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Rosanna Scotto (American Television News Anchor)
Rosanna Scotto net worth, estimated between $3 million and $5 million, reflects a broadcast journalism career that spans more than four decades across major New York City television stations. Born on April 29, 1958, in New York City and raised in the Dyker Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, Scotto built her professional foundation through sustained work in local news, evening newscasts, and morning programming — earning recognition that extends well beyond the New York metropolitan area.
Scotto began her television career at WTBS, Ted Turner’s UHF station in Atlanta, Georgia, where she reported for two local programs and produced content for the station’s evening newscast. In 1982, she returned to New York City as a reporter for WABC-TV’s Good Morning New York, the morning program that eventually evolved into Live with Regis and Kathie Lee. After her work there, she moved to WABC-TV’s Eyewitness News as a general assignment reporter. In 1986, she joined WNYW Fox 5 New York as a weekend anchor and reporter, which marked the beginning of a relationship with that station that defined the next chapter of her career.
In 1990, Scotto became the lead female news anchor at WNYW, and in 1994 she took on weekday anchoring duties. She co-anchored the Fox 5 News at 5 and 10 pm broadcasts alongside Ernie Anastos before her promotion to co-host of Good Day New York in 2008. That role placed her alongside Greg Kelly until Kelly’s departure in September 2017, after which Lori Stokes joined as co-anchor.
Scotto’s professional credentials include multiple Emmy Awards for her anchoring work on Fox 5 News at 10 and Good Day New York, along with the 1995 New York State Associated Press First Place Award for her report titled “New York Survival Guide.” In 2019, she received induction into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame.
Outside broadcasting, Scotto holds a co-ownership stake in Fresco by Scotto, the Italian restaurant her family opened in Midtown Manhattan in November 1993. The restaurant, located at 34 East 52nd Street, has operated for more than three decades under the Scotto family name.
Scotto graduated from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1980. She stands at a reported height of 5 feet 7 inches and celebrated her 68th birthday on April 29, 2026. In August 2026, following the death of her mother Marion Scotto at age 90, Scotto returned to the Good Day New York anchor desk on September 1, 2026 — a broadcast that drew national media attention when she became visibly emotional on air.
| Full Name | Rosanna Scotto |
| Date of Birth | April 29, 1958 |
| Place of Birth | New York City, New York, United States (raised in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn) |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Italian-American |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Zodiac Sign | Taurus |
| Age | 68 years old (as of April 29, 2026) |
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) — reported |
| Profession | Television News Anchor, Journalist, Restaurateur |
| Current Role | Co-Host, Good Day New York — WNYW Fox 5 New York (2008–present) |
| Years Active | 1980–present |
| Education | Bachelor of Fine Arts — The Catholic University of America, Washington D.C. (1980) |
| Honorary Doctorates | Mount St. Mary College (2014); St. John’s University (year reported, not confirmed) |
| Career Start | WTBS (Ted Turner’s UHF Station, Atlanta, Georgia) — early 1980s |
| Employer | WNYW Fox 5 New York (Fox Television Stations) |
| Lead Anchor Since | 1990 (Fox 5 WNYW) |
| Spouse | Louis John Ruggiero (married September 14, 1986) |
| Spouse’s Profession | Real Estate Attorney, New York |
| Children | Two — Jenna Ruggiero (daughter); Louis “L.J.” Ruggiero Jr. (son) |
| Grandchildren | Vincent (reported, born February 2024 — not independently confirmed) |
| Father | Anthony M. Scotto (May 10, 1934 – August 21, 2021) |
| Mother | Marion Anastasio Scotto (November 30, 1935 – August 17, 2026) |
| Siblings | Elaina Scotto (sister); Anthony Scotto Jr. (brother); John Scotto (brother) |
| Restaurant | Fresco by Scotto — 34 East 52nd Street, Midtown Manhattan (co-owner, est. November 1993) |
| Cookbook | Italian Comfort Food: Intensive Eating from Fresco by Scotto Restaurant (HarperCollins, September 17, 2002) |
| Awards | Multiple Emmy Awards (3–5 documented across sources); Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame Inductee (2019); New York State AP First Place Award (1995) |
| Estimated Net Worth | $3 million – $5 million (estimated; not officially confirmed) |
| Estimated Salary | Approximately $175,000 annually (reported; not officially confirmed) |
| Residence | New York City area (specific address not publicly confirmed) |
Who is Rosanna Scotto?
