Mortgage Company CEO Choked Fellow Cruise Passenger After Heated Confrontation With Wife: Feds

The altercation allegedly began when the wife of First American Financial Corporation exec Kenneth DiGeorgio asked another cruise passenger to stop dancing barefoot.

The CEO of a southern California-based home mortgage lending company was arrested on Tuesday and accused of attacking a fellow cruise passenger who insulted his wife because she asked him to stop dancing barefoot.

First American Financial Corporation CEO Kenneth DeGiorgio, 53, was charged with assault within maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States following the heated confrontation on a Virgin Voyages cruise ship on Monday, according to a federal complaint obtained by HuffPost.

DeGiorgio’s wife told FBI agents that the incident began when she confronted a passenger who was dancing barefoot on the dance floor of the “On The Rocks” bar, saying, “Look we are all grown-ups here, can you put your shoes on?” according to the complaint.

According to the wife’s testimony, the man responded by saying, “Shut up, you fucking bitch.” Surveillance footage cited in the complaint shows the man dancing, before displaying a middle finger to DeGiorgio’s wife.

Moments later, DeGiorgio comes into frame and places his hands on the victim’s neck and begins choking him, according to the complaint. The victim stumbles and falls while being choked by DeGiorgio.