Jackie Mason

 Jackie Mason, born Yacov Moshe Maza (June 9, 1928 – July 24, 2021)

Mason was a stand-up comedian and film and television actor. He is ranked No. 63 on Comedy Central's 100 greatest stand-up comedians of all-time. His 1986 one-man show The World According to Me won a Special Tony Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, an Ace Award, an Emmy Award, and a Grammy nomination. Later, his 1988 special Jackie Mason on Broadway won another Emmy Award (for outstanding writing) and another Ace Award, and his 1991 voice-over of Rabbi Hyman Krustofski in The Simpsons episode "Like Father, Like Clown" won Mason a third Emmy Award. He had written and performed in six one-man shows on Broadway. In 1961, the comic got a big break, an appearance on Steve Allen’s weekly television variety show. His success brought him to “The Ed Sullivan Show” and other programs. He was banned for two years from the “Sullivan” show when he allegedly gave the host the finger when Sullivan signaled to him to wrap up his act during an appearance on Oct. 18, 1964.

He had parts in films such as The Stoolie (1972), Steve Martin’s The Jerk (1979) and Mel Brooks’ History of the World, Part I. Mason’s act even carried him to Broadway, where he put on several one-man shows, including “Freshly Squeezed” in 2005, and “Love Thy Neighbor” in 1996. Over the course of his career, Mason also penned a number of books including 1999 autobiography Jackie, Oy!, on which he collaborated with Ken Gross. He died on July 24, 2021 at age 93. Mason is buried at Beth David Cemetery in Elmont, New York.