Atlantic City Weekly

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The Dom

Comic Dom Irrera grew up in South Philly (spending a lot of summers in Atlantic City) and, talking about his family and Italian upbringing, began a stand-up career that has lasted more than 25 years. Irrera has appeared on numerous comedy specials, TV shows such as Everybody Loves Raymond, and can be seen currently on Direct TV’s Supreme Court of Comedy. Through it all, he’s been an Atlantic City regular, starting at clubs such as the Comedy Stop, moving on to casino opening act and now as a headliner. Irrera plays Harrah’s Concert Venue this Saturday, Sept. 4, at 9pm. He took some time recently to talk with Atlantic City Weekly.

You’re from South Philly and spent a lot of time in Atlantic City as a kid. Is this like a big homecoming for you?

It is. I’ve given away every comp I can, so I can’t give anymore away. I have a lot of cousins and people who say they’re cousins. It’s fun. To me it’s like a dream come true to come back and headline a casino. I see myself on a billboard and I’m like, “Oh my God.” It’s just weird. And I’m amazed at how thin my face looks on them compared to now. But it’s a big weekend [Labor Day] and I think we’ll do well. As long as the freakin’ hurricane doesn’t hit. I remember I was doing a gig in Wildwood a few years back and there was a hurricane. I thought the place would be empty, but I go out there and it’s packed. I remember saying to the crowd, “How bad do you need a laugh that you come out in a hurricane?”

You know Atlantic City very well. What were some of the earliest gigs you played here.

I worked the Golden Nugget when it was there with Paul Anka. I worked Caesars with the Pointer Sisters. I worked with Natalie Cole at the Sands. I’ve been working there for years. I worked with Cher, and that’s what got me my first headlining deal. They saw I had some fans in the audience. I remember one night I was working with Whitney Houston, and she was late. She was probably doing some coke and all. I was on stage for like 40 minutes. Finally I just told the crowd, “Look, she ain’t here. I don’t want you to think I’m doing some ego-stroking thing. I just don’t want to leave you all here in the dark.” They all started cheering.

Many bios of you say that your humor is based on your family and Italian heritage and growing up in South Philly. But really, that seems to be more of a description of early in your career than what you do now.

Yeah, it’s broadened. I mean the Philly humor is still there, but I think, you know having traveled all around the world and seen things, that I do more things now. It’s so funny because [during the act] I lay into people in, I hope, a fun way. And then I have people come up to me. One guy came up to me and said, “Why didn’t you cut up Puerto Ricans more?” Because he’s Puerto Rican you know. And I said, man I’ll get to that. I don’t have enough time to cut up everyone in every show. Sorry to leave you out. But it has broadened. I lived in a black neighborhood in West Philly after South Philly. And then in high school my family moved to a mostly Jewish neighborhood. So that’s all inside of you. There’s definitely a lot of funny things about each culture.

A young Dom Irrera on How to Speak Italian, from an old Rodney Dangerfield Young Comedian's special on HBO:

In looking over some of your classic bits from the specials and on YouTube, you have to admit, sometimes your act is a little dirty.

I beg your pardon. I do it for the kids. The college kids like it. You can’t be too clean. It’s actually a hard balance. I’ve said that I think one of the reasons I get so many college kids in the audience is because I’m dirty, but not Dice Clay dirty. You know, more like metaphors and abstract stuff. You know stuff that couldn’t really happen. You know, so it’s like silly dirty as compared to vulgar dirty.

So what will you be doing in Atlantic City? Is it new material?

Well, yeah, you have to. I mean unlike music, where people want to hear the same songs, with comedy, even though people want to hear some of the same bits, they don’t want it to be all the same. Otherwise, they might as well stay home and watch the TV special. So I’m constantly trying to write. I was on a radio show and they said, every time I see you its always different. I said that’s because I can’t remember my act. But really, it’s on purpose. I mean you can’t please everybody. Some people will be upset because you didn’t do the bit they want and another will say “What are you a Beach Boy? You’re always doing the same stuff.” But I know when it works because people say, “My face hurt.” I love that. I laughed so hard my face hurt.