Larry Fine, born Louis Feinberg on October 4, 1902, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was an American actor, comedian, and musician, widely recognized as "The Middle Stooge" in the iconic comedy act The Three Stooges. He was the eldest of four children born to Russian Jewish immigrants, Joseph and Fanny Feinberg, who owned a watch repair and jewelry shop. In his early childhood, Fine's arm was severely burned by hydrochloric acid, leading his parents to encourage violin lessons to strengthen the damaged muscles; he later incorporated the violin into Stooge films. He also took up boxing briefly in his teens. Fine began his performing career as a violinist in vaudeville. In 1928, he met Ted Healy and Shemp Howard, leading to his recruitment as a "stooge" in Healy's act. In 1929, the trio of Fine, Shemp Howard, and Moe Howard first performed together, evolving through several titles before going to Hollywood to film "Soup to Nuts" (1930). After a period performing as "Howard, Fine, and Howard: Three Lost Soles," Fine and Moe Howard reunited with Healy in 1932, adding Jerome "Curly" Howard to form the classic lineup. From 1934, The Three Stooges, with Fine, Moe, and Curly, embarked on their most prolific period, producing 206 short films and several features. Fine was easily identifiable by his distinctive hairstyle: a large bald spot surrounded by bushy, curly auburn hair. In the Curly era, Larry often played the "voice of reason," a surrealistic foil, and the middle ground between Moe's gruffness and Curly's childishness, frequently enduring Moe's physical and verbal abuse. Following Curly's debilitating stroke in 1946, Shemp returned, and Larry's onscreen presence became more prominent. After Shemp's death in 1955, Joe Besser, and later Joe DeRita, took on the role of the third Stooge. The Stooges experienced a resurgence in popularity when their films were released for television in 1959. In his personal life, Fine married Mabel Haney in 1926. They had two children: a son, John (born 1937, died in a car crash on November 17, 1961, aged 24), and a daughter, Phyllis (born 1928, died of cancer on April 3, 1989, aged 60). Larry was known for his agreeable, "yes man" personality and a devil-may-care attitude toward finances. He had a significant gambling addiction and was a poor businessman, often spending his money as soon as he earned it, nearly facing bankruptcy at one point. Due to his profligate ways and Mabel's dislike for housekeeping, the family lived in hotels for many years, including the President Hotel in Atlantic City and the Hollywood Knickerbocker Hotel, before he purchased a house in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles in the late 1940s. Mabel died suddenly of a heart attack on May 30, 1967, at age 63. Fine was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes during the filming of "The Three Stooges Meet Hercules." In 1965, Fine, Moe Howard, and Joe DeRita starred in "The New 3 Stooges" TV show, but Fine began showing signs of mental impairment. On January 9, 1970, he suffered a debilitating stroke that paralyzed the left side of his body, effectively ending his performing career. He spent his final five years at the Motion Picture Country House, an industry retirement community in Woodland Hills, California, using a wheelchair. Despite his paralysis, he continued to entertain fellow patients and completed his autobiography, "Stroke of Luck." He also regularly hosted fans. Like Curly Howard, Fine suffered several additional strokes before his death on January 24, 1975, aged 72. Moe Howard died three months later.