It looks like this former Real Housewives of New Jersey star is getting a whole new start. From quitting the Bravo series to moving across the country to Malibu, California, Dina Manzo is starting over. Her fresh start also includes what appears to be a serious relationship. So, just who is Dina Manzo's boyfriend? His name is Dave Cantin and based on an interview Manzo did with Page Six, it sure seems like they have a lot in common. "I am with someone new and it’s really great," the 44-year-old star said. "I was getting a divorce [from former husband Tommy Manzo] and I was like, 'I’m never doing this again.' … I was fine just never falling in love again and, you know, I guess some things happen when you’re not really looking for it."
Clearly, it was meant to be. So much so, they've been together for at least a year. Cantin and Manzo met through her charity, Project Ladybug. She told Page Six, "We’re both really passionate about helping children with cancer. So that’s really nice that we know there’s a bigger reason for us meeting than just, you know, getting along and being attracted to each other."
Cantin is a 36-year-old businessman and based on his Instagram bio, he is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and a life and business strategist. According to a 2015 Daily Mail Online report, Cantin is also a "millionaire car dealership owner." Apparently, he previously co-owned and acted as the vice president of a Hyundai dealership in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey. However, the dealership was sold in July 2015 and Cantin is "now a commercial broker."
Daily Mail Online also reported that Cantin is a cancer survivor who was previously diagnosed with leukemia in 2011. While speaking withe the outlet, Cantin said, "I'm now in full remission and as healthy as you are, but yes Dina was there for me through some difficult times and she helped me through them." Since experiencing cancer firsthand, Cantin continues to give back to others who are and have been affected by the illness.
In addition to Project Ladybug, Daily Mail Online reports that Cantin once served on the board of the Hyundai Hope on Wheels program, which helps kids fight cancer. He also launched The Cantin Family Foundation to advance his family's charitable work.
As RHONJ fans know, Manzo was avid about charity, especially when it came to benefitting others affected by cancer. To say Manzo and Cantin have a lot in common just might be an understatement. They definitely appear to love helping others and giving back in important ways.
They surely look happy with one another and as Manzo told Page Six about moving to the West Coast, "I came out here initially just for a mental break and to get away from it all [in New Jersey]. It’s easier to deal with things from 3,000 miles away and once I got here, I was like, 'I love it here. I don’t really want to go back.'"
Well, based on her happy and healthy life, including her new relationship, I have a feeling Manzo just might make Cali her permanent home.
