Melissa Gorga Buys Facebook Fans and Twitter Followers; Melissa’s Facade Slips in Her Season 4 Episode 17 Bravo Blog and You See Her for Who She Really Is (Updated 8/30/12)

“Something definitely fishy is going on concerning her FB fanpage because she suddenly appeared as my latest “like” & I have never even visited the page. I ended up reporting the page because it’s really trashy & beyond tacky to have some sort of “system” randomly capture “likes” for your fanpage.” – MrIncredible, August 31, 2012, Fame-Whorgas

Melissa Gorga’s Facebook Fans:

~50,000 10-30-11 (after season 3 ended)
~85,000 4-30-12 (before season 4 premiered)
120,000 8-25-12 (steady increase of about 2,000 per week during season 4 airing)
198,000 8-27-12 9:30 PM EST (sudden burst of new fans compared to 2-3 days before)
206,000 8-27-12 11 PM EST (+8,000 in less than two hours)
212,596 8-27-12 11:30 PM EST (+6,500 in 30 minutes)
215,766 8-28-12 12:20 AM EST (+5,000 in less than an hour)
221,330 8-28-12 1:15 AM EST (+5,500 in an hour)
226,883 8-28-12 2:00 AM EST (+5,500 in 45 minutes)
229,886 8-28-12 2:34 AM EST (+3,000 in 30 minutes)
256,407 8-28-12 1:51 PM EST (+26,500 in 11 hours, about 2,400 per hour)
And still counting.

Over the past 9 months, Melissa’s Facebook fans have increased steadily by about 2,000 per week, so a sudden jump in one day of 130,000+ (and still counting) is very, very suspicious. The only explanation would be that she is buying fans and her fan adder program went amok. More fans were added in one day than were added over the past two years. Since 8-27-12, her page has not been loading properly because all these new ‘likes’ are being added (and no one is ‘talking about this’ while it’s happening), so something is definitely up (a program must be adding them and hanging up her page so that no one can be shown ‘talking about this’ until the program stops or there is a lull).

Buying Their Way to Twitter Fame (Excerpt Below):

That friend who brags about having 1,000, even 100,000 Twitter followers may not have earned them through hard work and social networking; he may have simply bought them on the black market. And it’s not just ego-driven blogger types. Celebrities, politicians, start-ups, aspiring rock stars, reality show hopefuls — anyone who might benefit from having a larger social media footprint — are known to have bought large blocks of Twitter followers. The practice is surprisingly easy. A Google search for “buy Twitter followers”turns up dozens of Web sites.

“And it’s so cheap, too”… 250,000 for $2,500, or a penny each. One site, Fiverr, an online classified for cheap marketing services, has several ads offering 1,000 Twitter followers for $5.

Having fake followers, it is important to note, does not necessarily mean that they were purchased. Unlike Facebook friends, Twitter does not require users to approve followers. In other words, anyone can follow you on Twitter, whether it’s your mother or a spammer.

Twitter followers are sold in two ways:  “Targeted” followers, as they are known in the industry, are harvested using software that seeks out Twitter users with similar interests and follows them, betting that many will return the favor. “Generated” followers are from Twitter accounts that are either inactive or created by spamming computers — often referred to as “bots.”

Buyers and sellers see nothing wrong with it. “Buying followers generated by bots is against Twitter’s terms and frowned upon by the public,” Mr. Mitchell said. “However, it is perfectly legal.”

The practice has become so widespread that StatusPeople, a social media management company in London, released a Web tool last month called the Fake Follower Check that it says can ascertain how many fake followers you and your friends have.

– New York Times, August 22, 2012

She (and her husband) also bought Twitter followers (see chart here). Joe Gorga steadily gained exactly 101 followers a day through Feb., then it dropped to exactly 50 followers a day until April, then he gained exactly 261 followers a day for a few weeks.

Kathy Wakile buys them too. Kathy Wakile gained exactly 855 new Twitter followers a day in Feb. and March, then dropped to exactly 183 Twitter followers a day in April (in other words, she was doing WAY better before the new season of the Real Housewives of NJ started!) Someone also mentioned to me on Twitter that Kathy’s Red Velvet Cosmo account had 300 followers then randomly gained 17,000 followers, then dropped to 13,000 followers (large drops in followers appear to be common when you buy followers, Twitter must “purge” obvious “bots.”)

