Early Life
Hank was born Henry Joseph Nasiff Jr. on April 20, 1962, in Fall River, Massachusetts (he was of Lebanese, French, and English descent). A week after he was born, Hank was diagnosed with achondroplasia dwarfism. Hank's mother, Claudette, taught him from a young age that he could do whatever he set his mind to do, and Hank participated in Little League Baseball for several seasons. When Hank was twelve he had an operation on his legs to straighten them. Although doctors had said that he would eventually require more surgery, Hank put off doing it and ultimately opted to not undergo another operation.
Before being associated with the Howard Stern Show, Hank had a bit part in an ongoing performance of Finnegans Wake at a Boston dinner theater. Hank played a character named "Stretch" that would pop up out of a beer keg at the end of each performance. He was paid $50 to say four lines of dialogue. The gig lasted two years.
Read more about this topic: Hank The Angry Drunken Dwarf
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