Tony-Winning Comedian Jackie Mason Dies at 93

Legendary comedian Jackie Mason, who was known for his “Borscht Belt” stand-up style, has died at the age of 93. The New York Times reports that he passed away on July 24 at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

Mason was born Yacov Moshe Maza on June 9, 1928 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin to immigrants from Belarus. Like generations of men in his family before him, Mason went on to become an ordained rabbi and incorporated his Jewish roots into much of his comedy. After earning a degree from City College, he began working summers in the Catskills, appearing onstage at every opportunity. Following his father's death in 1959, he felt as if he could pursue performing in earnest.

Mason became a regular on variety shows, recorded two albums (I Am the Greatest Comedian in the World Only Nobody Knows It Yet and I Want to Leave You With the Words of a Great Comedian) and wrote the book My Son the Candidate. An incident on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964—host Sullivan was convinced Mason gave him the middle finger on-air—made acquiring bookings difficult for Mason for a time; he sued Sullivan for libel and won.

Mason appeared on Broadway in A Teaspoon Every Four Hours in 1969, a play he wrote. The show began preview performances on March 21, 1969 and immediately closed following its opening night on June 14. He went on to earn acclaim for his special solo shows, including Jackie Mason's The World According to Me!, which earned a Special Tony Award in 1987, as well as Jackie Mason: Brand New, Jackie Mason: Politically Incorrect, Love Thy Neighbor, Much Ado About Everything, Prune Danish and Jackie Mason: Freshly Squeezed. Mason also won an Emmy Award for The World According to Me! when it aired on television in 1988. He published his autobiography Jackie, Oy! that same year. His last show, Jackie Mason: The Ultimate Jew, played at off-Broadway's New World Stages in 2008.

Mason garnered another Emmy Award for voicing the character Rabbi Hyman Krustofsky, the father of Krusty the Clown on The Simpsons, in 1992. His screen credits also include the movies The Jerk, History of the World, Part I, Caddyshack II and more.

Mason is survived by his wife, Jyll Rosenfeld, as well as his daughter and fellow comedian Sheba Mason.