In 1968, she was awarded the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in the form of an Oscar [REF].
She was a television star very early in its history, and even had her own program for a while, The Martha Raye Show (1954-1956), with an awkward boyfriend portrayed by retired middleweight boxer Rocky Graziano (whom she called "goombah", Sicilian slang for the Italian 'compare' [best friend] ).