Melissa took the photo above when she, Joe and their kids celebrated his birthday with his parents on August 22, 2012 (there is a photo below of her from the same party). Obviously, she and Joe and their kids spend time with Joe’s parents as evidenced by the photos taken just five days before she wrote her scathing blog about Teresa (Melissa is the sister-in-law and daughter-in-law from hell that Caroline Manzo deserves, not Teresa and her parents). In Melissa’s August 27, 2012, Bravo blog she said:

“I will say I got a sick feeling in my stomach when Caroline said she’s been in the car with Teresa and heard Teresa bashing Joe and me to her mother. This is nothing we didn’t know already, but to hear about it is just sad. Joe suffers all the time because of the wall Teresa tries to put up between him and his parents. Nothing hurts him more. When they are upset for no reason at all, my kids don’t get to see their only grandfather. I think I understand why she lied and tried to poison everyone’s minds against us, but why his own parents?”

“I suggest Tree speak to MeGo in Italian at reunion and then ask Don what she just said… when she can’t say, say: ‘So when was this phone conversation with my off the boat momma that you overheard me calling her a stripper? Please tell me the words I used to villainize my brother to my momma? And just because you can be swayed by your children to think one kid is an a-hole over another don’t mean my momma rolls that way, so kindly keep that trash to yourself and your family and don’t for one minute suggest that momma’s parenting skills are anything CLOSE to yours’.” – madepiley, August 28, 2012, StoopidHousewives

“My question is: when was the last time Caroline was in a car with Teresa? It’s been obvious for sometime now that Caroline does not like Teresa, so why would she put herself in a car with her? IF Teresa did say nasty things about you, it was how long ago. It looked as if you and Teresa had kind of put the past behind you. Please don’t drag it back out again. Especially because of something Caroline says.  It’s obvious that she is miserable.” – DebbieD37, August 29, 2012, Melissa’s Bravo Blog

In Melissa’s season 4 episode 17 Bravo blog, ‘Character Assassination’, she defends Caroline’s verbal assault on Teresa and accepts whatever Caroline claims to be the truth about Teresa. She has finally returned to the real Melissa from her very first Bravo blog, where she showed her true colors. On August 26, 2012, Melissa also tweeted the following regarding what Caroline claims Teresa said about her:

“Not gonna lie. Hate knowing she said those things about me. All which are false.”

Here is her blog published on August 27, 2012:

“Another crazy episode. I think you could tell by my face that I’m just so over all the fighting and craziness. I really can’t take it anymore.

“I think Kathy was just trying to explain to Teresa that the Manzos and Lauritas are really good people, and that she should try harder to fix things with Caroline. I told Kathy that I wished she didn’t say anything, because at this point it is clear that Caroline does not have to deal with Teresa. She is not her family, and luckily she can walk away. Caroline is not a fake person and she tells you exactly how she feels. It’s very obvious how she feels about Teresa and why she feels that way. She is very happy with her family, so sometimes it’s just better to get someone poisonous out of your life. I think that’s exactly what Caroline is doing and who could blame her?

“I will say I got a sick feeling in my stomach when Caroline said she’s been in the car with Teresa and heard Teresa bashing Joe and me to her mother. This is nothing we didn’t know already, but to hear about it is just sad. Joe suffers all the time because of the wall Teresa tries to put up between him and his parents. Nothing hurts him more. When they are upset for no reason at all, my kids don’t get to see their only grandfather. I think I understand why she lied and tried to poison everyone’s minds against us, but why his own parents? It takes a person with a very, very small conscience to do that. Then to tell Caroline that I was a copycat, a stripper, gold digger, whore, and wanted to be her? Wow. This blows my mind. Where does she get this from? Every one of those statements is false. It is terrible to go around and try to ruin someone’s character. It’s just not right. I’m not gonna lie, I really think it’s disgusting and I wish she would stop. The sooner she stops trying to hurt other people, the sooner her own life will get better. It’s not fair to do these things and lie to all of us constantly.

“There is now proof that she gets paid for these articles and she was lying to us the whole time. I think her credibility is now completely gone. I tried everything I possibly could to fix the relationship between Teresa and me and Joe. It was going really well. I did this for family. I did this for my husband. It is now clear that she tried to poison all the ladies’ and the public’s minds against Kathy and me and got them to feel sorry for her. But now the truth is coming out.

