里茲圖1917年9月25日生於布魯克林,一開始對於他真正的出生年分有爭議性,The Sporting News和Baseball Register都說里茲圖的生年是1918年,而American League Red Book說是1917年,而New York Post說是1916年[1]。最後紐約市當地醫療機構說里茲圖確定生於1917年[1]。
^Bodley, Hal. "N.Y. Yankees Hall of Famer Phil Rizzuto dies" (頁面存檔備份,存於互聯網檔案館), USA Today, August 14, 2007. Retrieved August 14, 2007. "Rizzuto was still in Richmond Hill High School in 1935 when he said in a New York Times interview he was driven to Ebbets Field in 'Uncle Mike's car — one of those old cars, with the balloon tires' — for a tryout with his beloved Brooklyn Dodgers."
^Blevins, David. The Sports Hall of Fame Encyclopedia: Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey, Soccer. Chapter 18: Scarecrow Press. December 2011: 812. ISBN 0810861305.