U.S. chef from Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares commits suicide

[FN-2199]

An American chef who was told by Gordon Ramsay on his Kitchen Nightmares television show that his restaurant would "swim down the ——- Hudson" has died after throwing himself into the river.

Joseph Cerniglia, a 39-year-old father of three, jumped from the George Washington Bridge into the Hudson which separates New York and New Jersey.

He appears to be the second chef to have committed suicide after appearing on one of Ramsay's programs, in which the British chef delivers robust and expletive-filled judgments on restaurants and cooks.

At the time the program was broadcast, Mr Cerniglia conceded that his Italian restaurant, Campania, in Fairlawn, New Jersey, had "big problems" and that he owed about $80,000 U.S. - a debt he described as "overwhelming". Throughout the program, Ramsay told him that Campania's food wasn't good enough, that the portions were too big and that its staff were immature.

Assessing Mr Cerniglia's cooking, Ramsay said: "You can't even grill a piece of ——- bruschetta." When the chef sighed, Ramsay said: "Are you getting upset now?" Mr Cerniglia said that he was "getting real upset", to which Ramsay replied: "Thank —- for that. Hopefully I'll get through to you now."

Later Mr Cerniglia told the program: "I'm financially in trouble. The debt of the restaurant alone is overwhelming. My personal debt - wife, kids, mortgage - that's a lot of debt."

Ramsay asked Mr Cerniglia: "Why did you become a chef-owner if you haven't a clue how to run a business? Your business is about to swim down the ——- Hudson."

Mr Cerniglia's mother, Pat, told the program: "I worry about Joe. I worry about his stress levels." His wife, Melissa, said the couple had "put everything on the line for a dream", adding: "If this business fails, we will lose everything."

The restaurant survived after Ramsay suggested changes to its menu and layout in the 2007 series. Customers said it had recently been doing well and was usually busy.

Ramsay said yesterday: "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."

He declined to comment on whether Mr Cerniglia's participation in his program may have in any way contributed to his death.

In 2007 Rachel Brown, 41, shot herself in Dallas, Texas, a year after appearing in Hell's Kitchen, another Ramsay program, in which aspiring chefs compete for a job. She had been eliminated after becoming a favourite among American fans of the program. Before her death she said she had no regrets about appearing on it.

Ramsay has suffered financial difficulties. He disclosed earlier this year that he had been forced to pour pounds 5?million into his business at the end of 2008 to keep it afloat. Amid a sharp decline in profits he sacked staff, sold his Ferrari and gave up some of his most prestigious restaurants in cities including London, Prague and Cape Town.

Last night Danielle Cernigilia Wynn, one of the chef's sisters, said: "There are no hard feelings from our family to Gordon Ramsay, who is a wonderful man. His behaviour on the show was played up for the cameras."

She added: "My beloved brother will be so missed. He was a beautiful, compassionate person whose smile lit up the room."


Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/che...#ixzz10tYUPc9i

I know Gordon Ramsay's pretty anal and tough about cooking, but holy hell...

RIP.

[Culture_Vulture]

Hopefully this one will be enough to take that dick off the air.
His programs provide zero entertainment value whatsoever.

[BlacknJean]

hes an asshole but most of the time he was right when the cooks in hells kitchen made mistakes.

[b0unce. [?]]

Have thicker skin? I mean it's just criticism, and it sounds like he committed suicide cause he'll never pay off those debts.

[asian_speedster]

His other (British based) shows are way better.

[Kaolinite]

hells kitchen is fun to watch =D

[Ax2-Y]

if those people didnt want to get yelled at, they didnt have to sign up for the show. end of story.

[raygunpk]

so does the debt get handed over to the wife?

[jeffh]

people get yelled at by dgood chefs
ever eat in a fine dining restaraunt? you can bet the staff is underpaid, stressed to fuck, and are held to almost impossibly high standards. thats the name of the game
for every plate to come out perfect, the chefs need to be hard
ive had whole plates of food just trashed because the seasoning wasnt quite right, loaves of half risen bread tossed around because they werent rolled uniform

its a tough environment, cant handle the heat? get out of the kithcen

i sure did

[vafanculo]

I doubt his appearance on the show lead to his suicide. Usually ramseys appearance would drive more traffic to the location.

Also after seeing Ramsey on the tonight show, you can tell his antics are all for show. He puts on entertaining shows IMO.
Posted via RS Mobile

[asahai69]

couldnt handle the heat

[b0unce. [?]]

hey look its chef-boy-are-gay

[MG1]

Swearing up and down, and going on a rampage gets old real quick.

