Bartolo “Buddy” Valastro III, widely known as Buddy Valastro III or Buddy Jr., was born on September 27, 2004, in New Jersey. As the eldest son of celebrity baker Bartolo “Buddy” Valastro Jr. and Lisa Valastro, he grew up in a family where baking, television, business, and family traditions were woven together.
At 21 years old in 2026, Buddy III stands at an interesting crossroads. He is part of a famous baking dynasty, but he is also building an identity of his own through education, athletics, family business experience, and public appearances. When I look at his story, I see less of a finished career and more of an unfolding chapter in the Valastro family story.
Who Is Bartolo Buddy Valastro III
Buddy III is the second child and eldest son of Buddy Valastro Jr. and Lisa Valastro. His older sister, Sofia, was born in 2003, followed by Marco in 2007 and Carlo in 2011.
Growing up, Buddy III was surrounded by the sights and sounds of Carlo’s Bakery. Flour, frosting, ovens, decorated cakes, customers, television cameras, and extended family members were all familiar parts of his childhood.
His father became famous through Cake Boss, but the family’s connection to baking reaches much further back. Carlo’s Bakery became part of the Valastro family in 1964, when Buddy Jr.’s father, Bartolo Valastro Sr., acquired the Hoboken bakery. The business itself dates back even earlier, creating a family tradition that stretches across generations.
Buddy III therefore carries a name that is almost like a bakery recipe passed from one generation to another. His challenge is to decide which ingredients of that tradition he wants to keep and which ones he wants to make his own.
Childhood in a Famous Italian American Family
Buddy III was raised in a close-knit New Jersey Italian American family. With Italian roots on both sides, his family has strong Italian ties.
His father grandparents were from Lipari and Altamura, and his mother family is from Molfetta, Puglia. So food and family have been crucial to his upbringing.
The Valastro kids had a vast extended family. The family’s shows popularized their aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents.
Buddy III had a childhood when family reunions felt like television production days, which few children do.
Education and Life at Syracuse University
Buddy III attended Morristown-Beard School in Morristown, New Jersey. He graduated from high school in June 2023.
Education became an important part of his path because his father had left school at 17 following the death of his own father. Buddy Jr. entered the bakery business early and eventually built a television and business career around it.
Buddy III took a different route.
He continued his education at Syracuse University, where he has pursued business-related studies. He has also been associated with the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity.
The decision to attend college reflects a balance within the family. Buddy III has the opportunity to enter the bakery business, but he is also gaining knowledge outside the kitchen. Business education can provide another layer of understanding for someone who may eventually become involved in a large family enterprise.
During college breaks, he has returned home and worked with the family business, allowing him to keep one foot in the classroom and another in the bakery.
A Multi Sport Athlete Before College
Long before Buddy III became known primarily as a member of the Valastro family, he developed a reputation as an athlete.
At Morristown-Beard, he participated in football, soccer, ice hockey, and lacrosse. He was particularly involved with lacrosse and served as a team captain.
Some descriptions of his high school football career identify him with jersey number 55.
His athletic background adds another dimension to his personality. The bakery environment may have been his family’s traditional playing field, but sports gave him a separate arena in which discipline, teamwork, leadership, and physical endurance mattered.
That combination of athletics and business studies creates a different picture of Buddy III than simply calling him the son of a television baker.
His Relationship With Buddy Valastro Jr.
Buddy Valastro Jr., born March 3, 1977, in Hoboken, New Jersey, is the most famous family member.
Buddy Jr., known as Cake Boss, took over the bakery after his father’s 1994 death. He was 17 years old.
He expanded the family business into entertainment and food throughout the decades. TV series, restaurants, bakeries, publications, online businesses, and other projects spread Valastro beyond Hoboken.
Buddy Jr. often calls his oldest son a “clone” or “mini-me.”
So their relationship is personal and professional. Buddy III, his son, may help the family business succeed.
Lisa Valastro and the Family Home
Lisa Valastro, born March 9, 1979, is Buddy III’s mother. She has appeared alongside her husband and children in the family’s television projects and has developed her own presence through cooking, social media, podcasting, and online content.
Lisa’s family background also contributes to the Valastro children’s Italian heritage. Her mother, Gloria Belgiovine, has roots in Molfetta, Puglia, and has been associated with her own cookie business.
