Born in Casino, New South Wales, he was the son of Victor Dominic Pezzutti and Helena Hilda Bazzo.
He was an army reservist in 1965 and later became active in the armed forces; he received the National Medal in 1978.
On 23 February 1976 he married Christine Jillian Spence, with whom he has two daughters and two sons.
He joined the Liberal Party and was the foundation president of the Lismore Branch, serving from 1983 until 1990.
In 1988, he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Council, on which he served until his retirement in 2003.