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Chef Gordon Ramsay with Joseph Cerniglia. Photo: Eric Liebowitz / FOX
The body of a man found floating in the Hudson River last Friday afternoon was identified as 39-year-old New Jersey chef Joseph Cerniglia, a 2007 participant in Gordon Ramsay's reality TV show "Kitchen Nightmares."
Cerniglia, owner of Campania, an Italian restaurant in Fair Lawn, N.J., was pulled from the river around 3 p.m. on Friday when police responded to a 911 call that a body was floating in the river, the New York Daily News reported.
Police still don't know how Cerniglia wound up in the river, but the department is conducting an open investigation, a New York City Police Department spokesman told Slashfood on Monday.
Cerniglia appeared on "Kitchen Nightmares" in 2007 to help revive Campania, which he told the Bergen County Record was deep in debt.
"We were very busy, but I couldn't seem to make a profit," Cerniglia said. "We kept getting deeper and deeper into debt. Our food costs were high, and we couldn't get our labor costs under control."
The show's web site reveals that "Joe confides to Gordon that he has lost $120,000 in eighteen months and owes his purveyors another $80,000... Gordon meets Joe's wife and sons. She confides to Gordon that if the restaurant folds, they will lose everything -- including their house."
After Ramsay helps get Campania back on its feet, "in the weeks following Gordon's visit, Campania's customers are happy, profits are up and Joe has regained control of the front and of the kitchen," the site says.
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9-27-2010 @5:57PM Carin said... If my restaurant were in trouble, I would NEVER let Mr. (note I do not use the term "Chef") Ramsay near anything...as evidenced on all of his shows, he has no imagination whatsoever when it comes to creating menus...his dishes are old, tired reruns of 30 years ago. Can understand why is in such financial ruin...his "schtick" just doesn't work anymore
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9-27-2010 @5:58PM skey said... Ashleigh, do some more research.....he never filed bankruptcy - almost - but didn't. http://blogs.wsj.com/bankruptcy/2009/12/14/chef-sees-busy-2010-after-close-call-with-bankruptcy/
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9-29-2010 @4:34PM SouthernbornYankeeAtHeart said... It really breaks my heart to read some of these vicious comments. Regardless of the debts the man owed, he's still someone's son, father, husband, friend and loved one. He obviously made some deleterious mistakes. Grinding axes at the dead and living is pointless let alone immature. All of you who point fingers at Ramsey or Joseph Cerniglia should step back and look in the mirror. Any one of us could be financial insolvent at any given point in time, especially in today's horrible economy. I implore you not to judge until you've walked a yard in their shoes, especially when we do not know all of the facts.
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9-27-2010 @6:21PM Beth said... The reason I don't like Chef Ramsay because he is such a BULLY. I wish someone would kick his butt. It's nice to be important but it's more important to be nice. He has obviously forgotten that. Bullies get NO sympathy from me. Sorry about the other chef dying, I'd never heard of him before today.
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9-29-2010 @11:26PM reid said... beth, if you have or ever had kids i hope the karma you expel doesn't come back ta get ya.{ You are sic}
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9-27-2010 @7:37PM georgiegirl said... If Joe did commit suicide it had nothing to do with Gordon Ramsey. I just watched the 2007 show about the restaurant, and the revisit a year later. Gordon only helped the restaurant become a success and nothing else.
None of know what causes someone to kill themselves, but I truly believe that at that moment they believe it is their only option. My thoughts are with Joe's family....and may he be at peace now.
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9-27-2010 @8:09PM Lorraine said... RIP, This is very sad, May God comfort the widow & his children. Regardless, no matter how much money one owes there is nothing like LIFE! Specially a Father for his Chidren, This is very sad!
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9-27-2010 @8:15PM dickn2000b said... I guess he couldn't stand the heat!
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9-27-2010 @10:43PM josh said... patty, you're an idiot
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9-27-2010 @8:47PM One Who Knows said... The Mob runs the restaurant food delivery business in NY and NJ... You no pay, you end up in da Hudson... It's a well known fact...
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9-27-2010 @8:52PM GINGER10487 said... MAFIA????? NEW JERSEY ,TONY SAPPRANO?
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9-27-2010 @9:12PM SEAN said... APPEARENTLY THE "HUDSON RIVER"....SOUNDS LIKE HE WAS IN-DEBT TO THE WRONG PEOPLE.......LOAN SHARKS, THAT'S WHY THEY CALL 'EM """"SHARKS""""""
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9-27-2010 @9:23PM SEAN said... COME ON......DEFINATELY A HIT.......ALL MAFIA DUDE
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9-27-2010 @9:29PM Lee said... It had to be the Mafia. NY, NJ, and owed money.
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9-27-2010 @9:40PM chuck said... Why would someone kill somebody that owes them money? Seems backwards to me.
9-27-2010 @9:57PM Jim said... it must be an awful feeling to feel there is no way out of a failing business.......no matter what you try............
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9-27-2010 @9:49PM Craig said... Slashfood reporting a dead chef...apparently he didn't pack his knives.
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9-27-2010 @10:01PM theresa said... Its funny how every day people can turn someone else's tragic into a free for all hurtful conversations.
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9-27-2010 @10:15PM Fred said... Labor will screw you coming and going. It is the American way.
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9-27-2010 @10:22PM Emmarr said... My family and I returned to our home state of NJ after being gone for ten years and we tried to go to one of or old favorite restaurants for a nice dinner. That restaurant had gone way downhill and was so bad in the first five minutes we got up and left sorely disappointed. We wound up at Campania shortly after this Kitchen Nightmares episode had aired. Chef Cerniglia was able to turn our horrible night into a very memorable one. The food was wonderful and he came out to greet each of his guests. We chatted with him for about 5 minutes and left extremely happy. He was a real class act.
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