Editing Don Rickles (section)

== Early life ==
Rickles was born in [[Queens, New York]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://qns.com/story/2017/04/06/comedian-don-rickles-grew-jackson-heights-dead-age-90 |title=Comedian Don Rickles, who grew up in Jackson Heights, is dead at the age of 90 |author=Pozarycki, Robert |access-date=April 27, 2020 |website=[[TimesLedger Newspapers|QNS]]|date=April 6, 2017 }}</ref> on May 8, 1926.<ref name="dummy" /> His father Max S. Rickles (1896–1952) emigrated in 1903 with his [[Litvaks|Lithuanian]] parents from [[Kaunas]].<ref>World War I draft registration, NY City, #31-9-149-B, Max S. Rickles, born August 12, 1897, in Kovna (Kaunas) Russia</ref> His mother Etta Rickles (''née'' Feldman; 1898–1984) was born in New York City to Austrian immigrant parents.<ref>US Census, 1930. Queens, New York, Supervisor's District 33, sheet 6A, family No. 136</ref><ref>US Census, 1920. NY City, Enumerationer's district 1508, Sheet 33A, family No. 138</ref> Rickles grew up in [[Jackson Heights, Queens|Jackson Heights]].<ref name="dummy">Witchel, Alex (August 25, 1996). [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D04E6DE1031F936A1575BC0A960958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1 "I'm No Howard Stern, You Dummy"]. ''[[The New York Times]]''. Retrieved October 8, 2007.</ref>

After graduating from [[Newtown High School (Queens)|Newtown High School]] in 1944,<ref>Shain, Percy (January 23, 1972). "[https://www.newspapers.com/image/434823103/ The Three Sides of Don Rickles]". ''[[The Boston Globe]]''.</ref> Rickles enlisted in the [[United States Navy]] and served during [[World War II]] on the motor torpedo boat tender {{USS|Cyrene|AGP-13|6}} as a [[Seaman (rank)|seaman]] first class. He was [[honorably discharged]] in 1946.<ref>{{cite news |last=Jones |first=Chris |title=Don Rickles, WWII Vet & Comedian, Dies At 90 |website=American Military News |date=April 6, 2017 |url=https://americanmilitarynews.com/2017/04/breaking-wwii-vet-comedian-don-rickles-dies-90/ |access-date=October 27, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Post">{{cite news |last=Heller |first=Karen |date=May 26, 2016 |title=90 Years Old and Still Zinging |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |pages=C1–C2 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/don-rickles-was-politically-incorrect-before-it-was-incorrect-and-hes-still-going-at-90/2016/05/24/3b5e0422-1868-11e6-924d-838753295f9a_story.html |access-date=June 4, 2016}}</ref> Two years later, intending to be a dramatic actor, he studied at the [[American Academy of Dramatic Arts]] and then played bit parts on television. Frustrated by a lack of acting work, Rickles began to perform comedy in clubs in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles. He became known as an [[insult comedian]] when he responded to his hecklers. The audience enjoyed these insults more than his prepared material, so he incorporated them into his act.<ref name=allmusic>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/don-rickles-mn0000193606/biography |title=Artist Biography |author=Ankeny, Jason |access-date=October 20, 2016 |website=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref>

When Rickles started his career in the early 1950s, he started to call ill-mannered members of the audience "[[hockey puck]]s".<ref>''[[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno]]'' April 15, 2009.</ref> His style was similar to that of an older insult comic [[Jack E. Leonard]], though Rickles denied Leonard influenced his style.<ref name="couch">{{cite web| url=http://www.comedycouch.com/interviews/drickles.htm| author=MacPherson, Guy| title=Don Rickles Interview| website=The Comedy Couch| date=October 6, 2006| access-date=May 17, 2007}}</ref> During an interview on ''[[Larry King Live]]'', Rickles credited [[Milton Berle]]'s comedy style for inspiring him to enter show business.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XMNqakiGzw;t=11m11s Don Rickles on Larry King Show], 1985</ref>