An incident that led to an assault charge for a CEO began when the man's wife told a stranger dancing barefoot at a cruise ship cocktail lounge to put his shoes on, authorities say. Kenneth DeGiorgio, CEO of First American Financial Corporation, allegedly choked the man after he swore at his wife and gave her the finger, NBC News reports. The incident happened Monday night in international waters near Martinique. Authorities say the captain of the Virgin Voyages cruise ship ordered DeGiorgio to remain in his stateroom until the ship reached Puerto Rico the next day. FBI agents in Puerto Rico attempted to interview DeGiorgio but he refused to answer questions, according to a criminal complaint.
The altercation happened at the On the Rocks bar on Resilient Lady, an adults-only cruise ship, the New York Times reports. The FBI says DeGiorgio's wife, Nichol DeGiorgio, told the barefoot dancer, "Look, we are all grown-ups here—can you put your shoes on?" The criminal complaint says video from the ship shows DeGiorgio walking up to the man and placing his hands around his neck. The man told investigators that DeGiorgio threatened to kill him and he "felt as if his throat was going to be ripped out." Nichol DeGiorgio told investigators that she shouldn't have told the man to put his shoes on and he never touched her, according to the complaint.
Kenneth DeGiorgio, 53, has been CEO of the California-based financial services company, which has more than 19,000 employees, since 2022. "Violent crimes committed aboard cruise ships fall under federal jurisdiction, and we take them very seriously," Devin Kowalski, the acting special agent in charge of the FBI's San Juan field office, said Thursday, per the Times. "If you break the law at sea, expect to face consequences on land." In a statement, DeGiorgio's legal team said he "responded to the actions of an individual who harassed his wife, making her feel threatened and intimidated," adding that "although charged with a simple misdemeanor, Mr. DeGiorgio looks forward to being absolved of any wrongdoing." (More cruise ships stories.)
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