Pat Cooper, born Pasquale Caputo, was a dynamic and distinctive voice in American comedy, known for his exuberant, Italian-American humor and vibrant storytelling. Growing up in Red Hook, Brooklyn, Cooper drew upon his Italian heritage and challenging upbringing to fuel his comedic performances. His father was a hardworking bricklayer from Bari, Italy, a craft Cooper himself learned, dropping out of Manual Training High School to help support his family by laying bricks and driving a cab during the cold New York winters. Described early in his career as "the Italian Sam Levenson," Cooper specialized in humor rooted in his excitable recollections of family life. His comedy was characterized by an engaging mix of warmth and spirited exaggeration, transforming the sometimes harsh truths of his childhood experiences into irreverent and humorous anecdotes. He famously said: "My stuff is an exaggeration of the truth." His mother, often a subject of his routines, was immortalized in his performances with her distinctive characteristics: "I got a genuine Eye-talian mother. Four feet eleven! If they five feet they Turks! She has a bun ovah hee-ah, a knitting needle over hee-ah, a gold tooth over hee-ah. That'sa my momma…black dress, black stockings and black shoes." Cooper's breakthrough came in 1963 on "The Jackie Gleason Show," which opened the door to a series of successful comedy albums, including the memorable "Spaghetti Sauce and Other Delights," a parody that featured him humorously posing in marinara sauce. During the 1970s and 80s, Cooper honed his comically angry persona, making him a popular figure on the stand-up circuit, where his "don't get me started" style made every show a potential tirade about anything from family to societal norms. Cooper's comedic style drew parallels with contemporaries like Jackie Mason, with whom he briefly shared the stage, and while Mason went on to find success on Broadway, Cooper delighted audiences by opening for major acts like Lola Falana, Tony Bennett, and Steve Lawrence. Known for his high-decibel rants, Cooper was also a familiar presence on New York radio, engaging listeners with his robust humor and animated complaints. He prided himself on his commitment to "old fashioned" comedy, often poking fun at younger comedians who complained about venue conditions. Despite the changing landscape of comedy over the decades, Pat Cooper remained true to his roots, using his comedic talents to transform everyday occurrences into unforgettable laughs. His authenticity and raw comedic energy secured his place as an iconic figure in the landscape of American humor.