Archive
Joe Giudice’s State Sentence for Identity Theft and Forgery Runs Concurrent with His Federal Crimes (Updated 4/2/2015)
The strain is clearly taking its toll on Joe Giudice. He appeared in court the morning of October 15, 2014, in a driver’s license fraud case, and “Extra” was there inside, and he wasn’t too happy about it. He pushed their camera man, before heading in an elevator to his courtroom. See video above.
UPDATE 4/2/2015: Calling Joe Giudice’s driving record “truly mind-boggling,” a Passaic County, NJ Judge imposed the maximum penalty on him for possessing a fraudulent driver’s license — a two-year license suspension and a $10,000 fine, reported NJ.com. He also warned him in no uncertain terms to stay off the road. “If you so much as back down your driveway … that will constitute a violation of the conditions of your release, of your bail, and it will result in you being remanded immediately to Passaic County jail,” the judge said.
UPDATE 3/18/2015: In an interview with Joe Giudice’s attorney, Miles Feinstein, Access Hollywood reported that Joe will lose his driver’s license on March 31. When asked, how will Joe get his four daughters to school and their activities, Feinstein replied, “He will have to hire someone.” How long Joe will be without a license will be determined by the judge on that date. In 2014, Joe pleaded guilty to using his brother’s marriage and birth certificates in 2010 to obtain a new license after he lost his because of a drunken driving conviction.
Joe was scheduled to lose his driver’s license on March 13 at his formal sentencing for possessing a fraudulent driver’s license, but the sentencing has been postponed due to a medical issue with one of the attorneys involved. Joe, who faces a 41-month sentence in federal prison in his separate bankruptcy fraud and conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud case, cut a plea deal with Passaic County prosecutors in October that spared him further jail time. But Giudice will lose his license for a minimum of six months and up to two years — Judge Adam E. Jacobs will determine the exact amount — and pay a fine under the state deal.
UPDATE 10/15/2014: Joe Giudice accepted a plea deal on October 15, 2014 for his driver’s license fraud case in Paterson, New Jersey. Joe, who was accused of using his brother’s marriage and birth certificates to obtain a driver’s license after his was suspended from a DUI charge, was sentenced to 18 months in jail. However, he won’t serve any additional time in state prison because the sentence will run concurrently with the 41 months he’ll do for his federal crimes.
Joe’s driver’s license is not suspended at this time (in January 2010, Joe was charged with driving under the influence: he later was convicted and his license was suspended for seven months). However, under Joe’s plea deal with the State of New Jersey for possessing a fraudulent driver’s license, his license will be suspended for a minimum of six months. He will return to Passaic County Superior Court in Paterson, NJ on March 20, 2015 for his formal sentencing, at which time the judge will rule on the length of time his driver’s license will be suspended and the fine he must pay (the maximum is $10,000).
Joe initially declined the deal offered by the judge and then indicated he wanted to discuss the matter more with his lawyer, Miles Feinstein. When court reconvened Joe told Judge Adam Jacobs that he wanted to reconsider.
“You’re making a momentous decision,” Jacobs told Joe after he confirmed that he understood the terms of what Jacobs called a “generous” deal, and that by rejecting the deal and going to trial, he risks an additional 10 years in prison. “There’s no going back after this.”
Under the plea deal, Giudice pleaded guilty to a lesser degree of the same crime, wrongfully using the identification of another. Instead of a maximum of 10 years in prison, he received 18 months, running concurrently with his federal prison term, so he will not serve additional time. Also under the plea deal, his driver’s license will be suspended for up to 18 months.
Feinstein said Giudice wanted to go trial because he is innocent of the charges.
UPDATE 9/22/2014: Joe Giudice was in court on September 22, 2014 for a pretrial hearing concerning his state charges for identity theft and forgery. Joe’s attorney, Miles Feinstein, and Passaic County chief assistant prosecutor, Jay McCann, told the judge that the state would like to postpone the hearing until after the Giudices are sentenced on the federal charges to which they pleaded guilty (the federal sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 2, 2014, and Joe’s attorneys told the judge that the date is firmly set, meaning there would be no more postponements).
If convicted on state charges for identity theft, Joe’s sentence would run currently with his federal sentence for money fraud. This means that Joe would be incarcerated for both state and federal charges in a federal prison rather than in a state facility. If his state sentence is longer than his federal sentence, he would be transferred to state prison after serving his time in federal prison. However, it looks like state prosecutors will work out plea deal with Joe where his state sentence for identity theft will be equal to or less than his federal sentence for money fraud.
