Rocco DiSpirito's Biography

Celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito was born on November 19, 1966 in Jamaica, Queens in New York.

Rocco DiSpirito's culinary interest started early and when he was still a teenager he studied at the Culinary Institute of America. He then studied at Jardin de Cygne in Paris.

On his return to the States, Rocco DiSpirito gained a BA in business from Boston University whilst also working in various restaurants and hotels.

In 1999, Rocco DiSpirito was named Food & Wine's Best New Chef. In the same year he was nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award based on the food at his restaurant Union Pacific. In 2003, DiSpirito launched Rocco's 22nd Street for the reality series, The Restaurant. The second series aired in the spring of 2004.

In Dancing with the Stars series 7, Rocco DiSpirito danced with Karina Smirnoff.

They were the fourth couple voted off.

Shortly after his appearance on Dancing with the Stars, Rocco DiSpirito was scheduled to appear on the A&E series, Rocco Gets Real.

In 2013, he presented the food network show Restaurant Divided.