Comedian John Mulrooney, a sharp-tongued Brooklyn native who rose from New York’s club circuit to national television fame, has died at 67. Authorities say he was found unresponsive at his home in Coxsackie, New York, on December 29. Though officials have released few details, there is reportedly no sign of foul play, leaving fans and fellow comics stunned by his sudden passing.
Mulrooney built his career from the ground up. After graduating from Brooklyn Tech, he started performing at the legendary Pips Comedy Club in Sheepshead Bay—launchpad for generations of New York comics. His quick wit landed him a spot on Star Search, and though he didn’t win, the exposure catapulted him to television work. By the late ’80s he was a fixture on shows such as Comedy Tonight on PBS and A&E’s An Evening at the Improv. He later co-hosted The Late Show after Joan Rivers’ exit, shared the stage with Suzanne Sommers and Arsenio Hall, guest-hosted The Pat Sajak Show, and appeared in Great Balls of Fire. His rapid-fire delivery and relentless work ethic earned respect from peers like Andrew Dice Clay, who called him “the last comedian out of Pips everybody thought would be a really big star.”
Tributes have poured in across social media. Fans and friends remembered Mulrooney as “a comic’s comic” whose energy lit up any stage. Some posted old clips and late-night photos, others shared stories of his kindness off camera.
In later years Mulrooney found a new calling far from Hollywood. Touring with the USO inspired him to serve closer to home. He earned his pilot’s license, moved to upstate New York, and joined the Coxsackie Police Department in 2010, where he served for more than a decade. His obituary described him as “a beloved stand-up comedian, dedicated public servant, and proud patriot whose life was defined by service, laughter, and devotion.”
As investigators finalize their report, colleagues say Mulrooney should be remembered not for the mystery of his death, but for the joy he gave audiences and the compassion he showed his community. He left behind a career that bridged punchlines and public service—proof that humor and humanity can share the same stage.
