In 1975, while undergoing an operation in Los Angeles to remove a benign brain tumor, Prima lapsed into a coma and never regained consciousness.
He left Maione Gia in debt, to the point where she was forced to sell off assets to appease his ex-wives and biological children.
In 1994, Maione assumed control of the Prima archives, at which time she set about managing his vast musical legacy.
Among her other duties, Maione handled the licensing of Prima's work for television, film and advertising, such as the use of 'Jump, Jive and Wail' for a series of Gap ads in the late 1990s.
While living in Island Heights, New Jersey in 2002, she filed suit against Unidisc Music claiming that proper royalties had not been paid.
Because of her death Disney got the rights to King Louie again and let him return in the 2016 live action remake of the 1967 animated film.