Buddy Valastro

Buddy Valastro
Valastro at the 2013 Jersey City Mayoral Inauguration
Born Bartolo Valastro Jr.
(1977-03-03) March 3, 1977
Hoboken, New Jersey[1]
Nationality American
Citizenship American
Occupation Owner of Carlo's Bakery, Buddy V's Events & Buddy V's Ristorante
Known for Baker, cake designer and host of Cake Boss
Home town Hoboken, New Jersey
Spouse(s)
Lisa Valastro (m. 2001)
Children 4
Parent(s)
  • Bartolo Valastro Sr.
  • Mary Valastro
Website

buddyvalastro.com carlosbakery.com buddyvevents.com

cakehousemedia.com

Bartolo "Buddy" Valastro Jr.[1] (born March 3, 1977) is an American celebrity chef, entrepreneur, and reality television personality of Italian heritage. He is the owner of Carlo's Bakery, as well as the face of Buddy V's Ristorante. Valastro is best known as the star of the reality television series Cake Boss, which premiered in April 2009. He has also starred in Kitchen Boss (2011), The Next Great Baker (2010), and Buddy's Bakery Rescue (2013).

Early life

Valastro was born in Hoboken, New Jersey to Buddy Valastro Sr., and Mary W. Tubito on March 3, 1977 and grew up in urban Hoboken and Little Ferry, New Jersey.[2][3] His mother was born in Altamura, Italy and is the daughter of Italian-American immigrants who moved to New Jersey when she was six years old.[4] His father, Buddy Sr was born in Lipari, Italy. Valastro grew up with four sisters: Grace, Mary, Maddalena and Lisa.

Valastro began working at his family's business, Carlo's Bakery at age 11, alongside his father. His father died in 1994, when Valastro was 17, and he succeeded him as the new "Cake Boss".[5]

Career

Buddy Valastro (right), General Raymond T. Odierno also other members of the United States Army in Times Square cutting a cake to celebrate the Army's 238th birthday in 2012

Valastro is the owner and head baker of Carlo's Bakery, the bakery featured on Cake Boss. Carlo's has since opened 17 more bakeries due to the popularity of the show. In January 2012, as a result of the attention that the shop and the TV series had brought to the city of Hoboken, the Hudson Reporter named Valastro as an honorable mention in its list of Hudson County's 50 most influential people.

Carlo's Bakery currently has seven locations in New Jersey—Hoboken, Marlton, Morristown, Red Bank, Ridgewood, Wayne, and Westfield. Outside of New Jersey, the bakery operates locations in Philadelphia, PA; Bethlehem, PA; Westbury and New York, NY; Orlando, FL; Frisco, Dallas, and The Woodlands, TX; São Paulo, Brazil; Uncasville, CT; Las Vegas and most recently in Minneapolis, MN.[6] The Lackawanna Factory in nearby Jersey City serves as the corporate office for the business and is used as additional space to create wedding and specialty cakes, and to bake specialty baked goods for shipment across the country.

Valastro launched an event planning and catering company, Buddy V's Events, in June 2014. It specializes in catering everything from corporate events to family gatherings, as well as planning events such as weddings and galas.

In 2016 Valastro partnered with Whole Earth Sweetener Co. on a campaign to "Rethink Sweet." "Buddy will serve as the official brand ambassador for the new line of zero- and lower-calorie sweeteners, and will work to help his fans make healthy lifestyle choices, without compromising on taste. Buddy will share his culinary expertise, along with all-new, original and seasonally festive recipes for mouthwatering treats using Whole Earth Sweetener Co. products."[7]

In 2018 Valastro partnered with The Pound Bakery, a pet treat manufacturing company to redesign and launch a new line of pet treats. "We wanted to create palatable treats for dogs that are inspired by classic Italian entrees and desserts," said Lexie Berglund, President of The Pound Bakery.[8] Buddy also worked with several other companies to launch a full line of ready-to-use fondant, buttercream icing, and Italian Biscotti cookies under the new brand name Buddy Valastro Foods in 2018.

