Who Is George Santo Pietro? The Amazing Life Story of Vanna White’s Ex-Husband and Hollywood Restaurateur
George Santo Pietro is an American restaurateur, real estate developer, film producer and director who became widely known as the former husband of Wheel of Fortune co-host Vanna White. Born on December 12, 1946, he built a career across Los Angeles restaurants, film and television crews, and California property. Despite that range, he keeps a low public profile, and many online profiles repeat the same thin set of facts, sometimes with errors. This guide separates what reliable sources confirm from what remains unverified, so you get a clear picture of his work, marriage, family and finances.
George Santo Pietro at a Glance
George Santo Pietro is a 79-year-old American businessman and entertainment industry professional, born on December 12, 1946. The table below collects the details that appear across Wikidata, IMDb, Parade and production databases. Where sources disagree, the table says so.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | George Santo Pietro (also spelled Santopietro) |
| Born | December 12, 1946 |
| Age | 79 (as of October 2026) |
| Birthplace | Los Angeles or Beverly Hills, California (sources differ) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupations | Restaurateur, real estate developer, film producer, director, dolly grip |
| Best known for | Former husband of Vanna White |
| Restaurants | A popular sushi restaurant and an Italian restaurant called Santo Pietro’s in Bel Air (per IMDb and Chowhound reports) |
| Screen credits | Dolly grip on Star Trek: Voyager (seasons 1 to 3), Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, The X-Files, Alias and True Blood |
| Spouse | Vanna White (1990 to 2002) |
| Children with White | Nicholas “Nikko” and Giovanna “Gigi” |
| Later marriage | Reported marriage to producer Melissa Mascari in 2005 (not confirmed by major outlets) |
| Net worth | Unverified; celebrity sites estimate $14 million to $20 million |
| Residence | California |
| Public profile | Private, according to People |
Wikidata lists him as a film director, film producer and merchant. Production databases credit him as a dolly grip, which is a camera department role. Both descriptions fit different parts of his working life.
Treat any detail outside this table with caution. Many celebrity sites copy each other, and several attach claims that no major outlet supports. If you enjoy fact-checked celebrity profiles, apply the same test to every source you read.
Early Life and Background
Public records say very little about George Santo Pietro’s childhood, and no major outlet has published a detailed account of his early years. Wikidata and production databases agree on his birth date, December 12, 1946.
Profiles disagree on his birthplace. Some name Los Angeles and others name Beverly Hills. Without a birth record or a first-hand interview, that question stays open.
His family background, schooling and first jobs also appear mostly in unsourced profiles. This article leaves out those claims instead of repeating them.
What stands out is the setting. His restaurants, his dinner meeting with Vanna White in Studio City and his home near Hollywood neighbors all point to a life centered on the Los Angeles area. His later work in dining, film crews and property grew from that base.
Career as a Hollywood Restaurateur
George Santo Pietro first earned local attention by owning restaurants in the Los Angeles area during the 1980s. IMDb’s biography says he ran a sushi restaurant with an exclusive clientele that stayed popular for almost a decade.
Entertainment sites that cite Chowhound also say he owned an Italian restaurant named Santo Pietro’s at the Glen Centre in Bel Air. Those reports describe it as a favorite with industry guests.
Restaurants of that kind often served as informal meeting rooms for actors, agents and crew members. That setting helps explain how a restaurant owner could build friendships across film and television.
IMDb’s biography also says he lived on Mulholland Drive near actors Warren Beatty and Jack Nicholson. That page accepts edits from users, so readers should treat the detail as a claim and not a confirmed fact.
Work in Film and Television
George Santo Pietro has worked in film and television mainly as a dolly grip since 1990. A dolly grip pushes and positions the wheeled platform that carries the camera, which keeps moving shots smooth.
Memory Alpha, a production database, credits him on the first three seasons of Star Trek: Voyager and on the video game Star Trek: Klingon. The same source lists Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, L.A. Doctors, The X-Files, Alias, Pushing Daisies and True Blood.
His earlier credits include the 1994 television movie Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love. That project came shortly after he entered the industry.
Wikidata also describes him as a film director and film producer. Some celebrity sites say he produced shows such as True Blood, but production databases place him in the camera and electrical department. Check IMDb’s full filmography if you need exact credits.
Real Estate Development
George Santo Pietro works as a real estate developer in California, and most recent profiles highlight this role above his earlier careers. Those profiles describe him as building and selling high-end homes in the Los Angeles area.
Published accounts say his portfolio grew from residential projects to commercial and luxury developments. Those accounts come from celebrity sites that do not name specific property records.
Some sites cite individual sale prices, including figures above $30 million. Major news outlets have not confirmed those numbers, so this article does not repeat them.
The move from restaurants to property fits a common pattern. Many hospitality owners shift toward real estate over time, and profiles describe his career the same way.
If you want to check a specific project, start with county property records and licensed broker listings. Those sources carry more weight than any celebrity profile.
How He Met Vanna White
George Santo Pietro met Vanna White through mutual friends in the mid-1980s. IMDb’s biography says friends Tracy Vaccaro and Jessie Eastland brought White to meet him for a dinner date in Studio City in 1985.
Parade, which drew on People reporting, also says the two met through a mutual friend. White was already a familiar face by then. Wheel of Fortune had named her its regular co-host on December 13, 1982.
