Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. John knew early on that his calling was comedy. Once, while on a family trip to the World’s Fair, young John climbed on stage during a children’s show and told a joke that would have been more appropriate for a bachelor party. Initially, John could not understand why the stunned audience members stared at him as if he were the last letter on an eye chart. John’s parents ushered him offstage and quickly “enlightened” him about his choice of material.