A heartbreaking ending to a beautiful love story. Ray Liotta is survived by his fiancée, Jacy Nittolo, and his daughter, Karsen, after dying at the age of 67.
The Goodfellas actor was filming the movie Dangerous Waters in the Dominican Republic when he passed away in his sleep, his publicist told NBC News. Liotta and Nittolo, 47, got engaged in December 2020.
“Christmas wishes do come true,” the Field of Dreams actor wrote via Instagram at the time. “I asked the love of my life to marry me, and thank God she said yes!!!”
Liotta was previously married to actress Michelle Grace from 1997 to 2004. They welcomed Karsen, 23, one year after tying the knot. In 2007, the Something Wild actor opened up to The Guardian about his experience with dating post-divorce.
“I had a relationship after I got divorced and it didn’t feel as equal as I would have liked. I was more vulnerable based on the experience I’d just been through. Everybody brings the dynamics of the previous relationships they were in. It’s been a few years now … Dating, I haven’t really gotten into that at all. I’ve only had one or two dates in the past couple of years. It’s either going to happen, or not. I’m hoping that it is,” he said at the time.
Liotta and Nittolo were first spotted out and about together in 2019. The late actor’s fiancée often shared photos of them together via Instagram. In September 2021, she posted a photo of Liotta holding a cigar up to her mouth. “Smoking hot,” she captioned the picture. In December 2020, she shared a snapshot in honor of the Shades of Blue actor’s birthday. “Happy birthday to the love of my life,” she wrote.
Although she found happiness with Liotta, Nittolo has tragedy in her past. Her father, Stewart Woodman, was convicted of hiring hitmen to kill his parents — her grandparents — in 1985. The tragedy became known as the Yom Kippur murders as Gerald and Vera Woodman were shot to death upon arriving home from a meal celebrating the conclusion of the Jewish holiday. Nittolo’s father died in prison in October 2014.
Despite her strained relationship with her father, Nittolo has a strong bond with her own four children — Dax, 24, Chazz, 22, Jade, 19 and Joey, 11 — whom she shares with her ex-husband Joey Nittolo. “They complete me,” she captioned a May 2019 Instagram photo of her with her kids.
Nittolo has yet to publicly comment on Liotta’s death. Scroll down for five things to know about the late actor’s fiancée: