Real Housewives of New Jersey Bio

Joe Gorga



Joe Gorga is the Husband of Melissa Gorga. He is 37 years old. Melissa started dating Joe in October 2003, moved in with him in December 2003, and married him in August 2004. In RHONJ season 3 episode 6, Joe tells the the story of how they met in Cancun, and he says she was working three jobs at the time.


 Joe claims to have first seen her in a leopard bikini in Cancun (a source said this was during Spring Break, which would have been May 2003 – see below, “Melissa Gorga ‘Settled’ For Joe”) but that he didn’t even speak to her (even though he said to himself ‘that’s my wife). He claims that he randomly ran into her six months later in a club at the Jersey shore (which would have been October 2003). If he said to himself in Cancun, ‘that’s my wife’, why didn’t he approach her then; it doesn’t make sense at all to say that but not try to actually meet her (how did he expect to make her his wife if he didn’t even introduce himself to her… how would he know that he’d ever run into her again… supposedly he didn’t even know who she was, where she was from or what was her name). It seems more likely that he introduced himself to her in Cancun and they hung out but she blew him off because he was “too short and not her type.” And it wasn’t until six months later, back in New Jersey, that she finally gave in to his persistence after seeing “he was a hard working man with money in his pocket, a nice home, and she could easily manipulate him.”

Joe Gorga is a real estate developer and has been the subject of 26 liens and civil court judgments in New Jersey ranging from $20,000 to $762 dating to 2002, court records show. The majority of civil judgments were small-claims matters of less than $15,000. Most recently Gorga is being sued by Starlite Window Manufacturing Co. Inc. of Paterson to the tune of $30,000 for nonpayment of work. The Gorgas are also being sued for $50,000 by a sprinkler company for work on an apartment complex in Paterson. Additionally, according to public records, a civil judgement was made against them for over $12,000 to a company called Slaby Engineering Associates.The following is an excerpt of further finacial issues Joe has:

Melissa Gorga, the sister-in-law of RHONJ cast member Teresa Giudice, owes a Boonton sprinkler company $50,000 for work on an apartment complex in Paterson, according to a lawsuit filed last week in Superior Court in Morris County.

Gorga initially reneged on an agreement to pay nearly $300,000 for the installation of a fire sprinkler and alarm system at a Paterson apartment complex, the complaint said. The complaint accuses Gorga, her husband Guiseppe and their business, Gorga Enterprises Inc. of breach of contract and unjustly enriching themselves by misdeeds, among other things, by failing to pay for work performed by Bravante Automatic Sprinkler Corp.

The Gorgas had a $260,000 contract with Bravante for a fire suppression system at 10-28 Courtland St. in Paterson in January 2008 and another contract for nearly $17,000 the following month for an alarm monitoring system, according to the complaint.

By Aug. 22, 2008, Gorga paid only $44,000 on the fire sprinkler contract and $3,000 on the alarm monitoring contract, the suit said. On that same day, Bravante filed a construction lien against them with the Passaic County Clerk’s Office.

The Gorgas owned up to part of a settlement agreement, the complaint said. They paid $191,000 of the tab by July 1, 2009, but they didn’t pony up $50,000 they agreed to turn over when they received a $1 million bank loan for the project, according to the complaint. By then, Bravante had performed more work totaling $21,909, the complaint said.

Joe owns a 13,500 square foot mansion in Montville, New Jersey.

He also owns a property at:

28 Essex St
Paterson, NJ 07501-3037

Joe and Melissa Gorga

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Caroline Manzo

Caroline Manzo (née Laurita) was born August 23, 1961 and is married to Albert Manzo, co-owner of The Brownstone, an event and catering facility in Paterson, New Jersey. They have been married for 26 years. The couple has three children: Albert "Albie" Manzo IV (born in 1986), Lauren Michele Manzo (born in 1988), and Christopher Thomas Manzo (born in 1989). She is the sister of former castmate Dina Manzo. She, along with most of her The Real Housewives of New Jersey cast mates, resides in the affluent town of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. She is the co-owner of the Brownstone. she serves on the board of her sister Dina's foundation, Project Ladybug and is affiliated with The Carolyn Gable Expect A Miracle Foundation, which helps single mothers.

Her most memorable line of the first season became a pop culture meme: "Let me tell you something about my family, we are as thick as thieves and we will protect each other until the end."

