A New York City native, Villafane graduated from the School of Visual Arts in 1991. The sculptor began experimenting with pumpkins as a school teacher in Michigan. Parents loved them, and so did local restaurants.
Before long, Villafane became a niche celebrity, and, in 2007, he was invited to the Food Network's Challenge Show: Outrageous Pumpkins. He won the Grand Prize and he has been successfully defending his title in the years since. His pumpkins have also decorated the President's Quarters in the White House.