Rosanna Scotto is an American television news anchor and Emmy Award-winning journalist, best known as the co-host of Good Day New York on Fox 5 WNYW in New York City. Born on April 29, 1958, in New York City, she has been the station’s lead female anchor since 1990 and is co-owner of Fresco by Scotto restaurant in Midtown Manhattan.
Early Life and Education
Childhood and Family Origins
Rosanna Scotto was born on April 29, 1958, in New York City, and grew up in the Dyker Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. Her family traced its roots to an Italian-American community that had established itself in the Brooklyn waterfront district across multiple generations. That neighborhood background, combined with a family structure shaped by organized crime connections on both her father’s and mother’s sides, formed the documented circumstances of her early years.
Her father, Anthony M. Scotto, born May 10, 1934, held the position of president of the International Longshoremen’s Association Local 1814 and operated within the Gambino crime family, through which he controlled labor affairs along the Brooklyn waterfront for approximately two decades. Her mother, Marion Anastasio, born November 30, 1935, was the daughter of Anthony Anastasio, a capo within the Anastasia crime family. Anthony Scotto and Marion Anastasio married in 1957. The couple had four children together: Rosanna Scotto, Elaina Scotto, Anthony Scotto Jr., and John Scotto.
Rosanna Scotto’s sister, Elaina Scotto, later became a co-owner and operator of the family’s Midtown Manhattan restaurant alongside Rosanna. Her brothers, Anthony Scotto Jr. and John Scotto, also held involvement in the family’s restaurant operations. The family maintained its primary residence in the Brooklyn area throughout Rosanna’s childhood years.
Father's Conviction
On January 17, 1979, federal authorities indicted Anthony Scotto on 33 counts related to bribery and racketeering. The charges centered on his acceptance of cash payments from waterfront employers and business associates in exchange for labor concessions and union influence. Among the documented items in the federal case, prosecutors established that Scotto received cash payoffs exceeding $200,000 over the course of the scheme. One businessman additionally constructed a swimming pool at Scotto’s vacation property at no charge to Scotto, which federal prosecutors included in the case record.
On January 22, 1980, a federal court sentenced Anthony Scotto to five years in prison and imposed a fine of $75,000. The conviction marked the end of his direct control over Brooklyn waterfront labor operations. John Gotti subsequently assumed the labor racket territory Scotto had previously controlled, working through another Red Hook figure, Anthony Ciccone.
Rosanna Scotto pursued her broadcasting career independently of these family legal proceedings. Her professional trajectory at WABC-TV and later at WNYW Fox 5 developed without documented connection to her father’s organized crime activities or his federal conviction.
Education
Rosanna Scotto completed her elementary schooling at Visitation Academy, a Catholic school located in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn. She then enrolled at the Packer Collegiate Institute, also in Brooklyn, where she completed her secondary education and graduated in 1976.
Following her graduation from Packer Collegiate, Scotto relocated to Washington, D.C., to attend The Catholic University of America. Her coursework at the university centered on fine arts, and in 1980 she completed her studies there, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. That academic credential preceded her entry into broadcast journalism by approximately one year, with her television career beginning at a UHF station in Atlanta, Georgia, in the early 1980s.
In 2014, Mount St. Mary College awarded Scotto an honorary doctorate in recognition of her contributions to broadcasting and community service. St. John’s University also conferred an honorary doctorate on Scotto; the specific year of that award has not been independently confirmed across sources.
