Dina Manzo’s Daughter Lexi Ioannou Speaks Out on Dolores Catania’s Character Letter for Tommy Manzo

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The Real Housewives of New Jersey continues to reveal the deep rifts behind the glamour, and in a recent interview, with Dina Manzo’s daughter Lexi Ioannou—stepdaughter of Tommy Manzo and niece of Caroline and Dina Manzo—opened up about one of the show’s most emotional and polarizing storylines.

Speaking with Gia Giudice on the May 26 episode of Casual Chaos, Lexi reacted to the news that RHONJ cast member Dolores Catania submitted a character letter in support of her stepfather, Tommy Manzo. Tommy was recently found guilty of hiring an alleged mobster to attack Dina Manzo’s now-husband, Dave Cantin, in 2015, and pleaded guilty to stalking and harassing the couple.

“There were character witness letters submitted to the judge on behalf of Tommy to help kind of persuade the judge’s opinion of him,” Lexi revealed. “There was, like, lots of character letters from Mayors of New Jersey, police officers, my family members, my mom’s friends … Dolores wrote one.”

Lexi’s comments reflect deep personal pain—not just over the crime itself, but over what she sees as betrayal from those closest to her and her mother, Dina Manzo.

“They’re not friends anymore, but they were like best friends. Me and Dolores’ daughter Gabby were best friends growing up,” Lexi shared, hinting at the closeness that once bonded the two families. Gabby is Dolores’ daughter.

According to Lexi, the support Tommy received from family and friends—including Dolores and her aunt Caroline Manzo—added another layer of hurt. “It led to ‘layers of pain’ for both herself and mom Dina,” she said.

Despite the guilty verdict, Lexi acknowledged that opinions remain divided within their circle. “I don’t think he was making anybody do anything. It’s what people really believed. I think a lot of people believe differently now that there’s a guilty verdict. There’s still certainly a lot of people that believe in him and believe he’s innocent,” she said.

Lexi’s candid interview adds further insight into the real-life tensions behind one of Bravo’s most iconic families—and how public loyalty, private pain, and personal betrayal continue to shape their story.