Monday night’s Season 3 premiere of BRAVO’s Real Housewives of New Jersey, attracted 2.87 million viewers – the most ever for the Housewives franchise.  A surprise considering many speculated that RHONJ wouldn’t have a dramatic leg to stand on after the departure of The Demon of Franklin Lakes, Danielle Staub.

In a recent interview with E! Online, Staub spoke out on why she believed RHONJ wouldn’t be the same without her.

It’s not going to have the ratings… I brought the [drama]. People either loved me or hated me, but they were paying attention. This [season] is just full out nasty family fighting. Everyone’s got that. Where’s the element of surprise there?

However, season 3′s first episode certainly proved the SCORES dancer wrong.

Monday night’s viewers were privy to an all-out brawl between sisters-in-law Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga at, wait for it… a christening for Gorga’s son.

Nothing like classin’ it up with a b*tch fight after Mass, eh ladies?

[Image: Joseph Marzullo/WENN]