Click on the image above to play the courtroom video from September 22. The following is the report from NorthJersey.com (The Record).
Giuseppe “Joe” Giudice, the husband of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Teresa Giudice, has been scheduled for an Oct. 15 hearing in state court on charges that he presented false documentation to get a driver’s license while his license was suspended.
The hearing will be two weeks after the Giudices are to be sentenced in federal court in Newark, where they pleaded guilty to concealing assets and making false statements in order to fraudulently obtain millions of dollars in loans.
Miles Feinstein, the attorney for Giuseppe Giudice, said at a hearing Monday in Superior Court in Hackensack that the federal court sentencing, having been postponed several times, is firmly set for Oct. 2.
Giuseppe Giudice, 43, could receive 37 to 46 months in prison, while his wife, 41, could receive 21 to 27 months. Feinstein said, however, that the sentencing judge has the discretion to depart from the guidelines and impose a sentence shorter or longer than those ranges.
Giuseppe Giudice’s charges in state court stem from allegations that he presented his brother’s marriage and birth certificates to the Motor Vehicle Commission in Paterson in 2010 to get a driver’s license, at a time when his license was suspended because of a drunk-driving conviction.
Those charges carry a maximum of 10 years in prison upon conviction, but a Passaic County assistant prosecutor said the case is likely to be resolved through a plea deal with a prison term that would run at the same time as his federal sentence.
“I am sure we will be able to work this out through a concurrent sentence,” Jay McCann, a Passaic County chief assistant prosecutor, said at the hearing Monday.
If he is sentenced to federal prison on Oct. 2, Giuseppe Giudice would be given up to 45 days to surrender himself.
As an Italian national, he also faces the possibility of deportation when he completes his sentence.
Giuseppe Giudice’s case in state court has also been postponed repeatedly over the last several months while attorneys awaited the resolution of the federal case.
Superior Court Judge Adam Jacobs said Monday he would like to have the case resolved without further delay, describing it as “one of the oldest cases on my docket.”
Giuseppe Giudice was arrested on the state charges in March 2011.
Note: See the timeline for Joe’s motor vehicles violations at the end of this blog post.
UPDATE 6/2/2014: Joe Giudice was in state Superior Court in Paterson on June 2nd for a status hearing. He will return to state court on July 14th for a pretrial hearing on charges that he presented false identification to obtain a driver’s license while his license was suspended. In March 2011, authorities arrested Joe at his home and charged him with identity theft and forgery for allegedly obtaining a fake license using his brother’s ID; in December 2011, he was indicted by the state for identity theft and forgery.
Joe’s legal team successfully has postponed the state trial until after Joe faces federal sentencing on money fraud and bankruptcy fraud charges on July 8th. This was done to give Joe’s attorneys an opportunity to negotiate a plea deal for the state charges where he will serve his state sentence in the federal penitentiary concurrent with his federal sentence.
State penitentiaries, with inmate-on-inmate assaults nearly twice as likely as in federal prisons, are a far cry from the comparatively cushy accommodations in federal prisons, so Joe wanted to be sentenced first on the federal charges before working out plea deal with the state of New Jersey: his intention is to work out a plea deal where he can serve out his state sentence in federal prison, concurrently rather than consecutively.
According to North Jersey.com (click the link for the courtroom video): Unless a plea agreement is worked out, a date will be set at that hearing for his trial. The new hearing date ensures that the charges in state court will not be resolved until Giudice is sentenced in early July in federal court, where he pleaded guilty to charges that he engaged in a conspiracy to defraud banks and other lenders and committed bankruptcy fraud when he and Teresa filed in October 2009.
UDPATE 4/10/2014: According to a report by NorthJersey.com on April 10, 2014, Joe Giudice will appear in court on June 2 for a hearing on his New Jersey state driver’s license charges, but the case is not expected to go to trial or be resolved through a plea deal until he is sentenced on July 8 for federal fraud charges — this will give his legal team an opportunity to negotiate a sentence where he will serve his state sentence in the federal penitentiary concurrent with his federal sentence:
Giuseppe “Joe” Giudice, the husband of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Teresa Giudice, is scheduled for a June 2 hearing in Superior Court in Paterson on charges that he presented false identification to obtain a driver’s license while his license was suspended.
