Despite being the son of two chefs and consistently working in restaurants growing up in Rochester, New York, Michael Vincent Ferreri endeavored as a young man to be a visual artist as an adult. He studied Fine Arts with a concentration in photography and painting at SUNY Potsdam.

After graduating, he returned to his home, got a studio and put his degree to work. A part-time job in a restaurant, though, redirected his creative instincts to the kitchen.