Nicole Napolitano

Nicole Napolitano
Born	Nicole Napolitano 1969
Birthplace	Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Entrepreneur, television personality
Spouse(s)	Matthew Mauriello (divorced)
Children	2

Nicole Napolitano Mauriello (born 1969), known professionally as Nicole Napolitano, is an American television personality and entrepreneur from Brooklyn, New York. She is best known for her appearance as a cast member on season six of Bravo's reality television series The Real Housewives of New Jersey, which aired in 2014. Napolitano joined the show alongside her twin sister, Teresa Aprea, and became a central figure in several of the season's most prominent storylines, including an ongoing conflict with fellow cast member Teresa Giudice. Her time on the series, though limited to a single season, generated significant attention due to both her personal relationships and the interpersonal drama that unfolded on camera. Outside of television, Napolitano has been involved in entrepreneurial ventures, including ties to the food industry. She has two children from her marriage to Matthew Mauriello, from whom she is divorced.

Early Life

Nicole Napolitano was born in 1969 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. She has a twin sister, Teresa Aprea, with whom she has maintained a close bond throughout her life. The sisters grew up in the New York metropolitan area and would later both relocate to New Jersey, where they became embedded in the social circles that would eventually lead to their casting on The Real Housewives of New Jersey.

Napolitano and Aprea were featured together in Millennium Magazine as "Twin Pretties," a profile that highlighted their close relationship and shared experiences growing up as identical twins. Their family background and upbringing in the Italian-American community of the New York–New Jersey area became a recurring theme during their time on reality television, with both sisters frequently referencing their family values and close-knit relationships.

The sisters' bond was a defining characteristic that attracted the attention of producers at Bravo. When the network was assembling the cast for the sixth season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Napolitano and Aprea were brought on together, in part because their dynamic as twins offered a distinctive element to the show's ensemble cast.

Career

The Real Housewives of New Jersey

Napolitano joined the cast of The Real Housewives of New Jersey for its sixth season, which premiered in 2014. She appeared alongside her twin sister Teresa Aprea, and the two were among several new additions to the cast that season. The season also featured the return of Dina Manzo and continued to follow Teresa Giudice, who was at the time dealing with significant legal issues. Napolitano and Aprea were introduced to the audience with references to their ties to the Dairy Queen franchise, connecting their entrepreneurial background to the food industry.

During the season, Napolitano's personal life became a significant storyline. Her relationship with Bobby Ciasulli, a New Jersey car dealer, was featured prominently on the show. Their relationship attracted both viewer interest and on-screen conflict, particularly as it intersected with the broader cast dynamics. Ciasulli became a subject of controversy during the season when allegations and rumors about his past were raised by other cast members, creating tension that became a central arc of the season's narrative.

One of the most notable conflicts during Napolitano's time on the show involved Teresa Giudice, who became embroiled in disputes with both Napolitano and Aprea. The conflict centered on rumors that Giudice had spread about the twins' family, and the fallout from these allegations created a significant rift among the cast members. In a 2016 interview with Bravo, Napolitano discussed the state of her relationship with Giudice following their contentious season together, indicating that the friction between them had been a defining element of their shared experience on the show.

Napolitano was an active participant in the show's online presence, writing blog posts on the Bravo website that provided her perspective on the events depicted in each episode. In one such blog post, dated August 13, 2014, she discussed a party scene and expressed pride in Bobby Ciasulli for supporting her during a confrontation, while also criticizing the behavior of fellow cast member Amber Marchese, whom she referred to by the nickname "Scamber." In another blog post from July 21, 2014, Napolitano dedicated her weekly column to a friend she referred to as "Mikey Flats" and discussed a Christmas present–related conflict that had played out on the show.

In a September 2014 blog post, Napolitano reflected on the power of words and discussed scenes in which her family was shown having dinner together, underscoring her emphasis on family as a core value in her life and on the show.

Departure from the Show

Napolitano and her twin sister Teresa Aprea did not return for the seventh season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Their departure was reported by multiple entertainment outlets. People magazine covered Napolitano's exit from the series. Bustle also addressed why the twins did not return, noting that their single-season appearance was part of a broader cast shakeup heading into the show's next chapter.

