George Santo Pietro is an American businessman who is best known as the former husband of Wheel of Fortune co-host Vanna White. He is described as a restaurateur, producer and real estate developer in his own right. He has kept a much lower public profile than his ex-wife, so reliable details about him are limited. This George Santo Pietro biography separates what is well supported from what is only repeated by weaker websites. It also covers his career, his marriage and his family.
Quick Facts About George Santo Pietro
Before the details, here is a short summary. Some items below are reported by only one or two sources, and I have marked those clearly.
| Detail | What is reported |
|---|---|
| Full name | George Santo Pietro |
| Known for | Former husband of Vanna White |
| Profession | Restaurateur, real estate developer, film producer/director |
| Birth date | December 12, 1946 (reported by one source; not confirmed elsewhere) |
| Marriage to Vanna White | 1990 to 2002 (exact wedding date varies by source) |
| Children with Vanna White | Son Nicholas and daughter Gigi |
| Later marriage | Reportedly to Melissa Mascari (single source) |
| Net worth | Not reliably known; estimates vary widely |
These facts are a starting point only. The sections below explain where the sources agree and where they do not.
Who Is George Santo Pietro? Early Life and Background
Almost nothing about his childhood or education is confirmed by a credible source. One profile gives his birth date as December 12, 1946. I could not match that date with a second trustworthy source, so please treat it as reported rather than verified. Several low-quality websites also claim he was born in Beverly Hills, California, but those pages contradict each other on other basics. I am not repeating the birthplace claim.
This lack of detail is common for private people who become known through a famous partner. Instead of guessing about his family, schooling or early jobs, it is more honest to say they are not publicly documented. If a reliable interview or public record appears later, this section can be updated.
George Santo Pietro Career: Restaurants, Film and Real Estate
Most sources describe his work in similar terms. One report calls him a Hollywood director-producer who later became a restaurateur. Another says there is not much credible information about him, but that he made his name as a restaurateur and real estate investor. Photo captions from major event coverage use the same labels, calling him a restaurateur, a real estate developer and a director at different times.
This George Santo Pietro career path suggests he moved between entertainment and business. Restaurants appear to be his best-known business, and property development came later in most descriptions. I could not find a verified list of specific restaurants, films or projects with dates, and that is a real gap in the online record. Pages that name exact companies or huge deals usually give no source for them.
Two smaller claims show up in a few places. One site says he is also a pilot. Another says he and White ran a private jet charter business together. Each of these comes from a single source, so they are possible but unconfirmed.
Marriage to Vanna White
The best-known part of his story is his marriage to Vanna White. They met in the late 1980s through a mutual friend, while White was still grieving the death of her fiancé, actor John Gibson, in a May 1986 plane crash. After more than a year of dating, they married in 1990. Some sources give a precise date. Legit.ng says the wedding took place on December 31, 1990. Others only say 1990, so I would call the exact day likely but not firmly confirmed. Who is Vanna White’s first husband? All we know about George Santo Pietro as Wheel of Fortune star remarries over two decades after divorce +2
The couple tried to start a family soon after. In September 1992, White announced her first pregnancy on Wheel of Fortune through a puzzle answer. She had a miscarriage about a week after that announcement. Later, they had two children.
The marriage ended in divorce in 2002 after about 12 years. One source gives May 15, 2002 as the separation date, but I could not verify that with a court record or a second outlet.
Children and Family Life
George Santo Pietro and Vanna White have two children, a son named Nicholas and a daughter named Gigi. The birth years differ across websites. Legit.ng says Nicholas was born in 1995 and Gigi two years later. Another profile says Nicholas was born in 1994. Because of this disagreement, the safest statement is that the children were born in the mid-1990s.
One report says Nicholas earned a degree in agriculture from Oregon State University. The children are not public figures in the usual sense, so this article does not go further into their personal lives. Respecting their privacy is part of writing responsibly about a family like this.
Life After the Divorce
After the divorce, both adults moved on. White was briefly engaged to businessman Michael Kaye, and she later married John Donaldson, as reported by Soap Central. For Santo Pietro, one outlet says he married Melissa Mascari about three years after the divorce and that they have a daughter named Chiara. I found only that one source for this, so it should be treated as unconfirmed.
Notably, one of the most-copied claims about him appears to be shaky. One profile says he was married to actress Linda Evans from 1981 to 1984. Another outlet directly states he was not married to her. Since the two reports conflict and I found no solid record, I am not including this as a fact.
George Santo Pietro Net Worth: Why the Numbers Don’t Match
Many readers search for his net worth, but there is no verified figure. One profile estimates around $14 million. Other sites I found show wildly different numbers, from $20 million to $150 million, and those pages even disagree with themselves on his birth year and personal details. They also seem to mix him up with other people. Any figure here should be called an estimate. As of 2026, I would treat his net worth as unknown.
Why Accurate Information About Him Is Hard to Find
During research, I noticed many pages about this name look machine-written or copied. Some describe him as a painter, a sculptor or an Italian actor, which has no link to the man who was married to Vanna White. Others give a different birthplace, different birth years and different careers within the same article. This is one reason the topic is confusing for readers.
A smaller issue appears in photo libraries. Some event photos from years after the divorce still carry captions calling him her “husband,” which likely reflects old or recycled caption text rather than a current relationship. When a fact depends only on a caption, it is better to look for a news article or direct statement.
How This Was Researched
I researched this biography by reading entertainment news profiles, photo-agency captions and several biography pages. I compared them against each other and kept only details that at least two sources supported, or I labeled them as unconfirmed. I found no verified recent news about him in 2026, so I did not add a news section. This article tries to fill a gap by showing where sources disagree instead of repeating one version as fact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is George Santo Pietro?
He is an American restaurateur, producer and real estate developer, best known as Vanna White’s former husband.
When did George Santo Pietro marry Vanna White?
They married in 1990, and some sources give December 31, 1990 as the date.
When did they divorce?
They divorced in 2002 after about 12 years of marriage.
Do George Santo Pietro and Vanna White have children?
Yes, they have two children, Nicholas and Gigi.
What is George Santo Pietro’s net worth?
There is no verified figure. Estimates range widely and should be treated with caution.
Is George Santo Pietro the same as Gigi Santo Pietro the painter?
No. Gigi is also the name of his daughter with Vanna White, and pages about a “painter” with that name are not reliable and appear unrelated.
Accuracy Note
This biography is based on publicly available information, including entertainment news coverage and photo captions. Where sources disagreed or only one source existed, I said so. If you spot anything outdated or incorrect, please let us know so we can update it.
Written and researched by Usama Khan, contributor at lopin magazine.
Usama Khan is the founder and editor-in-chief of Lopin Magazine, where he oversees the site’s biography and news coverage with a focus on accuracy and well-researched storytelling.
