Comedian Sammy Petrillo was Jerry Lewis look-alike

Published 5:00 am Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Sammy Petrillo, a nightclub comic who built his career mostly on his striking resemblance to Jerry Lewis and a spot-on impression of him much to Lewis ire died Saturday in Bronxville, N.Y. He was 74 and lived in Tuckahoe, N.Y. The death was confirmed by his friend Suzie Perkovic-Fiore.

In 1950, while a student at the High School of Performing Arts in Manhattan, 15-year-old Sam Patrello (he later changed his last name) first became aware of how much he looked like Lewis. He recalled going to a nearby trade school where students were learning to be barbers.

I got a freebie haircut and the guy started to laugh, Petrillo said. I said, Whatta ya laughing at? And he said, You look just like that Jerry Lewis. And I said, Get outta here!

Petrillo got an appointment with an agent, who set up a meeting with Lewis, who cast him in a sketch on the NBC show The Colgate Comedy Hour.