Kenneth DeGiorgio, the CEO of First American Financial, is facing federal charges after allegedly assaulting a fellow cruise ship passenger in a cocktail lounge dispute. According to the FBI, surveillance footage captured the dramatic incident aboard Virgin Voyages' Resilient Lady ship while it traveled in international waters off Martinique on Monday.

The altercation reportedly began when DeGiorgio’s wife, Nichol, asked the victim, identified only as M.A., to stop dancing barefoot, saying, "Look, we are all grown-ups here, can you put your shoes on?" M.A. responded with a not-so-Mature Adult reply: "Shut up, you f---ing b----." Things quickly spiraled downhill from there.

Surveillance cameras showed DeGiorgio storming across the dance floor, grabbing M.A. by the neck, and dragging him to the ground while allegedly threatening, "I’ll f---ing kill you." Not exactly the kind of behavior you'd expect from a man running a mortgage lending company, let alone on a vacation cruise.

Ship authorities promptly intervened, contacting the FBI when the vessel arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico. DeGiorgio was ordered to remain confined to his stateroom, courtesy of the ship’s captain. Nichol DeGiorgio later told investigators that M.A. never physically touched her, and she took responsibility for sparking the incident, admitting she shouldn’t have asked him to put his shoes on.

DeGiorgio now faces charges of assault within maritime and territorial jurisdiction, a legal headache that adds irony to the term "resilient" in the ship’s name. His legal team, however, insists that he acted in defense of his wife, claiming M.A.’s behavior made her feel threatened and intimidated.

While the Department of Justice and Virgin Voyages remain tight-lipped, the incident raises questions about how quickly a dancing dispute can escalate into something worthy of federal charges. Maybe next time, the dance floor needs a "shoes mandatory" sign?

Maritime Law News

CEO Allegedly Chokes Fellow Cruise Ship Passenger Over Dance Floor Dispute