George Santo Pietro (born December 12, 1946) is the ex-husband of TV personality Vanna White. The couple were married from 1990 to 2002. George is an American restaurateur, producer, and real estate developer in his own right.
George Santo Pietro’s name might not immediately ring a bell compared to Vanna White, but most celebrities would be familiar with him. Why? Pietro owned and ran a popular self-named restaurant in Hollywood that quickly became a celebrity hotspot. He would grow his portfolio from then on and eventually venture into real estate and movie production.
It was not long until Pietro found love in the eyes of one of the many female celebs that stopped by his restaurant for a bite. From the famous TV actress Linda Evans to the hostess of the famous game show Wheel of Fortune, Vanna White, George Santo Pietro had his fair share of celebrity relationships, which would eventually announce his name to regular folks.
Profile Summary of George Santo Pietro
- Birth name: George Santo Pietro
- Date of birth: December 12, 1946
- Place of birth: Beverly Hills, California, USA
- Age: 77 years old
- Profession: Restaurateur, Television and Movie producer, Real estate developer
- Nationality: American
- Ethnicity: Italian
- Marital status: Married (Melissa Mascari, 2005)
- Children: 4 – Andrea Santo Pietro (b. 1982), Nicholas Santo Pietro (b. 1994), Giovanni Santo Pietro (b. 1997), and Chaira Santo Pietro (aged 14).
George Santo Pietro Is A Successful Restauranteur
Not much is known about George Santo Pietro’s background because of his reluctance to talk about his childhood. What is known is that Pietro was born on December 12, 1946, in Beverly Hills, California, where he has lived for the better part of his life. It is not public knowledge who his parents were, but speculations are that he is of Italian ancestry; this is judging by his name, which obviously sounds Italian.
It remains unknown where he went to high school or where he went to college. Still, what is known is, George began his career in modest circumstances, working at various odd jobs to make ends meet up until, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, just before turning 40, he was able to open his restaurant, Santo Pietro’s, in Bel-Air, California. The restaurant was located in a hidden Hollywood strip mall near Mulholland Drive, frequented by many celebrities who knew about it.
Because his business was thriving at the time, particularly in the 1980s, he eventually opened a second restaurant named “Sushi-Ko.” As the name implies, this was a sushi restaurant, and it was also high-profile, given the elite clientele that frequented its tables. His second restaurant eventually outperformed the first, and it maintained its reputation for nearly ten years.
George Leveraged His High-profile Clientele To Access Hollywood
Due to the success of both restaurants, George was able to rub elbows with numerous celebrities who frequented his restaurants (at some point in his life, he was even next-door neighbors to Hollywood legend, Jack Nickleson, and the two were said to have been friends), this is what gave him a leg up into Hollywood.
With this, he appeared in a couple of movies, and though he never really made it as a Hollywood star, he managed to remain in the business but as a producer. In his time in tinsel town, he had a hand in producing fan favorites like L.A. Doctors, True Blood, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Alias, Pushing Daisies, The Big Bang Theory, Two And A Half Men, Muppets Most Wanted, The Good Place, Think Like A Man and numerous other movies and television shows.
He Is Also A Real Estate Investor
Later in life, Santo Pietro ventured into real estate and acquired several properties in exotic locations throughout the United States. Due to the economic prospect of real estate, the insightful and intelligent businessman made the switch. Pietro has been involved in multi-million dollar real estate transactions throughout the United States of America, and in addition to buying and selling properties, he also develops estates.
With multiple streams of income that curtail from his businesses and various other ventures, the business mogul is estimated to have a net worth of $14 million. However, this estimate is likely to be much more, considering his numerous involvements in the restaurant and real estate business, not to mention the significant fortune he made from his time in Hollywood.
In the process of amassing his fortune and building a reputation as an intelligent and no-nonsense businessman, George has also been involved in several very public relationships over the years. His most public one was his marriage to Vanna White.
George Santo Pietro Was Married To Vanna White For 12 Years
George Santo Pietro first met Vanna White (then aged 33) when he was 45 years old. They met at a dinner date set up by mutual friends Tracy Vaccaro and Jessie Eastland in Studio City. The two hit it off and dated for a couple of years before they decided to tie the knot. In a private ceremony in Aspen, Colorado, the two were married on December 31, 1989. Santo Pietro even began co-producing Vanna’s show, Wheel of Fortune.
Soon after marriage, the two started trying to conceive, and as luck would have it, in 1992, Vanna became pregnant and announced it to the world on an episode of Wheel of Fortune, revealing the words “V-A-N-N-A-S P-R-E-G-N-A-N-T “on the letter board. However, the star sadly miscarried only a week after the announcement. White opened up to People Magazine about the horrible experience in 2019, saying that it was devastating, especially after she had happily revealed it on her show.
The couple, though they struggled, was not deterred. They continued to try, and in 1994, their first child, Nicholas, was born. In 1997, they welcomed their daughter, Giovanna. Despite scaling the hurdle of childlessness, marital issues began to erupt for the couple, and as time went by, the marriage couldn’t withstand the shock of the disputes. The two divorced in 2002 after 12 years of marriage and were granted equal custody of their two children. The two remain civil to date.
