The Manzo Family

[Helen]

Talk here about The Manzo family and what you thin of them.

[LIV-LAF-LUV]

LOVE THEM!!!

[stxmom]

I love Caroline, she tells it like it is and doesn't take anyone's BS

[conster326]

Absolutely love Caroline! She is my fave NJ housewife!  She tells it like it is, she is like a bulldog when it comes to protecting those she cares about, and she is a quiet force to be reckoned with.

[veronicaromm]

Hard not to like Caroline's family.  They are all pretty down to earth, they are sweet to one another and functional.  This is an anomaly for the Housewives franchise.  Caroline is very wise and she gives great advice to her kids and friends.  She doesn't take any sh**, but she also actively stays out of all the sh**.  I can't imagine how much restraint it must take for Caroline to NOT  want to pummel Danielle, but she just stays away, ignores her.  It is the only way to deal with Danielle and the others need to learn that lesson.  What Danielle did to Dina in trying to hurt her custody situation with Lexi was so horrible, yet Caroline just wouldn't give Danielle the satisfaction of even discussing it with her. I admire her and think she is a great role-model. 

[realityfan]

Love, love, love the Manzo, Laurita family, they are the only REAL housewives, mommy's , NJHW is a feel-good reality show!

[wb3690]

LOVE!

Love the kids.....and you can see Caroline's general love/concern for her kids and her kids all seem normal. 

[momsthoughts]

I love the Manzo's.  I think they are good people with their priorities in order.  I love to see their success - as it was hard earned and well deserved.   They are all generous, loving, fun, civic minded people.  They are the sort of people we hope all wealthy people would be like.  That is why it baffles and befuddles me when I think of them standing by the Giudices.  I just don't get it.  They seem to be polar opposites:

- Teresa does commercials for Sizzle Tans while the Manzo's volunteer their time to raise cancer awareness. polar opposite. 

- The Manzo's donate a lot of time to charities and community service.  Juicy Joe is fighting the courts as he feels community service is unjust and harsh punishment for drunk driving.  (and Joe, no one believes you had a drink with a friend after the accident...do you know how many times cops here THAT one...come on) 

- The Manzo's seem genuinely spiritual and the Giudices seem to use religious ceremony as an excuse to indulge themselves (Marie Antoinette and sushi? really? at a Christening?)

- The Manzo respect and support law enforcement - volunteer Sheriff, etc.  The Giudices seem to think they are above the law with reportedly 9.4 years of license suspension for Joe along with 39 points on his license. 

-  The Manzo's love their children above all else.  Dina took Lexi off the show when it got nasty.  Caroline's older children are the center of her universe and she avoided the fashion show choosing instead to spend time with her husband.  No doubt what the priority is with the Manzo's.  Juicy Joe ridicules his girls relentlessly while Teresa's appears to regard them as nothing more than dolls to be dressed up and shown off.  No tender loving  moments here....


Okay - I know - people in glass houses.....etc.  I am in no way perfect.  BUT, I have never been arrested, I don't drink or do drugs, I love helping others and doing community service, I have never declared bankruptcy, etc.....

I just can't figure out why the Manzo's stand by the Giudice's - it really confuses me.....Any thoughts? 

[Peary85]

Momsthoughts love the way you broke that down between Teresa and the Manzo.  No wonder I don't care for Teresa, other than her voice annoys me.

[mizzmozz]

Okay - I know - people in glass houses.....etc.  I am in no way perfect.  BUT, I have never been arrested, I don't drink or do drugs, I love helping others and doing community service, I have never declared bankruptcy, etc.....

I just can't figure out why the Manzo's stand by the Giudice's - it really confuses me.....Any thoughts? 

O.K. I agree with you on pretty much everything you said regarding the Manzo family vs. the Giudice family.  That being said, I have been arrested, I have had a dui, I do have a drinking and drug problem.  I am still a good person always have been.  I just let my vices get the best of me.  I do and did community service volunteer and madatory.  I go to church, raised my kid the right way, did pretty much all things a good and normal parent would do.  I just had a rough spot in my life and it bothers me when people say I am good because I did this and not did that...I know a few crackheads that are model citizens now and love their kids.

[HeadDivaInCharge]

They are great.  My family is a lot like them (minus the millions).  They are a true Italian family 

[Swangirl02]

Swangirl here in Florida loves them!   I love Caroline, her perspective on life in general, and well...pretty much would not want to be on her bad side either because she has her S*&T together!

[itskrishen]

first, i think it's funny that there's no warning on this board, "please, no bashing" lol unlike on the Staub Family's board..
if anyone is to "represent" a NJ family, the Manzo's are doin a pretty good job at it. I like these guys

[veronicaromm]

I think Caroline would be pleased with the way this forum sees her family. Just saying.

[momsthoughts]

Okay - I know - people in glass houses.....etc.  I am in no way perfect.  BUT, I have never been arrested, I don't drink or do drugs, I love helping others and doing community service, I have never declared bankruptcy, etc.....

I just can't figure out why the Manzo's stand by the Giudice's - it really confuses me.....Any thoughts? 

O.K. I agree with you on pretty much everything you said regarding the Manzo family vs. the Giudice family.  That being said, I have been arrested, I have had a dui, I do have a drinking and drug problem.  I am still a good person always have been.  I just let my vices get the best of me.  I do and did community service volunteer and madatory.  I go to church, raised my kid the right way, did pretty much all things a good and normal parent would do.  I just had a rough spot in my life and it bothers me when people say I am good because I did this and not did that...I know a few crackheads that are model citizens now and love their kids.

I agree, Mizzmozz.  It's not about what they do, but how they respond to their actions.  If someone goes through difficulty in their lives and says, "you know what?  I screwed up and I'm human, and I'm a better person for it." - I think there's NOTHING better.  I simply cannot tolerate people who say, "Well, they're in debt and Joe has a DWI - therefore, they're trash."  Seriously?  No wonder the world has such little compassion for the people living upon it. 

The problem with the Giudices is that they still try and portray this holier-than-thou public image, and they're not.  And guess what?  No one is.  The empathetic side of me wants to say, "It may be a long time before they're ready to accept their actions and move on, and this is simply not their time," while the other half wants to say, "Let's cut the bullsh** already.  You aren't that rich and the debt you've encountered is YOUR fault."  But, it's not their time, and this denial phase is clearly one they feel they need to go through.  I just hope everything works out for them in the end.  After all, they're human beings like the rest of us - let's not judge.  And if it seems like they're judgmental and wouldn't act the same towards someone in their own situation, let's hope they learn from this phase of their lives and become more understanding people.

I think you missed my point - its not that they screwed up, got a traffic violation and found themselves in debt in a difficult economy.  Its that he got a DUI and dismissed it with lies - after already having 39 pts on his license and instead of taking the punishment like a man he is whining and fighting not to do community service for his offense.  Same thing with the debt - THEY ARE $11 million in debt.  This isn't a "bad economy" situation - this is crazy out of control no regard for the people they are harmed debt.  and they take no responsibility for it.  She calls it her "fresh start". 
Do the damn community service and move into that apartment over the pizza shop.

As for the Manzo's - love them but I have to wonder, would Caroline still be friends with them if Joe had hit one of their children instead of several poles and a tree?  I doubt it.  He got lucky - this time.  I don't understand why the Manzo's endorse their disgraceful behavior. 

Its one thing to screw up - but it doesn't mean there aren't consequences.  If it were my friend I would be saying "Dude, get into rehab, do the punishment, or do not darken my doorway again."