Career in Broadcasting
Early Career and Entry Into Television
Rosanna Scotto’s broadcasting career began at WTBS, the UHF television station founded by Ted Turner in Atlanta, Georgia. At that station, she held two roles simultaneously — reporter for two locally produced programs and associate producer for the station’s evening newscast. That dual role at WTBS gave her foundational experience on both the reporting and production sides of television journalism before she returned to New York.
In 1982, Scotto joined WABC-TV as a reporter for Good Morning New York, the morning program that later evolved into Live with Regis and Kathie Lee. After completing her work on that program and its companion broadcast The Morning Show, she moved to WABC-TV’s Eyewitness News team as a general assignment reporter. She remained at Eyewitness News through the mid-1980s, covering major stories across the tri-state region, including the Woody Allen and Mia Farrow child custody dispute, the Preppie Murder Trial, and the trials of Joel Steinberg and the case known as the Swiss Nanny. Her reporting during that period also produced the first exclusive interview with Diana Bianchi, identified publicly as the other woman in the Christie Brinkley divorce proceedings.
In 1986, Scotto joined WNYW Fox 5 New York as a weekend anchor and reporter. In 1990, the station designated her as its lead female news anchor — a role she held through multiple program transitions. In 1994, she added weekday anchoring duties to her schedule, co-anchoring the Fox 5 News at 5 pm and 10 pm broadcasts alongside Ernie Anastos. In 2008, the station promoted her to co-host of Good Day New York, where she anchored the morning broadcast alongside Greg Kelly.
What Happened to Rosanna Scotto's Co-Host
Greg Kelly co-anchored Good Day New York with Scotto from 2008 through September 2017, when he departed the program to transition into a solo anchoring role at the station. Lori Stokes, who had previously served as a longtime morning anchor at WABC-TV, replaced Kelly as Scotto’s co-anchor on Good Day New York.
Stokes held that co-anchor position through 2021. Scotto remained at the Good Day New York anchor desk through each of these transitions, maintaining her role as the program’s consistent lead presence from 2008 onward.
National Television Appearances and The Five
On July 28, 2022, Scotto made her first appearance as a guest co-host on The Five, the Fox News Channel panel program, substituting for Judge Jeanine Pirro. On May 9, 2025, President Donald Trump nominated Pirro to serve as interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, which prompted Pirro’s immediate exit from Fox News.
On May 10, 2025 — the day following that announcement — Scotto appeared again as a guest co-host on The Five, occupying Pirro’s former chair. Fox News subsequently rotated multiple network personalities through that seat. On September 8, 2026, Fox News named Emily Compagno as the permanent co-host of The Five, filling the vacancy that had remained open following Pirro’s departure.
Rosanna Scotto Cries Live on Air
On August 17, 2026, Rosanna Scotto’s mother, Marion Scotto, died at the age of 90. Scotto took time away from her anchor duties following her mother’s death. On September 1, 2026, she returned to the Good Day New York anchor desk. During that broadcast, a musical segment featuring the song “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” prompted a visible emotional response from Scotto on live television. She addressed the moment directly on air, stating: “My mother would kill me right now if she saw me crying on the air, so we’re going to get it together.”
She also told viewers: “I just want to say thank you to everybody who has been so kind and supportive of my mother’s passing.” Co-anchor Dan Bowens extended condolences on behalf of the Fox 5 staff and viewers during the same broadcast. The September 1, 2026 broadcast received widespread coverage across national entertainment and news media outlets.
Awards and Recognition
Scotto received multiple Emmy Awards for her anchoring work on Fox 5 News at 10 and Good Day New York. Published sources place the total number of Emmy Awards between three and six, with Fox 5’s own official biography stating five; the precise figure varies across documented references. In 1995, the New York State Associated Press presented Scotto with the First Place Award for her report titled “New York Survival Guide.”
She received three additional Associated Press First Place Awards across her career, along with two special Associated Press Award nominations. In 2014, Mount St. Mary College conferred an honorary doctorate on Scotto in recognition of her community contributions. In 2019, the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame inducted Scotto as a member.
