Buddy Valastro

Bartolo "Buddy" Valastro Jr.[1] (born March 3, 1977)[2] 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 Next Great Baker (2010), Kitchen Boss (2011), Buddy's Bakery Rescue (2013), Bake You Rich (2013), Bakery Boss (2013), Buddy vs. Duff (2019), and Buddy vs. Christmas (2020).

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

(1977-03-03) March 3, 1977
Hoboken, New Jersey
Occupation(s)Owner of Carlo's Bakery, Buddy V's Events, The Boss Cafe, Pizza Cake, & Buddy V's Ristorante
Known forBaker, cake designer and host of Cake Boss
TelevisionCake Boss
SpouseLisa Valastro
Children4
Parent(s)Bartolo Valastro Sr. and Mary Valastro
Websitecarlosbakery.com cakehousemedia.com

Early life

Valastro was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, and grew up there[3] and in Little Ferry, New Jersey.[4][5] 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.[6] His father, Buddy Sr was born in Lipari, Italy. Valastro grew up with four sisters: Grace, Mary, Maddalena and Lisa.[7]

He attended Ridgefield Park High School and took baking courses at the Bergen County Technical High School, Teterboro Campus.[8]

Valastro began working at his family's business, Carlo's Bakery at age 11, alongside his father. When his father died in 1994, Valastro was 17. Valastro took over the family business.[9]

Career
Buddy Valastro (right), General Raymond T. Odierno, and 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.[10]

Carlo's Bakery 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; San Antonio, and The Woodlands, Texas; São Paulo, Brazil; Uncasville, Connecticut; Las Vegas and most recently in Minneapolis, Minnesota.[11] 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.

In 2016 Valastro partnered with Whole Earth Sweetener Co. on the campaign "Rethink Sweet." The company said Valastro would serve as brand ambassador for a "new line of zero- and lower-calorie sweeteners, and will work to help his fans make healthy lifestyle choices", and provide recipes using the product.[12]

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.[13] 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.

Valastro, a supporter of the Special Olympics, baked a commemorative cake for the 2011 announcement that the 2014 Special Olympics USA National Games would be held in New Jersey.[14]

Personal life

Buddy and Lisa Valastro married on October 14, 2001.[15] Until 2014, Valastro resided in East Hanover Township, New Jersey, with their four children: Sofia, Bartolo "Buddy" III, Marco, and Carlo. He has four sisters[16] and a stepfather, Sergio. His brother-in-law is Maurizio Belgiovine.[17] As of 2014, he resided in Montville, New Jersey.

On November 13, 2014, Valastro was arrested for driving while intoxicated. His driver's license was suspended for 90 days, and he paid a $300 fine.[18]

In September 2020, Valastro had his right (dominant) hand impaled by a pinsetter at his home bowling alley. His sons and other family members rescued him by cutting him out of the machine.[19] He underwent two emergency surgeries.[20]

Politics

Valastro supported and campaigned for Republican Governor Chris Christie in his 2013 re-election bid, and in 2014 baked his birthday cake.[21] He also endorsed Christie's 2016 presidential campaign.[22]

Filmography

Television
Year Title Role Notes
2007 Food Network Challenge Guest mentor Episode: "Battle of the Brides"[23]
2009–2020 Cake Boss Host
2010–2014 Next Great Baker Host / Judge
2014 Next Great Baker: Latin America Host / Judge
2011–2012 Kitchen Boss Host
2013–2014 Buddy's Bakery Rescue
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
Buddy's Family Vacation Host
Bakers vs. Fakers
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 Lost to Duff 258-254
2019 Bake You Rich Host / Judge
2019 Beat Bobby Flay Guest Judge Episode: "Grapes of Wrath"
2020 Beat Bobby Flay Contestant Episode: "No Cake Walk". He challenged Bobby with his signature Multi-Layered Cake. He also won that challenge.
2020 Nickelodeon's Unfiltered Himself Episode: "Avocado Toasted Piñatas!"

As producer
Buddy Valastro walking 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
2016 Batalha dos Cozinheiros
Cake Boss 8 episodes
Cooks vs. Cons 1 episode
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. McKinley, James C., Jr. (December 1, 2014). "'Cake Boss' Star Pleads Guilty to D.W.I. Charge". The New York Times. Retrieved September 24, 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. "UPI Almanac for Tuesday, March 3, 2020". United Press International. March 3, 2020. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2020. …celebrity baker Buddy Valastro in 1977 (age 43)
  3. Valastro, Buddy (2010). "About the Author". Cake Boss: Stories and Recipes from Mia Famiglia. Atria Books. p. 256. ISBN 978-1439183519. Buddy Valastro is an accomplished fourth-generation baker born in Hoboken, New Jersey
  4. "The Cake Boss returns to Little Ferry". NorthJersey.com. May 7, 2010. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015. Retrieved November 14, 2014. Cake Boss Buddy Valastro returned to Little Ferry.... Valastro, who grew up in town....
  5. "Buddy Valastro". TLC. Archived from the original on December 3, 2018. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  6. "Il boss delle torte arriva ad Altamura" (in Italian).
  7. Brunati, Bryan (April 12, 2019). "One Happy Bunch: A Guide to 'Cake Boss' Star Buddy Valastro's Wife, Kids and Family". Closer Weekly. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  8. Valastro, Cake Boss: Stories and Recipes from Mia Famiglia, p. 81: "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."
  9. "'Cake Boss' Buddy Valastro adds a layer to TV/bakery empire with Times Square cafe". Daily News. New York City. Archived from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
  10. "They've got the power". The Hudson Reporter. January 11, 2012.
  11. bakeshop.carlosbakery.com/contact-us
  12. "Celebrity Baker Buddy Valastro Partners with Whole Earth Sweetener Co" (Press release). Whole Earth Sweetener Co. September 13, 2016. Archived from the original on September 25, 2019. Retrieved September 25, 2019 – via FSR.
  13. "Buddy Valastro Pets Launches Treats with The Pound Bakery". petbusiness.com. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
  14. Brooks, Jed (March 15, 2011). "It is official! New Jersey's hosting the 2014 USA National Games" (Press release). Special Olympics official blog. Archived from the original on September 26, 2015. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  15. Triggs, Charlotte (September 26, 2011). "Buddy Valastro Proposes to His Wife – Again". People. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  16. Heilpern, John (December 2013). "Out to Lunch with Buddy Valastro". Vanity Fair. Condé Nast. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  17. Triggs, Charlotte (August 13, 2012). "Cake Boss Buddy Valastro: My Mom's Fight to Live". People. Time Inc. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  18. 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.
  19. Zurita, Anthony. "'Cake Boss' Buddy Valastro describes his bloody hand injury: 'It just blew out half of my hand'". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  20. Zurita, Anthony (29 September 2020). "'It blew out half of my hand': Buddy 'Cake Boss' Valastro describes gruesome hand injury". North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  21. Bonamo, Mark (September 4, 2014). "NJ GOP gets fundraising solicitation from Cake Boss for Christie's birthday cake". The New York Observer. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  22. Axelrod, Joshua (February 8, 2016). "'Cake Boss' star endorses Christie". The Washington Examiner. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  23. 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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