They ranged from mind your own business, to you have a great big heart, to I have a thing for Joe. Two out of three of you are right in your opinion. Maybe I am overstepping my boundaries, and yes, it’s my heart that is putting me there. As to the third, grow up.
Teresa and I have a long history that spans over many years. We have both experienced the highs and lows that each and every one of us has in the game of life. We have laughed together, cried together, fought for and against each other too. Regardless of where we are in our lives, I can’t sit and watch this family disintegrate. The bottom line is they do love each other and are both fiercely devoted to their respective husband and wife, children, mom, and dad.
Many of you will throw my relationship with my sister in my face. Understood, go for it, it is what it is, and unfortunately out of my control for the moment. This will ultimately change, and I for one hope with all my heart it isn’t before it’s too late. I live with the fear of my parents passing and not seeing those of us who don’t speak every day mend our relationships. It’s something I take very seriously, and this is why I was so passionate when speaking with Joe and Teresa. I’ve been there, I’ve lived it, and I don’t want to watch a brother and sister who only have each other live with regrets. It’s a heavy load to bear, especially as a parent. So, really, all of you are right in thinking what you’re thinking. I’m overstepping my boundaries, but my intent is pure.
If I could have one wish it would be that we could all turn back time, back when we were young and stupid, where we laughed and cried, and fought for each other instead of against one another. Wouldn’t that be nice?
On a side note, on Keek on June 2, 2013, Lauren Manzo said that she doesn’t care if we tune in or not because she still gets paid:
@Laurenmanzo whatever, like u said. You don’t really care if we watch, cause your still getting paid. Like u care what we think. – mlchael byrd (@mbyrd1156), June 4, 2013, Twitter
Hello again! Some of you doubted I would return for Season 5. Many of you requested I come back and use my platform as a way to raise Autism Awareness. After much consideration, my family and I made the decision to come back and continue to open up and share our lives with you.
Please understand that “Autism” is NOT my “storyline.” “Autism” is our “reality.” We live with it everyday. There is no way around it. A few ignorant people may call it “exploiting” my son, while I call it “raising autism awareness.” It has become our mission to recover our son while helping as many other families as we can. I am proud of what we’ve accomplished so far.
Making excuses for her horrible behavior in season 4:
During the filming of Season 4, our son was regressing in his milestones. I didn’t bring attention to it while filming, because we didn’t have a diagnosis or even a treatment plan in place yet. I didn’t want people speculating on what my son’s issues were, so we decided to keep it quiet until we had an actual diagnosis. It was a very difficult and devastating year for our family. I think you all have witnessed how I kept breaking down. I cried a lot that season. I still cry when I get overwhelmed at times, but it makes me stronger and ready to take on the next challenge.
The rest of the blog was about plugging products and services for the remediation of autism, including the lollipop used to bride Nicholas to say “I love you,” like a “trained seal performing for the cameras (he deserves respect and privacy and should not be on display so that his mother can get a paycheck”):
That “I love you” was the sweetest and most precious gift to receive. Who cares if we had to bribe him with a lollipop? He said it!
That moment was much more emotional than what you saw in that scene. To me, it meant there was hope. If he was capable of saying that and all that he had accomplished thus far, I believed he could do so much more. Since then, he continues to surprise and impress us with his accomplishments.
In mid-January 2013, Teresa Giudice and Caroline Manzo were at the Ho-Ho-Kus Inn & Tavern, tucked away in the second-floor Chateau Room for a private tête-à-tête. Caroline and Teresa “were actually having a discussion over coffee or tea. They didn’t order any food, they just needed an empty room to sit and discuss the issues between them,” says Ho-Ho-Kus Inn & Tavern proprietor Laurie Hamm, who heard ‘raised voices’ but couldn’t make out what the two were saying. “There was no table flipping. That’s what Caroline was happy to report when she came down.” – NorthJersey.com
In season 5 episode 2, Teresa and Caroline meet (click here for video) because, as Caroline claims, Joe asked her to talk with Teresa. However, she is twisting the truth: she asked Joe if he wanted her to talk to Teresa, not the other way around.
In episode 2, Caroline tells Lauren that she is meeting with Joe because “he feels like whenever he gets together with Teresa, there’s just so much unresolved issues and he does feel strongly that he wants the kids to be together” (linking it back to the episode 1 play date at the bead store), but the conversation transcribed below is all about Teresa hanging out with Kim D, not about her relationship with her brother.
Teresa: I mean, come on, my brother hurt me a lot. He’s the one that needs to make a move, Caroline. I’m done!
Caroline: Ok, I hear you.
T: He said sorry to Kim D! Kim D, that actually set his wife up! Are you kidding me?
C: Well, then I have the million dollar question.
T: Yeah, what is it?
C: Why would you ever call her friend?