For Buddy III, food culture is therefore not limited to his father’s side of the family. Both sides have strong culinary and Italian American connections.
Sofia Valastro
Sofia Valastro, born April 23, 2003, is Buddy III’s older sister and the only daughter in the family.
She attended the University of Delaware and studied business and economics. After college, she returned to New Jersey and became more involved with Carlo’s Bakery.
Sofia and Buddy III have appeared together in family interviews and discussions about growing up with a famous father. Their experiences provide an interesting contrast because both understand the expectations that come with the Valastro name while following their own educational and professional paths.
Sofia has also developed a public personality of her own, appearing confident and independent while remaining closely connected to her family.
Marco Valastro
Marco Valastro was born on February 26, 2007, and is Buddy III’s younger brother.
Like his older brother, Marco has been involved in sports and family activities. He has played football and lacrosse and has also developed an interest in cooking.
Marco is known within the family for his enthusiasm and personality. Steak and other cooking projects have been among his interests, giving him another connection to the family’s culinary world.
His generation represents another potential branch of the Valastro family’s future, particularly as the younger children continue growing into adulthood.
Carlo Salvatore Valastro
Carlo Salvatore Valastro, born February 14, 2011, is the youngest of the four Valastro children.
He was named partly in connection with Carlo’s Bakery and its history. Although younger than his siblings, Carlo has shown an interest in cooking and has expressed ambitions connected to the restaurant business.
His lower public profile distinguishes him from his older siblings, but he remains an active part of the family and its culinary traditions.
With Buddy III, Sofia, Marco, and Carlo, the Valastro family has four children growing up around a business that has already passed through several generations.
The Valastro Extended Family
The family tree extends well beyond Buddy III’s immediate household.
Buddy Jr.’s sisters have played significant roles in the family’s bakery and television story. Grace Faugno, Madeline Castano, Mary Sciarrone, and Lisa Gonzalez have all been associated with the broader family business and television universe.
Their husbands and children have also appeared in family projects. Names such as Joey Faugno, Mauro “Chef Mario” Castano, Joe Sciarrone, Joseph Sciarrone, Lucia Sciarrone, Teresa Gonzalez, John Gonzalez, and Isabella Gonzalez are part of the larger family network.
This large family structure helps explain why Carlo’s Bakery has often felt less like a conventional company and more like a family kitchen expanded to enormous proportions.
Bartolo Valastro Sr. and Mary Valastro
Buddy III’s paternal grandfather was Bartolo “Buddy” Valastro Sr., born in 1939 and originally from Lipari, Italy.
He purchased Carlo’s Bakery in 1964 and taught his son, Buddy Jr., the baking trade.
His influence remains central to the family story even though Buddy III never knew him as an adult. Bartolo Sr. died in 1994, when Buddy Jr. was only 17.
Buddy III’s paternal grandmother was Mary Valastro, born Mary Tubito in 1948. She was from Altamura, Italy, and became familiar to television viewers through Cake Boss. She died in 2017 following complications associated with ALS.
Together, Bartolo Sr. and Mary represent an earlier generation of the family tree, one that established many of the traditions Buddy III inherited.
Buddy III and Carlo’s Bakery
Buddy III has spent much of his life around Carlo’s Bakery and has learned practical skills from his father.
His involvement has included working during school breaks and learning aspects of baking and food preparation. Cake decorating and pizza-making are among the skills associated with his experience at the family business.
At this stage, however, Buddy III is better described as a young member of the next generation than as the independent owner of a major business.
His college education suggests that he is keeping his options open. He can learn the family trade while also developing business knowledge that could become useful in any future role.
Buddy III on Television
Buddy III began appearing around the Valastro family’s television world when he was a child.
He was seen in Cake Boss and later appeared in projects connected to his father’s career, including Buddy vs. Christmas and Buddy Valastro’s Cake Dynasty.
The latter places greater emphasis on the next generation of the family and shows how the children are gradually becoming adults with their own ambitions.
Unlike his father, Buddy III has not yet established himself as an independent television personality with a separate career. His public identity remains closely connected to the Valastro family.
The Family’s Bowling Connection
Buddy III’s father’s bowling alley was the scene of one of his most spectacular incidents.
Buddy Valastro Jr.’s hand was severely injured when a pinsetter malfunctioned at the family’s Montville, New Jersey, private bowling alley on September 20, 2020.
