Peter Henry Zavattaro was born on June 26, 1937, in Weehawken, New Jersey. Peter married Marie on July 15, 1961, and they had three children: Christina, Alicia, and Petra.
Zavattaro had a bachelor of science degree in engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. He was general manager for Edgerton, Germeshausen, and Grier (EG&G) energy measurements for at least 37 years.