Caroline Manzo

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Jacquelin Laurita
 
Age: 39 years old
Birthday: April 26, 1971
Height: 5′ 4″  (exact height:  5′ 4.2″)
Full Name / Real Name: Jacqueline Grippe
Birthplace:  Las Vegas NV
Current Residence: Franklin Lakes, NJ
Husband: Chris Laurita
Matt Holmes
Children:   Ashley Holmes, 1990; Christopher J. Jaurita, Jr., 2002; Nicholas Laurita, 2009                       Parents:  Jerome and Bonnie Grippe, Las Vegas NV


Via her various blog posts on her website:

"
I was born in Ft.Monmouth,NJ in Long Branch April 26,1970.  I am a Taurus

My middle name is Elizabeth

My Mom,Bonnie,is a twin and My Dad,Jerome,is a retired Army Colonel. He was also Executive Vice Pesident of Operations at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

I lived in several places growing up:Ft.Monmouth,NJ  / Raleigh,Missouri / Ft.Leavenworth,Kansas / Seoul Korea / Fairfax,Virginia / Augsburg, Germany / Chantilly,Virginia / Ft. Huachuca,Arizona / Henderson,Nevada / Franklin Lakes,NJ

I am half Italian (Dad’s side) and half Austrian(Mom’s side)

I am a middle child. I have 2 Brothers,Robby(11 months older than me) and Tommy(7 years younger than me) Tommy is married to Maryrose,who I love.

I only have 4 cousins. 3 boys and one girl. They have beautiful families with 6 beautiful children between them all. (3 boys,3 girls) .

I like to brag about my family sometimes.  My Uncle Vincent Falcone, married my Mom’s twin. They (Uncle Vinny and son Danny) worked with some pretty impressive  entertainers. Uncle Vinny plays the piano and conducts and Danny plays the trumpet. His brother,my cousin,Jeff,plays the drums.

My husband, Chris Laurita, has 10 brothers and sisters ( 5 brothers and 5 sisters) 11 kids in all. Can you imagine? We have 18 nieces and nephews on his side.

I gave birth to my daughter,Ashley Nichole Holmes,when I was 20 years old. I was married to her Father,Matt (John Matthew Holmes).

I met my ex husband,Matt,in Arizona. We moved to Nevada together when I was pregnant with Ashley. We divorced when Ashley was 17 1/2 months old. We were together a total of about 3 1/2 years. Today I have a great relationship with him and his beautiful wife Jody. They have 4 gorgeous sons between them. Ashley has 6 brothers! She could be the next Snow White.

The jobs I worked in my life were:Babysitting continuously for various families,  Salesperson for Limited Express ,Telemarketer for a Lawn service ,Daycare provider ,Nanny to 2 kids ,Cosmetologist doing hair in a beauty Salon ,Convention Model for various companies.(Shoes,accessories,lingerie,swimsuits,electronics,computer systems,sports wear,etc.) ,Cocktail Waitress at Sam’s Town Hotel and Casino (local place not on the LasVegas Strip) I  worked Swing shift and Graveyard shift on every area in that hotel (Pool,Sports Bar,Restaurant,Lounge,The Pit,Sportsbook and the Floor) because I was “on call”. It was HARD work,Tiring and redundant. God Bless those girls that are doing it,Cosmetic Salesperson at a department store for Lancome cosmetics.LOVED IT! Free lance Make-up Artist ,Housewife ,Reality TV cast member for Bravo’s ”The Real Housewives of New Jersey”

I had my first boob job at the age of 30. I needed one badly after birthing Ashley. I was naturally busty with a high C cup.My natural breast tissue kept growing because of pregnancies,weight gain &for reasons unexplainable. I’ve had 2 reductions since,with a lift and kept the smallest size silicone implant for shape &fullness. Thank you Dr.Allen Rosen in Montclair,NJ. I’m now a 34D,depending on the bra.

I had a diamond shape bone on my nose filed down when I was 31 because I got tired of people asking me if I was Italian or if my nose had been broken. There are before picture’s on Bravo’s website.

I’m a size 6 shoe

I met my husband Chris in 1996 in Chicago and not in Vegas like people think. “How I met Chris”is on my Bravo blog. Read it! It was Fate. Here’s part of the story…
Chris and I got married in a Gazebo at a park outside of our town Hall by our Mayor with my parents on speakerphone &very few guests attending.We had a family Bar-B-Q after to celebrate where I wore a t-shirt with an airbrushed painted bikini on it formed to my body and I wore Billy Bob teeth. It was just the way we wanted it. The only thing I regretted from it was having beautiful professional pictures done to frame and put in my house.

I love rainy nights and lighting candles.  I love Self help motivational,inspirational,spiritual books,Children’s books and books I can learn a skill from. I’m always looking to better myself.

I used to wet the bed when I was little and peed my pants all the time at school. I was always trying to hide it from my friends. I outgrew it.

I love to organize things. ANYTHING !
Honesty is important to me. My biggest pet peeve is people LYING!

I tend to find the humor in ANY situation no matter how depressing or awkward the situation is. It’s my coping mechanism.

I still have a cosmetologist license in Nevada. One day I hope to write a Beauty Book of some sort to share what I’ve learned with you

I don’t like actual Drama but I do enjoy getting to the root of a conflict,analyzing it and trying to solve it like a mystery. Finding peace at the end is
rewarding.

I went to a community college for 2 years in Arizona. I was interested in being either an elementary school teacher or a nurse.

