Vanna White was born Vanna Marie Angel in Conway, South Carolina, to Miguel Angel and Joan Marie Rosich. Her maternal father disappeared from her life shortly after her birth, and Vanna used her mother’s maiden name as her own for a short time, until her mother married Herbert White, who raised her. Vanna adopted her stepfather’s last name in the process. The family moved to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Herbert White became a successful real estate broker/owner of White’s Realty.
As a young adult, Vanna moved west to pursue a career where her good looks and pleasant personality would be appreciated. She quickly befriended other aspiring actresses in Hollywood, and met the love of her life: John Gibson. Four years after Vanna won her spot on Wheel of Fortune, she and John were engaged, and within months of the engagement John was killed in a private plane crash.
In 1985, Tracy Vaccaro, and Jessie Eastland took Vanna to dinner in Studio City, California. Tracy’s former boyfriend: restaurateur George Santopietro was also on the guest list. Five years later George and Vanna were married. On May 15th, 2002 they were divorced. They have two children together. At this writing (2017) Vanna White is still the letter turner on one of the most successful game shows in television history: Wheel of Fortune.
