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Chef criticised by Gordon Ramsay commits suicide
New Jersey chef jumps off George Washington Bridge - second Ramsay contestant to kill themselves
An American restaurateur lambasted by Gordon Ramsay during the first US series of Kitchen Nightmares for his "boring, tasteless and bland" food and lack of business acumen has been found dead. It appears he committed suicide by leaping off the George Washington Bridge across the Hudson River.
Joseph Cerniglia was 39 and owned the Campania restaurant in Fair Lawn, New Jersey.
When he appeared on Kitchen Nightmares in 2007, Cerniglia admitted the restaurant was in trouble, owing $80,000 to its suppliers. His mother, Pat, said on the show: "I worry about Joe. I worry about his stress levels."
Nevertheless, Ramsay harangued him for serving unnecessarily large portions and for failing to instill a professional attitude in his staff.
"Your business is about to fucking swim down the Hudson," said Ramsay. "Why did you become a chef-owner if you haven't a clue how to run a business?"
Cerniglia is the second American chef to commit suicide following an appearance on a Gordon Ramsay TV programme. Rachel Brown, who competed in an earlier Hell's Kitchen show, shot herself at her parents' home in Dallas, Texas in 2007. She was 41.
Joseph Cerniglia told Ramsay in the course of the 2007 show that he couldn't see the Campania surviving another year. And yet it did and, despite the chef's death, the family say they intend to keep the restaurant open.
Fair Lawn neighbours say the dressing-down by Ramsay may have helped in the short term. "The parking lot is packed at weekends," one of them told the New York Post.
A statement issued on behalf of Gordon Ramsay yesterday 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." ·
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R.I.P.
Fuck off Ramsey,you make me fuckin' sick.etc.....
Ramsey helped save someone's business.
Three years later, that someone killed himself.
The business remained a going concern.
How on earth, or even in chef heaven - could Ramsey be remotely to blame?!
@bildervice: "And finally, why on earth does he think that pretentious cookery is important ... I suspect that, like the fashionistas, his ego cannot bear the thought that he might be ordinary"-----------------Good to see someone writing sense. However did we get to the state we regard fashion designers and cooks as special? Some of the biggest tosters around.
Turn off the telly--I'm off to McDonald's. At least they kill people more slowly.
The constant barrage of obscenities was amusing at first, but wore off pretty quickly. As a gimmick, it's well past it's sell by date. And if Mr Ramsay is such a talented businessman, why do his ventures keep failing? And finally, why on earth does he think that pretentious cookery is important ... I suspect that, like the fashionistas, his ego cannot bear the thought that he might be ordinary, just like most of the rest of us.
THIS MAN GORDON SHOULD LEARN NOT TO INSULT PEOPLE. HIS SHOWS MAKE ME SICK JUST LISTENING TO HIS SILLY STAGED TANTRUMS.
I SINCERELY HOPE HE HAS NIGHTMARES OF THESE SUICIDES BUT TO BE HONEST HE'S TOO THICK TO KNOW WHAT HE HAS DONE!
Let us all tell GR that he is a worthless 'ing 'er, of less use to the world than a piece of 'it. Do you think he'd get the message? .......
I'm sure the TV channels could think of something else to broadcast to amuse the numbheaded chavs if GR was no longer around.