Though he's far from a household name, Rachael
Ray's husband John Cusimano is still quite the renaissance man. So just who is John Cusimano? What makes their marriage work? Keep watching to learn all about this entertainment
law attorney and rocker. Long before he was ever in the public eye,
John Cusimano was a passionate musician, even as a teenager. According to the Rachael Ray show's website,
he was even accepted to the Berklee College of Music. But Cusimano's parents had different ideas,
and though a career in music was his dream, he opted to attend the State University of
New York at Binghamton instead. Cusimano earned a Bachelor of Arts degree
from the university in 1989. After graduation, he followed his parents'
practical advice and moved on to law school at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva
University, where he received a Juris Doctorate in 1994. He was later admitted to the bar in New York
and New Jersey and practiced up until his life took a hard left turn when he met Rachael
Ray. The two now share a fabulous home in the Empire
State. According to an interview with People, Rachael
Ray made some serious leaps in logic upon meeting her future husband for the first time. "Do you remember when, when we met?" "How could I forget?" Ray told the outlet, "[John] told me what he had made himself for
dinner the night before, and I assumed that if you're not a chef and you made what he
told me he made, that he was gay." She even had plans to fix him up with another
one of her friends, but those got spoiled when Cusimano revealed that he was not, in
fact, gay. The two ended up staying out together until
4 a.m., which Ray considers the couple's first date. Afterward, according to an interview with
Vanity Fair, she called her friend Donna Carnevale, who recalled, "She said she was going to marry that man,
she was going to marry him in Rome." Not satisfied to be some well-coiffed arm
candy to one of the world's most famous chefs, John Cusimano also pursues his passion for
music as the lead singer and songwriter of a band called The Cringe. The band has opened for everyone from Mötley
Crue to Steel Panther to Alice Cooper and has regularly played gigs all over New York
City. Sadly, however, Ray does not get private shows
at the couple's home. When the Rachael Ray show's website asked
the famous chef if her husband ever sang to her, she replied, quote, "No, not really." Reflecting on all the good decisions Rachael
Ray has made — going into the culinary world, writing cookbooks, starring in a TV show — you
might be surprised to learn what she considers the smartest move she ever made. Ray told the Rachael Ray show's website, "Marry an entertainment lawyer. Saved me a bundle." Mid-interview hyperbole or not, it's still
hard to argue with the logic of having someone handle your professional legal issues pro
bono. In the same interview, Cusimano revealed that
he was an entertainment lawyer who worked primarily in film in New York city prior to
meeting his wife. Cusimano also went on to say, "Then I met this one, and now I only have
one client and her name is Rachael Ray. So I just work on our businesses all the time." It seems only fitting that a world-famous
chef would get married in a place known for its food. And though Rachael Ray allegedly told friend
Donna Carnevale after she met Cusimano that she was going to marry him in Rome, she was
not far off in her prediction, as the couple were married at Tuscany's Castello di Velona
in 2005. Ray and Cusimano enjoyed the event so much
that, ten years later, they hosted a lavish vow renewal ceremony at the same Tuscan castle
in 2015. And though the event was special, People reported
that the couple flies many of their friends and family to Tuscany to celebrate their anniversary
every year. Trying to cook for Rachael Ray is probably
a little like trying to serenade Christina Aguilera, so John Cusimano has found a way
to complement his wife's skill set: mixology. He has been a regular on the Rachael Ray show,
stopping in to craft drinks to pair with her food, most notably the Negroni. But his cocktail-making skills aren't just
relegated to television. In an interview with People, the couple divulged
he does the same at home when they're dining in. Cusimano's around-the-house contributions
aren't limited to the bar. In an interview with Good Housekeeping, Rachael
Ray revealed he does a lot more to help out at home than simply making drinks. Ray told the magazine, "I never do the dishes, because my husband
has an affinity for it. And I'm also not allowed to touch the coffeemaker." Though John Cusimano's music credits have
been well documented, and he had a career in entertainment law long before he'd ever
met Rachael Ray, that's far from the extent of his showbiz resume. Yes, he's appeared on countless episodes of
the Rachael Ray show, but he also has a handful of acting and producing credits to his name. In 2017, Rachael Ray's husband starred alongside
Sarah Silverman and Pete Holmes in an episode of Crashing. He's also served as an associate producer
on the English language version of Samurai X, also known as Rurouni Kenshin: Wandering
Samurai. Impressive as that may be, his admittedly
short-lived acting and producing days seem to have slowed as he became more involved
with his wife's television show. Though the glamour associated with the fast-paced
world of entertainment law might leave you with visions of heated negotiations with high-powered
studio execs over power lunches at the Beverly Hills Hotel, there are other sides to the
business, one of which is merchandising. And when you're a name as big as Rachael Ray,
that can mean millions of dollars in contracts. Luckily for the 30-Minute Meals author, she's
got someone to handle it all right under her roof. Though John Cusimano was an entertainment