White also faced a painful loss during that period. Her fiancé, soap opera actor John Gibson, died in a small plane crash on May 17, 1986, as she told People in 2019.
She married Santo Pietro four years after that loss. The relationship put him in front of a national audience, even though he never sought a media career.
Marriage, Children and Divorce
George Santo Pietro married Vanna White in 1990, and the couple divorced in 2002. IMDb lists the wedding date as December 31, 1990.
Sources differ on the divorce date. Parade, citing People, says the divorce finalized in November 2002, while IMDb lists May 15, 2002. All sources agree on the year.
The couple has two children, son Nicholas, known as Nikko, and daughter Giovanna, known as Gigi. Reports place their births in 1994 and 1997.
Parade says both children are now adults and that their parents stayed cordial and shared parenting duties. Nikko drew public attention in 2018 when White posted a selfie with him, as People reported.
Neither parent has publicly explained the split. Tabloid stories have offered theories, but none has been confirmed, so this article does not repeat them.
Life After the Divorce
After the divorce, both George Santo Pietro and Vanna White built new relationships. White was engaged to businessman Michael Kaye from 2004 to 2006, but the pair split before they married, according to Parade.
White has been with contractor John Donaldson since 2012. She told People in October 2023 that she considers them married even without a ceremony.
Several celebrity profiles say Santo Pietro married television producer Melissa Mascari in 2005 and that they have a daughter named Chiara, born in 2007. Major outlets have not confirmed these details, so treat them as reported and not verified.
People describes Santo Pietro as quite private, and he does not appear to give regular interviews. That choice explains why so little verified detail exists about his life today.
George Santo Pietro Net Worth
No reliable source confirms George Santo Pietro’s net worth. Celebrity websites estimate figures between $14 million and $20 million, but they do not cite financial records.
Those estimates usually point to three income streams: restaurants, film industry work and real estate development. None of those sites shows audited numbers or property filings.
Private individuals who do not run public companies rarely publish financial statements. Without filings, any net worth figure is a guess.
Readers who want a firm answer should wait for confirmed reporting from a business outlet or a public record.
Conclusion
George Santo Pietro built a varied career as a restaurateur, camera crew member, film industry figure and real estate developer, and he raised two children with Vanna White. The verified facts are modest, and the rumors around him are plentiful. Stick with named sources, and you will get the accurate story. For more fact-based biographies of public figures, keep checking back for new profiles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is George Santo Pietro?
George Santo Pietro is an American restaurateur, real estate developer, film producer and director, born December 12, 1946. He owned popular Los Angeles area restaurants, worked as a dolly grip on major television shows and develops homes in California. Most people know him as the former husband of Wheel of Fortune co-host Vanna White.
How old is George Santo Pietro?
George Santo Pietro was born on December 12, 1946, so he is 79 years old as of October 2026. He turns 80 on December 12, 2026. Wikidata and the Memory Alpha production database list the same birth date, which makes it one of the few details confirmed across sources.
What does George Santo Pietro do for a living?
George Santo Pietro works as a real estate developer in California. Earlier in his career, he owned restaurants and worked in the camera department of film and television productions as a dolly grip. Wikidata also lists him as a film director and producer, though production databases mostly show crew credits.
When did George Santo Pietro marry Vanna White?
George Santo Pietro married Vanna White in 1990. IMDb lists the wedding date as December 31, 1990. Parade, citing People, confirms the 1990 wedding year. The two had met through mutual friends several years earlier, and IMDb places their first dinner in Studio City in 1985.
When did George Santo Pietro and Vanna White divorce?
The marriage ended in 2002 after about twelve years. Parade, citing People, says the divorce finalized in November 2002, while IMDb lists May 15, 2002. Neither Santo Pietro nor White has publicly explained the reason, and reports describe the former couple as cordial.
How many children does George Santo Pietro have with Vanna White?
George Santo Pietro and Vanna White have two children, son Nicholas, called Nikko, and daughter Giovanna, called Gigi. Reports place their births in 1994 and 1997. Both are adults now, and Parade says they stay out of the spotlight. Celebrity profiles also mention a later daughter, Chiara, but major outlets have not confirmed that.
How did George Santo Pietro meet Vanna White?
Mutual friends introduced them. IMDb says friends Tracy Vaccaro and Jessie Eastland brought White to meet him for a dinner date in Studio City in 1985. Parade also says they met through a mutual friend. They married five years later, in 1990, after White had lost her fiancé in 1986.
Was George Santo Pietro married to Linda Evans?
No reliable source confirms that George Santo Pietro married actress Linda Evans. Some celebrity sites claim a 1981 marriage, while others deny it. IMDb and major outlets list Vanna White as his documented spouse, so readers should treat the Linda Evans claim as unverified.
What is George Santo Pietro’s net worth?
No verified figure exists. Celebrity websites estimate his net worth between $14 million and $20 million, but they do not cite financial records. His income reportedly comes from real estate development, restaurants and film industry work. Treat every estimate as an unconfirmed guess until a reliable business outlet reports otherwise.
Which TV shows did George Santo Pietro work on?
Memory Alpha credits him as a dolly grip on the first three seasons of Star Trek: Voyager, plus Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, The X-Files, Alias, Pushing Daisies and True Blood. It also lists the 1994 TV movie Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love and the video game Star Trek: Klingon.
