Johnny Karagiorgis, a frequent guest star on The Real Housewives of New Jersey who went by the nickname “The Greek,” died suddenly on Saturday night.
According to Entertainment Tonight, Karagiorgis passed away from a heart attack.
Karagiorgis and his wife, Penny Drossos-Karagiorgis, owned a hair salon in New Jersey.
It was featured quite often over the first few seasons of the Bravo reality hit, especially in 2013 because cast members Kim DePaola and Teresa Giudice would visit the establishment.
Most prominently, though, those who watch The Real Housewives of New Jersey online are aware that Karagiorgis was infamously involved in a bloody brawl with Joe Gorga.
It took place after the reality star approached Karagiorgis at Kim D’s Posche 2 store opening following remarks he had supposedly made about his wife, Melissa Gorga.
The violent confrontation never aired on Bravo. But it resulted in Karagiorgis filing a lawsuit against Joe, along with Chris and Jacqueline Laurita.
Gorga and the Lauritas eventually testified that the salon owner was “obsessed” with the stars of the reality smash hit.
Neither Johnny nor Penny appeared on The Real Housewives of New Jersey after this incident.
“Devastating!! Lost a good friend tonight! Johny The Greek @johnnythegrk rest well my firend #RIP #friend,” Tweeted Dave Palladino after learning the sad news over the weekend.
Jerseylicious star Anthony Lombardi also took to social media to mourn the Garden State native, writing:
“RIP to a good friend and a great man Johnny the Greek.”
Karagiorgis is survived by his wife and by his son.
We send our condolences to his friends, family members and loved ones.
