User:JimMillerJr/Sandbox/Leona Beldini

Leona Beldini (stage name Hope Diamond) Is an American burlesque dancer and real estate broker who served as Deputy Mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey. While serving as Deputy Mayor, Beldini was arrested for political corruption as part of the third phase of Operation Bid Rig. She was found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison.

Born in New York and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, Beldini left home at

She married crooner Bobby Colt on March 5, 1956 in Cleveland. They had a son named Robert. Beldini was granted a separation from Colt in 1961 after claiming that he had abandoned their marriage to live with belly dancer Nejla Ates.

In 1995, Beldini was inducted into the Burlesque Hall of Fame as Hope Diamond.