After high school graduation from Boston English High, he found a job working as a longshoreman.
Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith. Pg. 113-114. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387
Brother of Louis Colonna.
Extensive work on radio with such stars as Bing Crosby and Fred Allen before his stint with Bob Hope.
He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio at 1645 Vine Street in Hollywood, California.
Known for his google-eyed roll, facial contortions, and wide, handlebar mustache, the madcap comic always looked like the tenor of a barbershop quartet. His renditions of "Sweet Adeline" and "Down By the Old Millstream" were classics.
Suffered a serious stroke in August 1966 from which he never fully recovered. He spent nearly two years in various hospitals recuperating, including the Motion Picture Country Home in Woodland Hills, California. When he returned to performing it was for Bob Hope in his annual Christmas show in Vietnam but his participation was brief.
Worked with the CBS staff orchestra as a musician. He broke up the other players so much during rehearsals that he started getting jobs doing comic warm-ups on live radio programs.