T: You know what? She did nothing to me.
C: Yes she did! If she did that to Jacqueline (shouting), it would be a cold day in hell before I sat at a table with her. If somebody does that to one of your siblings, you gonna hang out with them? Absolutely not. I’m gonna burn your store down.
T: After what Jacqueline did to me! My brother’s hanging out with Jacqueline (screeching)!
C: No, first of all, first of all!
T: Exactly, he’s hanging out with two people (Caroline interrupts)
C: Listen to me! Listen to me now! You are looking and talking to me (Teresa interrupts)
T: I am!
C: That has been through it all! Let’s get real here (in her loud, bossy voice)!
T: I am real.
C: Push Jacqueline out of the equation (Teresa interrupts)
T: No!
C: Cuz she’s got nuttin to do with it!
T: She needs to apologize to me.
C: She did nothing (in the same loud, bossy voice, talking slowly and pointing her finger)! You know she was a true and loyal friend to you.
T: Not anymore (shaking her head).
C: And that’s so sad!
Caroline was absolutely delusional when she told Teresa that Jacqueline did nothing to her and said, “You know she was a true and loyal friend to you.”
Danielle Staub tweeted that Jacqueline “needs everyone to love her and if they don’t, she literally destroys them.” Danielle also tweeted that Jacqueline would attack anyone who supported her and that Jacqueline “doesn’t realize how loyalty really works.” She also tweeted that Jacqueline “should spend more time parenting and less time worrying about what Teresa is doing.”
Season 5 began filming in early November 2012, but both episodes 1 & 2 include January 2013 events. Producers are presenting scenes out of sequence just like they did in season 5 (the Fabellini launch before the Posche fashion show, etc.).
In episode 2, the mid-January sit down between Teresa and Caroline at the Ho-Ho-Kus Inn & Tavern (transcribed above) occurred after several events Teresa attended with Kim D, which is probably what Caroline is referring to during their discussion.
Here is a list of some of the events that occurred before the mid-January sit down between Teresa and Caroline, but have not yet aired:
November 21, 2012 – Gorgas in Jamaica for Thanksgiving; Teresa spent Thanksgiving with the Giudice side of the family; no pictures from Jacqueline; pictures of the Manzo kids at home; no photos from the Wakiles
November 26, 2012 – Gliz, Glam and Gifts, an event held at the Brownstone by The Sparkling Event (run by Candice Laurita and Cristina Granelli, Jacqueline’s nieces) - Lauritas, Manzos, Wakiles, maybe Gorgas attended
November 30, 2012 – Hurricane Sandy fundraising event at Space Odyssey — Teresa, Melissa and Joe, Kathy and Richie, Kim D, Elvira, Jennifer Dalton, Lauren and Christopher attended
December 1, 2012 – blk tasting at Walgreens on Sunset & Vine — Albie, Caroline, Jacqueline attended while Teresa, Kim D and Penny Drossos attended Holiday Posche Fashion Show in NJ on December 3
December 6, 2012 – Christmas Tree lighting in Paramus (they missed the one in Montville) — Joe and Melissa
December 7, 2012 – Pool After Dark, Harrah’s Atlantic City, Melissa lip synced “I Just Wanna” — Joe and Melissa
December 13, 2012 – “GIRLS NIGHT OUT” at Sushi House where Melissa “gossip” was expected to take place (Kathy Wakile not invited but the rest of the cast was supposed to be there, possibly including Kim D)
December 25, 2012 – Christmas Day at Teresa’s with Jennifer Dalton
Caption: Damian and Beau Monde Salon & Spa’s Inaugural Holiday Party for Charity at the 201 Club in Englewood on December 6, 2012
Taping for season 5 began in early November 2012 with the cast members’ hurricane relief efforts; however, Bravo used only a small portion of what they taped (sparing the viewers from having to watch them pat themselves on the back).
The estrangement between the Gorgas and Giudices began September 27, 2011, and lasted beyond Christmas 2012: Teresa said she missed two Christmases with her brother, and Teresa also said, when referring to the bead store play date, that they hadn’t seen Antonia in a year and a half. Therefore, the play date scene at the bead store in episode 1 was taped after Christmas 2012 and shortly before Gia’s birthday party on January 11, 2013 (if the cast is telling the truth).
In the scene from episode 1 of the Lauritas with Nicholas throwing a tantrum because he wanted the iPad, there is a shot of Chris (at the 15-minute mark) with a Santa Clause figure behind him on a console, so it was the Christmas season when that was shot.
In the June 5, 2013, Hollywood Life video above, Caroline talks about the new season, her daughter’s surgery and weight loss, getting her own talk show, and Melissa Gorga’s music.
