Who Is Denise Lombardo, Jordan Belfort's First Wife?
Denise Lombardo (born 11th November 1962, 61 years old) is the first wife of the former American stockbroker and financial criminal Jordan Belfort.
Though it is quite challenging to figure out what is true and what is embellished about Jordan Belfort, the fact remains that the New York native has led an interesting life. As a stockbroker back in the 90s, Belfort operated a boiler room–like company, and with the money made, he indulged in an extravagant personal life.
His fraudulent operation will later come crashing down on him and anyone associated with him, but one person that got away relatively unscathed was his first wife, Denise Lombardo. Lombardo and Belfort had been together when he founded the company but later divorced in painful circumstances. This must have caused much grief for her, but in the end, it may have been a blessing in disguise.
Biography and Profile Summary of Denise Lombardo
- Full name: Denise Lombardo
- Date of birth: 11th of November 1962
- Age: 61 years old
- Birthplace: Ohio
- Father: Anthony Fiorito
- Mother: Ann Lombardo
- Educational institutions attended: Bayside High School, Adelphi University, New York.
- Spouse: Jordan Belfort
- Children: N/A
Denise Lombardo is an Ohio Native But Has Italian Origins
Denise Lombardo was born on the 11th of November 1962 in Ohio, United States. Her nationality is American, and she has Italian origins. Her father’s name is Anthony Fiorito, while her mother is Ann Lombardo. There is no information as to whether she has any siblings. Lombardo spent some of her formative years in Ohio, but her parents later relocated to New York, specifically, Bayside, where she underwent her high school education at the Bayside High School.
It was also that she met her future husband, Jordan Belfort. Belfort is a native New Yorker and was born on the 9th of July 1962. His parents, Max and Leah, were both accountants, so they obviously valued education. They, therefore, made sure that he focused on his academics. While doing this, the young Belfort also had his eye on making big money and, at some point after his high school studies, took to selling semi-frozen sweetened treats, known as Italian Ice, to make ends meet.
She and Jordan Belfort Began Dating in High School and Got Married After College
Denise Lombardo first met her future husband, Jordan Belfort, during their days at Bayside High School. They took a shine to each other and began dating. The two conducted their relationship throughout high school. They also continued during their college days. Even though they attended colleges in different cities, they did not let this interrupt their love for each other. They remained committed until they completed their degrees and reunited in New York.
Armed with her degree, Denise Lombardo most likely scored a regular day job to make ends meet. On the other hand, her boyfriend was quite ambitious and figured that it was better to go into business for himself. He began selling meat and seafood from door to door and was initially successful. He and Lombardo were thus comfortable and could get married in the year 1985.
Their Marriage Lasted for Six Years During Which Belfort Set Up His Fraudulent Stock Brokerage Firm
The marriage between Denise Lombardo and Jordan Belfort lasted for about six years. The couple continued living in New York during this period, and Lombardo kept herself busy with several pursuits. She also supported her husband through the several business disappointments that he suffered.
The ambitious Belfort lost his meat-selling business and had to declare bankruptcy just two years after they got married. He went on to land work as a stockbroker, but the firm also folded. All this meant that Lombardo probably had to fend for the family until her husband got back on his feet. On his part, Belfort re-jigged his career by spending a year working at a penny stock house known as Investors Center.
By 1989, he set his brokerage firm, Stratton Oakmont, which majorly operated the fraudulent pump-and-dump style of stock sales. Basically, Belfort’s accomplices would first buy poorly–performing low-priced stocks. He will then deploy the small army of salespersons in his company to try to sell the stocks to the public via telephone.
These salespersons will use all sorts of high-pressure tactics to do so and even make some positive but false statements about the stocks. The price of the stocks will go up, and Belfort and his accomplices will make big gains by selling the stocks at a high price. They will then stop promoting those stocks, and the price will fall back down to its actual value, leaving the buyers without anything.
Belfort operated this scheme for several years and grew quite rich from it. This newfound status should have spelled something good for him and Lombardo, but that wasn’t the case. He began living a life of extravagance with helicopters and yachts at his beck and call. He also took to partying, employing the services of prostitutes, and using drugs.
All these must have upset Denise Lombardo, but she hung in there, perhaps in hopes that her high school sweetheart would come to his senses. This did not happen; instead, her husband began actively cheating on her with a British-born, Brooklyn-raised model named Nadine Caridi in 1989. At this stage, nothing more was left to say, so Denise Lombardo divorced Jordan Belfort in 1991.
He was Convicted for Fraud Eight Years after Their Divorce
Following the divorce, Denise Lombardo did her best to move on while her husband continued with an extravagant lifestyle. He married Nadine Caridi, and their marriage produced two kids. Despite this, he continued with his wild ways, sleeping around and using drugs. He also spent money so lavishly without knowing that his days were numbered. The National Association of Securities Dealers had begun monitoring Belfort’s activities for some time, and by 1996, they put his company out of business.
Three years later, he was indicted for securities fraud and money laundering. Jordan Belfort cooperated with the authorities and got a four-year jail term. He was also fined $110 million, which was restitution to his victims. Through it all, his ex-wife was not indicted nor asked to testify. It, therefore, suggests that Denise Lombardo was not involved in Jordan Belfort’s fraudulent activities.
Jordan Belfort’s Life Story Was Made into the Acclaimed 2013 Film, Wolf of Wall Street
GM! What a talent! https://t.co/A7GPkEQXs3
— Jordan Belfort (@wolfofwallst) December 4, 2021
It has been more than two decades since Jordan Belfort’s indictment, and a lot has happened in that period. He spent about 22 months of his four-year term in prison and was released in 2006. He penned down a memoir about his experiences as a stockbroker, The Wolf of Wall Street, and it was released in 2007. The book has been translated into numerous languages. It also formed the basis of the 2013 film, The Wolf of Wall Street, with Leonardo DiCaprio playing Belfort. The movie was a box office hit, grossing $392 million. It also received Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for best picture.
Belfort has utilized the popularity of his book and film to become a motivational speaker. He also conducts seminars and workshops and earns good money from both. In his personal life, Belfort and Nadine divorced in 2005. He married a lady named Anne in 2008, and they also divorced in 2020. Belfort is currently on wife No. four as he and Argentinian model Cristina Invernizzi married in 2021. While her ex-spouse is busy living it up in the spotlight, it is hard to tell where Denise Lombardo is right now or what she is doing. She most likely still lives in the U.S. and may have utilized her English literature degree to land a regular job. She may also have remarried and even had kids, but there is no confirmation for sure.
Key Facts
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