Teresa Giudice Opens up About Her Father's Passing: "My Heart Has Broken into a Million Pieces"

Teresa Giudice shared a heartbreaking post on Instagram as she mourns the loss of her father, Giacinto Gorga, following his passing on Friday, April 3 at the age of 76.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey cast member opened up about her grief in a post on Instagram that was published the day she had to say goodbye to her dad. "This is the first night in my life I’ve gone to bed without knowing my papa would be there for me in the morning," Teresa wrote in the caption to a lovely photo of her father with a huge smile on his face, as he often appeared on RHONJ over the years. "My heart has broken into a million pieces, but I know you’re finding mommy right now....I love you both so much."

Teresa would go on to share some of her most treasured photos and memories of her father, who was lovingly known as Nonno (which means grandfather in Italian) to her four daughters, Gia, 19, Gabriella, 15, Milania, 14, and Audriana, 10, as well as RHONJ fans. 

In one post featuring a photo of Giacinto with his family from his 76th birthday in September 2019, Teresa remarked how the weather seemed to be a sign that her father had reunited with her mother, Antonia Gorga, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 66. "Yesterday with the rain the skies cried with me for you leaving...today you made the sun shine to let me know you arrived [and] found mommy," Teresa shared. "I know how you loved your Blue so today I raise a glass to you! Salute to you PaPa."

Teresa also shared one of her favorite memories of her dad when he and her mom gave her the ultimate surprise on her 17th birthday. "Always my rock. One of my favorite memories is my #17birthday. I was upset because I thought I wasn’t getting a car so I refused to get dressed that day and then my parents surprised me with a new car! They told me to go answer the door and there my new car was," Teresa recalled in the post, which featured photos of herself, her parents, and her little brother Joe Gorga on that unforgettable day. "Both my parents were so thoughtful and always wanted the best for Joey and I."

In some of her other recent posts, Teresa described her late father as "the life of the party," "a fighter," "legend," and "perfect."