Jeff Curro
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Jeff Curro (born May 2, 1967), also known as Jeff the Drunk and Jeff the Bore, is a member of the
Wack Pack The Wack Pack is the name given to an assortment of personalities heard throughout the history of ''The Howard Stern Show''. As a parody of the Rat Pack or Brat Pack, Stern biographer Richard Mintzer has labeled them a key part of the show. Mem ...
on ''
The Howard Stern Show ''The Howard Stern Show'' is an American radio show hosted by Howard Stern that gained wide recognition when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from WXRK in New York City, between 1986 and 2005. The show has aired on Howard 100 a ...
''. Curro is a long-term chronic
alcoholic Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomina ...
and exhibits complications of chronic alcohol abuse. Long-term tobacco and marijuana abuse have also affected him. Due to a car accident in his youth, he has a
paralyzed Paralysis (also known as plegia) is a loss of motor function in one or more muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory damage. In the United States, roughly 1 in 5 ...
arm. The accident initially left him in a coma, with a broken neck and back requiring months of
physical rehabilitation Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patien ...
.Grondahl, Paul (December 14, 2005)
"On-air exploits create a buzz; Berne man is a radio hit as "Jeff The Drunk" on Howard Stern show"
''Times Union'' (Albany, NY). Retrieved 2012-11-27.
He has resided in a trailer in
Berne, New York Berne is a town in Albany County, New York, United States. The population was 2,689 at the 2020 census. The town is at the western border of Albany County. History The town of Berne was originally spelled "Bern", until the Berne Post Office wa ...
, first with his mother, who died in 2006,Grondahl,Paul (June 7, 2006)
"Stern audience shares sidekick's tough time; Death of Jeff "The Drunk" Curro's mother brings outpouring of support from fans"
''Times Union'' (Albany, NY). Retrieved 2012-11-27.
then with a brother. Curro first called into ''The Howard Stern Show'' in 1992 when the show first syndicated to a station in
Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York C ...
. In December 1998, he called in to play the "Aspiring Playmate" game (like the "Homeless Game"), and won a trip to Las Vegas.Miller, Harold (May 11, 2007)
Biography Detail - Jeff Curro
. Berne History. Retrieved 2012-11-27.
He became a regular guest on the show, and a member of the Wack Pack, known for his ability to become "spectacularly inebriated" before appearances on the show. Before his association with the show, Curro was described as "filled with self-loathing, scraping by with menial jobs", but since then, Curro stated, fans embraced him, "disabilities and all." Upon the death of his mother in 2006, his popularity on the show resulted in an "outpouring" of sympathy from "hundreds" of show fans, who, along with Howard Stern, wrote in a guestbook hosted on the Albany, New York '' Times Union'' website. Appearing on the Stern show in 2007, Curro revealed his recurring "festering boil" on his rear; a photo of his "purplish, blistered buttocks" was posted on the Stern website that day. Curro said it first appeared following his 1986 car crash: "It swells up, drains, goes away for a couple months and comes back again." Both Stern, and a doctor who called in during the show, told Curro to "go to a hospital immediately." The diagnosis was a life-threatening
carbuncle A carbuncle is a cluster of boils caused by bacterial infection, most commonly with ''Staphylococcus aureus'' or ''Streptococcus pyogenes''. The presence of a carbuncle is a sign that the immune system is active and fighting the infection. The ...
which had to be surgically removed. As a Wack Packer, Curro has had paying "personal appearances", usually in bars. In 2006 a CD titled ''Jeff the Drunk Takes Manhattan'' was released with three versions, standard, enhanced, and "clean". Curro participated in the Howard Stern Show IQ test (7/29/10), and scored an 89, "one point away from normal". The doctor who administered the test speculated Curro's score may have been affected by his disability (right hand and arm) during portions of the test that involve the quick use of one's hands.


Health issues

On August 4, 2017,
Radar Online Radar Online is an American entertainment and gossip website that was first published as a print and online publication in September 2003 before becoming exclusively online. As of 2008, the magazine has been owned by the publisher American Media ...
posted an article pertaining to Curro's recent hospitalization. The article cites the Aug 1, 2017 (Tuesday) live ''Howard Stern Show'' broadcast. Curro called the show and was “slurring his words” while waiting for a taxi to take him to the hospital. Curro has a history of alcohol, cigarette smoking, marijuana abuse, and a growing tumor in his throat that had to be removed in 2016; additionally, he has been suffering from a “hacking cough” the past year. On August 14, 2017, Curro called into ''The Howard Stern Show'' with an update on his health and stated that he was diagnosed with COPD (
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of progressive lung disease characterized by long-term respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. The main symptoms include shortness of breath and a cough, which may or may not produce ...
) and sent home with oxygen and to use as needed.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Curro, Jeff Living people 1967 births People from Berne, New York