“I really feel that I tried to help Teresa. I knew she was having problems with the other ladies, and I jumped in and tried to help. I tried to give her advice. I also tried to make all the problems between her and her brother go away. Joe and I left that house with her and Joe. Whether or not we agreed with her, of course we left with her, she is family. Last season I threw that woman Monica out of my house for her. Joe and I were not going to let them fly home drunk. We are true family. With that said, we have worked really hard to make a beautiful family of our own and give our children a healthy and happy lifestyle. I will not let anyone, family or not, try to break that. We are giving our all to her and Joe, and I deserve the same from her. Hopefully, she will reciprocate and we can keep this good thing going.”

“Melissa, considering the lengths that you went to with Teresa, and to hurt her, you should be the last one having anything negative to say. Just remember it was Caroline that said all those names about you, not Teresa. I don’t believe that Caroline was in the car with Teresa as she talked to your mother-in-law talking about you and your husband, poisoning her mind. First of all, one child cannot do that with a mother against another child. A mother listens, and tries to talk to all her children to understand and forgive one another. I also believe that Teresa has kept a lot of things private and would not speak in English with her mother badly about her brother. Caroline did so much to help fix you guys? Like what? All we have seen her do, is what she did in last night’s episode and stir the pot to create hard feelings. She hates Teresa, and does not have an acceptable excuse for it, and is using you, your husband, Kathy as pawns. You are foolish to fall for it or to go along with it. Teresa forgave you for your indiscretions with Danielle, and in my opinion, I don’t know that I would have, because that was huge disrespectful and destructive, and you lied to Danielle about some things. You and your husband went onto this show with a chip on your shoulders, and you did it for fame, and money. Criticizing Teresa for any of that is hypocritical. You are family, and you can either help make it or break it. You should choose to do the right thing. You and your husband have said some pretty hideous things about Teresa, and your in-laws have heard them. So, I think if they got angry about them, or chose to stay away, it is because of that, and not because Teresa told them. It has been plastered all over the show. Caroline is a very angry human being that goes around judging people, and her and Lauren have already been shown making snide comments about you. Wise up, Caroline is not your friend, especially when she has said that you are a younger version of Teresa, and we all know how she feels about Teresa.” – MelindaK., August 27, 2012, Melissa’s Bravo Blog

“I was really sad and blown away to hear from Teresa what happened at the christening. It just didn’t seem to make sense or seem real. All I could think was, “Aren’t you supposed to congratulate the parents at a christening? Why did her own brother call her garbage?” And the banging on the table thing? Must be a Gorga trait. Something in their DNA maybe? It just wasn’t adding up. Was I missing something? Teresa never talked that much about her brother or Melissa with me. I’d seen them at all of her parties, but never noticed if they talked to each other. I think I just assumed that all was well. Up until this point I hadn’t heard anything that would make me think there were such deep issues between her and her brother that he would call her garbage.” – Jacqueline Laurita, May 23, 2011, Second Bravo Blog for Season 3

But Chuckie claims Teresa was talking trash about Melissa and Kathy before the show, and Melissa claims Teresa didn’t invite them to anything….busted and disgusted. Umm hmm and Jacqueline backed up Caroline’s story about Teresa talking about Melissa and Joe Gorga. I knew they were lying about that.  – Miza, August 28, 2012, Television Without Pity

At the very beginning of season 3, Jacqueline wrote in her Bravo blog: “Teresa never talked that much about her brother or Melissa with me.” If Teresa didn’t talk much about Melissa or her brother to Jacqueline, her good friend, then she didn’t in front of Caroline, who she didn’t hang out with other than for the show, when she was with the others. And why in the world would she tell Caroline anything, since she was barely more than an acquaintance who Teresa could already sense was turning on her by season 3? The truth: Teresa never spoke bad about her family to Jacqueline, just as Jacqueline claimed in May 2011 (three months after they finished filming season 3), nor did she speak bad about them to Caroline. Caroline is a dirty liar.

“I’ve been in the car with her when she was on the phone with her mother, poisoning her mother’s mind against her brother and Melissa and Kathy.” – Caroline Manzo, Lying About Teresa Behind Her Back in Her Talking Head Interview, Season 4 Episode 17

More proof that Caroline is lying about overhearing Teresa ‘poisoning her mother’s mind’ against Joe, Melissa, and Kathy: Teresa speaks to her family in Italian (Caroline must have forgotten) and Caroline doesn’t speak Italian.

When Melissa asked Caroline what Teresa said about her, Caroline wouldn’t answer her face to face; she waited to say something in her talking head, which is clearly a setup for the explosive season finale. Melissa quickly forgot that Teresa forgave her for contacting Danielle, her enemy, who she armed with personal information to use against Teresa at the season 2 reunion show. The source of this new dirt on Teresa, Caroline, only has on objective — to destroy Teresa anyway she can.

