He was initially unhappy with his job and would often skip working to play golf, demoted to assistant editor due to this.

Ruggiero earned an Academy Award for Best Film Editing in 1956 for his work on Around the World in 80 Days, which he shared with Paul Weatherwax.

He grew up in Manhasset, New York with his seven siblings (Michael, Frank, Joseph, Jack, Ana, Elizabeth, and Mary).

[1] Ruggiero enjoyed the sport of golf and, before becoming a film editor, he worked as a caddy at a New York country club.

However, after playing a game with the group one day, Ruggiero returned to the clubhouse find the head angry with him for neglecting his caddy duties.

Ruggiero edited the 1942 films A Yank on the Burma Road, Tarzan's New York Adventure, Andy Hardy's Double Life, and Jackass Mail.

That same year, Ruggiero was the editor for Edward Buzzell's Song of the Thin Man, and the final Dr. Kildare film Dark Delusion.

The following year he was the editor for Lanza's film The Great Caruso, as well as Norman Taurog's Rich, Young and Pretty and John Sturges' The People Against O'Hara.

Ruggiero earned his first Academy Award for Best Editing nomination for his work on the film; he and Boemler lost to William A. Lyon and Charles Nelson for Picnic.

In 1956 he edited The Catered Affair alongside Frank Santillo,[11] and Around the World in 80 Days with Howard Epstein and Paul Weatherwax.

In 1960, Ruggiero did Platinum High School and Revak the Rebel, and edited The Thief of Bagdad and The Wonders of Aladdin the next year.

Pufnstuf, he edited Noon Sunday and was an associate producer on Kemek both in 1970, in 1972 he served as editor on William Girdler's Asylum of Satan.

He edited the 1975 film Boss Nigger; as well as Paesano: A Voice in the Night that same year, he also worked with his wife Eva on 1976's Adiós Amigo.

Ruggiero was supervising editor on William Girdler's last film The Manitou in 1978, He edited one episode each of the 1979 series Billy and the 1980 TV Show Breaking Away, He was Supervising Editor on Savage Journey a 1983 TV re-edit of a 1977 film Brigham, he was an associate producer on the 1985 Low-Budget cult classic Night Train to Terror and co-producer on 1987's Cry Wilderness.

He criticized the low amount of money he was being paid each year; in 1994 the Motion Picture Industry Pension Plan was only giving him $242.71 a month - by contrast, younger editors were earning around $1,250.