Fresco by Scotto Restaurant, Acting Roles, and Cookbook
Fresco by Scotto
In November 1993, Rosanna Scotto co-founded Fresco by Scotto alongside her mother Marion, her sister Elaina, and her brother Anthony Scotto Jr. The restaurant opened at 34 East 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, at the building address 485 Madison Avenue. Marion Scotto financed the initial opening in part by mortgaging the family’s Brooklyn home. Fresco by Scotto drew reviews in New York Magazine, Gourmet Magazine, the New York Times, and received a three-star rating in Crain’s New York Business.
The restaurant developed a reputation as a lunch destination for media, political, and business figures. In 2025, the Scotto family signed a lease extension at 485 Madison Avenue, committing the restaurant to a fourth decade of operation at that address. By 2025, day-to-day operations had passed to the third generation of the family, with Rosanna’s children Jenna Ruggiero and Louis “L.J.” Ruggiero Jr. taking on active roles in the restaurant’s management alongside Rosanna.
Acting Roles and Cameo Appearances
Scotto appeared as herself in a number of film and television productions across her broadcasting career. Her documented screen appearances include The Scout (1994), Miracle on 34th Street (1994 remake), The Paper (1994), Ransom (1996), New York Undercover (Fox television drama, 1997 — two episodes), The Object of My Affection (1998), Lisa Picard Is Famous (2000), Difficult People (2015 television series — two episodes), Ghostbusters (2016), The Preppy Murder: Death in Central Park (2019 documentary series — five episodes, appearing as herself), Impractical Jokers (April 2023 episode), and Jackpot! (2024).
A Simple Favor (2018) appears in some published filmography listings but does not appear in all documented sources; that credit is noted as reported.
Cookbook
On September 17, 2002, HarperCollins published Italian Comfort Food: Intensive Eating from Fresco by Scotto Restaurant, a cookbook co-authored by Rosanna Scotto alongside Marion Scotto, Elaina Scotto, Anthony Scotto Jr., and John Scotto. The book drew on recipes and family history connected to the Fresco by Scotto restaurant.
Rosanna Scotto Net Worth and Salary
Rosanna Scotto net worth, based on figures reported across multiple published sources, falls within an estimated range of $3 million to $5 million. These figures are estimates based on publicly available information and have not been confirmed or disclosed by Scotto or her representatives. The range reflects income accumulated across a broadcasting career that began in the early 1980s and continued through her anchor role at WNYW Fox 5 New York, where she co-hosted Good Day New York from 2008 onward.
Some published sources place the figure closer to $2 million, while others cite figures as high as $5 million; the $3 million to $5 million range represents the most frequently documented estimate across multiple reference points. Figures claiming a net worth of $30 million or $35 million have appeared in certain online publications but carry no documented sourcing and do not align with any verified data points connected to her career.
Scotto’s estimated financial standing draws from several documented income streams. Her primary source of income encompasses her long-term anchor role at WNYW Fox 5 New York, where she held the position of lead female news anchor from 1990 and co-hosted Good Day New York from 2008.
A secondary income stream traces to her co-ownership stake in Fresco by Scotto, the Italian restaurant her family opened at 34 East 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan in November 1993 and has operated through 2026. Additional documented income sources include fees associated with cameo and guest appearances in film and television productions across a filmography that spans from 1994 through 2024, and revenue connected to the cookbook Italian Comfort Food: Intensive Eating from Fresco by Scotto Restaurant, published by HarperCollins in September 2002.
Rosanna Scotto Salary
Rosanna Scotto’s annual salary from her Fox 5 WNYW anchor role has not been publicly disclosed by the station or confirmed by Scotto. These figures are estimates based on publicly available information. Multiple published sources place her estimated annual broadcasting salary at approximately $175,000. A smaller number of sources cite figures reaching up to $500,000 annually. The wide variation in reported estimates reflects the absence of any official salary disclosure from Fox Television Stations, the parent broadcast group that operates WNYW.