However, his attorney, Miles Feinstein, said Thursday that he does not expect the case to go to trial or be resolved through a plea deal until Joe Giudice is sentenced in early July in federal court. The couple pleaded guilty last month to federal charges of conspiracy to defraud banks and other lenders by submitting fraudulent applications and supporting documents in connection with nearly $5 million in mortgages, construction loans and lines of credit between 2001 and 2008.
Under his plea agreement, Joe Giudice faces 37 to 46 months in federal prison and must serve at least 85 percent of that term. He could also face deportation to his native Italy at the end of his sentence.
The state charges against Joe Giudice carry a maximum of 10 years in prison, but prosecutors have extended a plea offer with a four-year term, of which at least half will have to be served before parole, Feinstein said.
Joe Giudice has so far rejected that offer. If he agrees to a plea deal that carries a prison term or is convicted in a trial, his sentence could run concurrent — at the same time — or be tacked on to his sentence in the federal case, Feinstein said. That will depend on how the plea deal is negotiated, or on the sentencing judge if Joe Giudice is convicted, Feinstein said.
UPDATE 1/16/2014: According to the Montville Patch, Joe Giudice’s court date for forgery charges stemming from his March 2011 arrest has once again been delayed. Joe had a scheduled conference on Monday, January 13th to set a trial date and file motions, but it was postponed due to the fact Miles Feinstein, defense attorney, is in the middle of a Passaic County trial. The next court date has not been determined. His forgery charges come from a fraudulent attempt to obtain a state driver’s license from the Paterson branch of the Motor Vehicle Office in June 2010 using his brother’s ID.
UPDATE 12/17/2013: According to RadarOnline, Joe Giudice attended a status conference on December 17, 2013 with Judge Greta Gooden Brown to discuss whether he would be pleading or going forward with the state trial for forgery and identity theft. No plea deal was reached. According to the courtroom video (at NorthJersey.com), there will be a pre-trial hearing at 1:30 PM on January 6, 2014, at which time a trial date will be set.
According to ABC News on November 13, 2013, state records show Joe’s license has been suspended 47 times since he first became a New Jersey driver in 1987; however, this is not the case. In a December 17, 2013 report by NorthJersey.com, they clarified that since receiving his New Jersey license in 1987 Joe has had a cumulative total of 47 points on his license. To reiterate, Joe has had 47 points on his license since 1987, not 47 suspensions of his license.
UPDATE 11/26/2013: Earlier in November 2013, Joe Giudice was pulled over in Montville, NJ and cited for careless driving in a school zone. According to the Montville Patch on November 26, 2013, he was pulled over for motor vehicle violations for the second time this month:
Amid his legal troubles, Joe Giudice, 43, a Towaco resident and star of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” was pulled over in Montville and issued two summonses Tuesday morning.
Montville Police were assisting the New Jersey Division of Motor Vehicles Mobile Inspection Unit on Hook Mountain Road.
“Giudice was operating a Maserati on Hook Mountain Road and was observed with no inspection sticker. Mr. Giudice was directed to the inspection unit and issued two summonses by Montville Police,” Montville Police Capt. Rudy Appelmann said. “The summonses were for failure to inspect and expired insurance card.”
He was pulled over near Gencarelli’s in Pine Brook, according to a Patch reader.
NJ Division of Motor Vehicles Mobile Inspection unit has mobile inspection capabilities. Police officers look for observable motor vehicle violations and overdue inspection stickers and vehicles requiring up-to-date inspection are directed to the inspection unit. They then are issued summonses from Montville for the observed violations, Appelmann said.
Giudice and his wife, Teresa, 41, appeared before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court last week and pleaded not guilty to two new fraud charges. These two new charges bring their total indictments up to 41 counts.
Also, Joe Giudice’s court date for forgery charges stemming from a March 2011 arrest was delayed recently.
UPDATE 11/18/2013: According to the NJ.com on November 14, 2013 (as reported by the Montville Patch), Joe Giudice’s state court date for identity theft and forgery scheduled for November 19th will be put off until 2014 because the judge is wrapped up in another trial; and the state trial may be trumped by the federal trial for money fraud set for February 24, 2014:
After being arrested in March 2011, the court date set for next Tuesday will be put off until 2014.
And it’s been delayed, again.
Originally set for next Tuesday, the court date for Joe Giudice’s forgery charges — stemming from a March 2011 arrest — will be delayed until 2014 because Judge Greta Gooden-Brown is wrapped up in another trial, according to NJ.com.
