Dazzio was born in Pueblo, Colorado and his family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in the early 1950s. He became one of the first students at the Hotel College at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)-- then Nevada Southern-- in 1968 after he graduated from Western High School. He worked with Stardust Hotel and Casino executives while in his early 20s. Dazzio was a hotel operator for ITT Sheraton and was the founding partner for R&R Global Hospitality, a third-party management firm. He serves on the International Advisory Board for UNLV's Hotel College.