America lost another piece of authentic, working-class culture this week with the passing of legendary New Jersey comedian Floyd Vivino—known to generations of loyal fans simply as “Uncle Floyd.” He was 74.
Vivino’s brother, musician Jerry Vivino, announced the news on Friday, confirming that Uncle Floyd passed away peacefully the previous evening after a long and difficult health battle.
“Rest in peace big brother,” Jerry wrote. “You will be missed, but always remembered by friends, family and your loving fans.”
No official cause of death was released, but Jerry noted that Floyd had endured a “two-and-a-half year battle with ongoing health issues,” adding that “his curtain peacefully closed at 6:05 p.m. on Thursday, January 22nd.”
For those who grew up in New Jersey—or anywhere within reach of its local television stations—Uncle Floyd was more than a comedian. He was a symbol of a bygone era, when entertainment didn’t come from coastal elites or corporate boardrooms, but from gritty studios, blue-collar neighborhoods, and genuine personality.
Born in Paterson, New Jersey in 1951, Vivino rose to cult fame through *The Uncle Floyd Show*, a shoestring-budget variety program that ran from 1974 to 2001 on local cable. In an age before streaming algorithms and Hollywood gatekeepers, Uncle Floyd built a loyal audience the old-fashioned way: by being funny, weird, honest, and unapologetically local.
The show was chaotic, low-rent, and utterly original—exactly the kind of grassroots creativity that today’s media landscape, obsessed with polish and “approved narratives,” rarely produces. And yet, it worked. Fans loved it. They still do.
Vivino’s appeal wasn’t limited to late-night Jersey TV. He appeared in the 1987 Robin Williams classic *Good Morning, Vietnam*, and made guest appearances on shows like *Law & Order*, which often filmed in the New York–New Jersey area. He even earned admiration from cultural heavyweights. David Bowie name-dropped him in the 2002 song “Slip Away,” and the Ramones referenced him in 1981’s “It’s Not My Place.”
According to *The Bergen Record*, Vivino once asked Bowie how he knew about Uncle Floyd. Bowie’s answer? “John Lennon told me.”
That’s not something you hear every day.
Despite serious health challenges—including COVID, bladder and prostate cancer, and a stroke in 2023—Vivino remained resilient and candid. In a December 2024 interview, he described undergoing brain surgery with trademark bluntness and humor.
“I had two holes drilled in my head to relieve it,” he said. “And that usually cripples somebody. I came out of that okay.”
What hurt most, he admitted, was not being able to perform.
One of his most enduring contributions was “Deep in the Heart of Jersey,” a parody anthem that perfectly captured his pride in the Garden State—flaws and all. Wearing his signature porkpie hat, Uncle Floyd traveled endlessly, performing up to 300 shows a year, bringing laughter to towns the mainstream entertainment industry long forgot.
Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh summed it up simply: “One of the funniest Patersonians to ever live has left this life.”
In an era increasingly dominated by sanitized comedy and ideological conformity, Uncle Floyd stood for something rare—local culture, unfiltered humor, and genuine connection. New Jersey didn’t just lose a comedian. It lost one of its own.