For context, Scotto’s broadcasting career at WNYW spanned four decades, with her anchor and co-host tenure dating from 1986 through 2026. Salary estimates for television anchors at major market network-affiliated stations in the New York City market vary broadly depending on tenure, contract terms, and role seniority — none of which Fox 5 has confirmed for Scotto’s specific agreement.
Her total annual income, as estimated across published sources, extended beyond her broadcast salary to include distributions from her partial ownership of Fresco by Scotto, which operated continuously from November 1993 through at least 2026 and drew clientele from New York City’s media, political, and business sectors. The restaurant’s operational income contributed to her overall financial profile alongside her broadcast compensation, though specific revenue figures from the restaurant have not been publicly disclosed.
Personal Life and Family
Husband — Louis John Ruggiero
Rosanna Scotto’s husband, Louis John Ruggiero, married her on September 14, 1986 — the same calendar year she joined WNYW Fox 5 New York as a weekend anchor and reporter. Ruggiero’s professional background encompasses real estate law, and he maintained a law practice in New York throughout the documented period of their marriage. His exact date of birth has not been made available in any public record or confirmed by either party. Published references describe him as maintaining a low public profile, with no documented public-facing career activity outside his legal practice.
The couple’s marriage of over 40 years — spanning from September 1986 through at least 2026 — represents one of the longest documented personal partnerships among New York City television personalities of Scotto’s career generation. Ruggiero did not hold a public role at Fresco by Scotto, the family restaurant Scotto co-owns in Midtown Manhattan, though the restaurant’s operational team has included Scotto and her two children.
Rosanna Scotto Children and Family
Rosanna Scotto and Louis John Ruggiero have two children together: a daughter named Jenna Ruggiero and a son named Louis Ruggiero Jr., who goes by L.J. Ruggiero. Both children attended Catholic schools during their upbringing, a detail Scotto confirmed in published interviews. Scotto enrolled them in Catholic institutions consistent with her own documented Catholic faith.
Jenna Ruggiero completed her undergraduate education at Cornell University and also earned a certificate in Restaurant Revenue Management from the same institution. Following her studies at Cornell, Jenna took on an active role in the operations of Fresco by Scotto, the Midtown Manhattan restaurant the Scotto family opened in November 1993. By 2025, Jenna held a third-generation operational role at the restaurant alongside her brother L.J. Ruggiero and her mother Rosanna. Jenna Ruggiero is reported to have married; published sources further report that she welcomed a son named Vincent in February 2024, which would make Rosanna Scotto a grandmother. These details — Jenna’s marriage and the birth of Vincent — have been reported across multiple outlets but have not been independently confirmed through official public records.
Louis “L.J.” Ruggiero Jr. also took on a role in the management and modernization of Fresco by Scotto alongside Jenna and Rosanna. In 2015, Louis Ruggiero Jr. faced an arrest in Manhattan. Court records documented that police observed him exiting a nightclub on 10th Avenue in the early morning hours and charged him with purse snatching. The formal charges filed against him included grand theft, criminal possession of a controlled substance, and possession of a forged instrument. Court records noted no prior arrests at the time of the incident. He was released on his own recognizance at his Saturday night arraignment following the arrest.
Faith, Politics, and Public Persona
Rosanna Scotto identified publicly as Catholic throughout her documented career. She enrolled her children in Catholic schools and her Catholic faith appeared in multiple published biographical references tied to her New York upbringing and Italian-American family background.
Scotto’s political party affiliation has not been confirmed in any public statement, interview, or official record. Her two appearances as a guest co-host on The Five — the Fox News Channel panel program — in July 2022 and May 2025 generated public questions about her political orientation, given that program’s general positioning. Scotto did not address party affiliation in connection with either appearance, and no documented statement from her confirms alignment with the Republican Party or the Democratic Party.
A separate question that has circulated among viewers concerns whether Rosanna Scotto and Judge Jeanine Pirro share a family relationship. The two are not related. Scotto and Pirro both held roles within Fox-affiliated television — Scotto at the local Fox affiliate WNYW in New York City, and Pirro at Fox News Channel. Multiple viewers and published commentators noted a similarity in their physical appearance and vocal delivery, which generated the association. Scotto substituted for Pirro on The Five on two documented occasions — July 28, 2022 and May 10, 2025 — but the two women do not share a family connection.
