Teresa Giudice

Teresa Giudice's short temper and no-nonsense attitude turned her from suburban homemaker into one of reality television's most explosive personalities on Bravo's "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" (2009- ). Born Teresa Gorga in Paterson, NJ to Italian immigrant parents Giacinto and Antonia Gorga, she earned a degree in Fashion Marketing and Management from East Coast-based Berkeley College. Her educational background landed the future reality star in the fashion industry, working as an accessories buyer for Macy's in New York. In 2001, she married childhood friend and businessman Giuseppe 'Joe' Giudice, with whom she had four children. When Bravo extended its successful "Real Housewives" franchise to feature the Garden State, Giudice was one of five women chosen to star on "The Real Housewives of New Jersey." She was joined by tough matriarch Caroline Manzo, stay-at-home mom Jacqueline Laurita, interior decorator Dina Manzo, and vampy former-stripper Danielle Staub. Giudice quickly captured viewers' attention with her loud-mouthed personality and lavish lifestyle. Even though Giudice played nice with most of her "Housewives" castmates, especially the Manzo sisters, she often clashed with the equally brash and conniving Staub. The duo delivered some of the franchise's biggest and most memorable blowups, including the first season's infamous finale where Giudice flips a table out of fuming anger over Staub.