Buddy Valastro

Bartolo "Buddy" Valastro Jr.[1] (born March 3, 1977) is an American baker 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), Next Great Baker (2010), and Buddy's Bakery Rescue (2013).

Buddy Valastro
Valastro at the 2013 Jersey City Mayoral Inauguration
Born
Bartolo Valastro Jr.

(1977-03-03) March 3, 1977
Hoboken, New Jersey[1]
NationalityItalian-American
CitizenshipAmerican
OccupationOwner of Carlo's Bakery, Buddy V's Events & Buddy V's Ristorante
Known forBaker, cake designer and host of Cake Boss
Home townHoboken, New Jersey
Spouse(s)
Lisa Valastro (m. 2001)
Children4
Parent(s)
  • Bartolo Valastro Sr.
  • Mary Valastro
Websitecarlosbakery.com cakehousemedia.com

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.[5]

He attended Ridgefield Park High School and took baking courses at the Bergen County Technical High School, Teterboro Campus.[6]

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".[7]

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 the TLC show 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.[8]

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, Pennsylvania; Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; Westbury and New York, New York; Orlando, Florida; Frisco, Dallas, and The Woodlands, Texas; São Paulo, Brazil; Uncasville, Connecticut; Las Vegas and most recently in Minneapolis, Minnesota.[9] 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 which specializes in a wide range of catering for corporate and family events.

In 2016 Valastro partnered with Whole Earth Sweetener Co. on a campaign to "Rethink Sweet." According to a press release, "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".[10]

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.[11] 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[12] and a stepfather, Sergio. His brother in law is Maurizio Belgiovine.[13] As of 2014, he resided in Montville, New Jersey. On 13 November 2014, Valastro was arrested for driving while intoxicated. His driver's license was suspended for 90 days and he paid a $300 fine.[14]

Filmography

Television
Year Title Role Notes
2007 Food Network Challenge Guest mentor Episode: "Battle of the Brides"[15]
2009–2017 Cake Boss Host
2010–2014 Next Great Baker Host / Judge
2011–2012 Kitchen Boss Host
2013–2014 Buddy's Bakery Rescue Host
2015 The Apprentice Guest judge Episode: "May the Gods of Good Pies Be with Us"
2015–2018 Batalha dos Confeiteiros Host / Judge
2016 Batalha dos Cozinheiros Host / Judge
2016 Buddy's Family Vacation Host
2016 Bakers vs. Fakers Host
2017 Dancing with the Stars Brazil Judge Christmas special
2018–present Buddy's Big Bakedown Host
2018 Impractical Jokers Himself Episode: "Pulling the Rug"
2019 Buddy vs Duff Himself Winner
2019–present Bake You Rich Host / Judge

As producer
Buddy Valastro walking out onstage waving to fans at a cake fair in Orlando, Florida, 2017
Year Title Notes
2010–2012 Next Great Baker 6 episodes
2011–2012 Kitchen Boss All episodes
2015–2018 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. "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. Brunati, Bryan (April 12, 2019). "One Happy Bunch: A Guide to 'Cake Boss' Star Buddy Valastro's Wife, Kids and Family". CloserWeekly.com. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  6. Valastro, Buddy. Cake Boss: Stories and Recipes from Mia Famiglia, p. 81. Simon and Schuster, 2011. ISBN 9781451610345. Accessed November 26, 2019. "When I was sixteen, I returned to Ridgefield Park Junior Senior High School, which had a vocational program as well; I'd take academic classes in the morning, then hop on a bus to Teterboro High School for my afternoon baking classes."
  7. "'Cake Boss' Buddy Valastro adds a layer to TV/bakery empire with Times Square cafe". New York Daily News. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  8. "They've got the power – Hudson Reporter Archives". The Hudson Reporter. January 11, 2012.
  9. bakeshop.carlosbakery.com/contact-us
  10. "Celebrity Baker Buddy Valastro Partners with Whole Earth Sweetener Co". www.fsrmagazine.com. FSR Magazine. September 13, 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  11. "Buddy Valastro Pets Launches Treats with The Pound Bakery". www.petbusiness.com. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
  12. Heilpern, John (December 2013). "Out to Lunch with Buddy Valastro". Vanity Fair. Condé Nast. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  13. Triggs, Charlotte (August 13, 2012). "Cake Boss Buddy Valastro: My Mom's Fight to Live". People. Time Inc. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  14. Moore, Tina; Jacobs, Shayna; Siemaszko, Corky (November 13, 2014). "'Cake Boss' star Buddy Valastro tried to charm NYPD out of drunk dui driving charge: prosecutors". Daily News. Retrieved 17 November 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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