I love Don Rickles. I understand people have different tastes when it comes to comedy and Rickles is just one of those comedians you either love or hate. Pat Cooper is another one I love that falls into that category. You either love him or hate him.
I like Pat Cooper's act, and I'm proud of him as a fellow Italian American. But objectively speaking, Pat Cooper couldn't stand in Don Rickles's shadow as a comic. And as a person?
I've honestly met Pat Cooper on three or four separate occasions. Back in the day he was pretty big on the Bronx/Westchester Italian American catering hall and club circuit (places like Alex and Henry's, Tardi's and Maestro's). And he's about the biggest dick you'll ever meet in your life. Obnoxious, belligerent and
CHEAP. The waiters and bartenders in those joints used to pee in his drinks because he wanted everything for nothing and he never tipped. True story.
Now I can't speak for Rickles, but his celebrity friends swear that he's a sweetheart. But who knows?
