Teresa Giudice Draws Throng in Deptford

Karen Chambers missed her shot at seeing Teresa Giudice, of Real Housewives of New Jersey fame, at Giudice’s book-signing at the Barnes & Noble in Deptford last year.

She wasn’t going to miss it this year.

The Runnemede resident was up with the dawn Monday, and had scoped out the store by 6 a.m., before returning at 7 to be the first person in line to score a wristband for her and her daughters for the evening’s signing.

Never mind that they wouldn’t even start handing out the wristbands until 9 a.m.–Chambers was determined.

And with her copy of Giudice’s new cookbook, Fabulicious, clutched in her arms, Chambers was right there at the head of the line as Giudice entered Barnes & Noble to a lightning storm of camera flashes and the rolling thunder of claps and cheers from enthusiastic fans.

“It’s exciting,” Chambers said. “And I love Italian cooking, so it’s perfect.”

Behind her, the line of hundreds of people waiting to see Giudice snaked through the store, beside shelves full of graphic novels, around bookcases loaded with books on Eastern religion and past mysteries and fiction.

It kept right on snaking to the front of the store and out on to the sidewalk outside, where something between a drizzle and a light rain had begun falling on those not lucky enough–or not willing to wait all morning–to get one of the first few groups’ worth of wristbands.

Liz Hinton, like Giudice, a North Jersey native–Hinton is originally from Irvington, just down the Parkway from Giudice’s hometown of Paterson–huddled under an umbrella as she waited for her chance to meet Giudice in person.

“She’s my favorite housewife; she’s just like me,” Hinton said, as rain spattered the sidewalk around her. “I wouldn’t do it for any other housewife.”

Back inside the bookstore, Giudice was in the eye of the hurricane, as fans swirled around her, getting books signed, posing for photos or just trying to get a glance of their favorite reality television star.

Others, the ones without wristbands or ones in later groups, tried to sneak a picture from a spot a few shelves away to one side, or perched on chairs and benches in the magazine section to get that Hail Mary photo.

And while plenty of fans came in their Real Housewife best, sporting oversized rings or spangled iPhone cases, one group came in homemade “Team Teresa” T-shirts, their pink-on-black lettering impossible to miss.

Lisa Benton, who runs the Fashion Rocks Boutique in Cherry Hill, said her daughter came up with the idea for the shirts as a tribute to their favorite housewife.

“Everyone can relate to her,” Benton said. “I guess it’s a New Jersey thing.”