Scotto’s residential address has not been confirmed in any public document. Her professional activity throughout her documented career centered on New York City, with her anchor work at WNYW and her co-ownership stake in Fresco by Scotto both located within the city. No public record establishes a specific home address or borough of residence.
Rosanna Scotto Ethnicity and Religion
Italian-American Heritage
Rosanna Scotto’s ethnic background traces to Italian descent on both sides of her family. Her father, Anthony M. Scotto, and her mother, Marion Anastasio, both came from Italian-American families that had established themselves in the Brooklyn borough of New York City across multiple generations. Scotto was born on April 29, 1958, in New York City, and holds American nationality. Her upbringing in the Dyker Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn placed her within one of New York City’s historically concentrated Italian-American communities, where her family maintained deep roots tied to both the waterfront labor industry and, later, the restaurant trade.
The Italian heritage documented across her family extended into her professional life as well. The family restaurant Fresco by Scotto, which Scotto co-founded with her mother and siblings in November 1993 at 34 East 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, drew its menu and hospitality approach from Italian culinary traditions. The cookbook the Scotto family published in September 2002 — Italian Comfort Food: Intensive Eating from Fresco by Scotto Restaurant — documented that food heritage in published form. Scotto’s maternal lineage connected through the Anastasio family, which had its own generational history in Brooklyn going back to at least the early twentieth century, when Marion Scotto’s grandmother Elena operated a poultry market in South Brooklyn.
Roman Catholic Faith and Community Involvement
Rosanna Scotto’s religious identity, documented across published biographical sources and her own public statements, centers on Roman Catholicism. Her Catholic faith shaped several documented aspects of her educational path and personal decisions.
Her formal education progressed through Catholic institutions from elementary school onward. She attended Visitation Academy, a Catholic elementary school in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn. Her secondary schooling at the Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn followed, after which she enrolled at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. — a university established and operated under Catholic Church auspices — where she completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1980. Her passage through Catholic-affiliated educational institutions across three consecutive levels of schooling reflected a family commitment to Catholic education that she later carried forward in her own household.
Scotto enrolled her two children — daughter Jenna Ruggiero and son Louis “L.J.” Ruggiero Jr. — in Catholic schools during their upbringing. That decision, which she referenced in published interviews, connected her children’s educational path to the same framework that defined her own schooling in Brooklyn and Washington, D.C.
Beyond her personal and family practice, Scotto’s documented community participation included involvement with Catholic charitable and civic events in New York City. Published records identify her as an honoree at the Archdiocese of New York’s Annual Cardinal’s Christmas Luncheon, a charitable event organized under the Catholic institutional structure of the New York Archdiocese. That participation represented a documented point of intersection between her public profile and the Catholic community organizations active in New York City.
Her Catholic identity also factored into the structure of her family’s restaurant operations. Marion Scotto, Rosanna’s mother and the founding matriarch of Fresco by Scotto, maintained a public presence at the restaurant that Fox 5 colleagues and media outlets described in the context of family values and hospitality — a characterization consistent with the family’s documented Catholic community ties, though no formal institutional connection between the restaurant and any Catholic organization has been documented.
