Met his wife, Svetlina Kiryakova. Kiryakova, a former Bulgarian member of the National Ballet, was residing in the United States at the time. The two were introduced by Magga Aliev, a Bulgarian composer living in Sofia. When Cimino returned to the States, the two met and were married two years later. In the beginning, both were surprised that they had not met sooner. While the product of a long distance introduction, their homes in America were only six miles apart.