
Olympia Grippa is popularly known as the wife of Vincent Gigante. Olympia Grippa’s husband Gigante also known as “The Chin”, was an American mobster who established himself as the leader of the Genovese crime family in New York City from 1981 to 2005.
Olympia Grippa: Bio Summary
Full Name | Olympia Grippa |
famous as | wife of Vincent Gigante. |
Place of Birth | United States of America |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | Caucasian |
Children | Yolanda Gigante, Salvatore Gigante, Andrew Gigante, Rita Gigante, Roseanne Gigante |
spouse | Vincent Gigante (m. 1950–2005) |
Olympia Grippa was born in the United States of America but her age and the date on which she was born have not been made public. Her husband Gigante on the other hand was born on March 29, 1928. He sadly passed away on December 19, 2005, leaving his wife and children behind.
Did Vincent Gigante and his wife have any children?
Though Vincent Gigante had 8 children, he and his wife Olympia had only 5 children of them. Their children are Yolanda Gigante, Salvatore Gigante, Andrew Gigante, Rita Gigante, and Roseanne Gigante. The family maintained a residence in Old Tappan, New Jersey. Olympia Grippa and her husband got married in 1950. They got married in a beautiful ceremony in the presence of their friends, family, and loved ones. The couple stayed married until the arrest and the death of Gigante in prison.
Gigante also had a lover who, showing his great sense for being practical, was called Olympia as well. Olympia Esposito. He had three more children with her. Both wife and lover would stay with him all his life.
Vincent Gigante Started out as Boxer before Joining the Mafia
According to reports, Olympia Grippa’s husband started out as a professional boxer who fought in 25 matches between 1944 and 1947. His last match was against Jimmy Slade, which he lost by technical knockout. He later started working as a Mafia enforcer for what was then the Luciano crime family, forerunner of the Genovese family. He was the shooter who attempted to assassinate longtime Luciano boss Frank Costello in 1957.
Gigante quickly rose to power during the 1960s and 1970s. He was also the one who ordered the failed murder attempt of Gambino crime family boss John Gotti in 1986. Gigante was recognized as the most powerful crime boss in the United States after the arrest of John Gotti. He was known as “The Oddfather” and “The Enigma in the Bathrobe” by the media, he often wandered the streets of Greenwich Village in his bathrobe and slippers, talking to himself.

Vincent Gigante made a deal to prevent his wife from being arrested
Gigante was formally accused of a crime on federal racketeering charges in 1990, but was determined to be mentally unfit to stand trial. For about 30 years, Gigante has been feigning insanity in an effort to throw law enforcement off his trail. In 1997, he was tried and convicted of racketeering and conspiracy, and sentenced to 12 years in prison. Facing obstruction of justice charges in 2003, he pleaded guilty and admitted that his supposed insanity was an elaborate effort to avoid prosecution, as he was sentenced to an additional three years in prison.
On July 25, 2003, Olympia Grippa’s son Andrew was sentenced to two years in prison and fined $2.5 million for racketeering and extortion. Gigante agreed to a deal to ease the burden on his relatives. His son Andrew faced up to 20 years in prison had his case gone to trial. Another provision of the plea agreement stipulated that any relatives who helped in his deception—including his wife, and mistress—would not be charged with obstruction of justice.
Since Gigante’s death, his family has continued to live well. According to a 2011 report by Jerry Capeci who is a journalist and author who specializes in coverage of the Five Mafia crime families of New York City. , Gigante’s relatives earn nearly $2 million a year as employees of companies on the New Jersey waterfront.
Vincent Gigante’s death in Prison
Olympia Grippa’s husband Gigante passed away on December 19, 2005, at the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri. His funeral and burial were held four days later, on December 23, at Saint Anthony of Padua Church in Greenwich Village, largely in anonymity.
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