Please welcome one of the funniest guys in comedy today, Mike Marino, who hails from New Jersey, next to the town where I was born. Mike manages to turn circumstances from everyday life as a proud Italian-American into something we can all relate to - funny, relatable, ridiculous.

He went on a campaign to "Make America Italian Again" which attracted a cult following. He hosts the popular podcast, "Live From My Mother's Basement," which is literally recorded in the basement of the home where he grew up. In fact, with the recent death of his parents, he bought the house, and starts each morning taking us on a LIVE walk around the neighborhood, sharing his thoughts of the day. And these days, there's a lot to share.

While performing on a cruise ship last year, he became ill. Doctors found a tumor in his brain which they removed. Now he's on another campaign - to get healthy with the help of his beautiful fiancée, Heather. He's currently also working on a new TV special with the working title, "Mike Marino: Back 2 School," and he's back performing LIVE this week, so check his social for deets.

Mike has performed at the Comedy Store, Laugh Factory, Carnegie Hall, and he's entertained veterans for which he earned the USO Bob Hope Comedy Award. He's also a successful actor, having appeared on Frazier and so many other shows and commercials. He's got a lot to share, not only about comedy, but about loss, family, being Italian, and his recent health scare that literally knocked him off his feet.

Please find my full conversation with #MikeMarino on all video and audio platforms of #DeborahKobyltLIVE, #LittleItalyPodcast, and #LittleItalyOfLAPodcast. I'm your host, #DeborahZaraKobylt, and it's my pleasure to welcome you here.

And congrats, Mike, for being inducted into the N.J. Comedy Hall of Fame.

@mikemarinolive #comedy #mikemarino #standup