John Pinette

A native of Boston, Pinette earned a degree in Accounting from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell and briefly entered the field after graduation. He found the job to be incredibly dull, however, and left after six months to pursue a career as a stand-up. After a few years, Pinette proved to be such a polished comedian that by the early 1990s he was opening for Frank Sinatra in Las Vegas. Before long the TV and film offers came pouring in, and over the next several years Pinette nabbed recurring roles on "Parker Lewis Can't Lose" and "Vinnie & Bobby," as well as small film roles in "Junior," "Reckless Kelly" (1993), and "Dear God." However, his most memorable screen performance came in 1998 when he played the victim of a carjacking on the final episode of the hugely popular sitcom, "Seinfeld." The series finale was watched by 76 million people, thus bestowing the seasoned comedian with his largest audience to date. Pinette continued with his rigorous touring schedule throughout the 2000s, while also appearing in the less-than-memorable films "Duets" (2000), "The Punisher" (2004), and "The Last Godfather" (2010). Pinette was performing for live audiences up until the day he died on April 5, 2014 from a pulmonary embolism. He was 50.