The “househusbands” get almost as much screen time on The Real Housewives of New Jersey as the Housewives do. The men work hard to get airtime, fighting and gossiping almost as much as their glamorous wives.
From raucous poker nights to dinner night fights, unlike other Housewives franchises, the men play a significant role in the RHONJ narrative. But what do these New Jersey-based reality stars do for work, and how can they afford to fund such lavish lifestyles? Although many househusbands work in construction and flip houses for a living, some of the partners of the Housewives have made a name for themselves in tech, finance, and even academia.
How Do The Husbands Of The Cast Of The Real Housewives Of New Jersey Make Their Money?
The Real Housewives of New Jersey love to showcase their lavish houses, expensive vacations, and designer wardrobes, but do the husbands of the show help fund this enviable lifestyle?
Luis Ruelas (Teresa Giudice’s Husband)
Luis Ruelas’s job is a bit of a mystery. According to his LinkedIn account, he has “over 25 years experience within the digital response marketing industry.”
Teresa Guidice’s second husband was the co-founder and CEO of Interactive Marketing Solutions from January 2000 until August 2012. He is no longer connected to this “direct response marketing company,” which he said during the Season 12 reunion was due to negative press generated from exes and his appearance on the reality show.
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TMZ reported in March 2024 that Luis was involved in a new business venture called Vinivia. “This is a live streaming platform that’s being launched on April 4, 2024, solely for creators and influencers around the world,” he explained before revealing he was hoping it would rival TikTok.
Joe Gorga (Melissa Gorga’s Husband)
Joe Gorga is involved in real estate development and specializes in buying run-down properties and converting them into apartments.
- In 2017, Gorga and his sister, Teresa Giudice, opened an Italian restaurant called Gorga’s Homemade Pasta & Pizza in their mother’s honor shortly after her death.
- Sadly, the business closed in less than a year, but the riffs of those business partners live on — especially between Joe’s wife, Melissa, and Teresa.
For now, flipping homes is Joe’s main source of income (including a side of stand-up comedy!).
Joe Benigno (Margaret Josephs’ Husband)
Joe Benigno, who eloped with Margaret Josephs in 2013, is a self-described “cupcake connoisseur, contractor to the stars, master plumber, and Harley-riding husband,” according to his Instagram bio.
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Bravo shared that Joe is a plumber and contractor, which Margaret supports wholeheartedly against the women who look down on the plumbing profession. Margaret frequently comments on his slow construction work on their home, which forever seems in renovation, but the job always gets finished beautifully.
Evan Goldschneider (Jackie Goldschneider’s Husband)
Jackie Goldschneider’s husband, Evan, is the managing director at MWC Group, according to Distractify. The company specializes in global financing, while Evan is the co-founder of The Distinction Group, an investor advising group.
- In 2022, Jackie excitedly announced her husband would be working as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, teaching finance and hedge fund investing.
- As of Season 14, Jackie moved to a friend of the Housewives instead of a Housewife, giving less scenes with Evan.
Bill Aydin (Jennifer Aydin’s Husband)
As mentioned frequently on RHONJ, Bill Aydin is a successful plastic surgeon with one of the highest net worths. Jennifer Aydin’s husband is more than in the business of making people beautiful. He is a double board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon credentialed by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery.
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His Aydin Plastic Surgery practice is located in Paramus, New Jersey, and “specializes in body contouring and aesthetic cosmetic surgery of both the face and body,” as reported by Life & Style Mag. This includes “minimally invasive procedures and reconstruction of breast cancer survivors and traumatic injuries, including hand surgery.”
John Fuda (Rachel Fuda’s Husband)
RHONJ cast member Rachel Fuda’s husband, John, is the owner of a company that provides valet and other parking services for businesses and residential buildings. He has also worked as a manager at his family business, Fuda Tile and Marble since 2000.
Rachel works full-time at her husband’s valet business, Valet King, which continues to grow successfully.
Frank Catania (Dolores Catania’s Ex-Husband)
Dolores Catania’s ex-husband Frank passed the bar in 1991 and worked as an attorney until he was disbarred from the New Jersey State Bar Association around 2017. In season 8, Dolores explained what happened to the father of her two children’s career.
