In 1990, Peruggi was named president of Marymount Manhattan College, a position she held for eleven years; during this time the college's enrollment doubled.[3] At Marymount, she was credited with turning around the institution financially, in part by recruiting wealthy business personages to the college's Board of Trustees.[8] One professor said, "She's great at fund-raising, beefed up the student body and the faculty, devoted to community outreach and diversity, and brought a great moxie to the school."[8]
Peruggi was named president of Kingsborough Community College in May 2004.[3] Under Peruggi's leadership, Kingsborough Community College experienced record-high enrollment numbers.[10] It was also named one of the top four community colleges in the country when it was chosen as a Finalist with Distinction for the 2013 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.[10] Having reached age 65, she announced she was stepping down in April 2014, effective at the end of the coming summer.[11][10]
On October 26, 1968, Peruggi married Rudy Giuliani, her second cousin, whom she had known since childhood. In 1975, the couple agreed to a trial separation.[14] Giuliani met local television personality Donna Hanover in 1982, and they began dating when she was working in Miami. Giuliani filed for legal separation from Peruggi on August 12, 1982.[14] The Giuliani-Peruggi marriage legally ended in two ways: a civil divorce was issued by the end of 1982,[4] while a Roman Catholic church annulment of the Giuliani-Peruggi marriage was granted at the end of 1983[14] reportedly because Giuliani had discovered that he and Peruggi were second cousins.[15][16]Alan Placa, Giuliani's best man, later became a priest and helped get the annulment. Giuliani and Peruggi did not have any children.[17]