The first time I watched his show I was like WTF? Then I watched a few more. Yawn...... same old shit episode after episode.

[Lomac]

Originally Posted by vafanculo

I doubt his appearance on the show lead to his suicide. Usually ramseys appearance would drive more traffic to the location.

Also after seeing Ramsey on the tonight show, you can tell his antics are all for show. He puts on entertaining shows IMO.
Posted via RS Mobile

Yup. His British shows are far less "Americanized" and tend to actually focus on food, not vulgarity.

[LUUUUUUUU]

lol and there were rumours a few months back that he would replace Simon Cowell as a judge on American Idol... imagine all the suicides after the auditions

[Euro7r]

It was about time someone couldn't take it anymore.

[PiuYi]

highly doubt he committed suicide cuz of ramsay... its just a show for the cameras (altho he might actually be like that in his own restaurants off-air)

Originally Posted by jeffh

people get yelled at by dgood chefs
ever eat in a fine dining restaraunt? you can bet the staff is underpaid, stressed to fuck, and are held to almost impossibly high standards. thats the name of the game
for every plate to come out perfect, the chefs need to be hard
ive had whole plates of food just trashed because the seasoning wasnt quite right, loaves of half risen bread tossed around because they werent rolled uniform

its a tough environment, cant handle the heat? get out of the kithcen

i sure did

+1 worked inside a high-end restaurant dt n the chefs r paid peanuts, they work there so they can learn from the best n say they worked for this famous chef

plus the stress lvls in the kitchen are mad high on fri sat nights...

[jeffh]

^ exactly, when your comming up, its all about who you worked for

you work for shit pay, shittier hours and the biggest assholes, because often they can teach you the most

at the French Laundry in Napa Valley, you should up, start working for free, and if the chef feels like it, he might start paying you

this is one "reality" show that isnt blown way out of proportions imo. some chefs really are cocksuckers

[Nightwalker]

He had nothing to do with the suicides, just tabloids trolling. Ramsey helped the dude and the family has no animosity towards him.

It even says in the article:
Last night Danielle Cernigilia Wynn, one of the chef's sisters, said: "There are no hard feelings from our family to Gordon Ramsay, who is a wonderful man. His behaviour on the show was played up for the cameras."

I love Kitchen Nightmares, and he does a brilliant job of getting through to retarded business owners and staff.

[iEatClams]

Originally Posted by Ax2-Y

if those people didnt want to get yelled at, they didnt have to sign up for the show. end of story.

some of us have asian parents. . . . . we get that shiet everyday growing up, and we have no choice as to sign up or not. . . .


however, it is a life lost, so RIP and condolences go out to his family.

[wstce92]

I had no idea Ramsay was in financial trouble considering Jalopnik just posted a pic of him in his new 458

[darkfroggy]

Mr Cerniglia's mother, Pat, told the program: "I worry about Joe. I worry about his stress levels." His wife, Melissa, said the couple had "put everything on the line for a dream", adding: "If this business fails, we will lose everything."

The restaurant survived after Ramsay suggested changes to its menu and layout in the 2007 series. Customers said it had recently been doing well and was usually busy.

Ramsay said yesterday: "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."

Please read carefully. I doubt chef Ramsay had anything to do with it.

Anyway, typical trash reporting from the Vancouver Sun. They'll put "man dies after days after seeing [insert famous politician, celebrity, businessman, etc.]", and then we find out said person had absolutely nothing to do with it."

[Wongtouski]

Originally Posted by darkfroggy

Please read carefully. I doubt chef Ramsay had anything to do with it.

Anyway, typical trash reporting from the Vancouver Sun. They'll put "man dies after days after seeing [insert famous politician, celebrity, businessman, etc.]", and then we find out said person had absolutely nothing to do with it."

QFT

If anyone here has watched the show, you would know that it's basically Kitchen Makeover. Ramsay comes in and develops a new menu, updates the decor, and uses the show to promote the restaurant and drive up business. Yeah he yells and cusses, but if you actually listens to what he says its mostly all constructive, and he's doing what he can to help. A lot of owners in the show are stubborn as hell and is so blinded they don't see why the restaurant is failing, Ramsay simply tries to wake em up and force em to be realistic. But yeah, don't read the Sun much but this is pretty crap reporting.

[StylinRed]

So it sounds like from the Article that Ramsay saved this guys business and it was successful for 3 years after the show before this guy committed "suicide" (more like this being Jersey, he being Italian, owing a shit tonne of cash that the mob got him)

[hotjoint]

I love watching kitchen nightmares