Greg Giraldo

Giraldo was born in the Bronx{{cite book |last=Balaker |first=Matt|date=2019 |title=Greg Giraldo: A Comedian's Story}} and raised in Bayside, Queens.TheWrap.com staff. "[https://www.thewrap.com/television/column-post/comedy-central-mainstay-greg-giraldo-dead-44-21309 Comedy Central Mainstay Greg Giraldo Dead at 44]" TheWrap.com. September 29, 2010. His father, Alfonso, was from Colombia and worked for Pan Am, and his mother, Dolores, was from Spain. Giraldo was raised Roman Catholic and spoke fluent Spanish. He was the oldest of three children (brother John and sister Elizabeth). Giraldo played the guitar in a band in his late teens/early twenties.{{cite web|title=Greg Giraldo for 1-800-OK-Cable (Spanish 1)| date=25 August 2009 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mngAGIODxRQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/mngAGIODxRQ |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|publisher=OK Cable}}{{cbignore}}{{cite web|title=RIP Greg Giraldo|last=Killian|first=Chris|date=September 29, 2010|url=http://www.ckcomedy.com/website/?p=374|access-date=December 7, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130721170610/http://www.ckcomedy.com/website/?p=374|archive-date=July 21, 2013}}

Giraldo was an excellent student and received an academic scholarship to the private Jesuit Regis High School in Manhattan. After graduating from Regis in 1983,{{cite web|title=Regis Alumni News (Fall 2010, Page 47)|year=2010|url=http://community.regis-nyc.org/NetCommunity/Document.Doc?id=57|publisher=Regis Alumni News|access-date=December 7, 2012}}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} he earned a bachelor's degree in English from Columbia University in 1987.{{cite web | url=http://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/mar_apr11/obituaries_0 | title=Obituaries | publisher=Columbia College Today | date=Mar–Apr 2011 | access-date=October 4, 2011}} While at Columbia, he was an active member of the Psi Upsilon fraternity.

Giraldo was admitted to Harvard Law School after achieving a near perfect score on his Law School Admission Test (LSAT), scoring in the 99th percentile of students taking the test.{{cite web|last=Gosseling|first=Tim|date=March 6, 2005|title=Common Law' star to bring comedy to SU community|url=http://www.dailyorange.com/2.8691/common-law-star-to-bring-comedy-to-su-community-1.1242271|publisher=The Daily Orange|access-date=August 19, 2012}}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} He earned a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School in 1990.{{cite news | url=http://www.thecrimson.harvard.edu/article/2010/10/2/new-giraldo-brunswick-late/ | title=Greg Giraldo, Comedian and Former Harvard Law Alumnus, Dies | newspaper=The Harvard Crimson | date=October 2, 2010 | access-date=October 4, 2011 | author=Altman, Michael}}

Giraldo passed the bar and began a career as a lawyer, working for eight months as an associate for Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom before changing his occupation.{{cite web |url=https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/attorney/AttorneyDetails?attorneyId=5472788 |title= New York State Bar Directory |website=iapps.courts.state.ny.us}}

In 1993, Giraldo provided pro bono defense counsel services to his friend and fellow comedian Jeffrey Ross, who was charged with inciting a riot. Ross was performing at a comedy club on Long Island when a member of the audience pulled out a toy gun that looked real. Ross grabbed the gun and fought with the man for control; he was arrested in the incident.

When Ross went to court to face the charges, "Greg volunteered to be my attorney as a favor. I remember we slept in his parents' basement in Queens. We drove to court in a Jeep and had dirty blue sport jackets on. It took him two tries, but he got the case dismissed."Boyle, Christina, and Nancy Dillon. [http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/09/29/2010-09-29_comedian_greg_giraldo_44_died_from_accidental_overdose_of_prescription_pills_wed.html "Comedian Greg Giraldo, 44, Died from an Overdose of Prescription Pills Wednesday: Report"], New York Daily News, September 29, 2010. [https://web.archive.org/web/20101002054409/http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/09/29/2010-09-29_comedian_greg_giraldo_44_died_from_accidental_overdose_of_prescription_pills_wed.html WebCitation archive].