“Did she watch herself on the show? Guess she was just acting in Napa. And duh…..Melissa, you and Teresa hated each other. Of course she thought she was venting about you to her friends. As for Caroline hearing Teresa trash Mel on the phone to Teresa’s mother? I call BULLSH!T on that one. Teresa and Caro were never actually close according to Caroline…. Why would she be in Teresa’s car and why would Teresa be talking on the phone with her mom, who she sees every day according to Melissa, with someone in the car? BULLSH!T. I warned you all last week…..BEWARE OF THIS NEW NICE MELISSA. She shot herself in the foot with this blog!!!!! Lots of people were beginning to soften their opinion of her because of her nice behavior towards Teresa on the trip. But this blog tells her real feelings!!!!! Way to go cowgirl……..you really blew it this time!!!!! Thanks for making me right.” – Parkview, August 27, 2012, StoopidHousewives

“Finally The Real Melissa has Returned! I was wondering when Melissa’s animosity was going to come out! This blog represents Melissa IMO, no “Hi lovers I’m so excited for about this and that and isn’t it wonderful?” If Teresa reads this, she is going to laugh because no one would want to “reconcile” with someone who just insulted them. Melissa is just trying to tell the viewers why she hasn’t talked to Tre in a year. I hope this Melissa comes to the reunion and not that long suffering martyr who attended the last reunion.” pjbottoms, August 27, 2012, StoopidHousewives

“All that Caroline, Jax, MeHo, and Kathy say is, “Teresa said this…said that….talked about us here…talked about us there.” BUT, it was always done “Off camera and behind the scenes.” So, we’ll have to take their words for it. (In fact, Teresa said to Caroline, when they were out on Jax’s deck, that she never asked them not to talk to Melissa and Kathy. And Caroline said, “Well, you implied it.” Still, just Caroline’s take / word.) Yet, were have hours and hours of film over the past two seasons seeing those four talk trash about Teresa non-stop. They talk of NOTHING else. So, what the HELL is Melissa talking about? [Why this topic is not discussed by anyone on the show more is so insanely obnoxious — Theresa is trying to move forward and doesn’t spend every blog and waking show hour trying to trash them.]” – Elmozoe, August 27, 2012, August 27, 2012, StoopidHousewives

“MeGo is completely delusional! Has everyone of them forgotten about all the nasty things they CAME ON the show saying!!!! (Kathy and Melissa & Joe) How many times did Tre ‘turn the other cheek’ just to be slapped again. I mean come on…i dont agree with some of the ways Tre is responding now, but after a while any human being would simply get tired of people talking iiish and start giving it right back to them. Now they’re soooooooooooo offended????? REALLY? NEXT did anyone catch last night when MeGo said ‘just remember who had ur back!’ Now was that a line for cameras or what! This girl is dying to make the audience change their minds about her. You didnt have her back! You and Kathy sat right there and let the entire room charge at your ‘family’.” – ISeeSTOOPIDPeople, August 27, 2012, August 27, 2012, StoopidHousewives

“No one made the Sr Gorgas hate you, but you. What you think they are blind and deaf? They know what you are. To keep the peace with thier son and to be able to see their grandchildren. Or did you forget that Gorga Sr. outed you when he said he would come over and you didn’t open the door. DID YOU REALY THINK they would of picked you over their flesh and blood. NOT going to happen and that drives you nuts. You can’t pull one over on them. They see you Missy, they see your heart and soul and it’s as BLK and nasty as that stuff the Manzo’s are trying to porn..They got your number and I’m sure they let you know, so that is why you stay away from them because you can’t play your game. Tree got it to, but wants to have her brother in her life, so she gives you a pass EACH AND EVERY TIME and still you can’t stand with her on anything. YOU ARE not worthy of licking the shitt off the bottome of Tree’s shoes…….” – firstgeneration, August 27, 2012, August 27, 2012, StoopidHousewives

“Mego is just idiotic. She would think the sky was red, if Caro told her it was. A normal family member would take anything told to them by someone who despises their sister in law with a big grain of salt. But not Mego, she believes Caro and goes right on the attack against Tre. This just makes anything and everything Tre said about Mego being nasty and disrupting the family ring true.” – kel, August 27, 2012, August 27, 2012, StoopidHousewives

Here is Melissa’s August 26, 2012 interview with AOL/The Huffington Post (‘Melissa Gorga Of ‘Real Housewives Of New Jersey’ Talks Teresa Giudice Feud, Joe’s Phone Call And More’) where she talks about Teresa’s marriage after she proclaimed in her blog that she wasn’t going to do that even though Teresa talked about hers.

