I'm sure that being a CEO is exceedingly stressful. There's keeping your company solvent in an uncertain economy, the uncertainty exacerbated by an erratic POTUS you likely voted for. If your company is publicly traded, there's watching the performance of your stock price, in an uncertain market, etc. There's making sure you're doing as well as your fellow CEO's compensation-wise, which means making sure that your haul is at least at the average of 200 times what the average worker is paid. And if you're the CEO of an insurance company, you're likely worried that some mad-as-hell person with a grudge and a gun is going to come after you - even if your company insures titles, rather than health.
Yep indeed. Although the pay tends to be pretty darned good, CEO-ing sure can be exceedingly stressful.
So you can't blame Kenneth DeGiorgio from wanting to get away from it all and take his wife Nichol on a Caribbean cruise.
And there he was, enjoying it all on Virgin Voyages' good ship Resilient Lady, boogying up a storm on the dance floor of On the Rocks, an onboard bar, when all hell broke loose.
Seems that Nichol DeGiorgio is not familiar with the concepts of MYOB and 'no skin off my nose.'
Observing another passenger dancing with his shoes off, she went over to the man - referred to by his initials only, and said:
“Look, we are all grown-ups here, can you put your shoes on?” Nichol told law enforcement she asked M.A.
M.A. didn’t respond well to the request, allegedly putting up his middle finger and stating, “Shut up, you fucking bitch.” (Source: Vice)
Well, I'm not going to say that M.A. (Make America? Major A-hole?) exactly covered himself with glory here. Surely, he could have said something a bit more anodyne. Something like, "Look lady, I'm just trying to have fun," or "What's it to you?"
So I can't really blame Kenneth DeGiorgio for being a bit ticked off. But this degree of dance floor rage?
Hearing M.A.’s response, Kenneth was seen on surveillance footage crossing the room to confront him. He allegedly grabbed him by the throat and threw him to the floor.
M.A. alleged to authorities that Kenneth “used a lot of force” during the altercation. He additionally claimed that he felt as if his “throat was going to be ripped out.”
Additionally, M.A. claimed that Kenneth said, “I am going to fucking kill you.”
Well, yikes to the yikes. Yes, M.A. was crude and vulgar, and he did utter fighting words of a sort. But since when is crude and vulgar deserving of death?
DeGiorgio was ordered to get back to and stay in his stateroom until the ship reached its next port of call, where the FBI was waiting for him.
Seems that "'violent crimes commited aborad cruise ships fall under federal jurisdiction.'" (Source: NY Times)
On reaching shore, Kenneth DeGiorgio clammed up (wouldn't talk to the FBI) and lawyered up. His legal eagles countered the allegations, stating that DeGiorgio was just protecting his wife, who felt intimidated. Well, I'm sure that I would have felt a bit intimidated if a big barefoot guy (no doubt drunk) called me a fucking bitch and told me to shut up. But I'd probably have just rolled my eyes, grabbed my husband, and said 'That guy is out of control. Let's get out of here." And, yeah, I probably would have said something to management on my way out the door.
The lawyeres further stated that, even though the charge is only that of a misdemeanor, DeGiorgio wants to be fully absolved of even this minor level of crime. And with good reason. I don't imagine it would ever come to that - espeically given that DeGiorgio is a well-heeled white guy. But he could face a year in prison if the assault is proven.
Although maybe not all that amicably, I'm sure that this will all be settled. (And I'm guessing that alcohol played a considerable role on both sides here.)
But, day-um. Dance floor rage? I guess it happens. I seem to remember that the late (but not lamented) Patriots' star Aaron Hernandez was implicated in a pair of murders precipitated by someone nudging/dissing Hernandez on the dance floor of some club.
Still, it's just crazy cray.
I thought cruises were supposed to be relaxing, not death traps.
People are so unhinged these days. And that apparently includes those stressed-out CEOs.
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