Giraldo said that, at the time of the case, he had never litigated in a courtroom before. When the case was upgraded to a weapons charge, he had nearly told Ross to plead guilty, which would have resulted in his friend serving jail time. "The judge called us over... and I had to plead, 'I have no idea what I'm doing here.' We ended up having to get a real lawyer and come back a month later," said Giraldo."Interview with Giraldo," The Opie and Anthony Show, September 20, 2007, Sirius XM Satellite Radio

Giraldo found that, although he did well in law school, he did not like the practice of corporate law.{{cite AV media|url=http://www.cc.com/full-episodes/sgpgjt/stand-up-library-give-it-up-for-greg-giraldo-season-1-ep-101|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150612003113/http://www.cc.com/full-episodes/sgpgjt/stand-up-library-give-it-up-for-greg-giraldo-season-1-ep-101|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 12, 2015|title=Stand-Up Library: Give It Up for Greg Giraldo|publisher=Comedy Central|time=10:37–10:59|date=March 18, 2011|access-date=December 3, 2016|quote=It was a ridiculous thought that I could possibly ever work at a regular job. ... I'd taken the LSATs and all that and that went well, and going to law school was fun enough, I guess, but then trying to be a real working lawyer was not an issue, not an [option]. I'm sitting here about to perform in front of a giant audience with my pants [duct]-taped together; so imagine the kind of lawyer I would be.}}

His family was disappointed that Giraldo left law practice, but he said: {{cquote|I always wanted to do something creative. I've always had real trouble knowing what my actual desires and goals are. I've just been dragged along by fate. I can't even tell you why I thought to go to law school.{{cite magazine|last=Dixit|first=Jay|date=May 13, 2009|title=Greg Giraldo On Failure|url=http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brainstorm/200905/greg-giraldo-failure|magazine=Psychology Today|access-date=December 8, 2011}}{{pb}} Because I went to Harvard Law School it seemed like I had my shit together, but I did only because it’s not hard. Everyone is so self-motivated that they leave you alone. You get study outlines and just cram, but then when you get out into the real world, it gets tricky. Most comedians are people who couldn’t really work in the real world, they’re too disorganized, too lazy, too fucked up, too erratic, too unstable. If you could work in the real world you would have stayed there because it is so many years of misery in comedy before you really start popping.{{cite web|last=Sheehan|first=Martina|date=June 19, 2010|title=Just For Laughs: Greg Giraldo, host of the Nasty Show|url=http://timeoutchicago.com/things-to-do/out-about-blog/123692/just-for-laughs-greg-giraldo-host-of-the-nasty-show|publisher=TimeOut Chicago|access-date=February 27, 2012}}}}

In August 2000, Giraldo was featured in an Esquire magazine article that profiled several members of the Harvard Law School class of 1990 who ended up choosing career paths other than law.{{cite magazine|last=Kurson|first=Robert|date=August 1, 2000|title=Who's Killing the Great Lawyers of Harvard?|url=http://www.esquire.com/features/killing-lawyers-harvard-0800|magazine=Esquire|access-date=November 28, 2011}}{{cite magazine|last=Kurson|first=Robert|date=September 29, 2010|title=Greg Giraldo Before He Was Greg Giraldo|url=http://www.esquire.com/features/greg-giraldo-obituary-092910|magazine=Esquire|access-date=November 28, 2011}} After turning to comedy, Giraldo rarely discussed his prior career; the Esquire article was one of the few times that he referred to his time as a lawyer.

Giraldo started doing stand-up comedy in 1992.{{cite web|last=Downs|first=Gordon|date=December 1, 2010|title=Interview With Comedian Greg Giraldo|url=http://www.sandiego.com/articles/2010-12-01/interview-comedian-greg-giraldo|work=SanDiego.com|access-date=August 7, 2012}} When asked who his comedic influences were, Giraldo stated: "For me, I wasn't really influenced by the good people. I was influenced by the (crappy) people. I would watch 'Evening at the Improv' and those kind of shows, and I'd think, 'Man, those guys blow so bad. I can do that.' And I went from there."{{cite web|last=Geltner|first=Ted|date=October 7, 2005|title=Greg Giraldo sounds off on comedy, college|url=http://www.gainesville.com/article/20051007/DAYBREAK/51007006?tc=ar|publisher=The Gainesville Sun|access-date=August 19, 2012}}

