Chris Distefano is an American physical therapist turned comedian who was born Christopher Anthony Paul Distefano to an Italian father and an Irish mother. He has produced and created comedy shows and stand-up routines such as Guy Code, The Half Hour, and The Challenge for Comedy Central, MTV, and CBS.
Chris Distefano is a very endearing comedian who enjoys making others laugh, especially when they’re depressed. The majority of his jokes are based on actual events, which makes his performances highly entertaining.
The bizarre childhood tales he tells in his stand-up acts, particularly those that include his father Anthony “Tony” Distefano, are one of the things that stick out. Tony, who was involved in illicit activities when Chris was a child, has experienced some wild things, and Chris relates these memories to his audience in a funny manner.
Mafia Connections in the Distefano Family
Tony, Chris’ father, was one of those traditional Italians from the Brooklyn Bronx. Chris revealed to Comedy Hype in 2014 that he had no idea what his father’s occupation was, but he remembers going to family barbecues with Tony and seeing men in black suits there as well.
Chris Distefano (Pinterest)Chris stated, “I was always seeing individuals with black suits and chains on, with their hair brushed back. I didn’t know what he did for a career. Growing up, my dad was like this larger-than-life, shady kind of character.
“Just these men,” he continued, “I used to see them at my father’s barbecues, and if you opened the newspaper, they would be in it for mob-related stories.”
Close buddies of Tony were as wild. They would go in and out of jail like it was nothing out of the ordinary.
Similarly, Chris revealed in one of his stand-up performances that his grandfather was quite adamant for incomprehensible reasons. Chris claims that Grandpa Distefano was a member of the New York mafia ring before subsequently serving his country in World War II.
Chris, who is wed to Jazzy Distefano, quipped that his grandfather might have defied the general’s orders in a gangster-like manner or that he might have shown up at battle sites without a uniform and a baseball bat in place of a rifle. Chris did not like the thought of being a criminal and serving his country at the same time.
Despite this, he believed that his grandfather might have encouraged his father Tony to join the mafia.
A Father with Good Intentions but Bad Decisions
Chris describes his father as having good intentions but making poor decisions.
Chris related a story about his father beating up his friend’s father, who also happened to be someone his mother dated after divorcing Chris’ father, during one of his performances with The Dad Club.
It so happened that Tony saw his ex-wife sobbing over a man she had dated when he went to Chris’s mother’s house to fetch Chris up for baseball practice. When young Chris told his father what had happened, Tony was prompted to cross the street, knock on the woman’s door, drag the man inside, and beat him.
It appears that the man who received the beating did not have a long-lasting relationship with Chris’ mother because he immediately began dating a lady who lived directly across the street from Chris’ mother.
Chris Distefano (Pinterest)To Keep his Son in School, Tony Distefano Nearly Beat up a Priest
Chris recalled another instance where his father attempted to carry out a good deed in a bad way, forcing the school principal to reverse Chris’ expulsion. In January 2019, he discussed this incident on a Comedy Central program.
The incident happened back on September 11, 2001, shortly after the 9/11 assault. Chris first learned about the horrific event at Archbishop Molloy High School when he was in his class. He started crying in class because his mother used to work in the World Trade Center and he assumed something had happened to her.
Chris shattered a chair in his skull after a classmate teased him for crying.
Chris’s father was invited to the school after the occurrence because it was a serious case. Soon after Tony arrived, the father-son team was asked to report to the principal’s office. Brother Rob, the headteacher, first stated that Chris would have to be dismissed.
Tony, however, warned Brother Rob that if Chris is expelled, he would shatter his kneecaps. Chris was able to carry on with his studies once the threat was successful. However, he was dismissed from the basketball team and placed in detention for the remainder of the school year.
These episodes imply, in some manner, that Tony always wanted to act morally, but his methods were dishonest.
Tony Distefano Changed His Mind
Tony Distefano was a person who hung out with the incorrect crowd. He previously had gambling debts, assaulted individuals, assaulted himself, and was imprisoned.
But after time, he was able to put everything behind him and is now living a normal life. Chris revealed that his father underwent a transformation as a result of his marriage and that the man he is today is a result of his marriage.
He doesn’t appear to have changed wholly, though. Chris makes the joke that if someone wants to experience Tony Distefano’s wrath when the Yankees are losing, they should go to a Yankees game with him.
Additionally, Chris revealed that his father was approximately 73–74 years old and had a diabetic cardiac issue in October 2020 in a Your Mom’s House episode. He said that Tony had previously resided in New York before moving to Tampa, Florida, with his wife [Chris’ stepmother].