Yacov Moshe Hakohen Maza (1928-1960?)
He was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin to a strict, Orthodox Jewish family, but would grow up in New York City. His family were originally from Minsk and immigrated to the United States in the 1920\’s.
He would become a rabbi like his father, but ended up pursuing a career in comedy. He started off at the Fieldston Hotel in 1955. Though, because of his abrasive style, he was fired.
He would eventually find work in radio shows such as the Ed Sullivan Show and the Barry Gray Show.
Jackie Mason (1960?-2021)
This new name that he would adopt for both his professional and personal lives comes from an Anglicization of his first name Yacov and his surname Maza.
His humor was typically described as being flippant and controversial. Sometimes, he went too far, such as calling a New York City mayor a racial slur in Yiddish, which he apologized for. As a result, he had a difficult time pursuing his one-man shows and comedy. Though he did appear in films such as The Jerk and The Caddyshack II.
He would become married to his manager Jyll Rosenfeld.
He passed away at July 24, 2021. He was survived by his wife and his daughter Sheba Mason, who is an actress.
Sources (Fontoi)
- Chadwick, Alan (June 13, 2006). \”Metrolife: Jackie Mason\”. Metro.
- Grimes, William (July 24, 2021). \”Jackie Mason, 93, Dies; Turned Kvetching Into Comedy Gold\”. The New York Times.
- \”Jackie Mason.\” IMDb.
- Jarvis, Zeke (2015). Make \’em Laugh! American Humorists of the 20th and 21st Centuries: American Humorists of the 20th and 21st Centuries Make \’em Laugh! American Humorists of the 20th and 21st Centuries]
- Lederhendler, Eli; Finder, Gabriel N., eds. (2016). A Club of Their Own: Jewish Humorists and the Contemporary World. Oxford University Press. p. 43.
- Lender, Carl. \”Jackie Mason.\” Flickr. October 1, 2006. CC BY 2.0. Change includes placing image between two images.
- Loria, Keith (October 20, 2016).\”Howard Theatre welcomes legendary comedian\”, Fairfax Times