George Peter John Criscuola (born December 20, 1945), better known by his stage name Peter Criss, is a retired American musician and actor, best known as a co-founder, original drummer, and occasional vocalist of the hard rock band Kiss. Criss established the "Catman" character for his Kiss persona. In 2014, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Kiss.\n', '

Criss was born in Brooklyn, New York, the oldest of five children of Loretta and Joseph Criscuola. His father\'s family came from Scafati, Salerno, Italy. He grew up in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. He was a childhood friend of Jerry Nolan, who would later find success as the drummer of the New York Dolls.\n', '

Criss was an avid art student and a swing aficionado. While playing with bandleader Joey Greco, Criss ended up studying under his idol, Gene Krupa, at the Metropole Club in New York. This turned into an active musical career as he went on to play jazz and rock with a number of bands in New York and New Jersey throughout the 1960s.[citation needed]\n', '

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