Andy DehnartCampania owner Joseph Cerniglia, who appeared on an early episode of Fox’s Kitchen Nightmares, was found dead on Friday. His body “was found floating in the Hudson River, authorities said Sunday,” and “[t]he cause of death is under investigation, but ‘no criminality’ is suspected,” according to The Record.
Cerniglia appeared on the show in its first season, in an episode that featured lots of fake editing. But unlike some featured restaurants, his restaurant improved as a result of Ramsay’s attention and yelling.
In 2007, The Record profiled the restaurant as it awaited the episode’s broadcast, and Cerniglia said the show helped his business but “I think the show dumbed me down a little bit. It sort of gives me chills on my spine when I think about it, the way it was edited. That’s what I gave, to get the exposure.”