William Gallagher

Age: 49

Place of birth: Oceanside, New York (South Nassau Hospital).

Where you live: Rockville Centre, Long Island.

Name of Company you work for: Becco

City you work in: New York.

Profession: Executive Chef

Why I chose this career: I always enjoyed cooking and learning from my grandmother. I grew up in a big family and it seemed like we were always cooking. Once I started getting older it just seemed like a natural next step for my career.

Status: Married

Family: Carol (wife); Erica, Jeanie, Michael, Ashley, Kristina & Kathy (kids); Pamela, Alexis, Jack, Mariah, Eric, Robert, Jacob & Makeyla (grandchildren)

The proudest moment of my career: Cooking for the Pope.

Biography: In 1999, Chef Gallagher teamed up with Lidia and Joe Bastianich to become Executive Chef at Becco Restaurant. Highly regarded and well renowned, Billy has cooked at the James Beard house, numerous charity benefits including Share Our Strength, and has been featured nationally on Fox & Friends with Julian Phillips, Food TV’s Follow That Food, and CBS News with Tony Tantillo. The Intrepid Air, Sea, and Space Museum has invited Chef Gallagher “on deck” as a regular star judge during the annual Fleet Week “Best Chow” Competition, with heavy features in local media. In his career at Becco Restaurant, Chef Gallagher has represented the Bastianich name at the “Taste of the Tetons Music Festival” in Wyoming, as well as creating a 50 foot long Pappardelle ribbon to be cut for the televised opening ceremony of the summer annual “Taste of Times Square.” He’ll also be seen cooking at The Feast of Famous Faces this year in New York. Billy is also preparing to run his 4th NYC Marathon. The crowning moment of his career was having the honor to cook for the Pope. When not cooking with Lidia on her PBS cooking series, Lidia’s Italy, Chef Gallagher can be found at 355 West 46th Street on Restaurant Row in the heart of the New York City’s Theater District.