The Real Housewives of New Jersey
The Real Housewives of New Jersey is the latest installment of Bravo's reality series "Real Housewives" series. The show premiered on May 12, 2009 and it did take long before tempers between the housewives were heating up.
The five housewives are Teresa Giudice, Jacqueline Laurita, Dina Manzo, Danielle Smith, and Caroline Manzo. Of the five, only Danielle is currently single.
Dina is an interior designer married to Tommy Manzo. Caroline is her sister and Jacqueline is her sister-in-law. Tommy is the co-owner of The Brownstone, a popular catering facility. The couple has a teenage daughter named Alexia. Dina is hoping to return to interior design by hiring a nanny to help care for Alexia. Dina is the founder of Project Ladybug, a non-profit organization that hopes to open Ladybug Houses for families with children being treated for cancer.
Caroline is the sister of Dina and Jacqueline's brother Chris. Caroline and her husband Albert have three grown children: Albie, Christopher, and Lauren. Caroline owns Opus Properties and 4 My Mom, which is a children's accessories line. She is also on the board of Project Ladybug and an affiliate of The Carolyn Gable Expect a Miracle Foundation.
Teresa majored in Fashion Marketing and Management while at Berkley College. She and her husband Joe Giudice have three daughters: Gia, Gabrielle, and Milania. Gia is interested in both modeling and acting. As the show began, the family was hoping to move into a new house they were having built. Teresa serves as a committee member for Dina's Project Ladybug non-profit organization.
Jacqueline is the wife of Chris Laurita, the brother of both Dina and Caroline. Jacqueline has a 17 year old daughter (Ashley) from a previous marriage and the couple has a six year old son, CJ. Jacqueline has had trouble conceiving, but is currently pregnant. She often finds herself torn between family and friends.
Danielle came into the picture because she is friends with Jacqueline. The single mother of daughters Christine and Jillian is still waiting for her divorce settlement from her husband. Danielle and Dina do not get along and Teresa seems to only tolerate her. The bad feelings will only intensify when the other housewives learn that Danielle was reportedly once a stripper who has had run-ins with the law. Rumors are that Danielle is mentioned in a book titled "Cop Without a Badge," which says she was arrested after helping kidnap a man who owed money to her friend, who was a drug dealer. The book also talks about her days as a stripper and drug use.
Real Housewives NJ Recaps
