'Kitchen Nightmares' Restauranteur Commits Suicide

The troubled reality-show restaurateur who leaped to his death from the George Washington Bridge last week nearly killed himself this summer by overdosing on cocaine, according to sources and police.

Emergency crews raced to Joseph Cerniglia's Fair Lawn, NJ, eatery, Campania, on July 15, after someone called 911 and said he had snorted coke, police said.

Rescuers found Cerniglia, who had appeared on Gordon Ramsay's "Kitchen Nightmares" in 2007, "sweating profusely, shaking and in need of medical assistance," the Record of Hackensack is reporting.


Cerniglia was rushed to Hackensack University Medical Center and later arrested for being under the influence of narcotics.
The disposition of that case isn't clear, and the Bergen County prosecutors were not able to provide details.

Yesterday, hundreds of friends and family gathered in Wayne, NJ, near Cerniglia's Pompton Lakes home for a memorial.
A steady stream of mourners began arriving a half-hour before the 4 p.m. service, while family members kept watch at the front door to make sure only his nearest and dearest entered the funeral home.

Cerniglia, 39, had been romancing his pastry chef, Jessica Marotta, 27, before his death leap on Friday, according to sources.
"My daughter is devastated," Marotta's mom, Ana told The Post. "They loved each other very much."

Marotta was among staffers who appeared on the "Kitchen Nightmares" episode with Cerniglia where the tart-tongued Ramsay slammed the chef, eerily saying that his sloppily run Italian eatery "was about to f - - king swim down the Hudson."

At the time, Cerniglia was swimming in debt and claimed he owed vendors at least $80,000. After Ramsay's suggestions, Campania appeared to be thriving recently, friends said.

But Cerniglia's home life appears to have been deeply troubled.
Associates of Cerniglia said he and Melissa had "been separated for some time," although there is no court record of the split.

Last December, Melissa settled a lawsuit against Cerniglia's dad, Joseph Sr., and stepmom, Susan, for $12,500 after claiming in court documents that their dog Minx attacked her son Michael, now age 11, in January 2007.

Melissa claimed that while Michael was in the couple's care, Minx had bitten him, leaving him with "severe and painful bodily injuries," that required "ongoing medical treatment" and left him with permanent disabilities and scars.

Cerniglia's death moved Eric Ripert, the executive chef behind Le Bernadin and a judge on "Top Chef" to blast Ramsay for his on-air antics.

"Nothing personal against Gordon Ramsay, but he is a poor inspiration for professional chefs in his shows," Ripert wrote on his Twitter account. "I have my bad days too but always try to improve. TV or not -- it's no excuse! Ultimately I believe in the goodness of Gordon but he is very wrong."
In a later tweet, Ripert denied he was blaming Ramsay for the apparent suicide of Cerniglia.


Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/chef_nd_helping_of_death_ge0uq8Lukr0Pfr7A08tyvO#ixzz111FPJGe7



http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/chef_nd_helping_of_death_ge0uq8Lukr0Pfr7A08tyvO

Wow, this is too bad. I feel for his family.

He ordered the coke? Should have gone with Pepsi, less syrup aftertaste.

But seriously, I get depressed a lot too. I just thankfully haven't gotten to this point yet. My condolences to the loved ones and RIP.

Its really unfortunate b/c in 2007 when he appeared on the show his restaurant was tanking and Ramsey came in and helped him shape it up. From what I read his restaurant had been thriving in the last 3 years.. its really sad that even getting back on track was not enough to get him back to a better place mentally.

This is rough. I guess that's why you shouldn't snort cocaine though.

from what i heard,this isn't the first person who commiteed suicide after being on a ramsey show.i heard that there was this one lady who was on hell's kitchen who killed herself shortly after she was on the show.

delta1025 wrote:

from what i heard,this isn't the first person who commiteed suicide after being on a ramsey show.i heard that there was this one lady who was on hell's kitchen who killed herself shortly after she was on the show.

true.

Rachel Brown commuted suicide in 2007 by a self inflicted gun shot wound.
I would say its a coincidence. If Ramsey were really the catalyst then I think a lot more people would have taken the same road
but since thats not the case I would surmise its just a coincidence

thatjimboguy wrote:

This is rough. I guess that's why you shouldn't snort cocaine though.

scribbles note on paper--"no cocaine"

LOL BLue

bigdaddyblue73 wrote:

thatjimboguy wrote:

This is rough. I guess that's why you shouldn't snort cocaine though.

scribbles note on paper--"no cocaine"

and noted! lol

It sounds like he is blaming Gordon for the suicide to me. What people need to understand is he is a professional and a perfectionist so he demands a lot off people who work for him because if he flops it's his name and rep that suffers.

I've watched kitchen nightmares and I don't care how good a chef Gordon Ramsey is, if he swore at me the way we swears at some of those people, i'd kick his bloody ass.