Anthony Bourdain

Bourdain in 2013, photo by kathclick/Bigstock.com

Birth Name: Anthony Michael Bourdain

Date of Birth: June 25, 1956

Place of Birth: New York City, New York, U.S.

Date of Death: 8 June, 2018

Place of Death: Kaysersberg-Vignoble, Haut-Rhin, France

Ethnicity:
*father – French, small amount of Spanish
*mother – Ashkenazi Jewish

Anthony Bourdain was an American celebrity chef, author, travel documentarian, and television personality. He was one of the most influential chefs in the world.

He was the son of Gladys (Sacksman) Bourdain, a staff editor for The New York Times, and Pierre Bourdain, a classical music industry executive for Columbia Records. He had a daughter with his wife Ottavia Busia.

Anthony’s father was born in New York, to a Catholic family, and was of French, and some Spanish, descent; his family had also lived in Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Gibraltar. Anthony’s mother was Jewish, of Ukrainian Jewish and Austrian Jewish descent. Anthony was secular, though he did refer to himself as Jewish.

Anthony’s paternal grandfather was Pierre Michel Bourdain (the son of Aureliano/Aurélien Bourdain and Mathilde Belliard). Pierre was born in Loire, Departement de Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire, France. Aureliano was raised in Sao Pedro, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and was the son of Jean (or João in Portuguese) Bourdain, who was French, and had lived in Paraguay; and of Aurelia Francia.

Anthony’s paternal grandmother was Gabrielle Riousse (the daughter of Alfred Louis Riousse and Ernestine Marie Victorine Lorel). Gabrielle was born in France. Alfred was the son of Louis René Riousse and Justine Mélanie Mallet. Ernestine was the daughter of Jean Alfred Lorel and Claire Anne Marguerite Duclos.

Anthony’s maternal grandfather was Milton Sacksman (the son of Wolf/William Sacksman and Sarah Adler). Milton was born in Ostroh, Rivnens’ka oblast, Ukraine, to a Jewish family.

Anthony’s maternal grandmother was Martha Weinrib/Weinreb (the daughter of Morris Weinrib/Weinreb and Yetta/Augusta Schuss). Martha was born in New York, to Jewish parents from Austria. Morris was the son of William Weinreb and Rachel Steinberg. Augusta was the daughter of Hyman Schuss and Jennie Ungar/Unzar.

Sources: Article about Anthony’s ancestry, by Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak, in The Huffington Post –

Information about Anthony’s Paraguayan connection –

Genealogies of Anthony Bourdain –

Genealogy of Anthony Bourdain (focusing on his father’s side) –

Baptismal record of Anthony’s paternal great-grandfather, Aureliano/Aurélien Bourdain –

Anthony’s maternal grandparents, Milton Sacksman and Martha Weinrib/Weinreb, on the 1930 U.S. Census –