lawyer specializing in film prior to meeting Rachael Ray, in an interview with Love is
Pop, he disclosed how his career path changed since then: "I used to be in the film business working
on independent movies. Then I met my wife Rachel and she needed someone
to start merchandising and licensing [...] So, yeah, that's what I do." Though Rachael Ray is an outspoken advocate
for pit bulls, and even has her own line of pet food called Nutrish, when it comes to
human children, Rachael Ray and John Cusimano have opted to forego parenthood. She discussed why in an interview with People,
saying, "I work too much to be an appropriate parent
[...] I just feel like I would do a bad job if I actually took the time to literally give
birth to a kid right now and try and juggle everything I'm doing." But just because the power couple doesn't
have kids, this doesn't mean they haven't participated in Take Your Daughters and Sons
to Work Day. During a 2017 airing of the Rachael Ray show,
the couple's pit bull Isaboo paid the set a visit in honor of the holiday. Since Ray had had the dog since she was a
puppy, it didn't seem like much of a stretch. "It is bring your kid to work day so please
welcome my child, my daughter, Isaboo." Sadly, in May of 2020 Ray made the announcement
on her Instagram page that Isaboo had passed away. Being rich and famous doesn't mean you have
to spend a ton of money on Valentine's Day. You can keep it simple and do the holiday
like you were in high school even if you are a celebrated TV chef. In a Valentine's Day interview with People,
John Cusimano and Rachael Ray revealed their V-Day traditions are pretty simple. Ray told the magazine, "He makes me a playlist every year and I make
him his favorite meal which is pasta carbonara." Ray also gifts him a bouquet of salamis each
Valentine's Day, which she said takes seven or eight months to run through. That, apparently, is the beauty of salted,
cured meats. But Ray also admits the celebration isn't
always limited to her and her husband, as she's thrown Valentine's Day parties for her
mom and her friends as well. When John Cusimano was courting Rachael Ray,
the successful singer-songwriter used his creativity to write her a special song. While we can't argue with his talent, and
his heart was certainly in the right place, we do have to wonder a little bit about his
selection of song titles. Because of all the things he could name a
song dedicated to a chef, he chose to call the song "Burn." This would be a bit like dating Danica Patrick
and writing her a song called "Crash." Or trying to impress Mia Hamm with a song
called "Tear Your ACL." Nonetheless, in an interview with Vanity Fair,
Cusimano insisted that the ballad wasn't about turning food into inedible balls of carbon. Cusimano told Vanity Fair, "It's about the way you feel when you're burning,
whether with desire or you want to be near that person and you're not." Having a project on which to collaborate is
a healthy part of any marriage, and the same goes for celebrity chefs and their entertainment
lawyer husbands. And since John Cusimano has been a regular
on the Rachael Ray show showing her audience how to craft extravagant cocktails, it's only
natural that he'd use those skills to collaborate with her on something. And so they did with My Year in Meals, a book
featuring dishes from Ray and cocktail recipes from her husband. For his part, Cusimano's section is called
My Year in Cocktails, and it can be viewed by flipping the book upside down and starting
from the back cover. It features over 100 recipes ranging from
basics like gin fizz and mai tais, to inventive stuff like blackberry margaritas and Italian
champagne spritzers. In a video review of the book, food blogger
Christy Bright warns you'll likely need to hit the liquor store to buy most of the ingredients. The recipes are intricate, and you probably
won't have most of the stuff sitting around your liquor cabinet. It takes a strong and confident man to be
married to an independent, successful, and world-famous woman. And if you're Rachael Ray, finding a man like
that wasn't easy, especially with her demanding schedule. In a 2007 cover story for People, the TV chef
said that most of the men she'd dated prior to John Cusimano couldn't handle her lifestyle. Ray told People, "I can't give a man an enormous amount of
attention. When men I have dated over the years whined
about, 'Oh, you make no time for me' — see ya! I just dumped them." That was until one magical night in 2001,
when she met the man who would be her husband. Ray went on to tell People that Cusimano was,
quote, "totally down" with her not being able to give him much attention. She drove the point home during an interview
with ABC News, when she said, "[John is] the only guy in the world I could
have married. The only man that can possibly exist that
doesn't mind eating dinner at midnight, you know. [...] I mean, he's a really easygoing guy." Even though they are celebrities and live
a faster-paced, globe-trotting lifestyle, John Cusimano and Rachael Ray enjoy ending
their days as unglamorously as everyone else. Cusimano told People, "The place I'm happiest is curled up in bed
with Rachael and the puppy." His wife concurred, calling them "turtle-like"
and saying their evenings consist of wine, music, and reruns of Law & Order. While Cusimano may have been referring to
their late pit bull Isaboo at the time, he likely enjoys the same nighttime cuddles with
his and Ray's dog Bella Boo, who they adopted in June 2020 after Isaboo's passing. And we'd bet that Bella Boo gets the same
special treatment. According to Dogster, Ray made Isaboo a birthday
cake every year made of ground beef, pork, barley, carrots, bacon, roasted beets, and
cream cheese. What a treat! Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, even more List videos about your favorite
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