Jersey Shore

The Manager's Co., Gotham NYC Entertainment, filed the suit today ... claiming the Situation dumped Gotham back in May for what he deemed a "lack of performance."

Gotham denies any poor performance -- but even if there was ... the lawsuit claims Sitch was contractually required to give Gotham 30 days notice ... and a chance to correct any issues.

Gotham claims it never got that opportunity -- and therefore Sorrentino is in breach of his contract.

In the suit, Gotham says it's managed Situation since the 2009 premiere of "Jersey Shore" -- and it not only discovered Sitch, but transformed "his career from relative obscurity to become an international celebrity."

Gotham is suing for damages in excess of $1 million.

• The Situation: I MIGHT Be Ditching 'Jersey Shore'
• Vinny -- Goodbye 'Jersey Shore,' Goodbye Career!
• 'Jersey Shore' Guys -- Man Down

Emilio Masella -- who dated Snooki for two short months last year -- just blasted the network over Snooki's plant-dance video, writing on his Twitter, "This is Disgusting. MTV's Jersey Shore is turning Nicole into an Alcoholic. They are killin her liver. That's not the nicole I knew! Poor girl."

Emilio doesn't fault the guidette for her behavior -- claiming, "The Vid on TMZ with Nicole Dancing with the plant, is a total embarrassment. I blame Production."

Mr. Sitch was strolling through Jersey yesterday, with a gaggle of chicks following behind him, when a photog asked, "Mike, are you splitting from the show or what bro?"

He didn't exactly deny it ... and when the photog wished him "luck" -- Mike replied, "I don't need luck ... I don't need it."

Sources tell TMZ ... The Situation has been antsy lately ... telling producers he doesn't need the show.

We're told he actually WALKED OUT of the house alone yesterday after expressing his frustration with the show ... but he's back in the house.

The reigning queen of drunken "Jersey Shore" antics seriously upped her game at a bar in Seaside Heights on Saturday -- by sloppily dancing with a decorative plant like it was a juiced-up gorilla version of Mark Ballas.

As TMZ first reported, Vinny bolted from the house after fighting with another cast member ... and made a beeline for home in Staten Island.

In the video, you see Vinny hop in a cab and drive away ... all while an MTV cameraman films from just a few feet away. As you can see below, Pauly D was with Vinny at one point as he loaded up the cab to leave.

Sources directly connected to the cast tell TMZ ... Vinny bolted from the house late last night after getting into an argument with another cast member. We're told Vinny was feeling "burned out" and went back home to Staten Island. We have confirmed that he is at his house in Staten Island right now.

Vinny threatened to leave a few days ago, after he complained of "being homesick." We're told the cast was able to talk him into coming back, but that didn't last long.

Sources connected with the show say Vinny has been a pain in the ass and no one will be getting on their knees, begging him to come back.

Pauly's "Dirty Couture Shore Store" opened for business yesterday on the boardwalk in Seaside Heights -- but the "Jersey" star couldn't help promote the big day ... because according to his contract with MTV, he's locked in to work exclusively at the infamous "Shore Store" t-shirt shop nearby.

Sources close to production tell us, MTV controls EVERYTHING while the cast is filming -- and Pauly has no choice but to work with his roommates while they shoot the rest of Season 5 ... in enemy territory.

As TMZ first reported, Pauly was one of only three cast members not sequestered at the "Jersey Shore" house in Seaside Heights, NJ -- he was allowed to skip out so he could work this gig.

Winner.

Although some big wigs on the show denied it last week, we're told MTV wants a fresh cast of characters after they wrap Season 5 -- which begins shooting in New Jersey Monday.

Sources connected with the show tell TMZ ... producers want to keep the cast "in the zone" after coming back from Italy. Translation: If they started circulating again in New Jersey with friends, family, and the media, they'd lose the chemistry that makes the show work, and it takes time to get it back.

So given that Season 5 starts shooting on Monday, we're told producers felt it was better to just keep them away from everyone.

But there are always exceptions to the rule. Sammi, Deena, and Pauly D had prior engagements they had booked that could not be canceled -- the girls had commercial shoots and Pauly had a DJ gig in Vegas.

Plans are already in motion for a fifth season back in Seaside Heights -- but sources connected with the "Jersey" cast tell TMZ ... Pauly D, Snooki, The Situation and the rest of the gang refused to take part without signing new contracts first.

We're told MTV originally planned to shoot the new season under the terms of the Season 4 contracts -- but lawyers for the cast refused ... so MTV drew up new papers.

We're told the majority of the cast has already re-signed for a bump in salary -- not a HUGE raise, but still significant -- and the rest will sign this week.

Sources close to Frank Sorrentino tell TMZ, he recently switched to a new brand of meds because he couldn't afford the old one -- and began to experience side effects ... like extremely high blood pressure.

Frank ended up in the emergency room at Boca Raton hospital Tuesday morning -- and was in and out of the hospital for the next few days.