After her divorce from George Santo Pietro, White was briefly engaged to businessman Michael Kaye. In 2020, word got out that White had been dating a certain John Donaldson (who is said to be a construction professional) for eight years; this would mean that they began dating not later than 2012.
George Santo Pietro Previously Dated Linda Evans
Before marrying Vanna, George had a brief relationship with American actress Linda Evans. George and Linda began dating in 1980. It’s not reported where the two met, but considering what a Hollywood hot spot George’s restaurant was at the time, it could be safe to assume that the two met during the height of the restaurant’s popularity.
The easy-going couple was frequently spotted together. The Dynasty actress accompanied her boyfriend, George, during the January 21, 1983 opening of his restaurant “Santo Pietro’s Pizza” in Los Angeles. They were also seen together at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel for a charity dinner called “An Evening in Monaco.” The two had a daughter together in 1982 and named her Andrea Santo Pietro. Despite their closeness and attachment, they parted ways and separated after four years of dating in 1984.
He Is Now Married To Melissa Mascari
George met television producer Melissa Mascari in 2004, and the two dated throughout the year, and on October 8, 2005, they got married. Like George, Melissa has been involved in producing a handful of television shows. In the early 90s, she produced works such as Jenny Jones and Divorce Court. She was a field producer on Extreme Makeover. Per IMDb, some of her other credits include Classmates and I’ve Got a Secret.
Melissa Mascari seemed to have slowed down on production after her marriage to George. While no official reason has been given for this, speculations are that it was because she was pregnant and expecting at the time. In 2007, she welcomed a daughter with George; she was named Chiara Santo Pietro. George and his new family stay off the media as much as possible. However, as far as we can tell, the two remain happily married to date.
The Restauranteur Has 4 Children From All His Relationships
George Santo Pietro has a total of four children from three women. His first child is daughter Andrea Santo Pietro born in 1982 at a time when he was dating actress Linda Evans. Her identity is unknown to the media as she lives an uber private life. Pietro’s second child is Nicholas Santo Pietro, his first son and child with Vanna White, born in 1994. According to an Instagram post made by his mom (below), he was born on June 11.
Nicholas is a graduate of the University of Oregon, where he studied Agriculture. According to his Instagram bio, he works in the production industry, which confirms he is practicing in his field of study. His mother, Vanna, is very fond of him and regularly posts snaps of him on social media.
Pietro’s third child is Giovanni Santo Pietro, and she was born in 1997. Giovanni is the restauranteur’s second daughter and child with Vanna White. According to an Instagram post (below) made by her mom Vanna, Giovanni was born on July 2.
Giovanni has a photography degree from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and works as a tattoo assistant in Transitions Tattoo Studio in Huntington Beach, California. George Santo Pietro’s fourth child is his daughter, Chiara Santo Pietro, born in 2007 from his second marriage to TV producer Melissa Mascari. Like his first child, her identity is unknown to the media.
Key Facts About George Santo Pietro
- Who is George Santo Pietro? George Santo Pietro is an American filmmaker, businessman, and former restaurateur. Born on December 12, 1946, he is best known for his work in popular TV series like “The X-Files”, “The Good Place”, “Pushing Daisies”, “Grey’s Anatomy”, and “Two and a Half Men”. He also gained public attention through his marriage to Vanna White, a co-host of Wheel of Fortune, from 1990 to 2002.
- How did George Santo Pietro and Vanna White meet? Vanna White met George Santo Pietro through a mutual friend. They started dating and got married in 1990. However, their marriage ended in divorce in 2002.
- What is George Santo Pietro’s net worth? George Santo Pietro’s estimated net worth is $14 million, accumulated from his career as a filmmaker, restaurateur, and businessman.
- What happened to Vanna White’s pregnancy with George Santo Pietro? After two years of their marriage, Vanna got pregnant and excitedly announced her pregnancy during an episode of Wheel of Fortune. Unfortunately, Vanna suffered a miscarriage one week later, which was a devastating event for the couple.
- Do George Santo Pietro and Vanna White have any children together? Yes, despite the initial tragedy, Vanna White and George Santo Pietro had two children together during their marriage. Their son, Nicholas “Nikko” Santo Pietro, was born in June 1994, and their daughter, Giovanna “Gigi” Santo Pietro, arrived in July 1997.
- What is George Santo Pietro’s profession? George Santo Pietro began his career as a hotelier and later worked as a camera technician and producer. He also became popular for his Italian restaurant ‘Santopietro’s’ and the Sushi-Ko Complex, both frequented by high-profile celebrities. He later transitioned into real estate business in Beverly Hills.
- Who was George Santo Pietro married to before and after Vanna White? Prior to his marriage to Vanna White, George Santo Pietro was married to Linda Evans from 1981 to 1984. After his divorce from Vanna in 2002, he married TV producer Melissa Mascari in 2005.
- How old is George Santo Pietro? Born on December 12, 1946, George Santo Pietro is 76 years old as of 2023.
- What is George Santo Pietro’s height and weight? George Santo Pietro stands at a height of 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) and weighs approximately 94 kilograms (206.8 lbs).
- What is George Santo Pietro’s nationality and ethnicity? George Santo Pietro is an American citizen and belongs to a white ethnic background.