Professional bowling did not cause the accident. Buddy Jr. bowled at home.
Buddy III was 16. He, his younger brother Marco, and their uncle Joe Faugno freed their father from the equipment. Family members used pliers and a reciprocating saw to rescue.
Buddy Jr. needed many operations and extensive recuperation. The Valastro children’s close relationship with their father amid a crisis was highlighted by the injury, one of the family’s most significant occurrences.
Family Timeline
| Year | Family milestone |
|---|---|
| 1939 | Bartolo Valastro Sr. is born |
| 1964 | Bartolo Sr. acquires Carlo’s Bakery |
| 1977 | Buddy Valastro Jr. is born |
| 1979 | Lisa Valastro is born |
| 1994 | Bartolo Sr. dies and Buddy Jr. takes over the bakery |
| 2001 | Buddy Jr. and Lisa marry |
| 2003 | Sofia Valastro is born |
| 2004 | Buddy III is born on September 27 |
| 2007 | Marco Valastro is born |
| 2011 | Carlo Salvatore Valastro is born |
| 2020 | Buddy Jr. suffers his serious bowling alley hand injury |
| 2023 | Buddy III graduates from high school |
| 2023 | Buddy Valastro’s Cake Dynasty begins |
| 2024 to 2026 | Buddy III continues college while helping with the family business |
Buddy Valastro III’s Personal Life
Buddy III has maintained a relatively private personal life compared with his father.
Public profiles have described him as single, and there have been no widely established reports of a long-term marriage or children. Much of his public presence centers on school, sports, family, baking, and social media.
His public identity also remains closely connected to his family’s Italian American traditions. He has grown up in a household where food is not merely a profession. It is a language through which generations connect.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Bartolo Buddy Valastro III?
Bartolo “Buddy” Valastro III was born on September 27, 2004. He is 21 years old in September 2026 and will turn 22 on September 27, 2026.
Who are Buddy Valastro III’s parents?
His parents are celebrity baker and television personality Bartolo “Buddy” Valastro Jr. and Lisa Valastro.
Does Buddy Valastro III have siblings?
Yes. He has three siblings: older sister Sofia Valastro, younger brother Marco Valastro, and youngest brother Carlo Salvatore Valastro.
Where did Buddy Valastro III go to high school?
He attended Morristown-Beard School in Morristown, New Jersey, where he participated in football, soccer, ice hockey, and lacrosse.
Where does Buddy Valastro III attend college?
Buddy III attends Syracuse University and has pursued business-related studies.
Does Buddy Valastro III work at Carlo’s Bakery?
Yes. He has worked with the family bakery, particularly during breaks from college, and has learned practical baking and food preparation skills.
Is Buddy Valastro III a professional baker?
He is an aspiring baker and a member of the next generation of the Carlo’s Bakery family, but he has not established an independent professional baking career comparable to his father’s.
Who is Buddy Valastro III’s grandfather?
His paternal grandfather was Bartolo “Buddy” Valastro Sr., who purchased Carlo’s Bakery in 1964 and taught his son the baking trade.
How many children do Buddy and Lisa Valastro have?
Buddy and Lisa Valastro have four children: Sofia, Buddy III, Marco, and Carlo.
Was Buddy Valastro Jr. a professional bowler?
No. His major connection to bowling was recreational. In 2020, he suffered a severe hand injury in an accident involving the pinsetter at his private home bowling alley.
What happened to Buddy Valastro Jr.’s hand?
On September 20, 2020, his right hand became trapped in a malfunctioning pinsetter. The accident caused extensive damage and required multiple surgeries and years of rehabilitation.
Did Buddy III help his father after the bowling accident?
Yes. Buddy III was 16 when the accident occurred and helped his father escape the machinery alongside his younger brother Marco and their uncle Joe Faugno.
What is Buddy Valastro III’s relationship with the family business?
He is part of the next generation of the Valastro family business. He has gained hands-on experience at Carlo’s Bakery while pursuing his own education and interests.
Is Buddy Valastro III married?
There is no widely established public record of him being married. Public profiles have generally described him as single.
What is Buddy Valastro III’s net worth?
His independent personal net worth has not been reliably established. He is primarily known as a college student and member of the Valastro family business rather than as an independently wealthy business owner.