Giraldo performed regularly at the Comedy Cellar comedy club in Manhattan, as well as clubs all over the U.S. Additionally, he was the star of the short-lived sitcom Common Law.{{cite web|last=O'Connor|first=John J.|date=September 28, 1996|title=A Sitcom, Upscale and Latin|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/09/28/arts/a-sitcom-upscale-and-latin.html|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 1, 2012}} Giraldo landed the sitcom after being spotted by Hollywood agents at the 1995 Just for Laughs festival in Montreal.{{cite news|title=Court of Appeal|last=Johnson|first=Allan|date=September 24, 1996|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1996/09/24/court-of-appeal-4/|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|access-date=December 9, 2012}} From 2002 to 2004, he was a regular panelist on Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn.{{cite web|title=Greg Giraldo|date=February 24, 2005|url=http://www.readjunk.com/interviews/giraldo-greg-comedian/|publisher=Read Junk|access-date=December 7, 2012}} Giraldo also starred in several pilots, including Drive for CBS and The Greg Giraldo Show, Adult Content and Gone Hollywood for Comedy Central.{{cite web|last=Grelyak|first=Alana|date=February 16, 2007|title=Illogical conversations with Greg Giraldo|url=http://www.luminomagazine.com/mw/content/view/1755/4/|publisher=Lumino Magazine|access-date=February 26, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140219143932/http://www.luminomagazine.com/mw/content/view/1755/4/|archive-date=February 19, 2014}} In 2004, he was featured in the spoken-word Lazyboy song "Underwear Goes Inside the Pants".

Giraldo performed more than a dozen times on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Late Show with David Letterman, and Jimmy Kimmel Live! and appeared regularly on The Howard Stern Show. He also appeared as a member of the panel in the NBC show The Marriage Ref.O'Connor, Anahad. [https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/arts/30giraldo.html "Greg Giraldo, Insult-Humor Comic, Dies at 44"], The New York Times, September 30, 2010

Giraldo acted in two Adam Dubin features, 2002's comedic short American Dummy, in which he played a psychiatrist, and 2008's animated film, What Blows Up Must Come Down!, in which he did the voice of Jihad Jo.{{cite web|title=Adam Dubin: Short Films|url=http://www.adamdubin.com/short-films|access-date=August 16, 2012}} He also did the voice of President Theodore Roosevelt in the audiobook version of Sarah Vowell's 2005 book Assassination Vacation.{{cite book|last=Vowell|first=Sarah|title=Assassination Vacation|year=2005|url=http://books.simonandschuster.com/Assassination-Vacation/Sarah-Vowell/9780743550291|publisher=Simon & Schuster|isbn=9780743550291 }}

He appeared on The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, Politically Incorrect, The View, Fox News Channel's The Full Nelson and Beyond the News, Louie Anderson's Comedy Showcase, Comedy Central's Comic Cabana, Showtime's Latino Comedy Festival and Funny is Funny, as well as on the BBC's Live at Jongleurs.{{cite web|last=Madigan|first=Nick|date=July 12, 2001|title=Greg Giraldo: From courtroom to standup circuit|url=https://variety.com/2001/scene/people-news/greg-giraldo-1117802700/|work=Variety|access-date=February 3, 2012}}{{cite web|title=Greg Giraldo|url=http://www.ramentertainment.com/Artists/Details/1222|publisher=Ram Entertainment and Special Event Services|access-date=February 3, 2012}} Giraldo also performed at the United States Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as part of a USO tour in 2002.{{cite web|last=Bolster|first=John|date=September 30, 2010|title=Trading Punchlines with Comedy's Best|url=http://penthousemagazine.com/features/trading-punch-lines-with-comedys-best/|work=Penthouse Magazine|access-date=February 3, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111123184343/http://penthousemagazine.com/features/trading-punch-lines-with-comedys-best/|archive-date=November 23, 2011}}