The previous court date the date at the end of October was delayed because Giudice’s lawyer, Miles Feinstein, had a scheduling conflict and before that, it was set for the beginning of October, and prior to that, for mid July.
Giudice, husband of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” cast member and Montville resident Teresa Giudice, was arrested at his home in Towaco in March 2011 for fraudulently obtaining a state driver’s license from the Paterson branch of the Motor Vehicle Office in June 2010 using his brother’s ID. Giudice’s license was suspended at the time for a DUI.
He was indicted on these charges in December 2011. Also, the couple were indicted on 39 counts of various fraud and tax crimes on July 29, and could face up to 50 years behind bars if convicted. Joe Guidice, an Italian citizen, could be deported. Teresa and Joe Giudice entered not guilty pleas in a Newark federal court Aug. 14.
UPDATE 10/29/2013: According to NJ.com, Joe Giudice will go to trial for state forgery charges on November 19, 2013:
“Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Joe Giudice will go to trial for state forgery charges Nov. 19.
Giudice was charged in March 2011 with using his brother’s identification to get his driver’s license this previous summer after his own was suspended due to a DUI.
The most recent delay was due to a scheduling conflict for Giudice’s lawyer, Miles Feinstein, who was representing a man charged with murder in Sussex County. Feinstein has said that Giudice turned down several plea deals from prosecutors because they wanted him to serve substantially more prison time than other alleged offenders, and claimed his celebrity played a role in the decision to go after his client.
The charges are wrongfully using identifying information of another, which carries up to 10 years in state prison, and forgery, which carries up to 18 months in prison. Giudice and his wife Teresa also face federal bank and bankruptcy fraud charges that could put them behind bars for 50 years. They say they are innocent.
UPDATE 10/28/2013: On October 27, 2013, the Montville Patch reported that on October 28th Joe Giudice will have a trial date set unless he pleads guilty:
A conference hearing on a forgery charge is scheduled Monday for “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Giuseppe “Joe” Giudice, who also is charged along with wife Teresa with a host of alleged federal fraud crimes, the Star-Ledger reports.
Unless the Giudice patriarch pleads guilty, the trial on forgery charges, which has been postponed a number of times, must finally be scheduled, according to Passaic County prosecutor Jay McCann.
Giudice is alleged to have used his brother’s identification to obtain a driver’s license in June 2010 while his license was suspended over a driving under the influence conviction that year. He was arrested in March 2011 and charged under New Jersey law for allegedly forging his wife’s signature.
The couple were indicted on 39 counts of various fraud and tax crimes on July 29, and could face up to 50 years behind bars if convicted. Joe Guidice, an Italian citizen, could be deported. Teresa and Joe Giudice entered not guilty pleas in a Newark federal court Aug. 14.
UPDATE 7/15/ 2013: According to NorthJersey.com (click link for video), Joe Giudice’s trial has been moved to October 28, 2013:
State Superior Court Judge Greta Gooden Brown set a new trial date for Oct. 28. Giudice’s trial was supposed to begin Monday but was postponed because defense attorney Miles Feinstein, of Clifton, said an unexpected scheduling change caused a conflict with a homicide trial in Sussex County.
Giudice, a 43-year-old Montville resident, allegedly used his brother Pietro’s identity in June 2010 to obtain a driver’s license at the Motor Vehicle Commission office in Paterson. Obtaining a false driver’s license in New Jersey is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Authorities allege that Giudice used marriage and birth certificates belonging to his 39-year-old brother to obtain the license. Giudice’s license was suspended at the time for driving while intoxicated after he flipped his pickup in Montville in January 2010.
The brothers’ alleged fraud came to light after Pietro Giudice was pulled over by Lincoln Park police. When the officer ran Pietro Giudice’s information through a dashboard computer, the search produced Joe Giudice’s photograph, authorities said.
Giudice is charged with wrongfully using identifying information of another person, a second-degree crime carrying 10 years in prison, and forgery, a fourth-degree crime that carries an 18-month maximum prison sentence. He is currently free on $50,000 bail.
UPDATE 7/10/2013: According to The Star-Ledger on July 9, 2013, Joe Giudice’s fraud and forgery trial has been postponed until at least October 2013:
The fraud and forgery trial of “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Joe Giudice has been delayed yet again, this time because his attorney is tackling a homicide case expected to last several months.
Giudice, who faces up to 10 years in prison on the more serious charge of fraudulently obtaining a New Jersey driver’s license, was to go to trial July 15 in Passaic County. He was arrested more than two years ago after a police office pulled him over and discovered he allegedly had used his brother’s identification to get a driver’s license while his own was suspended due to a DUI.
