Teresa Giudice

**Teresa Giudice**(nee Gorga; born May 18, 1972) is an American reality television cast-member, known for starring in The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Besides appearing on the show, Giudice has written three New York Times bestseller cookbooks and was featured on Donald Trump's The Celebrity Apprentice. Her family resides in Towaco, New Jersey. She is known for her extravagant lifestyle and highly publicised financial and legal troubles leading up to her 15-month sentence in federal prison.

In 2014 Giudice was the second-highest paid star of The Real Housewives franchise. She has also been called the breakout star of the franchise, along with Nene Leakes.

## Early Life

Teresa Giudice is the daughter of Italian immigrants. Born Teresa Gorga, she was raised in the Catholic faith with her brother Joe in Paterson, New Jersey, where she met her husband Joe Joseph Giuseppe Giudice. She grew up speaking Italian, and later, English. She attended Catholic school as a child and was a baton twirler. She went on to study fashion marketing at Berkeley College.

## Career

After graduating from college, Giudice worked for Macy's as an associate buyer. She has been a cast member of The Real Housewives of New Jersey since Season 1, and since starring on Housewives, Giudice has co-authored three successful cookbooks that include recipes handed down from her mother: Skinny Italian (2010), Fabulicious (2011), and Fabulicious!: Fast & Fit (2012). All three books have been in New York Times Best Sellers. Giudice also created Fabellini, a line of bellini cocktails, as well as a haircare line with Jerel Sabella named after Giudice's daughter, Milania.

In 2012, Giudice joined the cast of The Celebrity Apprentice 5 (also known as The Apprentice 12), and ultimately raised $70,000 for her selected charity, The NephCure Foundation. She was fired in episode 12, after placing fifth.

She is a committee member for Project Ladybug, a charity founded by fellow RHONJ co-star Dina Manzo.

## Personal Life

Teresa is married to Joe Giudice, who has worked as a construction builder and restaurant owner in New Jersey. They have four daughters together: Gia, Gabriella, Milania and Audriana.

## Legal Problems

In October 2009, the Giudices filed for bankruptcy. An auction of furniture from their Towaco, NJ home was initially scheduled for August 22, 2010 but was postponed and then cancelled as the couple withdrew their petition for bankruptcy.

On July 29, 2013, Teresa and Joe Giudice were charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and bank fraud, making false statements on load applications, and bankruptcy fraud in a 39-count indictment. The indictment also charged Joe Giudice with failure to file tax returns for tax years 2004 through 2008, during which time he allegedly earned nearly $1 million. Teresa's attorney told the Associated Press she would plead not guilty and "we look forward to vindicating her." Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan W. Romankow and Rachael Honig represented the US Government. Miles Feinstein of Paterson, New Jersey represented Joe Giudice. Henry E. Klingeman of Newark, New Jersey represented Teresa Giudice. On August 14, 2013, the two pleaded not guilty in federal court to financial fraud charges.

Joe Giudice stood trial on November 19, 2013, on individual charges that he allegedly used marriage and birth certificates belonging to her brother to fraudulently obtain a driver's license in 2010. Giudice's own driver's license had been suspended followed a DUI arrest January 13, 2010. After he was convicted, Joe's license was suspended for 12 months, and he was sentenced to 20 days of community service. Because he had the same defense attorney in both trials, U.S. District Judge Esther Salas moved the date of the tax case, involving both Teresa and Joe, from October 8, 2013 to February 24, 2014.

On March 4, 2014, Teresa and Joe entered a guilty plea to 41 counts of fraud, following a deal struck with federal prosecutors. The couple was accused of engaging in bank, mail, wire and bankruptcy fraud, which allegedly saw them net over $5 million over a 10-year period. On October 2, 2014, Teresa was sentenced to 15 months in a federal prison; Joe was sentenced to 41 months, followed by potential deportation to Italy. Together, the couple must also pay $414,000 in restitution. Teresa and Joe are allowed to serve their sentences separately, so one parent may stay with their children. Teresa began her sentence first, on January 5, 2015. She surrendered herself to the Federal Correctional Institute in Danbury, Connecticut seven hours early, at 3am instead of 10am. According to her attorney, "she was ready." At Danbury, Teresa is known as Inmate No. 65703-050 and is scheduled for a two months' early release, on February 16, 2016.

As of July 2015, Giudice's primary residence in Towaco is in the primary stages of foreclosure, while the couple's summer home in Beach Haven West, New Jersey was foreclosed; the latter will be auctioned in a Sheriff's sale on August 18, 2015.

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## Navigational

**Former Main Houses:** Jacqueline Laurita | Caroline Manzo | Danielle Staub | Kathy Wakile