A Long Island family just turned years of couch-side game show commentary into a real payday. The Griffo family, with roots in Rockville Centre, Freeport and Oceanside, won more than $70,000 on Family Feud, and they're not keeping it to themselves — the winnings will be shared among approximately 30 family members, with plans for a trip to Italy.
The family's run on the show included four episodes featuring Jeannine Palladino, Rob Griffo, Michael Griffo, Antonia Griffo and Joe Meszaros, according to News12 Long Island. The episodes were filmed in early 2026 and aired recently, capping off a process that began long before cameras ever rolled. Per liherald.com, the family's path to the show actually started in the summer of 2024, when Jeannine applied after spotting an online message that Family Feud was looking for a family to compete.
Getting there took real taping logistics. The Griffo family filmed four episodes of the syndicated game show in Georgia for its 50th anniversary season, with Robert Griffo, sister Jeannine Palladino, brother Michael Griffo, niece Antonia Griffo and nephew Joseph Meszaros spending two days filming at Trilith Studios in Fayetteville, near Atlanta. The episodes were taped Feb. 9 and 10 and were scheduled to air Sept. 30, Oct. 1, Oct. 2 and Oct. 5 at 7:30 p.m. on MY9.
Months of Practice, One Tricky Animal Question
The Griffo family prepared for the show by watching many old episodes before ever stepping onto the stage. The same report notes that Robert became particularly invested, recording episodes and studying the format for about a year. The whole family got in on the prep work, too, practicing individually and together — including during Thanksgiving — and even playing a version of the game on an iPhone to sharpen their reflexes for buzzer-beating answers.
Not every question went smoothly once the cameras were rolling. Rob Griffo struggled to name an animal beginning with the letter D other than dog, a moment that stuck out even as the top answers to the question turned out to be donkey and deer. For Jeannine Palladino, the experience of actually standing at the podium was its own adjustment — she said being on the spot felt different from sitting on the couch and watching from home.
Family Business Ties Run Through Rockville Centre
The Griffo name is already familiar on Rockville Centre's Park Avenue business strip. Michael Griffo is co-owner of Lenox & Park Italian American Bistro on South Park Avenue, while Jeannine Palladino owns Jeannine's Gifts on North Park Avenue, according to the same liherald.com report. That local footprint, paired with the family's close Italian-American ties, made the eventual Italy trip feel like a fitting use for some of the winnings.
The Griffo family's win adds to a run of recent local Family Feud success stories making headlines well beyond Long Island. A Syracuse family's appearance on the show aired in May 2025, with that family taking home a $20,000 prize in the Fast Money round, as reported by cnycentral.com. More recently, News10NBC's Brett Davidsen and his family won $20,000 in the Fast Money round in April, per WHEC.com. Another family, led by Jermane Zorrilla, won over $40,000 and the maximum five games, earning a trip as part of the prize, according to Gordon College.
For the Griffo family, the payoff is both financial and sentimental — a shared windfall that's set to send dozens of relatives overseas together, turning a years-long dream of appearing on national television into a family trip they'll remember long after the episodes stop airing.
