Carl Ruiz Wife Marie Riccio: Marriage, Divorce, and Life Before His Death
If you searched Carl Ruiz wife, you’re looking for one clear name and a straightforward timeline. Carl “The Cuban” Ruiz was married to Marie Riccio, a fellow chef and restaurateur who worked alongside him in New Jersey’s restaurant scene. They later divorced, and by the time Ruiz died in 2019, he was not publicly reported as married. Here’s what’s actually confirmed, what’s commonly repeated in reputable coverage, and how Marie Riccio fits into Carl Ruiz’s larger story.
Who was Carl Ruiz?
Carl Ruiz (April 4, 1975 – September 21, 2019) was a celebrity chef, restaurant owner, and television personality best known for his appearances on Food Network. Many viewers recognize him most as a judge on Guy’s Grocery Games, where his quick humor and big personality made him a fan favorite.
Ruiz wasn’t just “a chef on TV.” He was also a working restaurateur, especially in the New Jersey area where he built his reputation in kitchens long before he became a regular presence in food-TV circles. Later in his career, he opened La Cubana in New York City’s Meatpacking District, a project that became closely tied to his public legacy after his death.
Quick answer: Who was Carl Ruiz’s wife?
Carl Ruiz’s wife was Marie Riccio, and later reporting described her as his ex-wife. Their relationship comes up so often because it wasn’t only personal. It also overlapped with the restaurant businesses they ran in New Jersey, making her one of the few spouse-related details that appears consistently in reputable summaries of Ruiz’s life.
Who is Marie Riccio?
Marie Riccio is a chef and restaurateur associated with well-known “Marie’s” businesses in Chatham Township, New Jersey. In local coverage following Ruiz’s death, she is described as his ex-wife and business partner connected to the Chatham-area restaurants that were part of Ruiz’s life before his Food Network fame became widespread.
Marie Riccio is not a constant public figure in celebrity media, which is why many readers have trouble finding clean information about her. Most trustworthy details about her come from local reporting and community-based coverage tied to the restaurants themselves and to Ruiz’s New Jersey roots.
How Carl Ruiz and Marie Riccio were linked through restaurants
When people think of Carl Ruiz, they often picture Food Network and Guy Fieri. But in New Jersey, he was also known as someone tied to real, local businesses. Ruiz and Riccio were associated with multiple “Marie’s” establishments in the Chatham area, including:
- Marie’s Italian Specialties
- Marie’s Italian Seafood
- Marie’s Chicken Joint
Restaurant ownership is intense. It’s long hours, constant pressure, staffing challenges, razor-thin margins, and the kind of physical grind that doesn’t care if you’re tired. When a couple runs a business together, the relationship isn’t neatly split between “work life” and “home life.” Everything blends. That context helps explain why Marie Riccio’s name remains part of Carl Ruiz’s public story: their connection was both personal and professional, and the businesses were real anchors in the community.
When did Carl Ruiz and Marie Riccio divorce?
Local reporting stated that Carl Ruiz and Marie Riccio divorced in 2018. That detail matters because it answers the biggest “wife” question clearly: Marie Riccio is the spouse most often named in reputable summaries, but she was also his ex-wife before his death.
If you want your article to stay accurate long-term, this is the safest phrasing: “Carl Ruiz was previously married to Marie Riccio, and they later divorced.” It communicates the relationship clearly without implying they were still together at the end of his life.
Was Carl Ruiz married when he died?
Reputable reporting around Ruiz’s death focused on his career, his friendships in the food world, and the shock of losing him at 44. He was not described as married at the time. If you’re writing a bio-style post, the clean way to say it is:
By the time Carl Ruiz died in 2019, he was not publicly reported as married, and Marie Riccio was described as his ex-wife.
Did Carl Ruiz have children?
This is one of those details where the internet gets messy fast. Some lower-quality sites claim children; other sites claim none. Mainstream coverage about Ruiz’s career and death does not consistently document children as part of his public biography.
So if your goal is a reliable WordPress article, the best choice is to avoid presenting children as a confirmed fact unless you have a strong primary source. When information is inconsistent and not clearly verified, leaving it out is the cleaner, safer option.
Carl Ruiz’s death and the confirmed cause
Carl Ruiz died on September 21, 2019. Later reporting stated that the cause of death was atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
His death hit the food-TV world hard because he wasn’t just a familiar face. He was known as someone who brought energy into rooms: loud, funny, warm, and unapologetically himself. Tributes from other chefs and food personalities poured in immediately, and his bond with Guy Fieri was especially highlighted in the wave of public grief.
How to describe Marie Riccio accurately in a bio section
If you’re writing a short “Who” section for a WordPress post, keep it tight and factual. Here’s a clean way to say it without drifting into rumor:
- Carl Ruiz was previously married to chef and restaurateur Marie Riccio.
- Local reporting stated they divorced in 2018.
- Ruiz was not publicly reported as married at the time of his death in 2019.
That wording is clear, respectful, and avoids the two most common mistakes: implying they were still together, or inventing details that aren’t well documented.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Carl Ruiz’s wife?
Marie Riccio, who was later described in local reporting as his ex-wife.
Did Carl Ruiz and Marie Riccio divorce?
Yes. Local reporting stated they divorced in 2018.
Was Carl Ruiz married when he died?
He was not described as married in reputable reporting around his 2019 death.
What was Carl Ruiz’s cause of death?
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, as reported after his death.
The takeaway
If you searched Carl Ruiz wife for a clear answer, here it is: Carl Ruiz was married to Marie Riccio, and they later divorced (reported as 2018). Their connection matters publicly because it overlaps with the restaurant world that helped build Ruiz’s reputation long before most viewers recognized him from Food Network. After that chapter, Ruiz continued expanding his career and opened La Cubana in New York—until his sudden death in 2019, which was later reported as caused by atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
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