Much of what is written about his early days come from his biography.
Graziosi was born on 20 November 1968 in Marlboro New York to Paul Graziosi and Gloria Post who came from an Italian family background.
He is the youngest of two, having an older sister.
One can only imagine the impact on his life when his parents divorced when he was three.
Life in those early years was of constant movement.
He recounts moving more than 20 times by the age of 19.
He lived with his late grandmother, Carmella Fanizzi Post, then his mum and stepdad and then with his dad when he was twelve.
His mother worked tirelessly two jobs to support the family.
His mother’s hardship inspired him to achieve success in life and support her.
In the Underdog Advantage, he narrates the first 6 months with his dad.
They lived in the bathroom because it was small enough to heat with an electric heater.
There was no heat in the rest of the house.
So growing up for Dean was tough as the family faced financial difficulties.
Handicapped by a learning disability, he attended Marlboro High School but never went to college.
One can picture a life where all the odds are stacked against you.
No job, no degree, no money and no family that could support him.
His first foray into entrepreneurship started with buying, fixing and reselling cars before the age of 20 to help pay the bills.
He had no start up capital, but got into real estate through buying a derelict apartment without having to put a deposit down.
This was the beginning of his passion for real estate.
The rest as they say is now history.