Stand-up comedian, actor and writer who rose to fame as the star of
DiResta, a
situation comedy about the life of a
New York transit cop, playing a
character loosely based on himself but with exactly the same name.
Off-screen, he spent twelve years as the same disillusioned subway cop he portrayed on screen and only began to find success when he started doing spots at comedy clubs all over New York based on his experiences at work and his 'white trash' family life. This flourished by 1996 into a one-man, Off Broadway show which received massive critical acclaim and gathered interest from various television networks regarding a development deal.
The show which aired from 1998-1999, surprisingly, didn't impress people quite as much as his stand-up comedy career, running for only one season consisting of fifteen episodes before being dropped, but was exposure enough for him to continue acting (despite the danger of being typecast into cop roles) and performing comedy. After all, even acting like a cop in front of a camera is more enjoyable and better paid than actually being one.
discography
2001: Civil Service Monkey
filmography
2001: 15 Minutes - Bobby Korfin
2000: Miss Congeniality - Agent Clonsky
1999: Hit and Runway - Bruno
1999: Mickey Blue Eyes - Traffic Cop
1999: Gloria - Radio Cop