Overview
Pat Cooper (born Pasquale Vito Caputo; July 31, 1929 – June 6, 2023) was an American actor and comedian whose career began in the 1950s. He experienced a late career resurgence from appearances on The Howard Stern Show, Imus in the Morning, and Opie and Anthony. He also played Masiello in the film Analyze This (1999) and its sequel Analyze That (2002). Known for his short temper, he was nicknamed the "Comedian of Outrage".
Life and career
Pat Cooper was born Pasquale Vito Caputo on July 31, 1929, in Coney Island, Brooklyn and grew up in the nearby neighborhoods of Midwood and Red Hook. He was drafted into the Army in 1952 and was stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. He was discharged with hammer toe, the result of wearing shoes that were too small as a child. Cooper started performing in the 1950s. His big break came in 1963 on The Jackie Gleason Show. In the early 1960s he Americanized his name to Pat Cooper. In 1966, he was pictured sitting on a chair covered in spaghetti and pasta sauce for Spaghetti Sauce and Other Delights (a parody of the Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass album, Whipped Cream & Other Delights, in which a woman is sitting on a chair covered in whipped cream), an album that consists of one side of spoken comedy and one side of parody songs; Billboard described it as stronger than Our Hero.
In May 1969, Cooper and singer Jimmy Roselli premiered in their two-man show at Broadway's Palace theater in New York City. During the 1970s, Cooper was a frequent guest on The Mike Douglas Show and also appeared on The Merv Griffin Show and The Dean Martin Show. Cooper was an occasional contributor to Colin Quinn's late-night show on Comedy Central, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn. In 2005, he released a DVD called You're Always Yelling and in 2010, he wrote his autobiography entitled How Dare You Say How Dare Me!
Personal life and death
Cooper was married three times. He has two biological children (Michael and Louise Caputo) from his first marriage to Dolores Nola and one adopted daughter (Patti Jo Cooper) from his second marriage to singer Patti Prince. Cooper also has two grandsons and three granddaughters. In 2018, he married his third wife, Emily Conner, who he met in 2010 at the New York Friars Club. She is a producer and the daughter of Diane Decker, one of the original Serendipity Singers. Cooper lived in New York then moved back to Las Vegas, Nevada, after retiring. He publicly feuded with his children on his radio appearances and was estranged from all members of his biological family. He died at his Las Vegas home on June 6, 2023, at the age of 93.
Singles
* The More Your Make The More Your Spend (1965) * Pepperoni Kid (1966) * You Don't Have To Be Italian / Conchetta (1967) * More Saucy Stories (1968) * Its The Italian In Me (1970)
External links
*Pat Cooper's Autobiography * * *Kliph Nesteroff interviews Pat Cooper, February 16, 2011 - Part One *Kliph Nesteroff interviews Pat Cooper, February 16, 2011 - Part Two