He had two half-hour specials on Comedy Central Presents, wrote segments for Last Call with Carson Daly, and was a panelist on Comedy Central's 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time special. In 2004, his stand-up material was featured in Comedy Central's animated series Shorties Watchin' Shorties. He appeared in both English and Spanish-language commercials for "1-800-OK-Cable".{{cite web|title=Greg Giraldo for 1-800-OK-Cable (Spanish 2)| date=25 August 2009 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn8Fhkku71Q |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/Qn8Fhkku71Q |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|publisher=OK Cable}}{{cbignore}} Giraldo also appeared on the IFC show, Z Rock, playing an angry record producer.{{cite web|last=Hale|first=Mike|date=August 22, 2008|title=A Brooklyn Kiddie Band's R-Rated Mock Reality|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/23/arts/television/23zroc.html|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 1, 2012}}

Giraldo said on Late Night with Conan O'Brien on July 7, 2005, that he had quit drinking alcohol. His series Friday Night Stand-Up with Greg Giraldo began on Comedy Central in late 2005 and ran until 2006. His album Good Day to Cross a River was released in 2006 by Comedy Central Records. Giraldo was featured (along with Dane Cook and Sean Rouse) in Dave Attell's Insomniac Tour, released April 2006. This 98-minute film is thought by many of his fans to be one of his best performances—showing him on stage at work and also behind the scenes, with a glimpse of life on the road as a comedian.

Giraldo appeared in several Comedy Central's annual roasts, roasting Chevy Chase, Pamela Anderson, William Shatner, Jeff Foxworthy, Flavor Flav, Bob Saget, Joan Rivers, Larry the Cable Guy, and David Hasselhoff, as well as the TBS roast of Cheech & Chong.

He was a regular guest on Comedy Central's television series Lewis Black's Root of All Evil and was one of the advocates lobbying for his side to be considered the "root of all evil." He won Black's decision in two of his nine appearances, but won the audience poll six times. Giraldo served as a judge during season seven of the NBC reality competition show Last Comic Standing.

In 2008, Giraldo appeared in venues across the United States as the headlining act of the Indecision '08 Tour, produced by Comedy Central. Midlife Vices, his only one-hour special for Comedy Central, was released in 2009. In June 2010, Giraldo performed at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Tennessee.{{cite web|title=Greg Giraldo at Bonnaroo 2010| website=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywrWGTziPCU|access-date=February 27, 2012}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead Youtube links|date=February 2022}} That same month, he hosted The Nasty Show in Chicago, and in July, The Nasty Show in Montreal.{{cite web|last=Brownstein|first=Bill|date=July 8, 2010|title=Nasty Show host Greg Giraldo sets high smut standard for the others|url=http://www2.canada.com/entertainment/from+archives+nasty+show+host+greg+giraldo+sets+high+smut+standard+others/3248880/story.html?id=3248880|work=The Gazette|access-date=February 27, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022063436/http://www2.canada.com/entertainment/from+archives+nasty+show+host+greg+giraldo+sets+high+smut+standard+others/3248880/story.html?id=3248880|archive-date=October 22, 2014}}

Giraldo was married twice. He married first at age 23, and the couple divorced after two years.Gadino, Dylan P. [http://punchlinemagazine.com/site/greg-giraldo-comedy-game-plan-in-effect/ "Greg Giraldo: Comedy game plan in effect" (interview)], Punchline, October 29, 2009. [https://web.archive.org/web/20100505043534/http://punchlinemagazine.com/site/greg-giraldo-comedy-game-plan-in-effect/ WebCitation archive].The Opie and Anthony Show, May 14, 2010, Sirius XM Satellite Radio

He married his second wife, Maryann, on January 23, 1999. She was a former waitress at Caroline's comedy club. Together they had three sons. Giraldo had the tattoo "Maryann 1-23-99" on his right biceps.{{cite web|url=http://vimeo.com/1576317|title=Tattoo Fixation|access-date=August 7, 2012}} Giraldo and Maryann separated in 2008 for a short time and had many reconciliations before his death. They were never divorced.

