Average Joe - The Memoirs of a Blue-Collar Entertainer

An entertaining book, especially if you want an inside look at one man’s ascent from the streets of North Caldwell, New Jersey to the dizzying worlds of entertainment and what he learned on the way…

Average Joe - the Memoirs of a Blue-Collar Entertainer

Joe Piscopo with Walter Scott Lamb

249 pages
Forefront Books

ISBN: 978-1-63763-356-4

There are a lot of “local boy makes good” biographies out there, and this is one of them. Local boy makes good. Not great – but good. And that seems to be the recurring theme that weaves in and out of Average Joe – the Memoirs of a Blue-Collar Entertainer, the story of Joe Piscopo’s journey from growing up on the streets of New Jersey to …well, back to New Jersey. A major take-away from this story of a regular guy realizing many of his dreams is that very often good can be better than great – because good is what keeps the wheels of life turning.

You probably know Joe Piscopo as a comedian from Saturday Night Live’s first re-imagining, but Joe might argue that point as he does in the book, writing, “I never was a comedian,” and proudly continuing, “I am an entertainer.” In fact, along with Dan Aykroyd, he was a ‘utility man,’ who could be counted on to fill out extra time at the end of the show, or rescue a bit that was dying on-camera. “I’m no big star, and I never really was,” he writes – but never with bitterness or anger.

Piscopo synthesizes the ups and downs, the successes and failures, and even his personal strengths and admitted weaknesses as part of God’s roadmap bringing him to a place where he’s a busy working entertainer and a loving father (“dork dad” he puts it) of five children. The author readily admits that he made mistakes along the way:

 “…I made my own journey and have had to accept my responsibilities. I’m a serial monogamist who has four children by two ex-wives and a fifth child by a wonderful lady I was in a relationship with for almost a decade.”

The fact that he’s “best friends” with all of his exes and that he has a vibrant, loving relationship with his children is some kind of accomplishment - seemingly against the odds, but there you have it. To potential stone-throwers Joe might ask, how you doin’?

Piscopo starts his story with family – his parents, in particular. The Piscopo family’s Italian heritage is hugely important to Joe, as is the whole backstory of becoming successful as immigrants to America, the land of opportunity (his father became a lawyer). You won’t find a lot of regrets or complaints or family bashing in this book. “Pop just showed me the beauty of this land and our nation’s government and freedoms. My mother enlightened me to the beauty of The Lord, and her faith is unwavering – as mine is. …and my love of the country comes from my father. That’s not indoctrination; it’s love.” Even though the streets were the same, Joe’s story is about as far from the world of The Sopranos as it gets.

Stories. The book is full of stories – stories of growing up in an ethnic neighborhood, school adventures, and, eventually, stories of setting out to become an entertainer/comedian/musician/impressionist/rock star. Tales of the days in in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen, at The Improv - the club that was a breeding ground for upcoming comics like Seinfeld, Robin Williams and Rodney Dangerfield. There was a rock and roll energy in those comedy clubs – and also a slight air of danger. There’s one story about the night Joe was subbing at another NYC club, Catch a Rising Star. A few comments from Piscopo didn’t go over well with a table in the back of the room – a table “full of mafiosos and their girlfriends” – one black eye, chipped tooth and broken nose later, Joe learned that there are some hecklers better left alone. Okay, so maybe it was a little like The Sopranos…

A roller coaster of show biz opportunities followed, from commercial work to movies, and of course to Saturday Night Live, where his now-famous Frank Sinatra impression evolved and where he got to meet musical and entertainment giants. Joe gives the reader an inside look at how things worked behind the scenes, relationships with cast members (especially Eddie Murphy), the evolution of sketches, and general goings-on, always with an attitude of appreciation and respect.

On the personal side, there was the shock of a cancer diagnosis, and lifestyle adjustments (including body-building, which came with its own set of PR problems). Joe has now, thankfully, been more than a decade cancer-free. Today, Joe is still a blue-collar entertainer - tuxedo-wearing entertainer promoting causes like the Tunnel to Towers Foundation and various causes dedicated to helping out kids in unfortunate urban environments. His daily 6am to 10am radio show and his Sundays With Sinatra weekend radio show fill whatever time he isn’t dedicating to his kids. He’s singing, playing drums, telling jokes, doing impressions… he's what he wants to be – a working entertainer. And you can read all about it in the book.

Joe Piscopo isn’t a comedian or a superstar – he wants you to know that. He traded huge success for family happiness and self-respect. He doesn’t fit neatly into the show business mold, but that’s okay. His support for Donald Trump and his more conservative point of view put him outside of the inner circle, but he’s alright with that. He didn’t play the celebrity game but still walked away winning.

Average Joe - the Memoirs of a Blue-Collar Entertainer is an entertaining book, especially if you want an inside look at one man’s ascent from the streets of North Caldwell, New Jersey to the dizzying worlds of entertainment and what he learned on the way. Along the way are anecdotes featuring everyone from Don Rickles to Eddie Murphy. Refreshingly, Piscopo’s book is free from rancor, bitterness and excuses, his mantra being gratefulness, respect, and looking forward.

Average Joe? I think – to quote Felix Unger – “well above average” is more like it.

• Bert Saraco

You can see Bert’s concert photography at www.facebook.com/express.image