Frank Vascellaro is a well-known American television journalist recognized for his work as a news anchor at WCCO-TV in Minnesota. With decades of experience in broadcasting, he has become a familiar face to viewers across the Twin Cities. Many people search for information about his career, net worth, annual salary, and personal life. He is married to fellow journalist Amelia Santaniello, and together they have three children. His professional journey includes reporting, anchoring, and receiving recognition for his journalism. Readers are also interested in his age, birthday, family background, and health updates. This biography explores his career, marriage, children, and publicly available facts while separating confirmed information from unverified claims.
Who Is Frank Vascellaro?
Frank Vascellaro is a veteran American news anchor who works for WCCO-TV, the CBS-affiliated television station serving Minneapolis and the surrounding Minnesota region. He is particularly recognized for co-anchoring evening newscasts alongside his wife, Amelia Santaniello.
His broadcasting career in the Twin Cities began in 1996. Before joining WCCO, he worked at other television stations, gaining experience as an anchor and reporter. His work has included local news coverage, investigative reporting, and stories affecting communities throughout Minnesota.
According to his official CBS News biography, he received recognition from the Society of Professional Journalists for investigative reporting in 2008 and won Regional Emmy Awards for Best Anchor in 2011 and 2012.
Early Life and Education
Frank Vascellaro grew up in Denver, Colorado. His early life eventually led him toward a career in television broadcasting, where communication skills, curiosity, and the ability to explain complex events are important.
According to CBS News, he attended the United States Air Force Academy before transferring to the University of Colorado at Boulder. He later studied broadcasting at Columbia College in Chicago, Illinois.
His educational background and early professional experiences helped prepare him for a career in journalism. Working in local television allowed him to develop reporting skills, learn newsroom operations, and gain experience presenting news to a broad audience.
Although details about his childhood and private life remain limited in his official biography, his professional history provides a clear picture of his development as a television journalist.
Birthday and Age
Many readers search online to find out how old Frank Vascellaro is and when he celebrates his birthday. However, the official CBS News biography cited in this article does not provide a verified date of birth.
Without a reliable source confirming his birthday, stating a specific date or calculating his age would risk spreading inaccurate information. His years of professional experience are documented, but they should not be used to guess his age.
For a publication-ready biography, it is best to leave his exact birthday and age unconfirmed until a credible source, such as an official biography or a direct public statement, establishes those details.
Career at WCCO-TV
Frank Vascellaro has worked in the Twin Cities television market since 1996. Before joining WCCO-TV, he worked at WAND-TV in Decatur, Illinois, and WHOI-TV in Peoria, Illinois, as an anchor and reporter.
These positions helped him build experience in local news reporting and television presentation. His career later brought him to WCCO, where he became a familiar face to viewers in Minnesota.
One important milestone came on June 29, 2006, when he and Amelia Santaniello became the first married couple to co-anchor a daily news program in the Twin Cities, according to CBS News.
His journalism has also received professional recognition. The Society of Professional Journalists honored him for investigative reporting in 2008, and he received Regional Emmy Awards for Best Anchor in 2011 and 2012.
In 2026, WCCO’s longstanding contribution to local broadcasting was recognized again when the Minnesota Broadcasters Association announced that Vascellaro and Santaniello would be inducted into the Minnesota Broadcasters Hall of Fame later that year.
These milestones demonstrate his sustained involvement in local journalism and his contribution to Minnesota television news.
Net Worth: How Much Money Does He Have?
Frank Vascellaro’s exact net worth has not been established by a reliable public financial disclosure. Although various websites may publish estimates, those figures are not necessarily based on verified information about his assets, investments, property, or earnings.
His long career in television journalism provides context for his professional standing, but it does not establish a specific personal fortune.
To understand his financial position accurately, readers would need reliable information about his income and assets. Without such evidence, assigning him a particular net worth would be speculation.
For that reason, this article does not present an unsupported dollar amount as fact.
Salary: How Much Does He Earn?
Another common question concerns Frank Vascellaro’s annual salary at WCCO-TV. His exact compensation has not been publicly confirmed in the official CBS News biography cited here.
Television news salaries can vary according to experience, market size, job responsibilities, employment agreements, and other factors. General industry salary figures cannot establish what a particular anchor earns.
Vascellaro’s lengthy career and prominent role at WCCO demonstrate his professional experience, but they do not provide enough evidence to calculate his actual salary.
Readers should therefore be cautious about websites that state a precise annual salary without identifying a credible source. Until verified compensation information becomes available, his earnings should be described as undisclosed rather than assigned a speculative figure.
Illness and Health Updates
Questions about Frank Vascellaro’s health have appeared online, particularly following his shoulder injury in late 2022.
In January 2023, he shared that he had slipped and fallen while helping his daughter load her car. The accident injured his shoulder, and medical examinations revealed multiple tears in his rotator cuff. He underwent surgery and temporarily stepped away from his anchoring duties to recover.
CBS Minnesota reported on January 26, 2023, that he had returned to the WCCO anchor desk following his recovery period.
This incident is a documented example of a health-related interruption in his career. However, a past injury does not establish that he has a chronic illness or an ongoing medical condition.
Readers should distinguish this reported shoulder injury from unverified online claims about his health. Any new medical information should be included only when supported by a credible public statement or trustworthy reporting.
Wife and Married Life
Frank Vascellaro is married to Amelia Santaniello, an established television journalist who also works at WCCO-TV. Their relationship is notable because they have shared both a family life and a professional environment in local television news.
