Comedian Pat Cooper dead at 93

Comedian Pat Cooper has passed away at the age of 93, it was announced today.

Cooper first rose to prominence in the 1950’s, playing clubs all throughout the country. Much of his act was revolving around family and being Italian. So much so that in a review for his first album, Billboard said that Cooper “does for the Italian-American community what Jackie Mason did for the Jewish-American community.”

His first break came in the 1960’s on The Jackie Gleason Show. After this, Cooper was a staple on practically every television show that was around in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. Cooper eventually went on to be a regular at the Friar’s Club Roasts, noted for his sharp insults.

Cooper later became a favorite of Howard Stern and was given a platform for years that helped introduce him to a whole new generation in the 80’s and 90’s. He parlayed this success into film, as he got a supporting part in the films Analyze This and Analyze That.

Take a look back at some of the most memorable television appearances Cooper made over the years below.