I had no idea what they were saying in Italian as a child, they spoke too quickly on the radio. But I realized that language was very funny.

I had to audition for the part of Jnior, and I wanted the role terribly because I knew it was a great character. This guy is a wonderful, funny, mean old guy.

They would wake me up when I was sleeping, and say sing a song for our friends. I had a sweet voice, I had a nice little tenor voice. God knows what I sang, but my whole family would admire me.

I enjoyed my grandparents very much. My mother and father would always allow me to stay with them.

I went on tour in the play H.M.S. Pinafore.

I went to Brooklyn College and met this beautiful Jewish girl named Merle, with dark hair, exotic looking and brilliant. So we got married and had three children.

The radio was my big influence. Comedy came from the instinctual feel I had for language.