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During his post Olympic swimming career Maiola made many apperances in swimming meets all over the United States competing against all the top swimmers of the day. He raced and beat Buster Crabbe in a 100 meter freestyle race that rocked the swimming world given the fact Crabbe was considered the very best at that time. After his swimming days were over Maiola went on to work in Hollywood as an extra in hundreds of motion pictures including Donavans Reef, Don't Go Near the Water, Gunga Den, and all of the Tarzan pictures to name a few. He would free dive of the California coast in his older years because it reminded him of his youth back in Hawaii. In his later years accompanied by his long time partner Mildred (Mimi) Nall he travled back to his child hood home despite his family urging him not to do so because of an old island belief that it was bad luck to return to the island once you had left. Ignoring this superstition he returned introducing Mimi to his remaining family and showing her where he had lived as a child up to the time he was discovered by a member of the coaching staff of the Olympic Swimming Team who was visiting the Island on vacation.
Shortly after returning to the mainland Maiola was diagnosed with stomach cancer and quickly wilted away finally succumbing to his illness. He was buried, upon his request, with his favorite flower the aromatic Gardenia. Family members documented smelling the Gardenia aroma oddly present from time to time for months after his death.
