Aissa Wayne Gionis

Passions

Notable

Family

American noted family, the daughter of John Wayne and his wife Pilar Palleta, the fifth of her dad's seven kids, raised in a sheltered life. She married Earl Lawrence Kuhle II; two kids; divorced. On July 1985, on a blind date she met Thomas Gionis, an orthopedic surgeon who had built up five lucrative Southern California clinics. They had an $80,000 Greek Orthodox wedding in 1985. After a year of marriage he claimed that she was drinking heavily; she denied it. Their daughter Anastasia was born 2/14/1987 and they separated four months later. She charged that he repeatedly threatened to kill her and was violent and abusive. In a bitter child custody battle, he spent some $800,000 on court costs to get custody of their daughter, and in January 1989, won his case. Aissa met 52-year-old Roger Luby in 1988 and began an affair with the easy-tempered financier. On the morning of 10/03/1988, they returned home after an early workout when they were assaulted by two hoodlums, armed men who brutally beat up Luby and slammed Aissa down to the street and handcuffed her. Evidence pointed to Gionis who was arrested 4/04/89 and charged with eight felony counts.