Background
As a young man, Rizzo worked with his father delivering Italian ice to cafes.
As a young man, Rizzo worked with his father delivering Italian ice to cafes.
Rizzo opened Jilly"s Saloon, a lounge on West 49th Street, then moved to 256 West 52nd Street at the intersection with Eighth Avenue in Manhattan. Jilly"s Saloon was a popular celebrity hangout in the 1960s. Rizzo later became one of Sinatra"s chief aides.
Rizzo was also a frequent guest on Rowan and Martin"s Laugh-In, where he would recite one liners in his monotone New York accent.
In 1990, Rizzo and five other men were convicted of fraud in relation to an $8 million loan scheme. He was given 1,000 hours of community service.
On May 6, 1992, his 75th birthday, Rizzo was killed when his car was hit by a drunk driver in Rancho Mirage, California. He is buried in Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, California.