For two seasons now, fans of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” (Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on Bravo) have watched the bad blood between series mainstay Teresa Giudice and sister-in-law Melissa Gorga boil. But things have taken a turn recently on the show, which is now winding down its fourth season, and viewers have seen the families bonding like never before.

But Teresa recently revealing that she’s no longer speaking to any of her fellow “Real Housewives” castmembers, Melissa told HuffPost TV why and just how much things have gone downhill. Plus, find out her emotional reaction to Joe Giudice’s notorious phone call, her thoughts on her husband dropping trou and what’s next in her bourgeoning music career below.

We’ve been watching you guys in California and it seems like the Giucides and the Gorgas were getting along quite well. Were you guys genuinely enjoying each others’ company?

I was. That’s pretty much how I am: If you come to me and call a truce, you know, she’s family, of course I’m going to forgive her and try to move on and just hope she puts the past behind and doesn’t do any of the hurtful things she was doing again. That’s pretty much what I did. I said, “You know what? This is Joe’s only sister. Deep down inside, as much as he gets upset with her, he loves his sister. He wants it to just be normal. He wants to be able to see his nieces.” And I know that he wants that. So I really just put two feet forward and did everything I could to make it perfect, make it right and I really, really was enjoying myself. What you’re seeing is really honest. It’s real. I was enjoying spending time with her. I don’t know how real it was for her because of what you’ll see comes later on, but for me, it was real and it was true. I just don’t know how anyone could throw a punch after that. After we got to that spot, I just see no reason to hurt anyone again or put anyone down. You’ll have to watch to see if it stays that way or not.

There was a whole lot of closeness going on in those RVs. The Joes peed together and you and Teresa got handsy.

We were! [Laughs.] We’re Italians and we’re touchy-feely. That’s what we do. We were having a good time. We were comfortable with each other. We were all letting our guards down and being what a true family is.

In last week’s episode, there was a very controversial moment with Joe Giudice making a phone call. What did you remember what you were thinking while that was actually happening?

I had no idea that even happened. We watched it for the first time the way you did.

What did you think when you saw it?

Oh, I teared up. I really did. I was sitting on my couch and I teared up. It was sad. No matter what issues I have with Teresa, you don’t wish that on anyone. It was very obvious that she knew exactly who he was on the phone with from the footage. It’s sad and I guess she’s in some type of denial right now, but I think eventually she’ll get her head on straight and be ready to deal with it.

Is there anything embarrassing the show has ever caught that you wish didn’t air?

Only my husband drops his pants! I think I did know he did that — I was sitting right there, but I didn’t picture the whole world seeing him dropping his pants. And the blur! I don’t think the blur is that good on Bravo either, to be honest with you. I was like, “If you really look … I mean, Oh my gosh!” I wish he would stop dropping his pants.

In the future, when your kids watch, are you worried about explaining all of Joe’s nudity?

No. They’re just too young. They’re just not into it. I don’t let them watch it, so they don’t really know what’s going on. And they’re friends at school — my daughter’s in first grade — so their friends don’t watch the “Housewives” — they’re in bed at 10 p.m. So I don’t have to deal with any of that yet.

Have we seen the worst between you and Teresa this season? When we watched the Season 3 reunion, you were all in a very bad place and Jacqueline didn’t even show up. Is that because of something we already saw or the result of something we will see?

Yeah, when you see the finale, you’ll understand. And it goes in with a lot of what Jacqueline just released in People magazine about her son. So between the two and between something with her son, maybe that’s why she didn’t show up. She was very stressed out and I think the viewers are now seeing why Jacqueline had zero tolerance level and was done with all the pettiness. She didn’t want to sit around and listen to Teresa complain about her sister-in-law because she was dealing with her son being diagnosed as autistic. This stuff was not important to her, which it shouldn’t be.

In a recent interview with The Daily Beast, Teresa said she isn’t speaking to anyone on the show. Is that true?

Yeah. We have not been in touch.

Have you been in touch with your nieces?

Yeah. I went to their birthday party and I call them for their birthdays. We call Gia on her cellphone and Gia will call Joe on his cellphone, but [we have] not [been in touch with] Teresa.

We saw last season that Gia, being the oldest, is aware of what’s going on and she’s really affected by it. How is she handling everything?

You know, I have no idea. We don’t discuss it. That’s a question for Teresa.

I just saw a video of you rocking out to your new song “I Just Wanna Dance.” What’s the latest with your music career?

I’m really really excited for that one. It comes out September 9. It’s a very high energy dance track and it features an up-and-coming artist Santino Noir, who is excellent too. I was looking for an opportunity to do a dance track with a male vocal coming in and I found it. I think that anyone who loves the music that put out thus far is going to be really happy when they hear this. It’s my absolute favorite and there’s no denying that it’s great. It really is.

If you had to pick “Housewives” or your music career, which means more to you?

The music. Definitely the music.

Do you know yet if you’ll be a part of the next season of “RHONJ” if it gets picked up?

We don’t know yet.

It seems like this season has really taken a toll on a lot of the relationships between the “Housewives,” mainly because of the fallout with Teresa. Does it ever make you not want to do the show anymore?

No because I never did anything to hurt anyone. I can always go to bed and I never have to feel any regret inside because I’ve never hurt Teresa. I’ve never done anything to humiliate her or try to hurt her marriage or hurt her career. So no, I have no regrets. I’m doing things right. I can’t control what other people do and her actions are on her. I don’t need to sit here and regret being on a show because she’s doing things to hurt me and my marriage and my family. So I don’t regret it and yes, I’d do it again. As long as I can go home everyday and be proud of who I am and not feel like I’m trying to ruin someone else’s life then I have no reason not to do it.

I’m enjoying it. It’s a great opportunity. I’m a working mom now, which is great. I help Joe out, which has never happened because I was always a stay-at-home mom. We’re enjoying it. Our marriage is solid — thank God — and we can get through and we don’t let any of this go to our heads. I keep my home very normal. Our friends come over and everything is the same as it was three years ago. There’s nothing different about me, there’s nothing different about Joe. We’re exactly the same people so it hasn’t affected us and it hasn’t affected our family.

We’ve heard a lot from your castmates that Teresa is someone who has changed as a result of the show. Do you ever feel like if you guys all hadn’t done the show, things would be different with your family and Teresa’s?

No. We were on the outs before the show. The show didn’t create this.

But do you think being on the show made it any worse?

No. I don’t think it has actually. I think it’s the same as it always has been.

What else do you have going on?

Well, I’m working with Voli low-calorie vodka. They approached me and it just made sense with my lifestyle. It’s about having a good time and being able to go out and have a drink and not consume too many calories. It made sense. And with Pitbull and Fergie [who are also ambassadors for the brand], it’s great circle to be involved in. I really agree with the brand. It’s the world first low-calorie vodka. Joe and I like to go out and have fun and I like to keep a healthy lifestyle and stay in shape so it made sense.

And I’m really just focused on my music. I have some amazing producers interested in me and wanting to make songs with me. I’m looking at record labels now, which is beyond anything I could have ever dreamed of. So I’m happy, my family’s happy and all is good.

Here is Melissa’s very first Bravo blog, ‘No Fakers’ Bitter, Party of One, published on May 16, 2011, where she spoke her mind, unaware that she was coming across as envious of Teresa’s fame and out to assassinate Teresa’s character any chance she got:

Hi, everyone! I’m so happy that I have received this amazing opportunity to share my life with you — the good, the bad, and the ugly. You’re really getting a true insight into my life, and for those of you who decide to stand by me through this, thank you in advance.

First off I never realized how animated I am when I speak, especially when I’m making a point and speaking the truth. It certainly doesn’t make for boring TV! Anyway, my life is pretty crazy right now. I’ve had so many incredible opportunities come my way and met wonderful people. I am so grateful! However, this first episode has left me with many sleepless nights and lots of tears. My heart is broken for my son after the events of his christening. It was extremely hard for me to watch, and I wanted to quit the show as soon as I saw it. I will do reality TV as long as it makes me happy and I am enjoying it. The second it puts a strain on my marriage or my children, ciao. Period! One thing you will learn about me is that when I’m wrong, I say I’m wrong. When I have a headache, I say I have a headache. When I’m having a bad day or going through a difficult time, I will not deny it. That’s just me. I speak the truth, and that’s why I don’t stutter or look like I’m thinking when I talk. I am real.

