For several years now, TLC’s Cake Boss has been giving audiences an inside look at the day-to-day operations of the famous Carlo’s Bake Shop in Hoboken, New Jersey. At the helm of this successful food, business is Buddy Valastro, a cake extraordinaire who took over following the death of the family patriarch.
And as Buddy may tell you, running a business with your family can be quite complicated. As explained on the show’s official website, “He supervises a team that includes his mother, four older sisters and plenty of cousins, second cousins and brothers-in-law. When you're working with family on a daily basis, there is bound to be a lot of drama.”
Today, Carlo’s Bake Shop has grown immensely, expanding production to a bigger facility and opening other store locations. And while Buddy and his family are undoubtedly successful, you might be surprised to learn that there are some sketchy facts that the Cake Boss may not want fans to know.
Updated on September 7, 2021, by Michael Chaar: When it comes to TLC's Cake Boss, there is no denying the hype that once surrounded Buddy Valastro and his esteemed Carlo's Bake Shop. While the show did a stellar job at portraying the cake icon, there's a lot that fans don't know about. Although many of the cakes being inedible or made off-site isn't too much of a shock, it turns out the show has some rather sketchy secrets. Not only was Buddy Valastro once arrested on DUI charges, but so was his brother-in-law, Remy Gonzalez for sexually assaulting a minor. Drama runs deeps in the family, considering Cousin Anthony, who notoriously dropped a cake on the show, has gone on Twitter to make some disparaging anti-immigrant comments following the Boston Marathon bombing.
12 The Lobster Tails Are A Struggle To Make
As you may know, lobster tails are one of Carlo’s Bake Shop’s signature pastries. Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean that the bakery's employees are confident about making them perfectly every time. In fact, they are still quite a struggle to make.
During an interview, Nicole Valdes, who handles the bakery’s public relations, told Eater, “Buddy himself has said working with it has brought many a man to tears out of frustration.”
11 Some Pastries Are Unimpressive
On Trip Advisor, several visitors to Carlo’s Bake Shop disclosed their negative experiences. One wrote, “I wanted to taste [sic] the famous cannoli [sic]... What a waste [sic] of money. Tasteless filling and the crust was [sic] not that good.” Another wrote, “Ate an eclair and a lobster tail. Both did not taste fresh at all - like they had been on the window for a week.”
10 The Baked Goods Aren't Made On-Site
In 2016, blogger Heather of Life in Leggings once wrote about her experience touring the Carlo’s Bake Shop Lackawanna Cake Factory & Filming Studio in Jersey City, where she revealed that many of the baked goods aren't even made on-site. According to her, “Everything seen in the bakeries is made in the factory and then shipped to the bakery locations to complete the final touches in-store.”
9 Custom Cakes Aren't Always Edible
In some cases, it seems that some of the cakes created by Buddy and his talented team tend to be inedible. This seemed to be the case when it came to the cake that the bakery had made for Wrigley Field’s 100th birthday.
According to ESPN, Chicago Cubs spokesperson Julian Green had acknowledged that the incredible cake was “mostly made up of non-edible material.” Meanwhile, the edible portion of the cake was left on display for a long time, so the team also decided not to serve it.
8 Carlo’s Bake Shop Had To Close 2 Locations
Earlier this year, it was announced that Carlo’s Bake Shop would be closing two of its locations. These include the stores in Morristown and Ridgewood. As for the reason for closure, the bakery’s spokesperson, Valdes, told NJ Advance Media, “The leases at the two locations ended and the company chose not to renew.” Prior to these closures, the company had also shut down other store locations.
7 Spotting Buddy Can Be Tough
According to several reports and reviews of the bakery, it’s pretty rare to spot Buddy himself in the store’s locations. Perhaps, it’s because he’s quite busy running things from behind the scenes. If you want to catch a glimpse of him, it may be best to come by when the camera crew is also around.
6 The Network Decided On The Name "Cake Boss"
Back in 2015, Buddy spoke with Baker’s Journal where he revealed that he never really used the nickname Cake Boss before the show started. Instead, the show came up with his cocky nickname. The name itself proved to be more of a problem considering Buddy was actually sued for it.
Buddy and the network became the subject of a complaint filed by Masters Software, Inc. Company owners said that they had been selling a business management program called “CakeBoss” since 2007 while Buddy shows first aired in 2009.
5 Buddy Once Fired His Own Sister
Sure, working with family can be tough and full of drama. However, it’s still quite rare for families to fire each other from a job. Well, that’s exactly what Buddy had done at one point.
In one episode of “Cake Boss,” Buddy decided that he and the bakery had enough with his sister Mary Sciarrone and her big mouth. And so, he decided to pull her aside to let her know that he has decided to fire her. Not to worry though, Sciarrone was eventually rehired.
4 Cousin Anthony Made Anti-Immigrant Remarks
If you’ve been following Buddy and his family throughout the entire season of “Cake Boss,” you’d most likely be familiar with Anthony “Cousin Anthony” Bellifemine. He was the guy who worked on cakes while playing pranks on Buddy and other bakery staff.
Following the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, Bellifemine took to Twitter referring to immigrants as “animals.” Despite the criticism, it seems that Bellifemine stuck to his rant.
3 Buddy Allegedly Has Mafia Connections
As it turns out, it’s not just celebrities and other VIPs that Buddy runs with. Apparently, the Cake Boss also has got some mafia connections. When asked if he knew the Mafiosi during an interview, Buddy reportedly replied, “Absolutely. Everybody does.”
Other than these remarks, however, there have been no sightings of Buddy hanging out with known families.
2 Buddy Was Once Arrested
In 2014, Buddy was arrested on DWI charges in Manhattan, New York. According to a report from NBC New York, Police stopped Buddy and his yellow Corvette near 10th Avenue after following him for a little while.
He reportedly appeared “unsteady on his feet” the moment he stepped out of the vehicle. His eyes were also bloodshot and his face appeared flushed. After failing a Breathalyzer test, Buddy was taken into custody.
1 Buddy’s Brother-In-Law Sexually Assaulted A Minor
As you may remember, Buddy’s brother-in-law, Remigio "Remy" Gonzalez, was arrested for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl. According to the arrest affidavit obtained by The New Jersey Star-Ledger, the arrest came after two detectives met with two witnesses who claim that Gonzalez admitted to assaulting the teen multiple times. He has since been sentenced to nine years in prison.