“It is very clear to me what Caroline’s storyline and agenda is here. First the book; now the peacemaker. Win back the viewers and make them fans again so – next, the talk show.” - Jeannie5233, June 9, 2013 at 5:49 AM, Fame-Whorgas
The following are transcripts of the other sneak peek videos for episode 2.
In the kitchen at Teresa’s house:
Teresa – Are you guys hungry? I’m making your favorite (inaudible). . . and beans!
Milania – Just cooking, just cooking.
Gia – Milania, when the oil or something starts splashing on you, I’m going to laugh so hard!
M – I knew you were gonna say . . . (starts yelling)
G – Sit down and eat with your sisters like a normal person.
T – OMG!
Teresa talks over, goes into a TH:
When my girls are fighting and carrying on, I’m like, “Girls you’re gonna break Mommy’s heart; don’t look at what me and Zio Joe are doing.” I even tell them now, like, even if your husbands don’t like each other, you guys always have to stick together!
Audriana – AAAHHHHHH!
T – Zip it!
A – No, you zip it! (with a smile)
T – You know if your grandfather, Nonno, was right here, he would be yelling at all of youse.
M – No he wouldn’t. He’s a nice little fellow! I like Nonno!
T laughs – When I was growing up and we were sitting at the dinner table, we had to sit proper. We were not able to get off the table till we were all done eating. Then you could get up from the table.
T’s TH:
I didn’t grow up with grandparents, and I always emphasize to my kids about how important it is to have Nonna and Nonno – that means grandmother and grandfather. When I see my dad with my kids, oh my God, I love that!
T – Gabriella, I want you to come over here right now cause we’re making cards for Nonno. Nonno is getting a pacemaker. His heart is really
M – What’s a pacemaker?
T – They’re gonna cut him right here and they’re gonna put a metal piece right here and it’s gonna help his heart to beat so, God forbid, his heart stops beating
M – He dies. He dies.
G – Don’t ever say that again. I’m not joking!
T’s TH:
It is hard seeing your parents go through health issues, and it would be a lot easier if my brother was around more, but after the play date, I don’t think Melissa wants to try to fix things, and my brother sleeps with Melissa every night so I’m sure he has to do what she says.
T – You guys making these cards is gonna make him so happy. Say “Nonno We love you and we always want you to be here with us!”
Outside house, fading out:
Kids: How do you spell Nonno?? Relax!!!
Melissa’s House:
Gino – I want to play football!
Melissa – You want to play football?
Joe – Go ahead! (their inside the house playing with a mini football)
M – Oh, let me see!
J – Go ahead! Throw it Throw it. Alright, let Joey catch. Here, Joey ready? (Throws ball – hits Joey in the eye).
G – Jesus!
J – Joey, you gotta use your hands, Joey! Alright rub it off, rub it. Don’t baby him!
M – He’s gonna cry. Give him a turn.
J – He won’t cry. Don’t you cry! There we go!
M – Yeah!
J – Go!
M – (Clapping) Run! Run! Run!
Doorbell rings
M – Hello!
Jerry Sahlman, Real Estate Agent – Hi!
M – Thanks for coming.
Jerry – No problem.
Joe – Jerry! Hey, what’s up buddy!
Jerry – Good to see you!
Joe – How are ya!
Jerry – Good to see you, pal! (as they hug)
M – Is our house sold yet, Jerry?
Jerry – If it was, I’d be here with a contract.
M – Oh, that would be nice!
Melissa TH:
We’ve had our house on the market for about six months now. We did move to this town to be five minutes from Teresa, but sometimes when you’re living in the same town and you’re going to the same dance and the same gymnastics and the same high school, that, in the situation we’re in, is too close for comfort; and after the play date, I feel like Teresa and I have had enough chances of just trying to fix it.
Joe – My wife says, “What’s going on? There’s no bites. No one’s really looking at the house.
M – Because I said to Joe we’re not having that many showings so why isn’t the realtor bringing people in?
Jerry – The reason is, 3.8 million is not a small sum of money and the upper-end economy is a much slimmer market than it used to be.
Joe – If this was a couple years ago this house would be at 6 million dollars. When I built this house, that’s what the going rate was.
Jerry – If you look in Montville, there are only three houses over 3 million dollars. It’s just gonna take time.
M – Jerry listen! It’s now or never!
Melissa TH:
It’s one thing to say “Hey, we’re gonna move.. . .”
(Flashback to Reunion)
Andy – Why would you sell your home when you seem to love it?
M – I don’t want my kids going to school with hers.
Back to TH:
. . . It’s another thing to actually get what we’re asking for, so I literally go to church and I pray that my house is gonna sell. I need to get out of here.
Jerry – The good news is that we have a couple of people coming Friday. These people can actually afford it.
Joe – Thank you for coming by.
Jerry – You’re welcome! You know, I’ll work as hard as I always have.
M – You gotta do this this year. Jerry, sell my house!
