Home videos to a world tour.
Syracuse comedians can’t believe their Facebook fame
Carlo Russo and Lou Greco of Syracuse started the “Uncle Louie Variety Show” on Facebook for family and friends.
Now, their comedy show has evolved into a live stage show, which has embarked on a world tour. Borderline Events is proud to announce that they have picked up a number of Ontario shows.
When Lou Greco and Carlo Russo met in high school, they bonded over their chatty Italian families, who spoke broken English passionately and unapologetically.
Greco, 48, was born in the U.S. but his parents were born in Italy. Born in Sicily, Russo also grew up hearing his parents speak Italian.
As adults, they have been writing and performing “Italian American comedy” in Syracuse for years.
The laughs began six years ago, when Greco started posting jokes on Facebook. He called it the “broken English word of the day.”
The jokes soon became skits, and the skits became videos, which drew massive audiences on social media. Now, the Syracuse natives are on the cusp of their first comedy tour in 2018, starting in Australia.
“It’s surreal,” said Russo, 49. “It’s like, how did this happen?”