Prosecutor Jay McCann said earlier in the week that he was prepared to move foward, but Giudice’s lawyer, Miles Feinstein, told the Star-Ledger today that his Sussex County homicide case, which dates to 2008, takes precedence, and that case is expected to go into October.
Giudice, who maintains his innocence, has turned down several plea deals from prosecutors because, Feinstein says, they were offering him substantially more prison time than other alleged offenders. “I think his celebrity is playing a tremendous role,” he says.
But McCann says his office received a referral from the New Jersey Division of Motor Vehicles about the case, and upon investigation, “we have an obligation to move forward, and that’s as simple as it is. It really has nothing to do with what Mr. Giudice does when he’s not obtaining a New Jersey driver’s license.”
Giudice’s wife is Bravo lightning rod Teresa Giudice. Although some of the couple’s legal woes have made it onscreen — notably Giudice’s DUI and their 2010 bankruptcy filing, the show has only obliquely referenced the prospect of Giudice’s prison time in this particular case. ”
UPDATE 5/28/2013: On May 28, 2013, a superior court judge set a July 15th trial date for Joe Giudice in charges that he used his brother’s identity to obtain a New Jersey driver’s license. He will go on trial July 15, and could face 10 years in state prison if convicted. Joe rejected a plea deal in April that would have gotten him four years in state prison, and the prosecution has maintained that that is its final offer.
“In order to get a NJ license you need to produce original docs. In the case of Joe, he is accused of using his brothers original birth and marriage certificates (a ‘4-point’ and ‘3-point’ doc) to prove identity. A photo is not needed when using those documents. If he used those docs, he would have then had his brother’s information, including DOB and SSN in the MVC database associated with *his* picture, which would have been taken during his visit to the agency. When police ‘run’ your license they scan the barcode on the back in to their computer and pull up the current MVC data to compare with the physical license. Pete’s MVC data now had Joe’s picture associated with it, which was cause for immediate concern.” – Saddle_River_NJ, May 28, 2013, Fame-Whorgas
“Something else must be going on because the brothers are so close in appearance that the photo alone would not have raised a flag. I’m guessing there is some kind of behind the scenes auditing going on at NJMVC to verify information in their databases. Jersey has a colorful history of fraudulent licenses and it would make sense that something in the system set off an alert when someone tries to get a license ‘from scratch’ with ID when the system already shows an existing issue…” – Saddle_River_NJ, May 28, 2013, Fame-Whorgas
I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the RHONJ cast members (or their associates) tipped off law enforcement that Joe Giudice was driving without a license, and when he was pulled over, the fraudulent license was discovered. If I remember correctly, Jacqueline said at the reunion 4 special that Joe had asked Chris about getting a fake ID. If this is true, then I would say it is highly likely that one of the cast members (at the reunion, Jacqueline was the one who said, “I hope Joe goes to jail”) tipped off law enforcement and this is the reason Joe was caught with the fraudulent driver’s license.
Bravo Can’t Resist a Real Housewives Wedding Spinoff; Caroline Manzo Denies Predicting a Divorce for Teresa and Joe Giudice
Bravo Can’t Resist a Real Housewives Wedding Spinoff
When asked by TheWrap what makes a “Real Housewives” spinoff, Andy Cohen said that “getting married lends itself well to another series:”
“Phaedra does a lot of other things outside of the Housewives show. Kandi is a songwriter. Lisa has restaurants. So, these are other things that the women do in their real lives that lend themselves to seeing more of them. I think that the women just living their lives, that’s what they do on the Housewives. The shows that we’ve picked up have been because the women have other things going on. Kim’s show started with her getting married, which is really the natural way to, it lends itself well to another series, you know?”
On May 22, 2013, Bravo announced that ‘Real Housewives of O.C.’s’ Tamra Barney landed a spinoff, which will feature the road to her summer wedding.
According to TheWrap:
The network’s camera crew was shooting the 45-year-old’s joint bachelor/bachelorette party with fiancé Eddie Judge, 40, in Las Vegas for the new series. Heather Dubrow and husband Terry Dubrow were the only O.C. co-stars who attended the event.
The show will follow the couple’s road to their summer wedding, which would be Barney’s third time walking down the aisle. The couple were engaged in February 2012 after dating for two years.
