The Giudice family will once again be separated as Joe prepares to start his 41 month prison sentence.

It’s been 3 months since Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice was released from the Danbury Correctional Facility in Connecticut, after serving nearly a year behind bars for four counts of fraud.

Now it’s her husband Joe Giudice’s turn as he checked himself into the Federal Correctional Institution in New Jersey on Wednesday morning to begin his 41-month prison sentence for the same crime.

“Today was a sad day,” a source close to the family said. “The couple’s attorney, James Leonard, drove Joe, Teresa, his brother and sister and an assortment of family members to the prison.”

Sources say 10 people in two separate cars made their way to the prison stopping at a Starbucks en route where Joe ordered a bottle of water.

The source goes on to say that Teresa was very emotional during the farewell. The couple managed to have a relatively private goodbye on Wednesday morning before family and friends came over to farewell Joe.

The couple’s 4 daughters Gia, Gabriella, Milania and Audriana — did not travel with them to the prison. They said goodbye to their father earlier in the morning before heading to school.

Joe and Teresa were allowed to serve time separately so that one of them could be home to take care of their children. They recently spoke about the difficulty they’ve had to face in the time leading up to prison. The court cases, the media reports and the constant harassment.

“I think it’s what they put you through before you go,” Joe explained. “They try to mentally and physically break you down, you know what I mean? So that’s, I think, the hardest part of everything. I think going to jail is the easy part.”

Photos courtesy of Instagram