Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi

Nicole Elizabeth LaValle (née Polizzi; born November 23, 1987), best known by her nickname Snooki, is an American reality television personality. She is best known for being a cast member of the MTV reality show Jersey Shore and starring in Snooki & Jwoww and Jersey Shore: Family Vacation. Upon appearing on Jersey Shore in 2009, Snooki gained popularity, leading to numerous talk show appearances, web and television series participation and hosting, and a large social media following. She reportedly earned $150,000 per Jersey Shore episode by the last season. She also appeared as the guest hostess for WWE Raw in 2011 and competed at WrestleMania XXVII that same year. Early life Polizzi was born in Santiago, Chile. She was adopted when she was six months old and was raised by Italian-American parents, Andy and Helen Polizzi. Polizzi has taken two DNA tests to determine her genetic background. In 2014, the first DNA test stated that she had European, Asian and Jewish ancestry. Five years later, in January 2019, she took another DNA test which stated that she is of Native Chilean and European descent. Polizzi’s father is a volunteer firefighter and auto-salvage supervisor, and her mother is an office manager. Polizzi received her nickname, Snooki, in middle school, when her friends named her after "Snookie", a male character in Save the Last Dance, because she was the first of her friends to kiss a boy. She grew up and attended school in Marlboro, New York, where she was a cheerleader. During high school, she suffered from an eating disorder, at one point weighing . Snooki attended Brookdale Community College after graduating from Marlboro High School, where she studied to become a veterinary technician. Career