The series is the latest example of Bravo’s penchant for greenlighting series capturing their “Real Housewives” stars’ new relationships and marriages. They’ve previously awarded wedding spinoffs to New York’s Bethenny Frankel and Atlanta’s Kim Zolciak.
Last month, Bravo announced a new spinoff series for ATL’s NeNe Leakes that would capture her road to re-marrying ex-husband Gregg Leakes.
“I Dream Of Nene-The Wedding coming soon on Bravo! Greg & I hope 2 inspire others 2 save their marriage pic.twitter.com/0P6xyyXGOV” – NeNe Leakes, April 18, 2013, Twitter
NeNe and Gregg Leakes divorced back in 2011 after roughly 13 years of marriage (Gregg claimed that fame had gone to his ex-wife’s head). The couple announced in January 2013 that they were tying the knot once again, so they were divorced barely a year before deciding to remarry, which makes you wonder if this was all done for the show and a future wedding spinoff. Sounds like a game plan for the Gorgas!
Melissa was not wearing her wedding ring when the WWHL special (Watch What Happens Live: NJ Housewives Tell All) was taped on May 1st. Perhaps she intentionally did not wear it to generate tabloid fodder before the season 5 premiere, with plans to divorce for her season 6 storyline, followed by a wedding spinoff when they tie the knot again.
Caroline Manzo Denies Predicting a Divorce for Teresa and Joe Giudice
In a season 4 testimonial, Caroline predicted Teresa and Joe would divorce; however, during her appearance on the WWHL special (Watch What Happens Live: NJ Housewives Tell All), which premiered on May 19, 2013, Caroline denied saying that.
The following is what Caroline said during season 4 about the Giudices divorcing:
“Prediction: Something may happen where someone has to go somewhere. Teresa’s going to have to pull herself up on her bootstraps and take over. She’ll say, “You know what, I tried. I stood by him, but I have to divorce him now. And I’m gonna show my daughters what it’s like to be strong and independent on your own and survive.” There’s a book in there – you heard it here first!”
Below is the video link for that footage from season 4 (or click on the image for the video):
http://www.bravotv.com/watch-what-happens-live/season-7/videos/carolines-prison-prediction
The following is what Caroline claimed she said, as explained to Andy on the May 19, 2013 WWHL special:
“If they were to get a divorce, Teresa would capitalize on it – she would write a book.”
Caroline also said she was right about her prediction because two weeks later Teresa put out a magazine article about it. She told Andy:
“I meant it. I’m sorry I had to say it… but I meant it.”
Caroline went on to tell Andy that there are things in your life that are not for sale and that is what she meant:
“It was me saying, ‘What is sacred in your life?’ because to me there was nothing sacred in Teresa’s life.”
On June 4, Jacqueline Laurita attended the Samsung Hope for Children Gala at The Museum of Natural History in New York City with Caroline Manzo and their families. On the red carpet, reporters asked what would happen to Teresa Giudice should her husband Joe go to jail, and Jacqueline replied: “Teresa will get her own spin-off, My Life Without Joe, raising her kids, and all will be good. I think that would be an awesome show!” There’s no sign that the former friends will be reconciling any time soon. “Today, she’s not somebody I want in my life. I realized that she was never there for me, she always wanted me to be there for her, I gave her my advice and she didn’t appreciate it,” Jacqueline revealed. Yet Jacqueline also insists that her decision not to be involved with Teresa isn’t because of jealousy. “I’m not jealous in any way, I’ve always been the biggest supporter of her, of anything that she’s done,” she continued. [Wetpaint, June 7, 2012]
Joe Gorga and Chris and Jacqueline Laurita Get into a Fight with Johnny ‘The Greek’ Karagiorgis at the Grand Opening of Posche 2; Joe Giudice Rejects Plea Deal on Identity Theft Charges
Anyone who attacks someone while being held by 4 security makes you a coward. PERIOD!!! NOT OVER!!! – John Karagiorgis (@JohnnytheGreek), April 1, 2013, Twitter
Am I the only one who finds it funny when ppl turn JOHN automatically into Jonathan!? – Retweeted by John Karagiorgis (@JohnnytheGreek), April 1, 2013, Twitter
Sources are reporting that Joe Gorga, Chris Laurita and Jacqueline Laurita got into a physical altercation with Penny Drossos’ husband John Karagiorgis on March 30, 2013, at the grand opening of Kim D’s second boutique, Posche 2, which is downstairs from the Moxie Salon at 74 E. Ridgewood Avenue in Ridgewood, NJ. Teresa Guidice, Melissa Gorga, Jacqueline Laurita and Caroline Manzo also attended the event.
