Buddy Valastro

Background

Bartolo Valastro Jr., professionally known as Buddy Valastro, was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, on March 3, 1977, where he lived and was brought up alongside his four sisters. His mother is a second-generation Italian-American, and his father was born in Lipari, Italy. At age 17, when his father died, Valastro took over the family’s bakery and made it into a successful world-class business.

Carlo’s Bakery, which was featured on the Learning Channel’s show “Cake Boss,” is owned and operated by him. Following the feature’s immediate success, Valastro opened 17 other bakeries in New Jersey, Philadelphia, Florida, Texas, Brazil, Connecticut, Las Vegas, and Minnesota. He appeared as a guest adviser on the “Food Network Challenge” in 2007. He has judged and hosted shows such as “Cake Boss” (2009-present), “Next Great Baker” (2010-2014), “Kitchen Boss” (2011-2012), “The Apprentice” (2015), and “Dancing With The Stars Brazil” (2017).

Valastro established The Lackawanna Factory in Jersey City to serve as the corporate headquarters for Carlo’s Bakery. It is also used as an additional workspace for wedding and specialty cakes. In June 2014, Valastro, an ardent businessman, launched Buddy V’s Events, a new catering, and event-organizing firm. He was a brand ambassador for Whole Earth Sweetener Co., where he assisted in the development of recipes for novel zero and lower-calorie sweeteners. He also collaborated with The Pound Bakery in 2018 to redesign and introduce a new range of pet treats inspired by classic Italian desserts. Valastro collaborated with many other companies to create a line of ready-made buttercream frosting, fondant, and Italian biscotti under the brand name Buddy Valastro Foods.

He is married to Lisa Valastro, and they have four children together — Sofia, Bartolo, Marco, and Carlo. Valastro is personally invested in politics and campaigned for Governor Chris Christie. In 2014, he moved from East Hanover Township, New Jersey, to Montville. He has shown off his love for writing by releasing his book, “Cake Boss: Stories and Recipes.”