RHONJ: Is Dolores Catania Still Friends With Caroline Manzo?
Any "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" fan worth their weight in pasta will know that Dolores Catania was basically an OG housewife before she ever made her full-time debut on the show. Back in the early days of Caroline Manzo's drama with Danielle Staub all the way up to Teresa Giudice's (earlier) feud with Melissa Gorga, Catania was always popping up on the show as a friend of all the ladies.
In fact, Catania made several notable appearances during Season 3 in particular, even supporting her close friend Manzo during her radio stint hosting "Caroline Rules" on New Jersey local radio (remember that?) to hanging out with all the ladies during a pumpkin carving session. We also got our first look at modern-day "RHONJ" staples Frankie and Gabrielle Catania when Jacqueline Laurita hosted a field day for her co-stars in Season 4 (remember that one, too?), while Dolores also appeared on the show when she joined the ladies at the Giudices' Catskills home.
But, as we know, things have changed since then. Manzo left the show behind after Season 5 in 2013, and Dolores became a full-time housewife for Season 7 in 2016, meaning they avoided ever being full-time housewives at the same time. But does that mean there's been some drama brewing between the two? Well, in the world of "Real Housewives," it probably wouldn't be much of a surprise to learn they've had a falling out... But that's not the case here!
Dolores Catania and Caroline Manzo are still close
It seems like Dolores Catania and Caroline Manzo's missed opportunity to be full-time housewives at the same time is nothing but coincidence, as the two are still close friends years after we saw them together on "The Real Housewives of New Jersey." Dolores made it pretty clear she and Caroline were still on great terms on Instagram Stories in March 2022 when she revealed she met up with her a few thousand miles away from their usual Garden State stomping grounds, in Los Angeles. "The great Caroline Manzo is in the house! Hi L.A., it's been a while," Dolores captioned one post, as she shared videos showing her dining with her longtime pal on the West Coast.
Dolores then made it even clearer how close they actually are the following September when the two appeared on E!'s "Celebrity Beef." She told The Daily Dish of their friendship, "We are sincerely close. It's very organic to be with her. For me, it's nothing. I would think nothing of stopping by her house and just walking into her kitchen and making myself at home." She added, "To be with Caroline is like second nature to me, because we've been so close for a million years."
But, not only are these two great friends, their families are too! Caroline's son, Albie Manzo, has a close bond with Dolores' son Frankie Catania, as he revealed just how long they'd known each other on Instagram in 2016.
Even Teresa Giudice didn't cause drama for Dolores Catania and Caroline Manzo
Dolores Catania and Caroline Manzo aren't just close, they're super close. Dolores admitted to E! News in September 2022 that she and the former "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" star have such a bond that she sees Caroline more like a family member than a friend — despite her being close to Manzo's nemesis, Teresa Giudice. As "RHONJ" fans will know, Caroline and Giudice fell out in an epic way on the show, though it sounds like the former isn't too bothered about Catania still being buddy-buddy with her old pal. "Caroline was always like a big sister to me, and although it's been hard that her and Teresa have had a real beef, we have an understanding — none of us would tell anybody who to be friends with. They always know I support the friends but not the beef," Dolores shared, before revealing on "Watch What Happens Live" in February that both Caroline and Giudice have been equally loyal to her.
As for how these two besties first met, Caroline revealed to The Daily Dish in 2016 that she was introduced to Dolores by her husband, Al Manzo, and had nothing but sweet things to say about her as she shared their friendship origin story. "She's a phenomenal human being. She's crazy as crazy gets, but she's good as good gets too, so she's fun," Caroline said. Cute!