Career Timeline
| Year | Role / Event | Station / Organization |
| Early 1980s | Reporter (2 local programs) and Associate Producer (evening newscast) | WTBS, Atlanta, Georgia (Ted Turner's UHF station) |
| 1982 | Reporter — Good Morning New York | WABC-TV, New York City |
| 1982–1985 | Reporter — Eyewitness News | WABC-TV, New York City |
| 1986 | Weekend Anchor and Reporter | WNYW Fox 5 New York |
| 1990 | Designated Lead Female News Anchor | WNYW Fox 5 New York |
| 1993 | Co-founded Fresco by Scotto restaurant (November 1993) | 34 East 52nd Street, Midtown Manhattan |
| 1994 | Weekday Anchor — Fox 5 News at 5 pm and 10 pm (with Ernie Anastos) | WNYW Fox 5 New York |
| 1995 | New York State Associated Press First Place Award — "New York Survival Guide" | New York State Associated Press |
| 2002 | Co-authored Italian Comfort Food cookbook (September 17, 2002) | HarperCollins |
| 2008 | Promoted to Co-Host, Good Day New York (alongside Greg Kelly) | WNYW Fox 5 New York |
| September 2017 | Greg Kelly departed; Lori Stokes joined as co-anchor | WNYW Fox 5 New York |
| 2019 | Inducted into Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame | Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame |
| July 28, 2022 | First guest co-host appearance on The Five (substituting for Jeanine Pirro) | Fox News Channel |
| May 10, 2025 | Second guest co-host appearance on The Five (following Pirro's exit for Trump U.S. Attorney nomination) | Fox News Channel |
| August 17, 2026 | Mother Marion Scotto died, age 90 | Personal / Fox 5 reported |
| September 1, 2026 | Returned to Good Day New York anchor desk; emotional on-air moment went nationally viral | WNYW Fox 5 New York |
Acting and Cameo Appearances
| Year | Title | Type | Role |
| 1994 | The Scout | Film | Herself (news anchor cameo) |
| 1994 | The Paper | Film | Herself (news anchor cameo) |
| 1994 | Miracle on 34th Street (remake) | Film | Herself (news anchor cameo) |
| 1996 | Ransom | Film | Herself (news anchor) |
| 1997 | New York Undercover | Television Drama (Fox) — 2 episodes | Herself / Newscaster |
| 1998 | The Object of My Affection | Film | Herself (news anchor) |
| 2000 | Lisa Picard Is Famous | Film | Herself |
| 2015 | Difficult People | Television Series — 2 episodes | Herself |
| 2016 | Ghostbusters | Film | Herself (news anchor cameo) |
| 2018 | A Simple Favor | Film | Herself — reported; not confirmed in all sources |
| 2019 | The Preppy Murder: Death in Central Park | Documentary Series — 5 episodes | Herself (TV Reporter) |
| April 2023 | Impractical Jokers | Television (hidden camera reality) | Herself |
| 2024 | Jackpot! | Film | Herself |
FAQ: Everything You Need to Know About Rosanna Scotto
Key questions answered about the Fox 5 Good Day New York anchor, her net worth, family, and career
Born on April 29, 1958, in New York City and raised in the Dyker Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, she joined WNYW Fox 5 New York in 1986 and became the station's lead female news anchor in 1990. Her professional career also encompasses co-ownership of Fresco by Scotto, a Midtown Manhattan Italian restaurant the Scotto family opened in November 1993. In 2019, the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame inducted her as a member.
This estimate is based on publicly available information and has not been officially confirmed by Scotto or her representatives. Her documented income sources include her long-term anchor role at WNYW Fox 5 New York, her co-ownership stake in Fresco by Scotto restaurant, cameo appearances in film and television productions between 1994 and 2024, and her 2002 HarperCollins cookbook. Figures claiming a net worth of $30 million or $35 million have appeared online but carry no documented sourcing and are not supported by verified data.
Multiple published sources estimate her annual broadcasting salary at approximately $175,000. A smaller number of sources cite figures reaching up to $500,000 annually. Both figures represent third-party estimates only. Her total annual income extends beyond her broadcast salary to include income from her partial ownership of Fresco by Scotto restaurant, which has operated in Midtown Manhattan from November 1993 through at least 2026.
The couple married on September 14, 1986 — the same year Scotto joined WNYW Fox 5 New York as a weekend anchor and reporter. Their marriage spanned more than 40 years through at least 2026. Ruggiero maintained a low public profile throughout that period, with no documented public-facing career activity outside his legal practice. His exact date of birth has not been made available in any public record.
