John Perrotta - Inducted October 12, 2012

Everybody's comedy brother, John Perroitta first tried stand-up comedy in 1983 at an alcohol rehab center in Newport, Rhode Island. He had his fellow patients in stitches. From there he moved on to the open mic night at legendary Periwinkles Comedy Club in Providence. The first night went great. But after bombing his next two shows, he walked away.

But in 1991, he took a comedy class taught by R.I. comedy legend Frank O'Donnell and returned to Periwinkles. He continued to have good shows, and not-so-good shows. But he stuck with it this time. And the rest is history.

He continued his career working at famous New England Comedy Clubs like Nick's Comedy Stop and the Comedy Connection. And went on to open for headliners like Bill Burr, Tom Cotter, and Bob Marley.

Eventually John started booking his own comedy showcases and even started his own comedy company called The R.I. Comedy Factory. John has booked thousands of comedy shows around New England and is known for working with some of the area's best comedians and for giving many up-and-coming stand-up comedians their first gigs. 

In 2003, John shared the stage at the Providence Performing Arts Center with the likes of Dane Cook and Colin Quinn, among others, to benefit the families affected by the Station Nightclub Fire.

He has also performed at the famous Friar's Club in New York City and recently wrote his first book. An auto-biography called "How Comedy Saved My Life" A touching and at times amusing look at John's life as a father, a husband, a corrections officer, an addict, and a comedian.