Joe Giudice Is All Smiles as He Reunites With His Brother in Italy

There’s nothing quite like a strong family bond!

It’s a new chapter for Joe Giudice, who landed in his home country of Italy on Friday, after a court recently granted him his request to leave an ICE detention center and the U.S. to await the result of his deportation case appeal.

Since touching down in Italy, the 47-year-old reality TV personality has reunited with his brother, Pete Giudice. “A day we’ve all been patiently waiting for,” Pete’s wife, Sheila Giudice, shared on Instagram, alongside a photo of the two siblings. “Pete and Joe reunited at last. Smiles bigger and brighter than the sky. Our hearts are so full.”

In the image, Joe was all smiles as he and his brother posed for the camera. The two appeared to be enjoying a home-cooked meal, too.

Additionally, his sister-in-law, Melissa Gorga, liked the photo, and former Real Housewives of New Jersey star Kathy Wakile commented. “God Bless them! So happy to see their smiles,” she wrote. “Happy & Healthy.”

Moreover, Joe celebrated his first few hours of freedom by FaceTiming his and Teresa Giudice‘s eldest daughter, Gia Giudice. On Saturday morning, the 18-year-old star shared a screenshot of her dad on social media. It marked the first photo of him since he entered prison in March 2016.

“One of the happiest moments of my life!” Gia wrote on her Instagram Story. “Love you so much daddy, so happy your free! See you so soon.”

She added, “I still can’t get over this. I love you more than words can describe.”

It’s certainly been a year for the 47-year-old reality TV star, who was released from prison in March after serving 41 months for fraud. He was placed in ICE custody after serving his sentence and had been awaiting his deportation status since.

He has been trying to appeal the deportation case, and recently was granted to leave to Italy. “We are very happy that Joe is free, but very sad that he is still not home where he belongs,” the Giudice family attorney, James Leonard, said in a statement on Friday. “On Oct 12, he was successfully removed from the United States to Italy, as ordered by the court.”