Giraldo had a tribal design tattoo on his left forearm that contained the number 525. He was reluctant to discuss its meaning. Comedian Jim Norton of Opie and Anthony later said that it represented his sobriety struggle; May 25 was the day that he first sobered up.{{cite news|last=Gadino|first=Dylan P.|date=October 1, 2010|title=Greg Giraldo: the never before seen 35-minute video interview|newspaper=Comedynews.org |url=http://www.comedynews.org/stand-up/greg-giraldo-the-never-before-seen-35-minute-video-interview/link/7226/|publisher=Laughspin|access-date=August 7, 2012}} Giraldo had been to rehab for alcohol and other drug abuse several times. He said that once he had been so intoxicated that he punched something and broke four bones in his hand while performing at Gotham Comedy Club.{{cite book|last=Provenza|first=Paul|year=2010|title=Satiristas: Comedians, Contrarians, Raconteurs & Vulgarians|publisher=Harper Collins |isbn=9780061959875|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TCaXb0Fi4HEC&q=paul+provenza+satiristas+greg+giraldo&pg=PT286}} Through the early 2000s, Giraldo was candid about his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction, and the challenges of life on the road, often incorporating these themes into his act.{{cite web|last=Gadino|first=Dylan P.|date=December 19, 2005|title=Greg Giraldo: Born to Mock|url=http://www.laughspin.com/from-the-archives-greg-giraldo-born-to-mock/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161125111739/http://www.laughspin.com/from-the-archives-greg-giraldo-born-to-mock/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=November 25, 2016|publisher=Laughspin|access-date=November 24, 2016}} In 2009 he said that he had freed himself from addiction.

On September 24, 2010, after a comedy show, he acquired OxyContin, alcohol, and cocaine from a fan he met after the gig. The next day he called and said he was not going to make a scheduled appearance later that day at a concert at the 3rd Annual New York Recovery Rally, introducing singer Courtney Love.{{cite web|url=https://www.thefix.com/content/greg-giraldo-one-year9193?page=all|work=The Fix|title=Greg Giraldo's Last Laugh|author=Schrank, Joe|date=September 29, 2010|access-date=April 19, 2017}} The event, held on Randalls Island in New York City, was "to celebrate the reality of recovery from addiction and offer hope to those who have yet to find recovery".{{cite web|title=Thousands Rally In New York City To Support Those In Recovery|url=http://www.oasas.ny.gov/pio/press/20100922Rally.cfm|publisher=New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services|access-date=August 7, 2012}} The concert was held between noon and 3 p.m., but Giraldo never showed up.

After he didn't show, the police were notified and officers went to his room at the Hyatt Hotel in New Brunswick, New Jersey, where they found him unresponsive and notified EMTs. Giraldo was taken to nearby Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where he remained in a coma on life support.Coyle, Jake. [https://web.archive.org/web/20101003121019/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5imIeqlwyIxtyxOHd5fs65CpoUJ8wD9IIBS1G0?docId=D9IIBS1G0 "Stand-up Comedian Greg Giraldo Dies at 44"], Associated Press, September 30, 2010. [https://web.archive.org/web/20101003121019/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5imIeqlwyIxtyxOHd5fs65CpoUJ8wD9IIBS1G0?docId=D9IIBS1G0 WebCitation archive].{{cite web|url=https://www.tmz.com/2010/09/30/greg-giraldo-dead-dies-overdose-comedian-life-support-coma-celebrity-roasts/|title=Greg Giraldo Death -- Family Pulled Life Support|date=30 September 2010|work=TMZ}} He was removed from life support by his family's decision, and he died on September 29, 2010, at the age of 44.{{cite web|url=https://www.tmz.com/2010/09/29/comedian-greg-giraldo-dies-overdose-prescription-pills/|title=Comedian Greg Giraldo Is Dead |website=TMZ|date= September 29, 2010| access-date =September 30, 2010}}{{cite news|last=Getlen|first=Larry|date=February 2, 2011|title=The Midlife Vices of Greg Giraldo|url=http://splitsider.com/2011/02/the-midlife-vices-of-greg-giraldo/|website=Splitsider|access-date=December 8, 2011}} Giraldo was buried at Good Ground Cemetery in Hampton Bays, New York, with the inscription "Beloved Father / Always Loved / Forever Remembered".

