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Despite rumors of Rick Pitino’s infidelity, Joanne Minardi and Rick Pitino, who have been married for over four decades, are still together today.
The couple first met at St. Dominic’s High School in the early 1970s and decided to get married after periodic years of courtship.
Their wedding took place on April 3, 1976, and the Pitino family can often be seen enjoying vacations in Saratoga, New York.
Joanne has been a supportive partner throughout Rick’s career, including leading Louisville to a National Championship. She has expressed her pride in him and his capacity for love and nurturing.
Who Is Joanne Minardi?
Joanne, born in Long Island in 1953, first met Pitino during their time as students at St. Dominic’s High School in Oyster Bay, Long Bay, in the early 1970s. After dating for a few years, they officially became a couple and were married on April 3, 1976.
The couple enjoyed vacationing in Saratoga, New York. Joanne is known for being supportive and caring and has stood by Rick through thick and thin.
She expressed joy regarding Pitino’s success in leading Louisville to the National Championship.
Joanne Minardi Age
Joanne Minardi, born in the United States of America in 1953, keeps her personal life private, so the exact date of her birth is not publicly known. However, based on her birth year, she turned 70 years old in 2023.
Joanne Minardi Measurements
Judging by her photos of her surroundings, Minardi seems to be quite tall. However, her exact height and other body measurements are not available to the public.
We will keep track of any updates on this information and provide them when they become available.
Joanne Minardi Family
Our research has not yielded any information about Joanne Minardi’s parents. However, she grew up as the only girl with two older brothers, and her father doted on her.
From a youthful age, she was curious about cooking and would experiment with different recipes, often sharing her creations with her father and brothers.
Joanne Minardi Husband
According to Newsday, Joanne Minardi and Rick Pitino first crossed paths in the early 1970s when they were both students at St. Dominic’s High School in Oyster Bay, Long Island. They later tied the knot in 1976, marrying their high school sweethearts.
The couple and their family often spend vacations in Saratoga, New York. Following Pitino’s successful leadership of Louisville to the National Championship, Minardi expressed her pride, saying, “I’m so proud of him. Just so proud…I knew he could do this again. He has the capacity to nurture and love so much.”
Joanne Children
Rick and Joanne Pitino have five living children: Michael, Christopher, Richard Jr. (currently the head coach at Minnesota), Ryan, and Jacqueline.
Unfortunately, they also lost a son named Daniel in 1987 due to congenital heart failure when he was only six months old.
In memory of their son, Rick, and Joanne established the Daniel Pitino Foundation, which has raised millions of dollars for underprivileged children, along with the Daniel Pitino shelter in Owensboro, Kentucky.
Joanne wrote a touching poem on the organization’s website dedicated to her late son called “Daniel.”
The poem reflects on the idea that although it may be hard to understand why children are taken from us, perhaps they are needed by God to make the land of heaven even more beautiful.
It ends with the sentiment that while saying goodbye to a child is difficult, we must remember that God loves children, and angels are hard to find.
Rick Pitino Allegations
In 2009, Rick Pitino confessed to having had sexual relations with Karen Cunagin Sypher, the wife of Louisville equipment manager Tim Sypher, on August 1, 2003, at Porcini, a Louisville restaurant.
A few weeks later, Cunagin informed Pitino that she was pregnant and wanted an abortion but did not have health insurance, so he paid her $3,000 for the procedure.
On April 18, 2009, Pitino disclosed that he was being targeted in an extortion plot. Subsequently, on April 24, Karen Cunagin Sypher was arrested in US District Court for gouging and lying to federal agents.
Despite the allegations, Minardi supported her husband and was by his side during the court proceedings in 2009.
On August 6, 2010, Cunagin was found guilty of extortion and lying to federal agents and faced a maximum sentence of 26 years in prison.
She was ultimately sentenced to 87 months in prison and was released to a halfway house in January 2017.
Following her conviction, Cunagin claimed that the judge, prosecutors, former attorneys, and Pitino had conspired to ensure her conviction, although she later expressed deep regret for her actions.
