Teresa Giudice

Early life

Teresa Giudice was born in Paterson, New Jersey, to Italian immigrants. Born Teresa Gorga, she and her younger brother Giuseppe "Joey" Gorga were raised in the Catholic faith. She studied fashion marketing at Berkeley College. In March 2017, Giudice's mother died.

Career

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 (May 4, 2010), Fabulicious (May 3, 2011), and Fabulicious!: Fast & Fit (May 8, 2012). alongside a memoir co-written with K.C. Baker Turning the Tables: From Housewife to Inmate and Back Again, revolving around her time in prison. All four books have been 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 (airdate May 6, 2012), after placing fifth.

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

In May 2017, Giudice, Joe Gorga and Melissa Gorga opened a restaurant named Gorga's Homemade Pasta & Pizza in East Hanover, New Jersey.

Personal life

Teresa is married to Giuseppe "Joe" Giudice (an Italian citizen born in Saronno, Italy, and brought to Paterson, New Jersey, by his parents when he was one year old), who has worked as a construction builder and restaurant owner in New Jersey. They have four daughters together: Gia, Gabriella, Milania, and Audriana.

Conviction

In October 2009, the Giudices filed for bankruptcy. An auction of furniture from their Towaco, New Jersey, home was initially scheduled for August 22, 2010, but was postponed and then canceled 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 loan 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." 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 his brother to fraudulently obtain a driver's license in 2010. Giudice's own driver's license had been suspended following 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 used 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 Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, seven hours early, at 3 a.m. instead of 10 a.m. According to her attorney, James J. Leonard Jr. Esq., "she was ready." At Danbury, Teresa was known as Inmate No. 65703-050 and was scheduled for a two months' early release on February 16, 2016. Giudice was ultimately released on December 23, 2015.

In July 2015, Giudice's primary residence in Towaco was in the primary stages of foreclosure, while the couple's summer home in Beach Haven West, in Stafford Township, New Jersey, was foreclosed; the latter was auctioned in a sheriff's sale on August 18, 2015 and received no bids. The residence was bought back by the Giudice's mortgage holder for $100. In November 2015, Giudice's primary residence was no longer in foreclosure.

In December 2014, Giudice filed a $5 million dollar lawsuit against her bankruptcy lawyer, James Kridel for failing to meet with her before filing bankruptcy documents. In March 2017, the lawsuit was announced to be moving forward.