[6] Fagliano grew up in the Mount Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in a Jewish family[7] with two brothers.

[8] His mother is a grant writer and his father is a chairperson at the Drexel University School of Public Health.

[8] At the Times, Fagliano creates and edits the "Mini Crossword", a 5 × 5 (or sometimes slightly larger, often on Saturdays) puzzle released daily, originally envisioned by product director Matt Hural.

[1][9] Fagliano lives in the Upper East Side in Manhattan, New York City.

[1] His hobbies include playing chess[1] and basketball, watching sports, and jogging.