Behind The Scenes with Notable Comedian Joe Pontillo

White Radish Spared From MTA Barricades

By Michael Perlman | mperlman@queensledger.com

“Comedy is the last hope for mankind. It’s a great distraction and the best medicine, even though most doctors still refuse to prescribe it,” said Joe Pontillo, a comedian extraordinaire, who will be coming to town with footsteps louder than the nearby MTA construction. Laughing Gas Comedy presents “Comedy Night” at White Radish at 108-25 Ascan Avenue on May 29 from 8 PM to 10 PM (seating 7 PM), where Pontillo and friends will perform.

Families, friends, and dates can gather in the heart of Forest Hills to enjoy delectable dishes, share laughs, bond as a community, and support White Radish, a small business that is considered to be the epitome of the local culinary scene. Tickets, which can be purchased online or at the restaurant, are available at $20, and a one-item minimum is required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/comedy-night-the-white-radish-in-forest-hills-tickets-1345574382199. Interested parties can call (718) 374-3656.

The one-time highly successful White Radish and the neighboring Daikon Sushi, owned by restaurateur Paul Singh, has recently been facing financial hardships due to storage barricades that were installed in front of his restaurants among adjacent small businesses, pertaining to the LIRR expansion and a ramp being developed behind the property. “If we receive continued community support, including Comedy Night on May 29, we plan to host weekly comedy shows throughout the summer, along with Jazz Nights every Thursday,” he said.

As a result of an effort stemming from a collaboration of Rego-Forest Preservation Council (including this columnist, Stuart Morrison, and Supreet McGrath) and a couple of elected officials with Singh, the MTA removed the barricades on May 16, emphasizing the importance of teamwork. Singh feels that this spotlights positive community spirit. He explained, “At one point, I lost hope and feared I would lose my business, but with your support and the encouragement of so many others, I kept fighting. I also want to extend a special thank you to Senator Leroy Comrie, who visited my restaurant this past Saturday with the MTA director. He addressed the scenario, coaching them to relocate the staging area. I am also deeply grateful for your collective support, which not only saved my business, but has given renewed hope to all small businesses on our block.”

Just last week, Pontillo said, “I hope that by bringing a fun event to White Radish, it will attract new customers that would otherwise not know it exists, largely because they can’t see it! Forest Hills may be in need of some Pain Free Comedy with all their businesses covered up by barricades or scaffolding. Paul and his wife are good people who are struggling, so let’s give them a nice show, and a temporary break from the pain.” He then chuckled, “Afterwards, we can tear down those barricades, until the city puts them back up again.”

Pontillo is a humanitarian with a huge heart, who feels that comedy revolves around hope. “You hope you can pay your bills and afford food, but a lot of stand-up comedy is about bringing joy and laughter to people who need it. The world can be terrible, and people often need to be reminded that there is good out there. And by good, I mean a person on stage telling jokes about their cat,” he explained. He takes pride in his great array of fundraising shows, such as a recent gig upstate, with a goal of benefiting a student injured in a car crash, and another in store for September to focus on suicide prevention.” With the help of RadioTV.com and Laughing Gas Productions, an amazing show took center stage at the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in Westport, Connecticut. “It was such a big hit, they already booked me for three more shows, resuming in July,” said Pontillo.

Agent Kenjamin Franklin is a dynamo with a history of providing exceptional entertainment worldwide for concerts, fundraisers, marketing campaigns, and multimedia events. His dedication proves beneficial for businesses, and generates awareness to organizations and causes. “For Joe Pontillo and I, the holidays of giving are throughout the year,” said Ken. “We feel that with the over-saturation of political and tragic news polluting the air waves and print and social media, it is our responsibility to support our communities and spread positivity in every way we can,” he continued.

Ken’s history of supporting small businesses also pertains to his special connection to Forest Hills. “I lived in Queens, and even when my parents, brothers, and I moved to Long Island, my mom, Bea Franklin, who is soon to celebrate her 101^st birthday, would still drive us to Forest Hills to support its shops and restaurants,” he reminisced. They included The Eliot Shop for clothes, Hamburger Express, Stride Rite for shoes, Horn & Hardart Retail Shop for jelly donuts, Addie Vallins for whistle lollipops, and Peter Pan Bakery for rye bread.

“Fast-forward to May 29, 2025, top-shelf comedian Joe Pontillo, who I book for comedy shows, is performing at White Radish to generate awareness for this exceptional Forest Hills eatery,” said Ken.

The 60 to 90-minute show will feature one or two opening acts that Pontillo will select at random, potentially off the street. He explained his routine. “I am probably going to make fun of the food and décor, and then ask if anyone in the crowd is dating. That’s a joke… Hopefully. I’ll likely open with a lot of NYC material. This is the city that never sleeps because it’s too noisy. I always lampoon New York, since it is such a ridiculous place. I make more jokes about it when I’m performing in the city, or even Long Island or New Jersey. New York is of course so known, that even when I’m traveling around the country, I can still ridicule it, and people know what I’m talking about. Then I transition into family, topical stuff, travel stories, and whatever the vibe of the night will be.”