On September 29, 2010, on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Jon Stewart honored Giraldo during the end-of-show "Your Moment of Zen" segment by playing a clip of his stand-up and renaming the segment for that night "Your Moment of Greg".{{cite web|last=Tobey|first=Matt|title=The Daily Show Remembers Greg Giraldo|url=http://ccinsider.comedycentral.com/2010/09/30/the-daily-show-remembers-greg-giraldo/|publisher=Comedy Central Insider|access-date=19 March 2011}} John Popper, lead singer of Blues Traveler, dedicated the song "The Mountains Win Again" to Giraldo during the band's concert on September 29; he had worked with the comedian on the TV show Z Rock.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1e2VQlZaNg |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/o1e2VQlZaNg |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Blues Traveler "Mountains Win Again" @ Belly Up Tavern|website=YouTube |date=September 29, 2010|access-date=February 17, 2012}}{{cbignore}} On September 30, 2010, numerous comedians and celebrities expressed their sorrow for Giraldo's death on Twitter.{{cite web|title=The Comedy World Reacts|url=http://ccinsider.comedycentral.com/the-comedy-world-reacts/|publisher=Comedy Central Insider|access-date=19 March 2011}} Comedy Central posted a series of clips from Giraldo's past works, titled "The Best of Greg Giraldo," on their website.{{cite web|title=The Best of Greg Giraldo|url=http://ccinsider.comedycentral.com/the-best-of-greg-giraldo/|publisher=Comedy Central Insider|access-date=19 March 2011}}

On October 9, 2010, Comedy Central aired a special titled Comics Anonymous: Addictive Stand-Up. Filmed prior to Giraldo's death, it featured several comedians who had been sober for 10 years or more. The show's executive producer, comedian Mike DeStefano, dedicated the special to Giraldo.{{cite web|last=Gray|first=Megan|date=October 8, 2010|title=Comics Anonymous: Addictive Stand-Up|url=http://ccinsider.comedycentral.com/2010/10/08/comics-anonymous-addictive-stand-up/|publisher=Comedy Central Insider|access-date=February 25, 2012}} On October 12, 2010, the series premiere of Nick Swardson's Pretend Time, Swardson dedicated the episode to Giraldo.{{cite web|title=Nick Swardson's Pretend Time|url=http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/pretend_time/index.jhtml|publisher=Comedy Central|access-date=February 26, 2012}}

On November 2, 2010, Comix comedy club in New York hosted the Jim Florentine roast, at which Giraldo had been scheduled to perform. Throughout the show, many of the comedians paid tribute to Giraldo in roast-style fashion. Host Rich Vos joked: "I wasn't the first choice to host. Greg Giraldo was asked, but he said he'd rather be dead than host this."{{cite web|last=Gadino|first=Dylan P.|date=November 3, 2010|title=Comedian friends joke about Greg Giraldo's death at roast|url=http://www.laughspin.com/2010/11/03/comedian-friends-joke-about-greg-giraldos-death-at-roast/|publisher=Laughspin|access-date=February 2, 2012|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207005227/http://www.laughspin.com/2010/11/03/comedian-friends-joke-about-greg-giraldos-death-at-roast/|archive-date=February 7, 2012}}

On February 9, 2011, a benefit titled "The Big Time Comedy Show" was held at NYC's Beacon Theatre. It was to raise money for Giraldo's sons and for The Greg Giraldo Fund, founded in his memory. Maryann Giraldo said it was "to help children living within families of addiction... to be educated, encouraged and empowered, and given the tools they need to make different choices in their lives". The lineup included sets by Jerry Seinfeld, Lewis Black, Colin Quinn, Dave Attell, Jim Norton, Ted Alexandro, Nick DiPaolo, Jesse Joyce, and Eddie Brill, and the event was hosted by Tom Papa.{{cite web|last=McCarthy|first=Sean|date=February 15, 2011|title=Quotes, notes and news on The Greg Giraldo Fund and assorted benefit plans|url=http://thecomicscomic.typepad.com/thecomicscomic/2011/02/quotes-notes-and-news-on-the-greg-giraldo-fund-and-assorted-benefit-plans.html|publisher=The Comic's Comic|access-date=August 26, 2012}} Another benefit show was held in Los Angeles at the Wiltern Theater on June 29, 2011, and featured sets by Jeffrey Ross, Daniel Tosh, Marc Maron, Ralphie May, Brian Posehn, Bill Burr, Dave Attell, and Tom Papa; it was hosted by Jesse Joyce.{{cite web|last=Trevisanut|first=Jillian|date=July 1, 2011|title=Benefit For Greg Giraldo's Wife and Kids|url=http://americascomedy.com/benefit-for-greg-giraldos-wife-and-kids/|publisher=America's Comedy|access-date=August 26, 2012}}