I’ve never made up a fake email account to blog or harass anyone on social meda sites.If I have something to say,I want it to be clear it’s coming from me. I’m not afraid of confrontation. It’s all in the delivery.

I have a saying I live by,“I never say anything behind anyone’s back that I wouldn’t or haven’t already said to their face.”

I don’t drink milk on it’s own. I need it to be mixed with something.

I like to break out into weird dances to make myself and my kids laugh.

I once won a “worming”dance contest. Remember “The Worm”?
One summer,I won 8 bikini contests in a row. I was also “Miss Las Vegas Super Cross”which just meant I got to give out trophies to the guys that won and shake champagne all over them. It was on ESPN. I knew nothing about the sport.

I’m 5’3″and I weigh anywhere from 115-125 lbs. Depending on the week. I fluctuate.

I gained 50 pounds each with my first 2 pregnancies and 55 lbs. with my last.

I was 100 lbs. when I got pregnant with Ashley. 112 lbs. when I got pregnant with CJ and 115-120 when I got pregnant with Nicholas. ( See those poundscreeping up on me?)
My tubes are now cut,tied and burnt. No more babies for me. We worked hard to succeed on my last pregnancy and at my age,I was done taking chances and going through that struggle and pain again if it didn’t happen for us right away. God blessed me with a girl and 2 boys and for that I am very grateful.

I’ve had 5 miscarriages. They hit me hard,but we didn’t give up. I had one baby aspirin everyday,sex every other day from the 9th day after my period until the 17th day,and upon conceiving,a progesterone insert up until I finished the first trimester. It worked!

I have a fear of drowning and burning. I’m also developing a fear of heights that I’ve never had before.

I used to enjoy rides that spin but now they just make me feel sick.  I enjoy Scrapbooking.  I enjoyed camping and hiking until the bears became so populated so now I’m a little freaked out.  I love B-B-Q’s and being outside.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE RV road trips. I’ve been back and forth across the country many times. I’ve traveled the Northern and Southern routes.

I once took a 42 day RV trip with my parents and my son,CJ across the entire length of the Alaskan Highway starting from mile zero post in Dawson Creek,BC.  It was so beautiful! I highly recommend it!

I have a tattoo on my left side of my bikini line of a heart with vines growing out of either side with Chris’s initials in it. It’s a “C”on top going
into a cursive “L”beneath the C. My sister-in-law and I both got tattoos together while vacationing in Miami.

I used to have my tongue pierced. I used the short bar so it didn’t flop all over the place. I liked it back then. I’m not sure why I did it.

I have a little scar on my knee from trying to ride my bike down some stairs. I fell off and landed on a flower pot and a piece of it stuck in my knee. I was in Kindergarten.
Apparently,I used to speak Korean. My Dad told me that but I don’t really remember.  I once believed my brother when he told me that Fig Newtons were made with crushed ants.

I love listening to all different kinds of music depending on my mood.

I do Keratin treatments on my hair about every 4-6 months to give it shine and to keep it from frizzing. I do a glaze for color every so often.(Goldwell color 6N)I go to Chateau Salon in Franklin Lakes.

I played the roll of Aunt Toniann in the off Broadway play,”My Big Gay Italian Wedding”and I had a blast doing it.
Teresa and I had about 2 lines on the show “Mercy“. I got to call  Michelle Trachtenberg’s character “Nurse Slutty!”  That was fun

My first car was a Toyota Celica hatchback.I also had a Toyota Corolla,Toyota Tercel,Volkswagen Bug (light blue),Honda Accord and an Infinity Qx4 before moving to New Jersey.

I can’t follow a map and I’m afraid too drive on busy highways.Thank god for car navigation and/or OnStar

I never leave my house or even open my front door without ,at least,my mascara on.

I like trying to find the constellations in the sky.
“I can hold my own,I AM my own person”

I once had someone scream in my ear that I was  upset with because they wanted me to talk to them.
I ignored them. They did it again. I warned them that if they did that again I would punch them in the face. They did it again. I kept my word. It ended with both of us getting arrested even though I threw the first punch. I stayed one night in jail,payed a fine,and spent 6 weeks in anger management. It was an interesting experience. I still consider that person one of my dearest old friends.

I love romantic comedy’s the best but I enjoy watching any kind of movie. Even the dumb ones. I love salted,buttery popcorn while I watch them.( Parmesan on it too sometimes)

I could never kill an animal.I won’t even kill an insect. I try to lead bugs to the door to put them outside. (I think of their families)

I enjoying cooking,especially with my husband while enjoying a glass of wine.
The fall is my favorite season. I love doing all the fun fall activities with my family like apple,berry and pumpkin picking,hayrides,haystack climbing and tunnels,corn mazes,pumpkin slinging,pumpkin carving,haunted houses,candy corn,fall scented candles,the crisp cool air,apple cider,picking Halloween costumes,decorating for fall,the colors of the changing leaves,leave piles everywhere,I could go on and on. I just love it!"

Chris and Jacqueline Laurita