“He borrowed money from his client’s trust account… something called ‘co-mingling funds,’ and as a lawyer, you are not allowed to do that. Nobody lost money, and nothing was stolen. But it was enough to get him disbarred.”
- Since being debarred in the ’90s, Frank works as a contractor and flips houses.
While he technically isn’t a househusband. he and Dolores are incredibly close and they often travel together.
Paulie Connell (Dolores Catania’s Boyfriend)
On Instagram, Dolores’s beau, Paulie, describes himself as an entrepreneur. Paulie Connell has been SEO at Eco Electrical Services, LLC, a “fully licensed and insured electrical contracting company,” since 2010.
|
Housewives |
Number of Seasons (As of Publishing) |
|
Teresa Giudice |
14 Seasons |
|
Melissa Gorga |
13 Seasons (Guest and Main) |
|
Dolores Catania |
11 Seasons (Guest and Main) |
|
Jackie Goldschneider |
7 Seasons (Guest and Main) |
|
Margaret Josephs |
7 Seasons |
|
Rachel Fuda |
2 Seasons |
|
Jennifer Aydin |
7 Seasons (Guest and Main) |
|
Danielle Cabral |
2 Seasons |
Nate Cabral (Danielle Cabral’s Husband)
Housewife Danielle Cabral and her family joined the series with the Fudas in Season 13. While Danielle is the owner of Boujie Kidz, a children’s boutique, Nate co-founded his own business.
Danielle Cabral was also on an episode of MTV’s
True Life
back in 1998.
Life & Style Mag. reported that Nate started Flash Security Integrators, a “home security” venture. In an Instagram post, Danielle supported her husband’s business and shared how successful it has become, much to Nate’s hard work.
All The Legal Issues The Husbands Of RHONJ Stars Have Found Themselves In
The Real Housewives of New Jersey stars can’t seem to go a season without getting into legal trouble. Teresa’s ex-husband, Joe Giudice, went to jail for 41 months, but he isn’t the only husband to land himself in trouble with the law.
Luis Ruelas was sued due to allegedly hacking computers in order to harass and abuse his ex-fiancé, Vanessa Reiser. According to Reality Tea, a party planner earlier this summer took to social media to call out the reality TV star and his recent business for supposedly failing to pay more than $300,000 last year after she planned the company’s launch party.
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Joe Gorga has also gotten in trouble numerous times for not paying for materials and endangering staff. He and his wife Melissa were sued for $30,264.06 in unpaid building materials, according to Radar Online. In December 2022, a personal injury claim was also filed against the Gorgas, alleging that she had sustained “diverse injuries, great pain, and suffering” during a stay on a Gorga property that was kept in a “negligent, careless, and reckless manner.”
A concrete company alleged the Gorgas claimed the couple had an unpaid debt of $110,972.58.
How Much Do The Husbands Make For Appearing On RHONJ?
The househusbands are paid for their appearances on The Real Housewives of New Jersey, not episodes. However. their pay is fractionally less than their wives.
Frank Catania claimed that the men of RHONJ are not contracted for their often hilarious appearances on the Bravo show. “I don’t have a contract. None of the men have contracts with Bravo, so we don’t get paid,” Frank revealed on the August 2 episode of the Lisa Alastuey Podcast.
There’s appearances. There’s other things with Bravo that we do where we are compensated and we are compensated quite well. But as for the show itself, we are not compensated.
- The former lawyer believes that the men of RHONJ, despite being a significant part of the show, are not given contracts because Bravo would have to extend the same courtesy to other husbands in the Real Housewives franchise.
Not having contracts has some benefits for their appearances on the reality show. Unlike their partners, they are free to say and do what they want. “That’s why you’ll see us saying a lot more. We can say a lot more than what the women are allowed to,” Frank explained.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey
- Release Date
- May 12, 2009
- Cast
- Teresa Giudice , Jacqueline Laurita , Caroline Manzo , Dina Cantin , Danielle Staub , Melissa Gorga , Kathy Wakile , Teresa Aprea , Amber Marchese , Nicole Napolitano , Dolores Catania , Siggy Flicker , Margaret Josephs , Jennifer Aydin
- Seasons
- 13
- Producer
- Andy Cohen
- Writers
- Scott Dunlop
- Number of Episodes
- 222
- Streaming Service(s)
- Bravo , E! , Peacock
