The owner of Campania, Joseph Cernigliaa. was a restaurant featured in the first season of Gordon Ramsay’s ‘Kitchen Nightmares‘ – jumped to his death off of the George Washington Bridge in New Jersey on Friday.
Joseph Cerniglia, the 39-year-old owner, is the second chef to commit suicide that appeared on Ramsay’s show. In a strange coincidence Cerniglia died the way Ramsay’s predicted his restaurant would die: by swimming ‘down the Hudson.’
When the show originally aired, Cerniglia was deeply in debt because of his failing italian restaurant which Ramsay blamed on huge portions, lousy food quality, poor service, and childish attitudes in the staff.
‘I’m financially in trouble – the debt of the restaurant alone is overwhelming,’ Cerniglia said on the show.’
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His business managed to survive after Ramsay’s grand re-opening and local workers said the business was thriving.
But it wasn’t enough and motorists reported seeing Cerniglia standing along the edge of the bridge on Friday afternoon. Authorities arrived too late to stop him.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Ramsay said, “I was fortunate to spend time with Joe during the first season of ‘Kitchen Nightmares.’ Joe was a brilliant chef, and our thoughts go out to his family, friends and staff.”
The first person on a Ramsay show to kill themselves was Rachel Brown, who appeared on ‘Hell’s Kitchen.’