Ruggiero did not hold a public role at Fresco by Scotto, the family restaurant Scotto co-owns in Midtown Manhattan. Published references consistently describe him as keeping a low public profile with no significant public-facing career presence outside his legal work.
She was born in New York City and raised in the Dyker Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. Her birth sign is Taurus. She graduated from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1980, approximately two years before her return to New York City to begin her broadcast journalism career at WABC-TV.
Jenna Ruggiero graduated from Cornell University and also completed a certificate in Restaurant Revenue Management at the same institution. She took on an active operational role at Fresco by Scotto in Midtown Manhattan. L.J. Ruggiero Jr. also participated in the restaurant's management. Both children attended Catholic schools during their upbringing, a detail Scotto confirmed in published interviews. Scotto enrolled them in Catholic institutions consistent with her own documented Catholic faith and educational background.
Published sources further report that Jenna welcomed a son named Vincent in February 2024, which would make Rosanna Scotto a grandmother. These details — Jenna's marriage and the birth of Vincent — have been reported across multiple outlets but have not been independently confirmed through official public records.
Federal authorities indicted him on January 17, 1979, on 33 counts related to his acceptance of cash payments exceeding $200,000 from waterfront employers and business associates in exchange for labor concessions. A federal court sentenced him to five years in prison and imposed a fine of $75,000. Anthony Scotto had controlled labor affairs along the Brooklyn waterfront through his position as president of the International Longshoremen's Association Local 1814 and his affiliation with the Gambino crime family.
Lori Stokes, a former longtime morning anchor at WABC-TV, replaced Kelly as Scotto's co-anchor on Good Day New York and held that position through 2021. Scotto remained at the Good Day New York anchor desk through each of these transitions, maintaining her role as the program's consistent lead presence from 2008 onward. Dan Bowens served as a co-anchor presence at Fox 5 alongside Scotto in subsequent years, including during her September 1, 2026 return to air following her mother's death.
Scotto took time away from her anchor duties following her mother's death. On September 1, 2026, she returned to the Good Day New York anchor desk. During that broadcast, a musical segment prompted a visible emotional response from Scotto on live television. She stated on air: "My mother would kill me right now if she saw me crying on the air, so we're going to get it together." The September 1, 2026 broadcast received widespread coverage across national entertainment and news media. Scotto continued her co-host role at Good Day New York on WNYW Fox 5 New York following her return.
Her two guest co-host appearances on The Five — the Fox News Channel panel program — in July 2022 and May 2025 generated viewer questions about her political orientation. Scotto did not address party affiliation in connection with either appearance. Her primary employer, WNYW Fox 5 New York, operates as a local Fox affiliate station separate from Fox News Channel.
Both held roles within Fox-affiliated television — Scotto at the local affiliate WNYW Fox 5 in New York City, and Pirro at Fox News Channel. Multiple viewers and published commentators noted a similarity in their physical appearance and vocal delivery. Scotto substituted for Pirro on The Five on two documented occasions — July 28, 2022, and May 10, 2025 — but the association remained professional, not familial.
Marion Scotto opened the restaurant alongside her children Rosanna, Elaina, and Anthony Scotto Jr., financing the launch in part by mortgaging the family's Brooklyn home. The restaurant drew reviews in New York Magazine, Gourmet Magazine, the New York Times, and received a three-star rating in Crain's New York Business. In 2025, the Scotto family signed a lease extension at 485 Madison Avenue, committing the restaurant to a fourth decade of operation. By 2025, day-to-day operations had passed to the third generation of the family — Rosanna and her children Jenna Ruggiero and Louis "L.J." Ruggiero Jr.
Her professional activity throughout her documented career centered on New York City, with her anchor work at WNYW Fox 5 New York and her co-ownership of Fresco by Scotto both located within the city. Published biographical sources consistently associate her with the New York City area, but no public record establishes a specific address or borough of current residence.
Ruggiero and Rosanna Scotto married on September 14, 1986. Published references describe him as maintaining a low public profile, and no biographical source has confirmed his birth year, birth date, or current age. His specific age remains unavailable in the public domain.
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