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.

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

1. Who is Denise Lombardo? Denise Lombardo is known as the first wife of Jordan Belfort, a popular stockbroker who was the main character in the movie, The Wolf of Wall Street. She was born on November 11, 1963, in Ohio, United States. She has built a career as a businesswoman, working in various sectors, and currently works as a real estate agent.
2. Where was Denise Lombardo educated? Denise Lombardo attended Bayside High School and the University of Adelphi, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature in 1987. She also obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Towson University in 1992, and later a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration General from the Australian Catholic University.
3. What is Denise Lombardo’s career history? Denise Lombardo has worked in multiple sectors over her career. She worked in the sales department of the Modern Medical System Company between 1993 and 2000, and later as a flooring specialist with The Home Depot Company. From 2006 to 2008, she worked with Smith & Nephew Company and was involved with fashion projects such as Laurevan Shoe, Blu Marine, Genny-Byblos, and Stefano Bravo. She began working in the real estate industry in 2010, and currently works as a real estate agent for the Douglas Elliman company.
4. What is Denise Lombardo’s net worth? Denise Lombardo’s net worth is estimated to be in the millions. This is due to the large sum of alimony she received from her first husband, Jordan Belfort, and her successful career progression.
5. How did Denise Lombardo meet Jordan Belfort? Denise Lombardo met Jordan Belfort while she was studying at Bayside High School. The pair became best friends, started dating in high school, and were known as sweethearts.
6. Why did Denise Lombardo divorce Jordan Belfort? Denise Lombardo divorced Jordan Belfort in 1991 due to his infidelity. She discovered that Belfort was having an affair with a British-American model, Nadine Caridi.
7. What was Denise Lombardo’s divorce settlement? Following her divorce from Jordan Belfort, Denise Lombardo reportedly received the sum of $3 million as alimony.
8. What happened to Denise Lombardo after her divorce from Jordan Belfort? After divorcing Jordan Belfort, Denise Lombardo continued her education and further developed her career. She remarried a man named Nick Amato and they have three children together: Brett, Nicky, and Matt.
9. Who is Denise Lombardo married to now? Denise Lombardo is currently married to Nick Amato.
10. Who played Denise Lombardo in The Wolf of Wall Street? Denise Lombardo was portrayed by Cristin Milioti in the movie, The Wolf of Wall Street. In the movie, her character’s name was Teresa Petrillo as she did not want her real name used.
11. Is Denise Lombardo active on social media? Denise Lombardo is not very active on social media. While she has a Facebook and LinkedIn profile, she does not update them frequently.
12. Where is Denise Lombardo now? Denise Lombardo currently resides in West Babylon, New York, United States. She continues to work as a licensed real estate agent at Prudential Douglas Elliman Company.