Some of you may be very confused right now. You may be thinking, “Teresa has a brother?” Before all the press, you probably didn’t know we existed, did you? Well here we are! I know the episode is a bit confusing at first. You’re probably wondering why Joe acted the way he did when his sister came up to him. It’s understandable so let me explain. Teresa has kept my husband, Joe, and his family (me and my three children) away from everything she has been going through and everything that has been so exciting in her life for the last three years. Although this all started before the show even existed. You will get a lot of the back-story as the season goes on, so I’m not going to go too far back. I would be writing for days! She has never been happy for her brother or cared about anything good going on in his life or his children’s. She only wants to discuss her life and only cares about herself. She kept us as far away during Season 1 and Season 2, because I think she knew this would happen when they found us. Karma is a bitch. Family comes first for me, but unfortunately it does not for her, and it never will. It’s just not who she is, and that’s OK, but don’t think we are going to go on national TV and be fake with you. We are not fakers, sorry.

I think it is extremely obvious when she comes to the table giving us a kiss and saying congratulations for the second time that it was not the norm. You can read it all over all three of our faces. We really were not speaking to Teresa at the time of the christening, but of course I invited her to come, because we always invite each other to all of the children’s parties. I am always invited to her kids’ parties as well, and I will never miss one. We also had many bad conversations on the phone prior to the christening day, but it was my son’s christening, so of course I will kiss them hello and expect that they will do what they normally do at all the kids’ parties — not speak. We never do, never! On top of that, Joe obviously didn’t want to be there. He never wants to come to anything. With that in mind, seeing him hold Joey, whom he barely knows, and dance with him in front of the people for more than fifteen minutes was just bizarre to me. They are both very transparent, and I saw right through it. It was for show, it was for the people, and I still didn’t grab my son from them. I said nothing. I allowed them to do it. It was a christening, and I didn’t want to stir the pot.

What you might not know is that the whole christening day was really beautiful. My daughter Antonia performed a special ballroom dance for her baby brother that she practiced for months. It was the sweetest thing ever. We had a Michael Jackson impersonator there that was incredible. We danced all night, the music was fantastic, and it was such a great time.

Let’s discuss the hairdresser, Evelyn. She has been my hairdresser for four years now. She used to do Teresa’s hair as well. As far as I knew, Evelyn was no longer doing Teresa’s hair. Teresa by the way was not the one who referred me to Evelyn. That would never happen. My friend referred her to me. Evelyn never told me that Teresa called and that she went to do her hair. I found out when I watched the first episode. I was not trying to make her late. I had no idea Evelyn was going there afterward. Evelyn still does my hair three times a week. I guess Evelyn didn’t want to upset me on my son’s christening day and tell me Teresa starting calling her again.

Teresa says in her interview that all she wanted was her brother to grab her and dance. What? Is she kidding me? I can’t take it. She has had so many parties and never once grabbed her brother to dance, never once. They never dance together. Teresa is trying to put this image in everyone’s head, but it’s just simply not true. The tears? Why now? Why do you want to suddenly dance with your brother, when you have left him out of your life for years? You be the judge.

When Teresa says she was her brother’s best friend before he got married, I believe that was true. She probably was. She was the only girl around, and there was no one else to share the spotlight with. Teresa likes to be the center of attention. Be beneath her or get the hell out of her way. Well she has met her match! With that said, I wanted nothing more than to have her as my third big sister. I tried really hard in the beginning with her, but she was impossible. She was always insulting me or putting me down. And when I would get upset she would say, “God, you’re so sensitive.” No, I just want to be respected, that’s all. You will see this play out as the season goes on. Again, I will say that I wanted nothing more than for her to be a big sister to me. Wishful thinking?

When you see my sister Lysa react at the christening, she is just protecting her baby sister. She knows how Teresa has made Joe and I cry for years. She is very protective of us and has had it with her. My sisters and Joe have an amazing relationship. He feels they act more like sisters to him than his own does. When Teresa called my sister Lysa for advice because we didn’t want to talk to her anymore, I warned my sister not to talk to her. I knew this would happen, and I knew she would twist my sister’s words around. She does it all the time. My sister is my best friend; anyone who knows me knows that. Teresa knows that, and she hates it. She hates how close I am with my sisters, and I think she is envious of it. But we never kept her out; my sister always answered all her calls and tried to help her. Teresa loves Lysa, she always has, and believe me she still does. You can’t not love Lysa, everyone does. If she agreed to some of the things Teresa was saying, it was to make her feel like she wasn’t just on my side. She genuinely wanted us all to make up. My family is that way, you will see, the more the merrier! But Teresa just doesn’t know how to fit into a big crowd; she’s not a team player. My sisters have always welcomed her with open arms, and sometimes they were too nice to her, if you ask me! What I hope Teresa remembers is that she has four girls, and I know she would want them to stand by each other’s side like soldiers the way me and my sisters do. You will never break my sisters and me never, so her trying to call my sister out like that was just desperate.

