CAPONE the NY Gangsta of Comedy
Thu Aug 22, 8:30 PM - Thu Aug 22, 10:30 PM

Nearly 70 years later, the Bronx is introduced to Derrick Lee, another hustler who trades in his ruggish-thuggish ways to become a successful entrepreneur and later metamorphosize the world of comedy as Capone, the Gangster of Comedy.
While both Capones lives slightly parallel each other, our beloved comedian’s life is not tragic, but inspirational. Unlike Chi-town’s original crime lord, Capone, the comedian didn’t ignore the warning signs that he needed to cease the hustle. His first and last sign came in 1991 after receiving a nine-month sentence. It was then that the soon-to-be notorious funnyman knew the street life wasn’t his calling. “Jail was a blessing for me,” recalls the 28-year old comedian of his spiraling street career. “At the rate I was going I’d either be spending a whole lot of time there or end up dead.” With a second chance, Capone left the street life and became a home attendant for the mentally challenged. “It may seem a little far fetched that I chose a Samaritan job, but I’ve always been interested in helping people, especially those who can’t do for themselves.” Although his salary was a far cry from his previous income, he valued his freedom enough to stay on a legitimate path and supplemented his wages by moonlighting as a barber on the weekends. It was at his second job, that he began to hone his comedic skills by engaging in intense snap sessions with co-workers. “I was always crackin’ jokes on the customers or my co-workers so the barber shop served as a sort of comedy haven for me.”
It wasn’t until 1992, when a promoter friend of Capone’s challenged him to take his innate talent off the streets and to the stage that his comedy career was launched. “My first show was at Columbia University,” says the eight year comedic veteran of his meager beginnings and who credits his late mother for his comedic sense. “I won the amateur contest and I was invited to perform with the heavy hitters.” Performing with professionals such as Tracey Morgan (Saturday Night Live), Talent (Wyc