Olympia Grippa: Vincent Gigante’s Wife

Olympia Grippa is best known as the wife of Vincent “The Chin” Gigante, the longtime boss of the Genovese crime family. While her husband’s name became synonymous with organized crime and one of the most infamous deception schemes in American legal history, Olympia herself has remained almost entirely out of the public eye. Here’s what we know about her.

Who Is Olympia Grippa?

Olympia Phyllis Grippa came into public awareness primarily through her marriage to Vincent Gigante. Very little has been documented about her early life, including her exact date of birth and where she grew up. What is known is that she married Vincent Gigante in 1950, long before he rose to the top of one of New York City’s most powerful organized crime families.

Unlike many figures connected to high-profile criminal cases, Olympia has never sought media attention. She didn’t give interviews, didn’t write a memoir, and didn’t appear on talk shows. In a world where the families of notorious figures often end up in the spotlight — willingly or not — Olympia Grippa stayed remarkably private throughout her life.

Olympia Grippa and Vincent Gigante

When Did They Get Married?

Olympia and Vincent Gigante married in 1950. At the time, Vincent was still a relatively low-ranking figure in the New York crime world. Their marriage would span more than five decades, lasting until Vincent’s death in 2005. Throughout those years, Olympia stood in the background as her husband’s criminal career — and his legal troubles — played out on a national stage.

It’s worth noting that while Olympia was Vincent’s legal wife, reports over the years indicated that Vincent also maintained a long-term relationship with another woman, Olympia Esposito, with whom he had several children. This complicated personal life added another layer to an already unusual household dynamic, though Olympia Grippa herself never publicly commented on the situation.

Who Was Vincent “The Chin” Gigante?

Vincent Gigante was the boss of the Genovese crime family, one of the so-called “Five Families” that dominated organized crime in New York City for much of the 20th century. He held that position from the early 1980s until his conviction in 1997.

Gigante earned the nickname “The Chin” — a childhood shortening of his first name — but he became far more famous for something else entirely: his decades-long act of feigning mental illness to avoid prosecution. For years, Gigante was a regular sight on the streets of Greenwich Village, shuffling around in a bathrobe and slippers, mumbling to himself. Federal prosecutors alleged it was all a carefully staged performance designed to convince authorities he was mentally unfit to stand trial.

The act worked for a remarkably long time. Multiple psychiatric evaluations over the years resulted in findings that Gigante was incompetent. Meanwhile, prosecutors and FBI agents insisted he was secretly running one of the most powerful criminal organizations in the country — and doing it quite effectively.

In 1997, the act finally came to an end. Gigante was convicted on federal racketeering charges and sentenced to 12 years in prison. Then, in 2003, he formally admitted that his mental illness had been a fraud all along — a confession that surprised almost no one in law enforcement but officially closed the book on one of the longest-running deceptions in criminal history.

Vincent Gigante died in federal prison on December 19, 2005. He was 77 years old.

Where Is Olympia Grippa Now?

After Vincent’s death, Olympia Grippa essentially disappeared from any form of public record. There’s no verified information about where she lives today or what her current circumstances are. She hasn’t made any public appearances, and no reliable sources have reported on her whereabouts in recent years.

Given the extremely private nature she maintained throughout her entire life — even during the years when her husband was front-page news — this silence isn’t surprising. Olympia Grippa clearly preferred to stay out of the spotlight, and it appears that preference has continued.

We can’t confirm whether she’s still living, as no public records have surfaced either way. If she is alive, she would be quite elderly, as she married Vincent Gigante more than 75 years ago.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Olympia Grippa?

Olympia Grippa, born Olympia Phyllis Grippa, is the wife of Vincent “The Chin” Gigante, who was the boss of the Genovese crime family in New York. She married Gigante in 1950 and remained his legal wife until his death in 2005. She’s known for maintaining an extremely private life despite her husband’s notoriety.

Who was Vincent Gigante?

Vincent Gigante was the boss of the Genovese crime family, one of New York’s Five Families of organized crime. He’s perhaps best known for faking mental illness for decades to avoid prosecution — famously wandering Greenwich Village in a bathrobe and slippers. He was eventually convicted on racketeering charges in 1997 and died in federal prison on December 19, 2005, at age 77.

Is Olympia Grippa still alive?

There’s no verified public information confirming whether Olympia Grippa is still alive. She has always been an intensely private person, and no reliable reports about her current status have surfaced in recent years. Given that she married in 1950, she would be quite advanced in age if still living.

When did Olympia Grippa marry Vincent Gigante?

Olympia Grippa and Vincent Gigante married in 1950, years before he became the boss of the Genovese crime family. Their marriage lasted until Vincent’s death in December 2005.