Personal life

Until 2014, Valastro resided in East Hanover Township, New Jersey, with his wife Lisa and four children: Sofia Valastro, Bartolo "Buddy" Valastro III, Marco Valastro, and Carlo Valastro. He has four sisters[9] and a stepfather, Sergio.[10] As of 2014, he resided in Montville, New Jersey.[11]

On 13 November 2014, Valastro was arrested for driving while intoxicated. "You can't arrest me," he told the police. "I'm the Cake Boss." "Is there anything we can do?" he asked. "I'm a good guy. You don't have to arrest me." Buddy's driver's license was suspended for 90 days and he paid a $300 fine.[12][13][14]

Filmography

Television
Year Title Role Notes
2007 Food Network Challenge Guest mentor Episode: "Battle of the Brides"[15]
2009–present Cake Boss Host
2010–14 Next Great Baker Host / Judge
2011–12 Kitchen Boss Host
2013–14 Buddy's Bakery Rescue Host
2015 The Apprentice Guest judge Episode: "May the Gods of Good Pies Be with Us"
2015–present Battle of the Bakers Host / Judge
2016 Battle of the Cooks Host / Judge
2016 Buddy's Family Vacation Host
2016–present Bakers vs. Fakers Host
2018–present Buddy's Big Bakedown Host
Buddy Valastro walking out onstage waving to fans at a cake fair in Orlando, FL, 2017
As producer/executive producer
Year Title Notes
2010–12 Next Great Baker 6 episodes
2011–12 Kitchen Boss All episodes
2015–present Batalha dos Confeiteiros All episodes
2016 Batalha dos Cozinheiros All episodes
2016 Cake Boss 8 episodes
2016 Cooks vs. Cons 1 episode
2016 Bakers vs. Fakers All episodes

Comedian Paul F. Tompkins plays a parody of Buddy Valastro on the Comedy Bang! Bang! podcast and the IFC TV show.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Buddy height = 5'6 Valastro". Hollywood Life. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  2. ↑ Staff. "The Cake Boss returns to Little Ferry", Little Ferry Local, May 7, 2010. Accessed November 14, 2014. "Cake Boss Buddy Valastro returned to Little Ferry on April 27 to accept the 'keys to the city' during ceremonies at Borough Hall. Valastro, who grew up in town, is best known for his starring role on the TLC television program The Cake Boss.".
  3. ↑ "Buddy Valastro". TLC. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Il boss delle torte arriva ad Altamura" (in Italian).
  5. ↑ "'Cake Boss' Buddy Valastro adds a layer to TV/bakery empire with Times Square cafe". NY Daily News. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  6. ↑ bakeshop.carlosbakery.com/contact-us
  7. ↑ http://www.wholeearthsweetener.com/news
  8. ↑ "Buddy Valastro Pets Launches Treats with The Pound Bakery". www.petbusiness.com. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
  9. ↑ Heilpern, John (December 2013). "Out to Lunch with Buddy Valastro". Vanity Fair. Condé Nast. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  10. ↑ Triggs, Charlotte (August 13, 2012). "Cake Boss Buddy Valastro: My Mom's Fight to Live". People. Time Inc. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  11. ↑ Moore, Tina; Jacobs, Shayna; and Siemaszko, Corky. "'Cake Boss' star Buddy Valastro tried to charm NYPD out of drunk driving charge: prosecutors; The 37-year-old was pulled over by NYPD officers after he was seen driving erratically in Hell’s Kitchen early Thursday and failed a Breathalyzer test given soon after. He was charged with driving while intoxicated and driving while ability impaired, and declined in court to plead guilty.", Daily News (New York), November 13, 2014. Accessed November 17, 2015. "It wasn't clear where Valastro, who is 37 and lives in Montville, N.J., was heading at 1 a.m. when the cops corralled him."
  12. ↑ Carroll, Timothy J. "Buddy’s kind of town; 'Cake Boss’' calls out Ace of Cakes, talks season 2", Hudson Reporter, August 9, 2009. Accessed September 12, 2015. "He loves Hoboken – even though he lives in East Hanover – and is proud that his father was one of thousands of immigrants who settled here."
  13. ↑ Pellettieri, Cortney (July 4, 2011). "Man of the House: Buddy Valastro". Good Housekeeping. Hearst Corporation. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  14. ↑ Berk, Nancy (May 1, 2015). "Showbiz Analysis with Cake Boss Couple Buddy and Lisa Valastro". Parade. Athlon Publishing. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  15. ↑ Smith, Dustin (2009-03-25). "TLC Takes the Cake With Buddy Valastro" (Press release). Discovery Press Web. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
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