According to E! Online, Wednesday, March 23 is the day Joe Giudice heads to prison for his 41-month sentence for tax fraud. So, he only has a short amount of time left to spend with his wife, Teresa Giudice, and their four daughters, Gia, Milania, Gabriella, and Audriana. And what better way to do just that than with a going away party? As much as Joe and Teresa like a good party, this one was quite different for obvious reasons. I mean, it was a get together for people to say goodbye to him before he goes to jail for almost four years. That type of party can't be an easy one to attend.
E! News chatted with a close family friend of Joe and Teresa's, John Harms, who helped host the party at his New Jersey restaurant. He said, "I've been friends with Joe and Teresa since before the show. My partners and I have gotten to know Joe over time and we wanted to do something nice for him two nights before he went away — a way for everyone to say goodbye."
As expected, many family members and friends attended the party, which was also filled with lots of tears, but Harms also said it was a great night for everyone. "It was amazing, as perfect as I would have wanted it," he said. "It was just family and true friends...Teresa and the girls were there, obviously. Joe's mom and his sisters and brothers and aunts and uncles. It was a family reunion. There ended up being about 150 people. The restaurant was filled. It was great. About 50 kids."
Harms added, "There were toasts, [and] Joe had a few words to say. He told everyone, 'Stop making me cry, I'm not going to the electric chair.' His attitude is as good as it can be. You can tell he's being strong for everyone else. There were a lot of tears."
Speaking of Joe's positivity, he previously spoke with People about going to prison and didn't seem worried at all. "It's not a big deal," he said about soon heading to prison. "They tell me that the low security and the camp there are almost the same so it's no big deal."
The party sure sounds like it would've made for a great moment on the Real Housewives of New Jersey 's upcoming Season 7, but Harms said that no Bravo cameras were present. As much as I would've liked to see all of this on the small screen, I understand that the family probably wanted to keep such an emotional and sensitive time out of the public eye. Though, the same can't be said for Teresa's homecoming after spending almost 12 months in prison for tax fraud, which will be featured on RHONJ.
Whatever the case, there's no doubt the Giudices are making the most of their time together before Joe begins his sentence.
