Beloved Comedian Dies at 74

Fans of comedy are mourning Floyd Vivino, the cult favorite comedian known as Uncle Floyd, who passed away at a rehabilitation facility in Hackensack, New Jersey, on January 22. He was 74.

“With a heavy heart I am sad to announce the passing of my brother and everybody's favorite uncle, Floyd Vivino,” Vivino’s brother Jimmy wrote on Facebook. “After a 2 and a half year battle with ongoing health issues his curtain peacefully closed at 6:05pm on Thursday January 22nd. Rest in peace big brother. You will be missed, but always remembered by friends, family and your loving fans.”

A Born Performer

Vivino was born in Paterson, New Jersey, on October 19, 1951, to musical parents: His father Jermone played the trumpet and his mother Emily the piano. He caught the performing bug early on, according to The New York Times, performing in musicals like Brigadoon in high school.

“My grandfather, my mother’s father, performed in the Italian theater in the 1920s and 1930s,” Vivino said in 2024. “He appeared in Italian language plays. My mother wanted me to be a dramatic actor.” 

Vivino did not become a dramatic actor: He began his TV career in 1974 as a comedian. “I was a rebel, always wanting to go my own way. And I’m a student of comedy. That’s how much I love it,” he said. His show—then Uncle Floyd and His Friends, which would become The Uncle Floyd Show—was a send-up of 1950s kids’ shows that blended Vivino’s piano playing and his puppets (including his sidekick, Oogie) with skits and parodies. 

“I was the third show to go on the air in the history of New Jersey cable,” Vivino said, per the AV Club. “The first show was what we used to call ‘rip and read’ news and sports — they would just rip stuff out of the newspaper and read it on the air. The second was a gardening show. And then us.” 

The Uncle Floyd Show attracted plenty of A-list musical talent along the way, including Ramones, Squeeze, Cyndi Lauper, and Jon Bon Jovi, who made his TV debut on The Uncle Floyd Show in 1981. “Uncle Floyd gave me a shot on his show first. Before anyone,” the rocker wrote in a social media post. “Thank you Floyd. Rest easy my friend.”

Uncle Floyd’s Famous Fans

John Lennon, Iggy Pop, and David Bowie, were huge fans of Vivino—the latter even included a tribute to the comedian in his song “Slip Away,” released in 2002 (“Oogie waits for just another day / Drags his bones to see the Yankees play / Bones Boy talks and flickers gray / Oh, they slip away … Don't forget to keep your head warm / Twinkle twinkle, Uncle Floyd”). 

At the time, he explained that The Uncle Floyd Show was appointment viewing for everyone he knew: “Though ostensibly aimed at kids, I knew so many people of my age who just wouldn’t miss it,” Bowie said. “We would be on the floor it was so funny. Two of the regulars on the show were Oogie and Bones Boy, ridiculous puppets made out of ping-pong balls or somesuch. They feature in the song. I just loved that show.” 

Dramarama and The Ramones also namedropped the show in their songs “Work for Food” and “It’s Not My Place (In the Nine to Five World),” respectively.

Life After Uncle Floyd

The Uncle Floyd Show would run until 1998. Afterward, Vivino continued performing. He also hosted a radio show, The Italian-American Serenade, from 1987 to 2013. He played DJ Eddie Kirk in 1987’s Good Morning, Vietnam, directed by Barry Levinson and starring Robin Williams, and appeared in two episodes of Law & Order. 

Vivino suffered a stroke in 2023. In 2024, he told NJarts.com, “This isn’t my final bow. But I have a long road ahead.” That same year, he and his friend and co-star Scott Gordon hosted The Uncle Floyd Podcast to “answer your questions, chat, and probably disagree about anything showbiz.” Vivino last made an appearance in the December 20, 2025 episode, which was recorded between his treatments and physical therapy. You can listen here.