The couple married in 1999 in Florence, Italy. Several years later, on June 29, 2006, they made broadcasting history in the Twin Cities by becoming the first married couple to co-anchor a daily news program in the area.
Working together in a newsroom requires communication, coordination, and professional cooperation. Their long-running partnership has made them recognizable personalities among Minnesota television viewers.
Beyond their work, they have participated in community activities and charity events around the Twin Cities. Their careers have therefore involved not only delivering local news but also maintaining connections with the community they serve.
How Old Are Frank Vascellaro and Amelia Santaniello?
People frequently search for the ages of both journalists because they have worked together for many years.
However, the official biographies referenced for this article do not establish verified birth dates for both individuals. Without confirmed dates of birth, their exact ages or the precise age difference between them cannot be reliably calculated.
Their professional timelines are better documented: Vascellaro began anchoring in the Twin Cities in 1996, while he and Santaniello became married co-anchors in 2006.
These career milestones provide useful context without relying on potentially inaccurate age estimates.
Wedding and Family Life
Frank Vascellaro and Amelia Santaniello married in Florence, Italy, in 1999. Their marriage brought together two journalists with careers in television news.
Their relationship has continued alongside their professional responsibilities at WCCO. Becoming co-anchors in 2006 created a distinctive arrangement in which the couple worked together in front of the camera while maintaining their family life away from the newsroom.
Although they are public figures, not every aspect of their private life is publicly documented. A responsible biography can describe their wedding, careers, and family without making assumptions about personal matters they have not shared publicly.
Kids and Family
Frank Vascellaro and Amelia Santaniello have three children: Sam, Joseph, and Francesca. According to CBS News, their family includes a son named Sam and twins named Joseph and Francesca.
Their children have occasionally been mentioned in publicly available reporting connected with family activities and their parents’ professional lives.
Despite their parents’ visibility on television, the family generally deserves privacy, especially when it comes to personal details that have not been shared through reliable public sources.
For readers interested in his family background, the confirmed information is straightforward: Vascellaro and Santaniello have three children and have balanced their careers in television journalism with raising their family.
Daughter Francesca
Francesca is one of the three children of Frank Vascellaro and Amelia Santaniello. She is one of their twins, alongside her brother Joseph.
In January 2023, Francesca was mentioned in CBS Minnesota’s reporting about her father’s shoulder injury. Vascellaro had fallen while helping his daughter load her car before she returned to college after the Christmas holiday.
This report offers a publicly documented example of the family’s everyday life, but it does not justify making assumptions about Francesca’s private circumstances.
When writing about the daughter of a public figure, it is best to include only details that are relevant, publicly documented, and appropriate to share.
Wikipedia and Public Information
Readers searching for a Wikipedia page about Frank Vascellaro are generally looking for a concise overview of his biography, career, education, awards, and family.
For reliable information, his CBS News professional biography is a useful starting point. It provides details about his broadcasting career, previous television stations, education, professional recognition, marriage, and children.
CBS Minnesota’s reporting also documents his 2023 shoulder surgery and subsequent return to the newsroom. In addition, the 2026 Minnesota Broadcasters Hall of Fame announcement provides more recent context about his career and contribution to local broadcasting.
When researching a public figure, readers should prioritize official biographies, established news organizations, and direct statements over unsourced claims. This is particularly important for personal financial information, birth dates, and health-related topics.
Biography and Quick Facts
Here is a summary of the main publicly documented details about his life and career.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Frank Vascellaro |
| Profession | Television journalist and news anchor |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | WCCO-TV news |
| Employer | WCCO-TV, CBS Minnesota |
| Wife | Amelia Santaniello |
| Wedding year | 1999 |
| Children | Three |
| Children’s names | Sam, Joseph, and Francesca |
| Birthplace | Denver, Colorado, according to his CBS biography |
| Exact birthday | Not confirmed by the cited official biography |
| Exact net worth | Not publicly verified |
| Exact salary | Not publicly verified |
These details are based primarily on his professional biography published by CBS News. His exact date of birth, personal wealth, and salary should not be treated as established facts without additional reliable evidence.
Final Thoughts
Frank Vascellaro has built a longstanding career in Minnesota television journalism through his work as an anchor and reporter. His professional journey includes experience at several television stations, recognition for investigative reporting, Regional Emmy Awards, and a notable partnership with his wife, Amelia Santaniello, at WCCO-TV.
His marriage, three children, and documented recovery from shoulder surgery add context to his public biography. However, his exact birthday, net worth, and salary remain unverified in the sources used for this article.
By focusing on confirmed information and clearly identifying what remains unknown, readers can gain a more accurate understanding of his career and personal background without relying on speculation.
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FAQs
Are Frank Vascellaro and Amelia Santaniello still married?
Yes, Frank Vascellaro and Amelia Santaniello are publicly reported as a married couple. They married in 1999 in Florence, Italy, and have three children.
How much does Frank Vascellaro make a year?
Frank Vascellaro’s exact annual salary has not been publicly verified. Figures published on biography websites are estimates, not confirmed earnings.
How much weight did Frank Vascellaro lose?
Some online biography websites report that Frank Vascellaro lost approximately 20 pounds while following a paleo diet in 2011, but this claim should be treated as unverified without a reliable primary source.
How old is Frank Vascellaro?
Some biography websites list his birth date as July 25, 1962, which would make him 64 in October 2026. However, this date has not been confirmed by the official CBS biography.
Who is Frank Vascellaro’s wife?
Frank Vascellaro’s wife is Amelia Santaniello, a fellow television journalist and WCCO-TV news anchor. They married in 1999 and have three children.
