sMothered mother/daughter duo Catherine Galasso-Vigorito and Gabriella Vigorito have made it their life’s mission to bring the Miss USA crown back to their home in Clinton, Connecticut. Gabriella is making her third attempt by competing in the Miss Connecticut USA pageant again this year, but the journey actually started 35 years ago.
As revealed during the sMothered Season 5 Premiere, Cathy Galasso was Miss Connecticut USA in 1988. Unfortunately, her dream of becoming Miss USA was derailed by tragedy.
During a very emotional scene with a dress designer, Cathy talks about what happened.
“After winning Miss Connecticut USA I felt the world was going to be mine,” Cathy says in a confessional. But, roughly six weeks after she won the title, Cathy found her mother passed away in her bed. “On that day, my pageant career ended,” Cathy adds.
“You only get to go to Miss USA once, and that’s the only chance in your lifetime,” Gabriella later reveals. “My mom had one chance to win that crown, and it was taken away from her.”
The scene implies that Cathy didn’t participate in the Miss USA 1988 pageant, but that is not the case. I assume Cathy and Gabriella are saying Cathy was unable to prepare properly for Miss USA, and that was the same as having her one chance at winning the crown being taken away.
Here is a rough quality photo of Cathy with four other women who were chosen by photographers as the finalists for Most Photogenic at the pageant, which was held in El Paso, Texas:
In addition to the photo, Starcasm was able to track down video footage of Cathy Galasso from the 1988 Miss USA pageant! Below is a brief clip of Cathy introducing herself on stage as well as her quick appearance in a desert swimwear montage:
Unfortunately, Cathy was not one of the ten finalists, so she was not featured later in the telecast competing in evening wear, swimwear or interviews.
Did Gabriella win Miss USA?
Did sMothered star Gabriella Vigorito fulfill her (and her mother’s) dream of taking home the Miss USA crown? Unfortunately, the answer to that question is no.
Gabriella won Miss Shoreline USA 2023 and competed in the 2023 Miss Connecticut USA pageant in April, where she finished as fourth runner up for the second year in a row.
There isn’t much in the way of photos and video of the 2023 Miss Connecticut USA pageant available online. Thankfully, Gabriella posted an Instagram gallery!
The gallery includes a video of Gabriella’s interview. Below is a transcript:
QUESTION: Describe a time in your life where you overcame defeat. And what did you learn from that experience?
GABRIELLA: Growing up, I’ve always struggled with reading comprehension, and I actually learned that I was just more of a creative person. And now I am a stylist. I love the beauty industry. I’m also a content creator and I help people embrace their natural texture. And as Miss Connecticut USA, I want to go into schools and talk to kids about embracing what makes them different because that is actually what makes you unique and special. Thank you.
Gabriella shared a lengthy caption with the gallery in which she expressed her gratitude and thanks to all of those who helped and inspired her 2023 Miss USA run. She concluded with what appears to be a sMothered tease:
“I’m so blessed to have made the top 5 again this year and i can truly say i gave it my all.
“Thank you @ewaldproductions for such an amazing show.
“Chosen for Miss Photogenic, thank you @carlosvelezstudios for my winning headshot!
“Thank you @msbellezalatina2022 for all the photoshoots leading up to the pageant and @glambyvania for always slaying my glam!
“@yalenis_ the one and only. You never say no and exceed our expectations every time for my pageant wardrobe. I love you so much! Your talent is beyond.
“@yanetbernabel my life coach, my speaking coach and the one who gave me so much motivation. Your words are amazing and i’m so glad you came to see my confidence come through on stage.
“@aqueensconversation thank you for helping me perfect my interview. You are the best of the best and something is working because i came out of my interview and immediately texted you saying that i killed it. I’m so thankful for all that you taught me and i’m so glad you are apart of me and my moms lives.
“@khadesia thank you for being such an fabulous roomie. We are so similar in so many ways. I’m so glad i had you by my side. I’ll never forget our late night talks and prayers before stage. You made my weekend so memorable.
“To the girls it was so great spending the weekend with everyone. You’re fabulous and i’m so glad i got to get to know people for who they truly are. These memories will last a lifetime.
“To the rest of my team who was by our side, you are truly family and i’m so thankful for you all. You know who you are 🙂
“To my sisters and Dad thank you for supporting me and having a wild weekend we will all remember forever.
“To my Mom, the former Miss CT USA herself. Thank you for being the best walking coach there is. We spent the entire year preparing. Taking countless trips to NYC for my wardrobe, traveling and live-streaming every state pageant, the words of encouragement and mental preparation, you do it all. This is a legacy and i want to follow in your footsteps.
“And what’s next for me… y’all will have to wait and see. Pageantry is in my blood and i’m not giving up now.
“Big things to come… so stay tuned.”
Asa Hawks is a writer and editor for Starcasm. You can contact Asa via Twitter, Facebook, or email at starcasmtips(at)yahoo.com
