MTV did a pretty great job at making it seem like the cast of the Jersey Shore led a normal life in Seaside Heights. It was so convincing that many of us questioned how the heck the biggest reality stars on the planet — and the probably biggest scene-causers in the world — could slide along the boardwalk unnoticed. The truth is that they couldn't.
Sure, the cast managed to fly under-the-radar during the first season, but, by the time the series ended, MTV was struggling to keep up the front.
According to producer SallyAnn Salsano, there was between 1,000 and 3,000 people following the cast around every time they left the house. A security tent was erected next the home and police monitored the property at all times. Barricades were set up to keep fans away, but they only served as a resting place for paparazzi hoping to catch a glimpse. Eventually, producers stopped allowing the cast to go out on the balcony altogether.
"Every time we went outside, the whole block would scream," Ortiz-Magro admitted in a Vulture interview. "It was like being at a Yankee game when they chant everybody's name."
Things weren't much better at the Shore Store, where thousands of people lined up hoping to get inside and meet the cast. Salsano only let them in if they pretended to be real customers and didn't talk about the show.
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