Tom Murro, a friend of the Manzo/Laurita camp and a source to various blogs/tabloids, told “a spy’s” version of the story to RadarOnline, as follows:
All hell broke loose at Kim D’s new Posche store opening on Saturday night and, according to eyewitnesses, the drama started when Melissa’s husband confronted the people who have been spreading rumors about her, and the person they blamed was none other than Teresa! “
Joe Gorga approached a guy named Jonathan Karagiorgisa and confronted him about all the things he’s said about Melissa on Twitter, and Jonathan admitted he was writing about her,” a spy exclusively told Celebrity Magnet Tom Murro.
“As the two guys were arguing, Joe asked Jonathan where he got all his misinformation and Jonathan replied, ‘Why don’t you ask your sister?’”
Jacqueline Laurita’s husband Chris then joined Joe and confronted Jonathan over his allegations that the Laurita’s had made up their son’s autism diagnosis.
“Jonathan was not backing down, and that’s when they all started to exchange blows!” the spy said. “Jacqueline kicked off her shoes and bitch smacked Jonathan on the back of his head! This is where the Manzo boys, along with Lauren Manzo, jumped in out of nowhere to break up the fight!
Bowls were broken, glass everywhere,” the eyewitness said, and revealed the fact that Teresa and Joe Giudice were there watching it all unfold! “
Even though Teresa was blamed for the fight, and Jonathan said she was the one telling him all of the gossip about Melissa, she and Joe didn’t do a thing, they just watched it all unfold and didn’t even step in to try and stop the fight!”
Security finally intervened and “escorted a very bloody Jonathan out of the party. There was blood everywhere, on the floor and even on the walls.”
Of course, everything was caught by Bravo’s cameras, so all of the bloody violence is sure to be a dramatic ending for the season!
Jersey_Girl, a friend of Penny and Johnny who was present at the grand opening, made the following comments at FW about the brawl:
OMG a very bloody Johnny? How’s a nose bleed from a head hit from security a very bloody Johnny? Security held Johnny up against the wall while Chris and Jac took cheap shots. Joe tried getting in cheap shots but Johnny managed to get loose and sent Joe through the sinks.
The night was a total setup by Bravo for the ambush to go down. Johnny got jumped, was held by security, and he still managed to send the midget flying. Yes, Johnny is pressing charges on all of them because they were gutless to attack while he was being held, lucky for them.
What happened Joe, didn’t you and Rich Wakile have a meeting with Johnny at his business, agreeing to squash all the negatively in front of cameras? Oh, but you just wanted the setup in front of cameras. Well guess what, what you idiots did is a criminal offense; and if you think this is over, you’re highly mistaken. I was there and it took all the security guys to hold Johnny, and Joe still went flying. I know this is far from over.
Johnny told the producers and Bravo to fuck off. They called him after the chaos and he told them all to fuck off.
For those of you that claim Johnny wanted airtime, you’re wrong. He stayed away from all filming all season. The producers told him it would be a good idea he goes because all the husbands will be there and Penny might feel uncomfortable. Johnny went and was told to wait outside until called in. Once called in, he wasn’t there ten minutes, and then the brawl. Complete Bravo setup.
Producers were staggering us all in two at a time. By the time Johnny walked in, the stage for the brawl was set.
At the end, Johnny was screaming “Let me go, let me go, let’s see if these pussys can really fight me”. It was a complete Bravo shit show set up.
I am just sickened that grown men would hold down someone to get sucker punched – chicken sh*ts. If you fight, fight fair; I don’t care what the friggin’ beef is – real men don’t fight like that. Disgusting.
Jac’s denying it [that she used her high heel shoe to hit Johnny on the head] but witnesses state otherwise and Johnny got a heel mark on his forehead, so you decide.
Johnny’s sole purpose was to bury the hatchet. Rich Wakile and Joe Gorga went to Johnny’s place and agreed on that. But Joe kept pushing the issue at the event, and when Johnny turned to talk to Teresa, that’s when Joe rushed him. Joe never swung, but Johnny took him down to the ground and then security jumped in. The rest I said above.
