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The Unknown Teutuls, Part IV: Paula Thursday, July 03 2008

After Paul Teutul, Sr returned from his tour of duty in the merchant marines, he began to think seriously of settling down and raising a family. He realized though, that his wild drinking and carousing wasn't the best behavior for a stable home, "I needed a wife who was the opposite of my wild irresponsible self." He found that in a girl he'd known since high school, Paula Leonardo.

Paula recalls, "We were friends throughout high school, though [Paul] would have liked it to be more." Paula was fairly conservative compared to Paul Senior, "He was a character, always getting into some kind of trouble. He was a cross between a lost puppy and the kind of guy you wouldn't want your daughter to date."

Even their kids wonder how they got together. Cristin says, "Sometimes I wonder how my mother and father were married in the first place. I think it's true that opposites attract. My mom has a great sense of humor. My dad has an off-the-wall sense of humor. She liked that about him, that he was a little bit crazy and funny. I could see the attraction. But they were such very different people as far as their personal values and how they handled relationships. My dad has a very difficult time communicating, as you can see on television."

Early in the marriage, it became apparent to Paula that there were problems between her and Paul, though it was years before it was really clear that the main problem was Paul's drinking. She's proud of the fact that he always provided for his family, but often wonders just how he managed to function at all with the daily alcohol and drug abuse.

The alcoholism made life hard for Paula. While Paul was out drinking and carousing, Paula raised the boys by herself. She nearly gave up but the need to be there for her sons gave her the motivation, and her faith gave her the will, to survive.

The focus of Paula's life is still her kids. Even in the chapter, "Paula's Story", in Orange County Choppers: The Tale of the Teutuls, she spends more time discussing her kids than herself.

Paul Senior suggests that Paula's relationship with Cristin is similar to his relationship with Paul Junior. Fortunately, says Cristin, there are differences as well. "We have the same intensity in that we love each other very much. What's different is, unlike working together like Paulie and my dad, I chose College and independence, and that's been healthy for our relationship. That's the difference. My dad and Paulie have stayed on top of each other."

If Paula and Cristin worked together would the camera crew find their relationship much different than Junior and Senior? Cristin thinks it would be: "lf my mother and I were on television like my father and brothers are, it would be different. Women think too much, while men don't think enough. I don't think my father and brother yell about the real issues. They just yell about what's going on at the time. My mother and I would be talking about the real issues. There would definitely be fighting and some intensity. There might be as much yelling, because that's my family. We yell about almost everything ... but our battles would be more about counseling, therapy, and talking through it."

The yelling on the show bothers Paula some. "There are many aspects of the show that I enjoy, but what bothers me most is that American Chopper seems to exploit the fact that Paul loses his temper." It concerns her that the very behavior that caused so much damage in her family drives the show's ratings, and therefore her family's success.