Giacinto Gorga, affectionately known as Nonno to fans of The Real Housewives Of New Jersey, passed away on Friday after a long struggle with health problems. He was 76.
His children Teresa Guidice and Joe Gorga are both stars of the long-running Bravo show, and Nonno had been a fixture of the series since its early days.
Teresa confirmed the sad news in an Instagram post earlier today, saying: “il miglior padre del mondo -you were a fighter until the last breath.”
Tributes have flowed for Giacinto Gorga, with Housewives head honcho Andy Cohen writing: “So sad about Nono!! He was a sweet patriarch to a wonderful family and a mainstay of #RHONJ. Sending all my love to Teresa, Joe and the whole family.”
Joe Gorga mourned his father’s passing on Instagram, saying: “The world lost an amazing man … He was exactly what a true father and husband should be … You will be missed every single day. You had energy that lit up a room and everyone fell in love with you.”
Teresa also shared a lengthy tribute to her late father, calling him “my protector, my hero.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-hyRDKl_kW/
This past season, the beloved Nonno became a widely-shared meme, after he was seen cooking octopus at six in the morning:
Fans of the show also reacted with delight when he was spotted drinking hot sauce directly from the bottle, without a care in the world:
https://twitter.com/BravoLiveTweets/status/1207475355927363585
RIP Nonno, we’ll miss you.
