Grisanti was last seen leaving Anthony's Cafe, a bar on Main Street in Norwalk, Connecticut, on February 1, 1985. She was carrying a gray and beige clutch purse with a top zipper at the time of her disappearance, and accompanied by her boyfriend, James C. "Purple" Aaron Jr. A photo of James is posted below this case summary. Gristani has never been heard from again. Her car was later found near Ann Street, in the Norwalk River.

Half an hour before her disappearance, Grisanti told the police she was having an argument with James. One of her fingers was bleeding, and she said he'd assaulted her. She refused to have him arrested, however, and left with James in his blue Cadillac at 12:30 a.m. He said she got out of his car at a stoplight three blocks away. Grisanti's mother reported her missing later that day. Her wallet with her credit cards, driver's license, and birth certificate was found abandoned in Norwalk a month later.

James's estranged wife, Mary Aaron, disappeared in July 1981 and was found murdered in a wooded area in Norwalk a month later. They had been discussing divorce at the time of her disappearance. James was questioned in her disappearance, but no charges were ever filed. He remains a suspect.

Later in February 1985, Aaron was charged with kidnapping Grisanti. He was convicted and served nearly six years in prison before his release in 1991. Grisanti's mother filed a lawsuit against him for injuries her daughter suffered in the kidnapping; the suit was settled in 1992 for $50,000. Grisanti has never been located.

Above: James Aaron