Ray Liotta Lived in Lavish Home Where He Raised Daughter Who Later Set Him up with the 'Love of His Life'

Ray Liotta raised his daughter, Karsen Liotta, in a lavish mansion where he lived with his wife until their divorce. Later in life, when Karsen was an adult, she was instrumental in making him believe in love again.

"Field of Dreams" actor Ray Liotta sadly passed away on May 26, 2022. The star was famous for his breakout role in the 1990 crime thriller "Goodfellas," created by Martin Scorsese.

Ray was 67 years old when he died in the Dominican Republic while sleeping. At the time, he was in the country filming the movie "Dangerous Waters" and was survived by his daughter and fiancée.

His daughter and only child was fellow actor Karsen Liotta, while his fiancée was Jacy Nittolo. Ray shared his daughter with his first wife, Michelle Grace, an actress and television producer.

Although the actor became a big star, he had a tough upbringing and traumatic experiences. He almost didn't become the huge celebrity he was because he had a different career choice in mind.

RAY BEING ADOPTED, STARDOM, AND LOSING HIS STEPMOTHER

The actor was a baby when his mother left him at an orphanage as a baby. Ray was adopted when he was six by a New Jersey couple and spent decades struggling with his biological mother giving him up.

His adoptive parents were a Scottish mother who worked as a clerk, Mary, and an Italian auto-parts store owner father, Alfred. Ray had been more of an athlete interested in sports until his drama teacher asked him to star in a school play.

He gave it a go but still wasn't too keen until he met a "really cute girl" he had a crush on. She was set to register for the drama department and inspired him to get into the industry and stitch his majors.

Ray said if he hadn't gone into acting, he would've been a construction worker. In 2016, he also told Esquire that his father had wanted him to take over his automobile business.

While filming "Goodfellas," Ray's adoptive mother passed on from cancer. In the middle of shooting, the star found out Mary had taken a turn for the worse, and her loss "put things in perspective in a really deep way" for him.

He was forced to finish shooting the scene he was working on and managed to get to the hospital in time to bid her farewell. Ray's mother died in his arms, and he struggled to talk about it for a while.

MEETING HIS WIFE

In February 1997, Ray hooked up with the woman who would become his wife, Michelle Grace. The pair met while attending a baseball game, where the actress's husband, Marck Grace, was playing as the first baseman for the Chicago Cubs.

Since Grace was married, she and Ray didn't cheat. When the producer wasn't with her husband anymore, she was looking for an acting coach because she was set to work on a rap music video and called Ray for advice.

She asked him if she should go ahead with the project, and his cunning reply was, "No, you should probably have dinner with me." From that day onward, the couple was inseparable.

Grace and Ray, who was 40 when he married, tied the knot in 1997. He'd finally decided that he was done dating and wanted to settle down when he proposed outside a jewelry shop to the producer.

The star cried when he asked Grace for her hand in marriage. The year after their wedding, Grace and Ray welcomed their daughter, Karsen, whom the actor said his whole life was about.

The little girl would visit her father on set, and he could only go for a couple of weeks without seeing her. At age two, Karsen made her film debut in "A Rumor of Angels," and it was clear that she was good at acting from a young age.

As a teenager, Ray's daughter performed in high school theater productions. She also starred in season 3 of Ray's drama series "Shades of Blue" before getting a recurring role in the show in 2018.

While following in her parent's footsteps by becoming an actress, she made appearances in movies like "Hubie Halloween" and "Teenage Badass" in 2020. Besides acting, Karsen, Grace, and her father lived a lavish life in the home he bought them.

LIVING IN A LAVISH MANSION

In the late 1990s, Ray bought a Mediterranean mansion in the hills of Pacific Palisades. The 8,500-square-foot home spanned over three acres, and in 2019 it had conceptual plans for a guesthouse, tennis court, and second swimming pool.

The terraced estate house has a 20-foot grand entry leading to common spaces under beamed ceilings. The family room, living room, and wood-paneled library all have fireplaces.

The kitchen was decorated with granite and had a breakfast nook. The "Marriage Story" star's former home had six bedrooms, nine bathrooms, and a three-story plan.

