One of History Channel’s most popular shows is the reality series ‘The Curse of Oak Island,’ based on the mysterious Oak Island in Lunenburg County on Nova Scotia’s South Shore. It involves a team of explorers, led by the Lagina brothers, on a journey to unearth the undiscovered wealth concealed on the island with the help of some costly equipment. Marty Lagina became a household name after he began his explorations of the hidden treasures along with his elder brother, Rick Lagina. The television personality is not just a passionate artifacts explorer but also an established petroleum engineer, wind energy specialist, and wine merchant.
From beginning his career in engineering as a petroleum specialist at Amoco Production Co., Marty made several other strides by establishing his own company, Terra Energy Ltd, in 1982. He took his firm to new heights as the CEO from 1982 to 1995, after which he sold it to CMS Energy, reportedly for $58 million. He then began focusing on wind energy and joined a company building the largest wind-energy site in Michigan named Heritage Sustainable Energy. Marty’s eventual passion for vineyards and winemaking led him and his family to develop Villa Mari Vineyards in Traverse City, Michigan, in 1999.
It is named after his Italian grandmother, and one of their signature bottles, Row 7, was introduced in 2006. Marty was assigned to serve the Great Lakes Wind Council by Governor Granholm and previously worked as the chairman of the Michigan Oil and Gas Association. Following the launch of ‘The Curse of Oak Island’ in 2014, he has been associated with shows like ‘The Curse of Oak Island: Drilling Down,’ ‘The Curse of Civil War Gold,’ and ‘Beyond Oak Island.’ As many of his followers are curious about Marty Lagina’s personal life, here’s everything we found out!
Marty Lagina: From Small Town to Oak Island’s Obsession
Born on August 26, 1955, in Kingsford, Michigan, Marty Lagina has two sisters, Terese Fornetti and Marianne Gardner, and an elder brother, Rick Lagina. The 67-year-old reality star graduated from Kingsford High School in 1973 and attended Michigan Technological University to graduate with a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Mechanical Engineering in 1977. Subsequently, Marty earned his Doctor of Law (J.D.) in Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Law in 1982 from Michigan State University College of Law. Now, he is not only a registered professional engineer in the State of Michigan but also a Member of the State Bar.
However, another massive fascination for the Lagina brothers was the historical treasures from Oak Island. A copy of ‘Reader’s Digest,’ 1965 edition, led them to the famous tales of the buried riches on the island. Several intriguing hypotheses were indicated in it to the discovery of treasures such as the legendary “Money Pit,” Marie Antoinette’s missing jewels ferried by the French Navy, Captain Kidd’s fabled treasure, and buried gold from Spanish pirates. Many years later, they indulged this interest by first buying the island and digging around it to find some clues about the ancient relics.
Marty Lagina’s Married Life With His Longtime Love Olivia Lagina
Marty Lagina has been happily married to Olivia Lagina for several years. The two share a loving bond, and he often makes people widely know about his gorgeous wife. Reportedly, they met at a young age and remained in a long-term relationship before finally tying the knot. Now, Olivia is the co-owner of Mari Vineyards and actively takes part in maintaining the winery business. The couple lives in Traverse City, Michigan, also home to their other family members.
Marty Lagina’s Kids
Marty Lagina shares two children with Olivia, their son Alex and daughter Maddie. The former is a University of Michigan’s College of Engineering alumni who graduated in 2008 and frequently participates in the treasure hunts along with his father, uncle, and other cast members. Apart from ‘The Curse of Oak Island,’ the other shows where Alex has made an appearance are ‘The Curse of Oak Island: Drilling Down’ and ‘The Curse of Civil War Gold.’ Furthermore, he is a trained diver and serves as the general manager of the family’s winery business.
Having heard about the Oak Island stories from his childhood, later, Alex found himself interested in using his skills as an engineer in the technical aspects of the digging process. He is more curious about verifying and using the earlier findings to confirm existing theories. In an interview with MyNorth.com, he said, “I would like to see, more than anything, some verification of things that have already been discovered. Many things have been done on Oak Island, and while records may have been kept well by one person, they didn’t transfer to the next person, so many of these discoveries have been lost during all the excavations.”
Although some rumors were floating around about Alex’s demise while filming the show, they are utterly baseless as he is alive and doing well. On the personal front, he was reportedly dating a fashion blogger named Katherine E Sneed, but since he keeps his personal life under wraps, the same cannot be confirmed.
Madeline, or Maddie Lagina, is Marty and Olivia’s younger child, and she first graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Emory University. She then did a double degree in 2018, with a Doctor in Medicine and a Master’s in Public Health, from Emory University School of Medicine. Currently she has been working as a Resident Physician at Michigan Medicine since 2018.
In a beautiful ceremony held in their home in Traverse City, Michigan, Maddie married Erik Winnega on September 3, 2022. She now lives with him in Ann Arbor, where she does her resident work. Thus, Marty Lagina is happily married and has two lovely children with whom he often spends time in their hometown or holidaying. They all are doing great in their respective fields, and we wish them the best in their future endeavors.
Read More: Is Rick Lagina From The Curse of Oak Island Married?
