Buddy Valastro, who was only a teenager, became the man in the house and took care of his family. In 1994, Buddy Valastro, a star with four sisters, lost his father Bartolo Valastro Sr. This would change his life forever. “Dad got lung cancer. It was my seventeenth birthday and I was standing by his hospital bedside with Mama when he told us the diagnosis. We were all in a state of shock. Beyond shock,”Buddy shared GuidepostsIn 2011. “Then Mama whispered, ‘What are we going to do?'”
Buddy was inspired to take on the dream of his Dad and make Carlo’s Bakery the best. “I looked Dad in the eye. ‘I’m gonna work full-time at the bakery,’ I said. ‘I’m going to make Carlo’s a household name, like you always dreamed, I promise. I’m going to make you proud, Dad. Just get better,'”He remembered.
Three weeks later, Bartolo passed away and Buddy dropped out of High School in order to work at the bakery. He was able to handle all the hard work that lay ahead. “My dad had me work from the bottom up. It was important to him that I learn every aspect of the business from dishwashing to decorating,”He told the story The National2014 “I started out helping him and learning from the way he did things.”