His performances are a work of art that evolves. “If you’re not constantly changing your act, then what are you even doing with your life? Speaking of no repeat material, after the show I will sell a DVD of my performance, so people can relive the magic all over again,” he said.

Pontillo, who achieved a degree in film from Hofstra University, recalled, “Hofstra was the first place I attempted comedy, and I put my degree to so much good use.” He was raised in Valley Stream and resided in Greenpoint since the early 2010s. “I followed my dreams of moving to the city and pursuing comedy, and all I got were these lousy parking tickets,” he continued.

During Pontillo’s teen years, he aspired to become a stand-up comedian. “Being funny just came naturally, and I liked old-school comedy movies. I wanted to create stuff like that ever since I was a little kid. My dad was always very funny, and probably too funny. I mainly watched funny TV shows and movies growing up, and thought, ‘I should do that,’” he reminisced.

Pontillo has been influenced by old-time and modern comedians, which nearly reads like a “who’s who” in entertainment. He explained, “As a kid, I loved all the 80s and 90s parody movies; specifically, ‘The Naked Gun,’ ‘Hot Shots!’ and ‘Airplane!’ Then I go real old-school with the Marx Brothers. I’ve always pictured myself becoming a modern-day Groucho Marx, minus the fake mustache. Then stand-up-wise, I have actually never watched many comedians and barely watch myself, but I was definitely inspired by some of the usual suspects of the time; Seinfeld, Kevin James, Drew Carey, and Chris Rock. Just before I started comedy, I watched Lewis Black, and that really inspired me in regard to what kind of energy level I wanted to have on stage as a performer.”

Pontillo considers himself an old-school comedian in the modern world, and there is much distinction from others. He explained, “Too many comedians have become political one way or the other, only playing to one side, and I don’t think that’s what comedians are supposed to do. Plus, if you follow a lot of other comedians on social media, they’re very serious. To me, being funny is a 24/7 job, which probably drives my loved ones insane. It’s not just being funny on stage, but being funny off stage by posting funny stuff on social media and creating funny content. Grow your fanbase very slowly in eight different ways. What I’m trying to obnoxiously say is that I’m the total comedy package.”

“Everything is ridiculous,” said Pontillo, referencing his comedy’s underlying theme. “We live in a world where it seems like everything and everyone is in a constant state of panic and on the brink of a collapse. I sort of blame social media, as I think these feelings are largely manufactured by the non-stop stream of news nowadays, so I make fun of the absurdity of everything. I don’t take sides, but point out that everything is absolutely ridiculous and people need to chill out.”

An audience member once commented that his act offered a wonderful narrative, which Pontillo feels is the best compliment he ever received. He also takes inspiration from an attendee who said, “You were great, but I couldn’t hear you.” “Anytime an audience member comes up to you and says that they really needed the laughs, it feels like I’m doing a good service to the community.”

Pontillo can nearly connect the dots between 25 states that he appeared in, and he aspires to at least reach audiences in all 50. “I have international fans, so why not have fans in every state? I need to find out who books the one comedy club in Wyoming,” he said. “I have never left the country, unless you count going to the Canadian border and making weird eye contact with a border patrol agent. I would probably like to hit the UK or Australia one of these days, as I have fans in both places, as well as other comedians to meet, who can help me figure out the setup to punchline exchange rates in those countries,” he continued.

One can get your fix year-round by tuning into “The Joe Pontillo Show,” a podcast where fans and new audience members can subscribe for all episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@JoePontillo/videos. He explained, “I always feel like I’m a step away from saying, ‘You know what really grinds my gears!?’ It is a platform to discuss current events in the world and entertainment, relive past comedy moments, especially about the early days, and just have fun. It’s kind of wild to see how easily I can talk for 25 to 30 minutes with no audience. Then again, almost two decades of performing comedy at bars in NYC will train you for that.”

Pontillo also wrote, directed, and starred in “Social Media Killed The Super Villain” (2020), a mockumentary style retrospective, which made it into several film festivals. This short also helped launch his current web series, “Pontillo & Associates.”

Despite Pontillo’s success stories, he feels that attempting to have a stand-up comedy career is “one looooooong challenge.” “I might need at least five podcast episodes to discuss this one,” he said. Nevertheless, he offered pieces of advice to younger generations. “Do literally anything else with your life, but if you must do comedy, then do everything, go everywhere, do every show, and also try not to get scammed. Sixty percent of this business is one giant Ponzi Scheme.”

Pontillo has much to be grateful for. “I am proud that I’m able to maintain any kind of normal relationship with the non-comedy related people in my life. I’m also amazed at how much stuff I created and accomplished. Every once in a while, I’ll rewrite my resume and say ‘I did all this!?’ Lastly, I’m very proud to have people all over the country, who will come see me every time I’m in the area.”

Keep an eye on Joe Pontillo by following pontillogram on IG/TikTok and visit YouTube.com/JoePontillo. If an organization is interested in being booked for a comedy or music performance, send a text to Ken Franklin’s agency, RadioActive Talent Inc: (646) 212-0022