Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007 | 7:19 a.m.
Who: Joe Piscopo
When: 9:30 p.m., Sundays through Tuesdays
Where: Hilton's Shimmer Cabaret
Tickets: $39.95; 732-5111
Who is Joe Piscopo?
We know him from early '80s television, when he and Eddie Murphy were the stand-out performers on "Saturday Night Live" and from motion pictures ("Johnny Dangerously" and "Dead Heat"), commercials (Miller Lite, Bally's health spas) and Broadway (disc jockey Vince Fontaine in 1996's "Grease").
He's a stand-up comedian, singer and impressionist who imitates dozens of other celebrities but is best known for his Frank Sinatra. His face and his voice are familiar, even though he failed to reach the superstar status of other SNL alumni such as Murphy and John Belushi.
Perhaps it's his engaging personality that makes him popular and memorable - making him known, but not really known.
Who is he?
He's more complex than his comedic persona might indicate. He once considered - seriously - running for governor in his native New Jersey.
"I know the issues," he said, sitting inside his suite at the Las Vegas Hilton, where his nightclub act will debut this weekend. "I know the people. Jersey is the most disrespected state in the country."
One of his favorite topics is the Positive Impact Foundation, which he created to help children build self-esteem, a tough job anywhere, and perhaps especially true in the country's most disrespected state. The foundation works with underprivileged at-risk children, finding ways to reward them for good behavior.
"It's a labor of love," Piscopo said. "Most of these kids don't have two parents. I met this kid once who said to me, 'Hey, hey, Mr. Piscopo, it's the six-month anniversary for mom. She's been off crack six months.' That sucked me in. I started my own little foundation, a grass-roots thing."
The organization works with the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission.
"We find groups and people doing good things and highlight them, give them publicity; create positive meaning for at-risk children," he said. "No one cares, man. It's the hardest thing I've ever had to do."
His group started Positive Impact Television to highlight the positive things that kids do. Gang wars make the news, so Piscopo and his foundation try to get the word out about nonwars.
"Good things happen, too," he said. "We have groups teaching kids character, martial arts, African folklore, music.
"My foundation is a conduit to someone kind enough to put the good news in print, to empower the kids, to change their perception of themselves and to convince them they're not worthless."
Piscopo loves kids. He has four of his own. One, Joe Jr., from his first marriage, is an adult. The three children from his second marriage - Alexandra, Michael and Olivia - live at home. Piscopo and his wife, Kimberly, are in the midst of a divorce. They share custody.
Piscopo can talk about most things, but not the divorce.
He says the pain may have given new depth to his nightclub performance.
"I take all that pain and take it onstage," Piscopo said. "The audience senses that. I put every piece of my heart and soul into it."
Piscopo has performed in front of audiences of all sizes - millions on television, thousands in auditoriums, hundreds in large showrooms. His gig at the Hilton will be in the 300-seat Shimmer Cabaret. It's an open-ended engagement three nights a week, Sundays through Tuesdays.
"It has a more intimate feel for me, more true to the music," Piscopo said. "The show is not so presentational as they are in the larger venues."
Joining him will be six musicians, led by Vinnie Falcone, a local legend who was Sinatra's musical director for 20 years and has been the director for almost every major performer from the old school.
"I'm fulfilling a dream here," Piscopo said. "I'm an entertainer. This is what I do."
That is who Joe Piscopo is.
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