Stand-up comedian Pete Davidson, the 20-year-old son of a New York City firefighter who was killed on 9/11, made his debut this weekend on Saturday Night Live as a featured player, and his father's friends say he's carrying on his dad's sense of humor.
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Firefighter Scott Davidson, who died while responding to the terror attacks thirteen years ago, was "always clowning around," a former Staten Island schoolmate, Jaime Hatton Cregin,
told The New York Post. "Telling jokes, making people laugh."
Pete Davidson is the youngest "SNL" featured player, but he's no stranger to the comedy stage. He got his start at 16 in stand-up, and went on to appear on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," reports The Post.
Comedian and filmmaker Nick Cannon discovered him at 17 and gave the younger Davidson his film debut in "School Dance" this year.
But that doesn't mean that Davidson is using the tragedy behind his father's death to build his own career, said retired firefighter John Sorrentino, who describes the young
comedian's dad as having a sense of humor that was "brutally honest."
"He never once used the fact that his father was a fireman who died on 9/11 to help him get through any doors," said Sorrentino. "Peter earned everything he got and he deserves his shot on 'SNL.' And he's funny."
Sorrentino said the older Davidson immediately earned the nickname "Salty Dog" upon joining the Ladder 118 company in Brooklyn Heights, an accolade usually given to older firefighters.
"It's an expression you give the old-timers because he had a day on the job and he acted like he had 20 years on the job,” said Sorrentino. "He had this ability to insult you but make you feel good about it.”
His son still remains close with the Ladder 118 crew, tweeting a picture earlier this month.
The older Davidson also was good at physical humor, said Cregin.
"He once walked around the Tottenville Inn, taking all his clothes off until he was naked — except for a potted palm tree,” she remembered.
But the funny firefighter, described as a gentle giant who stood 6-foot-4, doted on Pete and his sister Casey. Pete was only seven years old when his father, then 33, died along with other firefighters from his company as they attempted to rescue guests at the Marriott World Trade Center Hotel, which was destroyed when the World Trade Center towers came down.
And Davidson
honored his father on the 13th anniversary of the terror attacks this month:
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