The decision not to bring back Napolitano and Aprea was consistent with the franchise's practice of periodically rotating cast members to refresh the show's dynamics. Despite their limited tenure, the twins left a mark on the series, with their season being remembered for the intensity of its interpersonal conflicts.

Post-Television Career

Following her departure from The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Napolitano continued to maintain a public profile. Screen Rant published an update on Napolitano in May 2024, exploring what she had been doing since her appearance on the show. The article noted that while Napolitano had moved away from regular television appearances, she remained active in her personal and professional life.

Napolitano has been described as an entrepreneur, and prior to her television career, she and her sister had connections to the food service industry, including ties to the Dairy Queen franchise. She was also featured in an interview with the South Florida Gay News, in which she discussed her experiences on the show and her life beyond reality television.

E! News included Napolitano in a retrospective "Where Are They Now?" feature on former cast members of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, indicating that her time on the show continued to generate interest among fans of the franchise years after her departure.

Personal Life

Nicole Napolitano was married to Matthew Mauriello, with whom she has two children. The couple later divorced. Her relationship with Bobby Ciasulli, a car dealer from New Jersey, was a significant element of her storyline on The Real Housewives of New Jersey season six. The relationship played out on camera and attracted attention both during and after the season's airing. The couple's relationship became a source of on-screen conflict, particularly when other cast members raised questions and rumors about Ciasulli's background. Ciasulli responded publicly to some of the allegations made about him during the show, posting a "truth video" that was covered by NJ.com. As of 2023, Nicki Swift reported on what had become of Ciasulli following his time on the show, noting that he and Napolitano were no longer together.

Napolitano's relationship with her twin sister Teresa Aprea has been one of the most consistent aspects of her public life. The two appeared together on the show, were featured together in magazine profiles, and have continued to be referenced together in media coverage about the Real Housewives franchise. Napolitano has spoken about the importance of family in multiple interviews and blog posts, frequently referencing her children, her sister, and their shared Italian-American heritage as central to her identity.

Recognition

Napolitano's appearance on The Real Housewives of New Jersey generated coverage in numerous entertainment publications, including People, E! News, Bustle, Screen Rant, and Nicki Swift. She was profiled alongside her twin sister in Millennium Magazine as one of the publication's cover stories.

Her profile on Bravo's official website documents her participation in the series and provides background information about her role on the show. She is also listed on IMDb for her television work. Rotten Tomatoes maintains a page of images from her appearances on The Real Housewives of New Jersey, including photos from the episode "Roses Are Red, Dinah Is Blue," which aired on August 24, 2014, as part of season six.

The financial aspects of the cast's involvement in the franchise were covered by Fame10, which included Napolitano in an assessment of the net worth of various Real Housewives of New Jersey cast members.

Legacy

While Nicole Napolitano appeared on The Real Housewives of New Jersey for only one season, her time on the show contributed to one of the franchise's more contentious periods. Season six is remembered by fans and commentators for its intense interpersonal conflicts, many of which revolved around Napolitano, her sister Teresa Aprea, and their disputes with Teresa Giudice and Amber Marchese.

The decision to cast twin sisters was a notable creative choice for the franchise, and Napolitano and Aprea's dynamic as siblings navigating the social pressures of reality television provided a distinct element to the season. Their shared experiences — from their upbringing in Brooklyn to their business ventures and their joint casting on the show — offered viewers a perspective on family loyalty that resonated with the broader themes of the Real Housewives franchise.

Media outlets have continued to revisit Napolitano's time on the show years after her departure. The fact that publications such as Screen Rant and E! News have produced "where are they now" features that include Napolitano suggests that her single season on the show made a lasting impression on the franchise's audience. Her post-show interviews, including her 2016 discussion with Bravo about her relationship with Teresa Giudice, indicate that the events of season six continued to generate interest well beyond the season's original airdate.

Napolitano's experience on The Real Housewives of New Jersey also illustrates the broader phenomenon of reality television's impact on the personal lives of its participants. Her relationship with Bobby Ciasulli, her family dynamics, and her conflicts with other cast members all became subjects of public discussion, demonstrating the extent to which reality television blurs the boundaries between private life and public entertainment.