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 comic shows and stand-ups for Comedy Central, MTV, and CBS, including Guy Code, The Half Hour, and The Challenge.
Chris is a delightful comedian who enjoys making others laugh, particularly when they are depressed. He bases the majority of his jokes on personal experiences, which makes his performances highly pleasant.
His stand-up acts are notable for the bizarre stories from his youth, particularly those involving his father Anthony “Tony” Distefano. Tony, who was involved in illicit activities when Chris was a child, has had his share of wild events, which Chris relates with his audience in a funny manner.
Mafia Connections in the Distefano Family’s Past
Tony, Chris’s father, was an old-school Brooklyn-Bronx Italian. Chris told Comedy Hype in 2014 that he had no idea what his father did for a career, but that he remembers going to family barbecues with Tony and seeing men in black suits.
“Growing up, my father was this larger-than-life, shady figure who I had no idea what he did for a career. I was constantly encountering men dressed in black suits and chains, their hair brushed back “Chris stated
“Just these folks I’d see at my father’s barbecues,” he continued, “and you’d pull up the newspaper and they’d be in the paper for mafia-connected stuff.”
Tony’s closest buddies were just as crazy as he was. They’d go in and out of jail as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. Chris also mentioned in one of his stand-up performances that his grandfather was an ardent guy for reasons that are beyond comprehension. According to Chris, Grandpa Distefano was a member of the New York mafia ring but later fought for the country in World War II.
Chris, who is married to Jazzy Distefano, joked that his grandfather could have replied “No” to the general’s orders in a gangster-like manner, or that he could have arrived at battlegrounds without a uniform with a baseball bat instead of a gun. Chris didn’t like the concept of becoming a criminal while fighting for the country.
Having said that, he believed his grandfather may have impacted his father Tony’s decision to join the mafia.
A Father With Good Intentions But Bad Decisions
Chris views his father as having the best intentions but making the wrong decisions. Chris told The Dad Club about an event in which his father beat up his friend’s father, who also happened to be someone Chris’ mother dated after his father divorced him.
When Tony arrived at her (Chris’ mother) house to pick up Chris for baseball practice one day, he saw his ex-wife crying over a boy she dated. Tony went across the street, rang the doorbell of that woman’s house, dragged the guy out, and beat him up after Chris told his father what had happened.
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The man who beat Chris’ mother did not have a long-term relationship with her and immediately began dating another lady who lived directly across the street from Chris’ mother.
To keep his son in school, Tony Distefano nearly beat up a priest.
Chris revealed how his father had his school headteacher reverse Chris’s expulsion from school in another event where his father sought to do the right thing in the wrong way. He told the story on a January 2019 Comedy Central appearance.
The incident occurred on September 11, 2001, just after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Chris was in his Archbishop Molloy High School class when he learned of the horrible incident. His mother used to work at the World Trade Center, so he began to cry in class when he realized something had happened to her.
Chris broke a chair in his head after another student made fun of him for sobbing. Chris’ father was summoned to the school after the occurrence because it was a serious matter. After Tony arrived, the father-son combo was summoned to the principal’s office. Brother Rob, the headteacher, initially stated that Chris would be expelled.
Tony, on the other hand, threatened Brother Rob, threatening to crush his kneecaps if Chris was ejected. Chris was allowed to continue studying as a result of the threat. But he was thrown off the basketball team and spent the remainder of the year in detention. These examples suggest that Tony always meant to do the right thing, but he went about it in the wrong way.
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Did he have a change of heart?
Tony Distefano was one of those folks that hung out with the wrong crowd. He used to be in debt, beat up people, get beaten up, and spend jail time. But, with time, he was able to leave all of this behind and is now living a normal life. Chris explained that his father’s behavior altered as a result of his wife’s influence, and he is now the person his wife molded him into.
However, he does not appear to have completely transformed. Chris says that anyone who wants to see vintage Tony Distefano from the late 1980s should accompany him to a Yankees game and witness his anger when the Yankees lose.
My father just booted me out of the house because I think Mahomes is hotter than Brady. I had no idea he was such a Bucs fan. Furthermore, at a Your Mom’s House broadcast in October 2020, Chris revealed that his father was around 73-74 years old and had a diabetic cardiac disease. Tony had formerly resided in New York and had lately relocated to Tampa, Florida, with his wife [Chris’ step-mother].