1 9 6 8 , ▁unable ▁to ▁recon cile ▁her ▁feelings ▁for ▁Joe ▁and ▁for ▁her ▁father , ▁Victoria ▁develop s ▁multiple - person ality ▁dis order , ▁manifest ing ▁in ▁an ▁alter - ego , ▁" N iki ▁Smith ," ▁and ▁begins ▁d ating ▁Vin ny ▁W ole k ▁( Ant ony ▁Pon z ini ). ▁ ▁As ▁Victoria ▁re co vers ▁from ▁her ▁first ▁bout ▁with ▁multiple ▁personal ities , ▁Victor ▁conced es ▁to ▁the ▁relationships ▁of ▁his ▁white ▁col lar ▁daughters ▁to ▁working ▁class ▁gentlemen ▁when ▁he ▁un co vers ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁a ▁long - lost ▁son . ▁Victor ▁emb arks ▁on ▁a ▁search ▁for ▁the ▁son ▁he ▁had ▁long ▁year ned ▁for . ▁V iki ▁and ▁Joe ▁first ▁marry ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 6 9 , ▁and ▁Mer rie ▁( L yn n ▁Ben esch ▁on ward ) ▁and ▁Larry ▁( Michael ▁Storm ▁on ward ) ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 7 0 . ▁A ▁short ▁time ▁later , ▁Joe ▁apparently ▁dies ▁in ▁a ▁car ▁crash ▁while ▁reporting ▁in ▁California , ▁giving ▁Victor ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁set ▁his ▁wid owed ▁daughter ▁up ▁with ▁a ▁su itor ▁more ▁to ▁his ▁lik ing . ▁With ▁a ▁vac ant ▁editor - in - ch ief ▁position ▁available , ▁Victor ▁rep laces ▁Joe ▁with ▁promoted ▁upper - cr ust ▁writer ▁Steve ▁Bur ke ▁( B ern ie ▁Grant ). ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 1 , ▁Victoria ▁( E ri ka ▁S lez ak ▁on ward ) ▁announ ces ▁her