According to sources for other bloggers:
Joe Gorga and Chris Laurita went after Johnny. Joe was apparently angry because he was under the impression that Johnny was setting Melissa up by bringing her ex-boyfriend, Bryan Bulldog Bowen, into the mix. Even though the whole fight only lasted for a few minutes, by the time it was all over the salon was completely trashed (we’re talking sinks ripped from the wall and broken glass everywhere) and Johnny was bleeding and badly bruised. [WetPaint]
Shortly after everyone arrived, drama erupted when Joe Gorga and Chris Laurita went after Johnny. Apparently Johnny had invited Melissa’s ex-boyfriend Bryan ‘Bulldog’ Bowen to show up and confront her about allegedly cheating with him after she was married. Chris got angry because Johnny was making comments about his autistic son Nicholas. So together with Albie Manzo, Joe Gorga and Chris got into a brawl with Johnny! Caroline was reportedly worried about Jacqueline’s safety because she also got herself mixed up in the fight! Jacqueline kicked off her shoes and hopped up on a chair then bitchslapped Johnny on the back of his head with her left hand. None of the other wives participated. They trashed the salon in the process and Johnny was bruised and bleeding. No word if police were involved. [RealityTea]
A source told Fame-Whorgas that Karagiorgis (JTG) never said anything about Nicholas at the event or at any other time [perhaps the Gorgas or Bravo producers told the Lauritas that Karagiorgis said something and they took it as the truth]:
Joe Gorga was the first to confront JTG, asking him, “Who’s telling you all this info”, and Joe had security get behind JTG and apparently this is when Joe took a shot or lunged at JTG, who tossed Joe off of him and onto the sinks (which is how they got broken).
Joe threw the first punch and then Chris charged at JTG, shouting something like, “You made fun of my son”, which is how the rumor started.
JTG replied, “I didn’t say sh-t about your son,” and when JTG turned away, Chris took a cheap shot at him and Jacqueline hit him in the forehead with her stiletto type shoe.
In self-defense, JTG tossed Chris into the wall.
Security tackled JTG, and JTG shouted, “You’re all a bunch of f-cking p-ssies, swinging at people being held.” JTG didn’t get carried out, he walked out, and Bravo security (off duty cops) apologized, saying, “It wasn’t supposed to go down this way.”
JTG went immediately to the police station to file a report, where they took pictures of his injuries.
Penny Drossos is a former special education teacher and a volunteer for people with special needs, so if the subject about the Laurita’s son Nicholas was broached, it could have been regarding the exploitation of autism as a platform to promote blk [which is not the same black energy drink that Penny and John are endorsing in the photo above].
On an unrelated topic, Joe rejected a plea deal on the identity theft charges which would have put him in state prison for four years. Instead, he opted to go to trial beginning May 28, 2013.
If convicted of identity theft charges, he could face up to ten years in prison. Miles Feinstein, Joe’s attorney, told In Touch:
The state offered him NJ State Prison, and we rejected that offer. Instead, we set a trial scheduling hearing for May 28, since we’re rejecting the new plea offer. Joe is being treated differently. He shouldn’t have to do any jail time for this. The best outcome for this will be we win the case and he doesn’t do any time at all.
The following is the timeline for Joe’s motor vehicle issues:
- In March 2010, Joe was fined $864 and his driver’s license was revoked for 12 months after being found guilty of driving while intoxicated in New Jersey on January 13, 2010.
- On September 20, 2010, Joe began serving a 10-day sentence in Morris County jail for driving with a suspended license.
- In June 2012, Joe allegedly obtained a fraudulent driver’s license using his brother’s ID.
- In March 2011, Joe was arrested for allegedly obtaining a fraudulent driver’s license using his brother’s ID
- On December 20, 2011, Joe was indicted for wrongfully using identifying information of another and for impersonating another (identity theft and fraud).
From a report in People magazine on December 21, 2011:
On December 20, 2011, a grand jury in Passaic County, N.J., handed down a two-count indictment against Joe Giudice, a former developer. The charge includes one count of wrongfully using identifying information of another, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and one count of impersonation, which can carry up to 18 months in prison. The indictment alleges that last year, Giudice used his brother Pietro Giudice’s information, including a marriage and birth certificate, to obtain a driver’s license at the Paterson, N.J., department of motor vehicles. His own license had been suspended at that time following a DUI. Joe was then arrested in March 2011 for allegedly obtaining a fraudulent driver’s license using his brother’s ID, and was indicted in December 2011.
“They didn’t even catch me driving,” he said at the time. “They came to my house and said you’re driving with your brother’s license and then they got me with some kind of stupid charge.”
FAMEWHORGAS 