ed ian ▁of ▁com ed ians ▁from ▁TV ' s ▁early ▁days ." ▁ ▁Hon ored ▁in ▁numerous ▁ways ▁over ▁ 6 0 ▁years , ▁he ▁was ▁nominated ▁for ▁ 1 1 ▁Em my ▁Awards , ▁winning ▁twice . ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁sa x oph on ist ▁and ▁author ▁of ▁several ▁books , ▁including ▁two ▁aut obi ograph ies ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁described ▁his ▁career ▁and ▁later ▁struggle ▁to ▁overcome ▁years ▁of ▁alco hol ism ▁and ▁add iction ▁to ▁bar bit ur ates . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Ca esar ▁was ▁the ▁young est ▁of ▁three ▁sons ▁born ▁to ▁Jewish ▁imm igr ants ▁living ▁in ▁Y onk ers , ▁New ▁York . ▁His ▁father ▁was ▁Max ▁Z iser ▁( 1 8 7 4 – 1 9 4 6 ) ▁and ▁his ▁mother ▁was ▁I da ▁( née ▁Rap ha el ) ▁( 1 8 8 7 – 1 9 7 5 ). ▁They ▁likely ▁were ▁from ▁D ą brow a ▁T arn ow ska , ▁Poland . ▁ ▁Re ports ▁state ▁that ▁the ▁surname ▁" Ca esar " ▁was ▁given ▁to ▁Max , ▁as ▁a ▁child , ▁by ▁an ▁imm igration ▁official ▁at ▁Ell is ▁Island . ▁This ▁is ▁an ▁urban ▁myth . ▁According ▁to ▁Marian ▁L . ▁Smith , ▁senior ▁historian ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Cit iz ens hip ▁and ▁Im m igration ▁Service , ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁known ▁case ▁of ▁a ▁name ▁changed ▁at ▁Ell is ▁Island . ▁Max ▁and ▁I da ▁Ca esar ▁ran ▁a ▁restaurant , ▁a