My husband, my off the charts husband. As I think about the scene, the tears are falling from my eyes onto my fingers and my computer right now. Can’t this family see how hurt this man is? This amazing man, who built everything with his own two hands the honest way since he was nine years old. Yes, nine! He is not looking for anyone to praise him that is not what he wants. I really can’t get to deep into it, because it’s all coming up this season, and as it plays out I will discuss it in my blogs. I will say that he is honest, he is real, and there is no way in hell you won’t fall in love with him. It’s impossible! When he is speaking Italian to his father, you can see the little boy coming out and looking for his daddy. It’s heart wrenching. You will see that Joe is a man’s man, so for him to act that way there must have been a really good reason. There were still a lot of fresh wounds from all the fights we were going through before the christening, so when this happened, it just all came out. It’s real, no one in their right mind would do that for cameras. He wishes he could erase it, but it’s there for you all to see.

I will say that the fight did happen the last half hour of the night, and yes, he was drinking. We were celebrating our son, it’s very normal for us to have a good time and let loose at a party. But he knew exactly what he was doing, and he was not completely hammered. He just drank a lot by that time of the night. Did you see Joe with his niece, Gia? He is the best uncle in the world. You can see how much Gia loves him written all over her face. He was always a good uncle, and he always treated his sister’s children like little princesses. I think he expected the same when his daughter was born, but unfortunately he didn’t get it. Why? Because it’s all about Teresa. As you can see, it hasn’t affected the way he treats Gia or the other girls. He will always be an amazing uncle to them, even if she chooses not to be an amazing aunt. Thank God my kids have my sisters, they give them the love of twenty aunts, and Joe sees that. The one thing he regrets is calling his sister garbage. He doesn’t remember saying that, and it is not in his character to say that. Yes, he is completely disappointed with the way she treats him and his family, but he would never want to call her garbage. That is still his sister at the end of the day. He does love her. And so do I.

On a lighter note, I loved the footage of my family and my kids. That’s what makes me smile! I have beautiful, sweet kids, and you’re going to love them. Yes, Joe is a little obsessed with being sexual, but you will laugh a lot when you see him and I together! It’s great TV. When Joe calls me his hero, I melt! He is my hero too! We both work incredibly hard, and we are not lazy people. We are go-getters, and if it’s there, we will find it! We complement each other so well. I hope God watches over our marriage through all of this and keeps us strong. This family is my life, my reason for living. I am nothing without Joe and my children!

Kathy and Rich have an unbreakable relationship as well. They have a perfect little family! Kathy on the bike… I was rolling on the floor! She is that person who is so funny but doesn’t even know it. Did you see the guy’s face when she was talking about the food? How perfect are her kids? I love them all; they are real people. Our families get along so well. Our households are run similarly, so it just works with them. We got along from the start!

Caroline’s boys are leaving her, and I felt for her. I am so far away from that right now, but I tend to look at her family and really relate to them. I also have one girl and two boys, and I just feel like when my kids get older we will be very similar to how they are now. We’ll be extremely close and supportive the way they are. I enjoy watching them. And all you girls out there, Albie and Chris have a bachelor pad now… woo hoo!

Jacqueline, sweet Jacqueline, this is so normal. Most teenage girls hate their mom. Well I shouldn’t say hate, that is harsh, but they don’t want to listen to their mom when they are that age. Jacqueline loves Ashley, I can see it in her eyes. She just wants Ashley to want and need her, and she wants Ashley to listen to her advice. Jacqueline seems a little passive, but believe me, she is smart and tough. She is very good at remaining calm. I love the faces she makes when Ashley gets her steamed up, they are so stern and powerful. As soon as Ashley falls in love and is ready to get married and have some babies, she will be calling Jacqueline every day for advice. I promise, it will come! I must say Jacqueline looks stunning in the whole first episode. She’s beautiful!

Well I can’t wait until more of the story unfolds, and you see the light! Or my light at least!

I’m excited, I’m nervous, I’m anxious, I’m scared, but I’m not going anywhere… So let’s do this!