LI comedian Anthony Rodia to headline NYCB Theatre at Westbury

Anthony Rodia fell into being a stand-up comedian based on a challenge from his cousin. The 41-year-old from Franklin Square was at a family barbecue in 2001 cracking everybody up when his cousin asked, "I wonder if you make us laugh because we know you or you make us laugh because you are funny. Do you think you could do stand-up?" That day Rodia got on stage at a comedy club open mic night in Manhattan and killed for 15 minutes.

Comedy became a weekend side job until March 2019 when Rodia made a life-altering decision to quit his day job as a finance manager for a luxury car dealership to be a full-time comedian. Due to his popularity on social media with cartoon characters Papa Rodia, Uncle Vinny and Zia Lucia, Rodia’s fan base has grown significantly and now he’s headlining NYCB Theatre at Westbury on Dec. 11.

Newsday's David J. Criblez spoke with Rodia before his hometown gig about his animated characters, his ethnic family-style humor and how his career grew during the pandemic.

Growing up, were you funny as a kid?

I’d imitate all my relatives at holiday parties when I was eight years old. I’d have a circle around me with cousins shouting out aunts' and uncles' names for me to do. I was a class clown in high school. I always needed to make someone laugh. I kept going from career to career but I wasn’t happy. I was tired of everyone saying that I missed my calling when I would make them laugh so I became a comedian.

You are married with two kids. In that circumstance, how did you go about taking the leap into doing stand-up comedy full-time?

I said to myself, if I could make the same amount of money in the first quarter of 2019 doing comedy that I made at work, I’d quit my job. When I looked at my statements I realized I made a little more doing comedy — so I quit! I went to the diner to eat a stack of pancakes by myself to celebrate, then I went home to tell my wife and she was ready to kill me. She started crying. I had a family to support and that’s what motivated me the most.

What is the origin of your animated characters on social media?

I was in a weight loss bet with a cousin of mine. I ended up making this character Uncle Vinny with a Snapchat filter and I posted it saying, "Leave my nephew alone!" My sister called me and told me I had 5,000 views on that video. All the Italian comedy accounts were posting it. She suggested that I make an Instagram page for Uncle Vinny. Then I added his wife Zia Lucia. They are a typical ethnic couple that love each other but argue like cats and dogs. For Papa Rodia, I used an aging filter on my face to resemble my dad. Papa Rodia is more mellow than Uncle Vinny but he lays down a guilt trip. I’m currently finishing a pilot for a streaming animated series for these characters.

How did the pandemic impact the momentum of your career?

During the pandemic, I had 165 shows canceled. I sat in my basement and said this is the time to show how important laughter is. When people really need it, then you know how strong it could be. I used the pandemic as an opportunity to grow my audience. The news was miserable and there were no new TV shows out. People were dying for an escape from what they were going through, so I made 96 videos in a row for 96 days on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. In March 2020, I had 250,000 combined followers on social media. By December 2020, I had 1.1 million. It was crazy.

How are you feeling about your show at NYCB Theatre at Westbury?

Excited! This will be my biggest audience so far with over 2,000 people. I kept selling out shows at Governor’s [Comedy Club in Levittown] so I thought why not do one big show at Westbury? I love Long Island crowds. They have a strong loyalty to me because I live here. Many of them are not big comedy fans but they find my stories relatable. I can’t describe the feeling of having an entire room laughing hysterically. The whole stage shakes at one point. You can really feel the energy.

What is it about your Italian flavored comedy that people connect with?

The humor is not specific to Italians, it’s ethnic humor. People who were raised old school get it. Everyone has a family with issues. To see that they have the same issues, that’s the connection.

What are your goals for 2022?

I hope to film a comedy special next year. Last year I was playing to 500 people at a show, now I’m doing 2,000. Little by little it multiplies. It will grow organically and it will happen when it’s ready to happen. My ultimate goal is to sell out Madison Square Garden one day. But, I’m not in a rush because I’m enjoying what I’m doing.

By David J. Criblez

david.criblez@newsday.comDavidJCriblez

David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.