Gia in German Vogue Magazine (sitting up) Carangi was born in Philadelphia, the third and youngest child of Joseph Carangi, a restaurant owner, and Kathleen Carangi a homemaker. Joseph and Kathleen had an unstable, violent marriage, ultimately leading Kathleen to abandon the family when Carangi was eleven years old. After being featured in Philadelphia newspaper ads, Carangi moved to New York City at the age of 17, where she signed with Wilhelmina Models. Carangi is considered to be the first supermodel, although that title has been applied to others, including Dorian Leigh, Jean Shrimpton, Twiggy, and Janice Dickinson. Model Cindy Crawford, who rose to prominence the year Carangi died, was referred to as Baby Gia due to her resemblance to Carangi. After Gia became addicted to heroin, Carangis modeling career rapidly declined. She later contracted HIV and died of AIDS-related complications at the age of 26; she is thought to be one of the first famous women to die of the disease. Carangis life was dramatized in the television film Gia, starring Angelina Jolie, which debuted on HBO in 1998.
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 10:24:35 +0000
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