Teresa Giudice is mourning the loss of her father, Giacinto Gorga, who died early Friday morning after a history of health issues. The Real Housewives of New Jersey star revealed the sad news on Instagram alongside a moving tribute to Nonno.
“My father, my protector, my hero, God took you early this morning to be with mommy, I saw you peacefully pass & I know you kept fighting for my daughters and I,” Giudice captioned a slideshow of photos of her father. “I have so many amazing thoughts of you, every day seeing you in the kitchen at my home, teaching my girls to cook, my partner in crime on shopping trips, your love of the shore & my travel buddy. You always wanted everyone to have a good time, eat great food, have a stiff drink and enjoy life. You are the absolute strongest man I know & I know you missed mommy so much but you stayed for us.”
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“Thank you for being the best husband, father & Nonno,” she continued. “Your devotion to mommy was one for the record books, you were the true example and a gentleman and devoted husband. You visited mommy every single day & would go twice for the days you missed while traveling or if you were to sick to go, my silver lining is knowing you’ll be together now. Thank you for showing us all what true love is. Love you Papa Rest In Peace.”
She added alongside other family photos, including one of her dad holding her as a little girl, “I love you always.”
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Thursday, Giudice had asked for “extra prayers” for her father, who she said was “struggling” with his health.
“At this trying time I’m graciously asking for any extra prayers, good vibes, love….please send my father’s way,” she wrote on Instagram. “My father is struggling and my girls and I need him, we need his love, his presence & his strength.”
Gorga has long struggled with health issues, having been hospitalized this winter after moving in with his daughter following the death of his wife, Antonia Gorga, in 2017.
“That’s the thing, none of us can be sick around him because he catches it right away. We’re constantly always washing our hands,” Giudice told The Daily Dish in 2018. “Like when you have a baby and you make sure everything’s clean, that’s how you have to be with him because he gets sick easily.”
Photo credit: Raymond Hall/GC Images/Getty