The home wrapped itself around a palm-topped swimming pool lined with covered lounges. It boasts paths that lead to the home's luscious gardens, and in 2019 it was for sale for $5.595 million.

On August 1, 1997, Ray appeared in his Los Angeles, California home with then-wife Grace for InStyle magazine. In October 2019, the house appeared in a YouTube video for Premiere Palisades Property.

The company revealed that the home provided total privacy while showing it off in a clip. The house came with an irrigation system and a self-contained water well while positioned at the end of a cul-de-sac.

The mansion also had its own large flagstone motor court, which had plenty of parking. While the home might've appeared to have more than enough attractive additions to make it sell, it also boasted an enormous game room!

The room could be used as staff quarters, a music studio, or an office. Its entryway was a two-story, 20-foot marvel that led to the living room with picturesque windows that overlooked the private courtyard.

The pool looked like something you'd expect from a Four Seasons hotel. The primary suite was upstairs and gave mountain views, while the section also held a fireplace, a sitting room, and bathrooms.

Downstairs, visitors were presented with hardwood and limestone floors, a maid's room, three-bedroom suites, a kitchen with modern appliances, a center island, a breakfast area, and a formal dining room.

A family room with a wet bar was an excellent spot for relaxing as a group. The home was also surrounded by mature fruit trees, palm trees, grass, and many other plants to create a comfortable cocoon.

The mansion where Ray once lived with his family of three was decorated with warm and inviting colors, including cream whites, light browns, and whites. Sadly, the actor and his wife eventually went their separate ways.

DIVORCING MICHELLE AND STAYING FRIENDS

Ray and Grace's marriage ended in divorce in 2004. The actor later explained that his relationship with his wife "just didn't work out" and said he would've loved being in a relationship "with the right person."

He wished for someone more focused on the relationship and not too much on their career. Ray said he wanted someone who loved being in a relationship with all its ups and downs, someone who didn't mind being there.

When The Guardian asked him in 2007 if Grace was too busy acting and producing, the actor confirmed the latter. However, he made it clear that his ex-wife was a "great woman," and they were still friends.

Grace even stayed over at his place so their daughter could see them together. Ray explained that he wanted to give Karsen a semblance of a family unit whether he and his ex were separated or divorced.

Despite the divorce, Ray made sure to stay close to his daughter. In October 2019, he brought her as his date to the premiere of "Marriage Story" and maintained their bond until his death.

Speaking to Teen Vogue in 2015 at age 16, Karsen shared how she and her father would travel together. The pair would go to premieres and film sets, and she visited him whenever she got a break.

LIOTTA'S DATING LIFE AND FINDING LOVE AGAIN

After Ray and his wife divorced, he tried one more relationship, and when it didn't work, he didn't commit much to date. He once said, "Dating, I haven't really gotten into that at all."

His [Ray Liotta] Los Angeles house was sold at the end of 2019 and the pair tried dating and fell in love.

He went on one or two dates in the past couple of years and hoped he'd meet someone right one day. The star finally found love when Karsen set him up with former hairstylist Jacy Nittolo during the beginning of the pandemic.

In September 2021, Ryan appeared on "Live with Kelly and Ryan," where he shared his daughter met Jacy's son at a party. Karsen then urged Jacy to go out with her father.

She initially wasn't keen on dating an actor and then was shocked when she found out who Karsen's father was. Jacy noted how she was in her 40s, and he was in his 60s.

Ray was also not too keen on having to parent Jacy's then-10-year-old son but liked the boy. His Los Angeles house was sold at the end of 2019, and the pair tried dating and fell in love.

It led to the actor's proposal to Jacy in December 2020. Ray shared the news about his engagement on his Instagram account and described it as a "Christmas" wish that came true.

Alongside a photo of the two embracing in front of a Christmas tree, the star revealed he'd "asked the love of my life to marry me, and thank God she said yes!!!" The actor had already bonded with Jacy's four children when he passed.

Sadly, there was no information on when Ray and his fiancée had planned on tying the knot. Just days before he died, he and Jacy were seen holding hands and in good spirits after enjoying a meal at Spruzzo Italian restaurant.