Joe Santagato: How He Went from High School Dropout to Co-Host of The Basement Yard?

Joe Santagato was born on the 25th of February, 1992, making him 33 years old at the time of writing.

He’s an American comedian, vlogger, and podcaster, best known for his YouTube channel, his collaborative channel Santagato Studios, and as co-host of the popular podcast The Basement Yard.

Joe has more than 4 million subscribers and over 750 million views across his platforms.

A Brief Biography of Joe Santagato

Born and raised in Astoria, Queens, NYC, Joe has Irish maternal and Italian paternal roots. His mother, Elizabeth, was a public school secretary, while his father, Joseph, served as a NYC firefighter.

Joe is the youngest of four siblings: Thomas, a former Team USA skeleton champion, Shannon, and Kaith, a gaming YouTuber.

Image source: TikTok

He attended St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School, and he later went to Queensborough Community College. After that, he made the decision to leave college to pursue a YouTube career.

While he was building his following on YouTube, he was working as a pizza delivery driver and waiter.

Joe Santagato’s Girlfriend

Joe Santagato’s current girlfriend is Nicole Brunelle. The couple has been publicly seen together, and Joe sometimes posts them on Instagram. Though he hasn’t announced when they started dating, it looks like they’ve been dating for a while.

Fans started speculating about the relationship because Joe was famously dating his previous girlfriend, Sammy, for 9 years. He never posted about her or interacted with her posts, so some fans have expressed feeling heartbroken for her, especially since they grew up together.

Now, Joe is dating Nicole and constantly interacts with her online, which drives some hate from loyal Sammy fans.

Image source: Instagram

However, Sammy did appear with Joe on the podcast he had with Kate Wolf a couple of times. He also once mentioned that he wanted to keep their relationship private because of the hate Sammy was getting.

So, maybe she was the one asking not to be posted about.

Joe Santagato and Frank Alvarez’s Decades-Long Friendship and the Creation of ‘The Basement Yard’ Podcast

Joe has maintained a close bond with childhood friend Frank Alvarez, who’s been co-hosting The Basement Yard with him since 2020.

The podcast launched in 2015, featuring Joe and rotating guests. In 2025, the podcast channel is closing in on a million subscribers.

Joe and Frank have been getting positive feedback from fans due to their chemistry together. Since they’ve been friends since childhood, they converse easily, entertaining the audience.

Image source: People

Summary

Joe Santagato is a multi-tasking entertainer. He’s a YouTuber, comedian, and podcaster. He rose from sketch videos in Queens to co-hosting a successful podcast, and his chemistry with his lifelong friend, Frank Alvarez, is keeping the podcast going strong.

Fans have been talking about Joe’s relationship with Nicole Brunelle, discussing the fact that he didn’t post about his previous girlfriend that much, despite dating her for 9 years.

Featured image source: Pinterest