The Columbia University Alumni Association staged two benefit shows on March 28, 2011, at the Gotham Comedy Club in NYC. The comedians who performed sets were Todd Barry, Amy Schumer, John Mulaney, Joe Mande, Morgan Murphy, Godfrey, Rachel Feinstein, Michael Ian Black, and Robert Kelly, and the shows were hosted by Gabe Liedman and Stress Factory owner Vinnie Brand.{{cite web|title=Greg Giraldo Children's Fund Benefit|url=http://www.cuarts.com/calendar/view/type/3/event_id/9752|publisher=Columbia Alumni Arts League|access-date=August 26, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130120055438/http://www.cuarts.com/calendar/view/type/3/event_id/9752|archive-date=January 20, 2013}}

Seth MacFarlane, Anthony Jeselnik, and Jeffrey Ross paid tribute to Giraldo during the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump in March 2011, and dedicated the program to him.

On March 18, 2011, Comedy Central aired Give It Up for Greg Giraldo, a two-hour television special honoring his memory in which multiple comedians, including Jon Stewart, Nick Swardson, Colin Quinn, Jeffrey Ross, Denis Leary, Sarah Silverman, Dave Attell, Tom Papa, Lewis Black, Bill Burr, Daniel Tosh, Chelsea Peretti, Conan O'Brien, Jesse Joyce and Whitney Cummings, talked about his life and career. It also contained short clips of his roasts and other acts.{{cite web|last=Tobey|first=Matt|title=Tonight, Give It Up for Greg Giraldo|url=http://ccinsider.comedycentral.com/2011/03/18/tonight-give-it-up-for-greg-giraldo/|publisher=Comedy Central Insider|access-date=19 March 2011}}

Greg Fitzsimmons dedicated his 2010 book Dear Mrs. Fitzsimmons: Tales of Redemption from an Irish Mailbox, to Giraldo and several other comedians.{{cite book|last=Fitzsimmons|first=Greg|title=Dear Mrs. Fitzsimmons: Tales of Redemption from an Irish Mailbox|year=2010|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1HdhCAsnxHYC&q=greg+giraldo&pg=PA209|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=9781439192122}} Holly George-Warren's 2012 book Bonnaroo: What, Which, This, That, The Other was also dedicated to Giraldo.{{cite book|last=George-Warren|first=Holly|title=Bonnaroo: What, Which, This, That, The Other|year=2012|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EGv2xkkJ4oEC&q=giraldo|publisher=Abrams|isbn=9781613123317}}

Social worker Joe Schrank, a friend of Giraldo's, has a tattoo that says "Best Wishes, God," a phrase that Giraldo often wrote into hotel room Bibles.{{cite web|last=Haber|first=Matt|title=Seeking Sobriety in Brooklyn|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/07/fashion/07HIPSTERREHAB.html?pagewanted=all|work=The New York Times|date=April 6, 2011}}{{cite web|last=Schrank|first=Joe|date=September 29, 2011|title=Greg Giraldo's Last Laugh|url=http://www.thefix.com/content/greg-giraldo-one-year9193?page=all|publisher=The Fix|access-date=August 7, 2012}}

A biography by Matt Balaker and Wayne Jones, Greg Giraldo: A Comedian's Story, was published in March 2019. It features interviews with family, friends, fans, and colleagues.{{cite web|url=http://www.greggiraldobook.com/ |title=A book about comedian Greg Giraldo|website=Greg Giraldo Book|access-date=19 October 2017}}

