Dolores Catania has been a fixture of The Real Housewives of New Jersey since its earliest seasons, and Season 3 of The Traitors made her something no other Real Housewife had managed before: an actual winner of the show. In November 2025, she added another first-of-its-kind headline to her year, a surprise engagement that sent her own castmates into a frenzy.
Catania (nee Spagnola) was born December 28, 1970, in Paterson, New Jersey, to Lawrence and Valerie Spagnola. Her law-enforcement-adjacent public persona, her father was a Paterson police officer who rose to Chief, turned out to be exactly the right instinct for a game built entirely around detecting deception.
From Paterson to Reality TV
Catania grew up the daughter of a police chief in Paterson, a background NBC’s own promotional coverage of her Traitors casting leaned into directly, quoting her self-description as being “at heart, a cop.” That persona framed her as a natural fit for the new game before she ever set foot in the castle.
Marriage to Frank Catania and Family
Dolores married Frank Catania in 1994, and the two had two children, Gabrielle, born 1995, and Frank “Frankie” III, born 1998. The marriage ended in divorce after Frank’s infidelity while Dolores was nine months pregnant with Frankie, a story she’s discussed openly on RHONJ. Despite the split, Dolores and Frank have remained close and co-parented their children together for decades. In March 2026, Gabrielle became engaged to boyfriend Mike Tallia, and Frankie is planning his own wedding to fiancee Nicole Perricho in Portugal later in 2026.
An Original Real Housewife Still Going
Catania has built more than a decade on The Real Housewives of New Jersey, and in March 2026, Bravo confirmed she’d return for an eighth season alongside Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga. She’s also appeared on The Real Housewives of Rhode Island, though she’s said she won’t return for that show’s second season and skipped its first reunion.
Playing a Trusted Faithful Game
Catania played the entire season as a Faithful, building a core group of allies and steadily positioning herself among the more trusted, clear-eyed voices in the group as the Traitors were picked off one by one. She reached the finale as part of the surviving Faithful bloc and was part of the group that correctly banished the last Traitor, Britney Haynes, to end the game. That finish made her, alongside Dylan Efron, Gabby Windey, and Lord Ivar Mountbatten, part of the first four-Faithful win in the American series’ history, and multiple outlets specifically noted it made Catania the first Real Housewives personality, and more broadly the first Bravo star, to win The Traitors.
Paulie Connell and a Portugal Wedding
Catania’s longtime partner, Paul “Paulie” Connell, proposed in November 2025 at the Apple Store in New Jersey where the two first met, after nearly five years together. She told People the wedding is planned for August 1 in Portugal, with a vow renewal set for October 30 and a party to follow. Bravo’s own coverage has since documented the couple working through a rocky patch earlier in 2026 before moving forward with the wedding plans.
Life Now
Off the game, Catania has continued to be an outspoken commentator on both her own franchise and her Traitors experience, publicly defending castmate Dorinda Medley’s emotional reactions during the season by pointing out that emotions aren’t rational in the Housewife world. She’s since criticized Season 4 player Rob Rausch for targeting Housewives cast members in that season’s game, telling Page Six, “I wish he would’ve left the Housewives alone.” Between an eighth RHONJ season, a wedding in Portugal, and a standing as the only Housewife to ever win The Traitors, Catania’s 2026 has stayed busy on every front. More on how the rest of Season 3 played out is covered in OpenThreadNews’ Traitors Season 3 cast guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Dolores Catania win The Traitors?
Yes. She was one of four co-winners in Season 3, alongside Dylan Efron, Gabby Windey, and Lord Ivar Mountbatten, making her the first Real Housewives personality and the first Bravo star to win the show.
Is Dolores Catania engaged?
Yes. Paul “Paulie” Connell proposed in November 2025 after nearly five years together. The couple’s wedding is planned for August 1, 2026, in Portugal.
Was Dolores Catania married before?
Yes. She was married to Frank Catania from 1994 until their divorce, and the two share two children, Gabrielle and Frankie III.
