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Masada’s love for comedy began at age six in Iran when his father, a cantor and accordionist, rewarded his good behavior by taking him to watch The Three Stooges through the window of a local TV repair shop. Despite the poor reception and inaudible dialogue, Masada was captivated as his father improvised. “I laughed until I cried,” he recalls.
Years later, at a wedding in Israel, a Hollywood producer saw Masada performing a Three Stooges impression and urged his father to send him to America. Believing in his son’s talent, Masada’s father pawned his cherished accordion to help fund the journey.
At just 14, Masada arrived in the U.S. in 1977 with little more than the clothes on his back and a sharp wit. He slept in a garage while juggling odd jobs to survive and support his family back home. Despite the challenges, his passion for comedy never waned. “My father once told me,” he says, “making people laugh is the greatest mitzvah of all.”
Though he spoke little English—mostly Farsi mixed with some Hebrew—Masada quickly began performing at a local comedy club, where he was mentored by legends like Richard Pryor, Paul Mooney, and Tom Dreesen.
Two years later, motivated by disputes over unpaid comedians at Los Angeles clubs and backed by a $10,000 loan from writer-producer Neal Israel (known for Bachelor Party, Moving Violations, Police Academy, Real Genius, Finding Neverland), Masada founded the Laugh Factory in a historic Sunset Boulevard building once used by Groucho Marx.
Determined to pay performers fairly by “splitting the door,” the first comedian to perform was Richard Pryor. Pryor not only waived his $3.50 share but gave Masada—who was sleeping at the club—a $100 bill with the note, “You need this for your rent, boy.”
More than three decades later, Masada not only pays the rent at the now-iconic club but is also a committed philanthropist. Believing strongly that “laughter is the best medicine,” he works extensively with underprivileged children and the homeless, providing food, entertainment, and support for struggling artists.
Since 1979, Masada has opened the Laugh Factory on Thanksgiving and Christmas, offering free meals to the homeless and emerging comedians, along with much-needed comic relief. He also sponsors complimentary services during Judaism’s High Holy Days.
In 1985, Masada launched the Laugh Factory Comedy Camp for underprivileged youth, which has since served over 1,000 children aged 9 to 16 from low-income neighborhoods. Meeting for 10 Saturdays each summer, top comedians—including Tim Allen, Jim Carrey, Dave Chappelle, Dane Cook, Jamie Foxx, George Lopez, Jon Lovitz, Richard Pryor, Chris Rock, Paul Rodriguez, Bob Saget, Adam Sandler, Chris Tucker, Damon Wayans, and Shawn Wayans—mentor the campers, who also enjoy meals and field trips.
The camp’s guidance builds the youths’ confidence in public speaking and helps them pursue their dreams. “Laughter is healing,” Masada says, calling the participants “my kids,” maintaining relationships with many over the years, and playing a “Hebrew Kris Kringle” role during the holidays.
In 2010, the club hosted various charity events including Cops for Causes, Comedy Without Borders, Wounded Warriors, Middle Eastern Comedy Fest, Pakistan Flood Fundraiser, and a 72-hour Laugh Factory Comedy-a-Thon & Christmas Toy Drive.
Masada’s humanitarian work has earned him numerous honors, such as the NAACP Freedom Award, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and the ACLU Freedom of Speech Award.
