Being born into the restaurant business made Michael a 'natural' at his craft. His family has owned and operated restaurants in the St. Louis area for nearly 60 years. Rossino's, serving the first pizza in St. Louis, was opened in 1954 by his maternal grandfather, Roy Russo. His parents, Mary Rose and Michael Sr., opened Del Pietro's just off "The Hill" when Michael was 9 years old. After working alongside his family throughout his early years, Michael enrolled in The University of Nevada Las Vegas, one of the most highly acclaimed schools for hotel and restaurant management. The untimely passing of his father brought Michael back to St. Louis to run the family businesses. He later was able to feed his passion for cooking by attending The Culinary Institute of America in New York.