Vice dedicated an episode of its 2022 series Dark Side of Comedy to Giraldo, including interviews with his sons Lucas, Daniel, and Greg Jr.; friends and fellow comics Felipe Esparza, Jim Gaffigan, Tom Papa and Ritch Shydner; talent manager Rick Dorfman; author Matt Balaker; addiction counselor Joe Shrank; and writing and sober partner Jesse Joyce.(September 27, 2022). Dark Side of Comedy. S01E07 "Greg Giraldo". Vice. Via Apple TV. Retrieved February 26, 2023. Cited as "Vice". Giraldo was universally praised as a brilliant man—his blessing and his curse, said Papa"Vice". Event occurs at 37:38–37:41.—who took to substance abuse to "quiet the mind chatter.""Vice". Event occurs at 24:06–24:08. When Giraldo compared his career to the success of Larry the Cable Guy and asked for advice on sobriety, Shydner said, "you've got to have acceptance ... you can't outsmart addiction.""Vice". Event occurs at 30:11–30:49 and 38:08–38:13. Shrank recalled walking in on some of the worst scenes of self-hatred."Vice". Event occurs at 31:43–31:55. Lisa Lampanelli once tried to hide from Giraldo after he said some "mean shit" during one of her roast appearances but, when they saw each other, he kissed her cheek and said, "'great fuckin' job!' ... [and I was] crying because, like, that's the real fuckin' Greg.""Vice". Event occurs at 41:47–42:24.

• Underwear Goes Inside the Pants (2004) Universal Music
• Good Day to Cross a River (2006) Comedy Central Records
• Midlife Vices (2009) Comedy Central Records

{{Reflist}}

{{wikiquote}}

• {{IMDb name|0320607}}
• [http://www.comedyhalloffame.com/archives/greg-giraldo/ Greg Giraldo], The Comedy Hall of Fame
• [http://www.greggiraldo.com/ Greg Giraldo Official Website] [site is no longer active]
• {{Cite web |url=http://cringehumor.net/old_site/reviews/giraldo_show_pilot/index.htm |title="The Greg Giraldo Show Pilot Taping" at cringehumor.net, April 7, 2005 |access-date=September 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130827083048/http://cringehumor.net/old_site/reviews/giraldo_show_pilot/index.htm |archive-date=August 27, 2013 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}
• {{Find a Grave|59392470}}
• {{Cite web |url=http://thedepaulia.com/story.asp?artid=2132§id=5 |title=Giraldo's World: Interview |access-date=December 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071114195327/http://thedepaulia.com/story.asp?artid=2132§id=5 |archive-date=November 14, 2007 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}, The DePaulia, 2007, n.d.
• {{Cite web |url=http://cornellsun.com/node/23146 |title="Comedian Discusses Cornell and his Specialty in Candy" (interview), The Cornell Daily Sun, April 25, 2007 |access-date=May 2, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929090636/http://cornellsun.com/node/23146 |archive-date=September 29, 2007 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}
• {{Cite web |url=http://benkharakh.com/greg_giraldo |title="Court Jester: Greg Giraldo states his case" (interview), Philly City Paper, October 9, 2007 |access-date=December 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118064816/http://benkharakh.com/greg_giraldo |archive-date=January 18, 2013 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}
• [http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brainstorm/200905/greg-giraldo-failure "Greg Giraldo on Failure"], Psychology Today, May 13, 2009
• [https://www.facebook.com/notes/ted-alexandro/farewell-maestro/10150106521444689 "Farewell, Maestro"], by Ted Alexandro, October 1, 2010
• {{Cite web |url=http://kilmartin.com/wordpress/?p=294 |title="An R.I.P.", by Laurie Kilmartin, December 13, 2010 |access-date=November 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120725191454/http://kilmartin.com/wordpress/?p=294 |archive-date=July 25, 2012 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}
• {{YouTube|3gg6hl71vbA|"Opie and Anthony: Greg Giraldo Interview with Patrice O'Neal and Jim Norton"}}, May 6, 2009
• [http://recoverycomedy.com/promo-greg-giraldo.html "Greg Giraldo Memorial Page"], Recovery Comedy website

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