Most people thought Andy was foreign, when in fact, he grew up in New York City. He took his stand-up comic character (Latka Gravas), to the television show: "Taxi," and he became a huge hit. He wasn't exactly a cast favorite because he'd come and go as he pleased and he always stayed in character which everyone else thought was weird. In other words, if he were at a dinner party, he didn't speak like Andy, he spoke in his foreign accent as Latka. Tony Danza said he wanted to beat Andy up, but that he could never provoke him enough for a physical confrontation.
Of course Andy was always pushing the limits, and began wrestling women. He called himself: "The Inter-Gender Wrestling Champion of the World." He'd intentionally make comments to upset women and make his act more provocative. He was one of the best Elvis Impersonators I've ever seen.
In 1984, he began losing weight and was eventually diagnosed with lung cancer that ended up spreading to Andy's brain. He was just 35 years old when he passed away. He had an ex-wife and one child, a daughter, Maria.