Searching for Allan Rothbart

by Barry Rothbart

“The truth will set you free… but first it’ll suck.”

When comedian Barry Rothbart was growing up in Queens in the 90s, there were two things he knew for sure… his father, Allan, was his best friend and he was also Jon Bon Jovi’s manager. But then everything changed in 1997, when Barry’s dad got arrested and admitted that he actually worked for the Italian mafia, running the largest bookmaking operation in the United States. High school Barry jumped in to work alongside him–bringing envelopes from one place to another, disposing of evidence, meeting with strange men with huge hands in the back of pizzerias, and making more money than most teenagers had ever seen. It all seemed like a perfect buddy comedy…. until it wasn’t.

Years after Allan’s death from cancer in 2007, Barry discovered cassette tapes that his dad had recorded on his deathbed. These tapes contained confessions that shattered everything Barry thought he knew about his father. Serious crimes, stolen identities, relationships to serial killers, and the implication of another secret family that Allan had kept hidden from Barry and his mom.

In this gripping and darkly funny ten-part series, Barry embarks on a deeply personal and wildly absurd investigation into the true story of Allan Rothbart. Through revealing interviews with childhood friends, estranged family members, his father’s ex-girlfriends, and a mysterious woman named Iris who seems to hold the key to his father's biggest secrets, Barry uncovers a web of lies, crimes, and shocking revelations that force him to reconcile the loving father he knew with the stranger he discovers.

Searching for Allan Rothbart is part true-crime, part family memoir, and part late-in-life coming-of-age tale. It explores the lies between parents and their children, the stories we tell ourselves, and what happens when the truth undoes it all. A journey tied together by intimate family recordings and populated with colorful characters, this Audible Original is about growing up, getting wise, and learning that sometimes the most crucial mysteries are the ones closest to home.

Genres: Audiobook, Nonfiction

Audible Audio

Published August 14, 2025

Reviews

[James Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and entertaining :)

[zac carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

i’ve been a fan of barry rothbart since i fell in love-hate with his character on downward dog (an incredible show with one short season). when i read about this project, i was immediately on board; now i’ve consumed it in just over a day. it was a dream read for me, really, because it has so many qualities i seek out: it’s a multimedia memoir with humor, accountability, scenes reminiscent of ekphrasis, a 360-view of a complex father-son relationship, an impassioned plea for the opportunity to know more of his family, and a bit of a freefall into the reveals as they came. barry’s curiosity held onto me; as did the way he rolled with the punches when it came to new or unexpected findings. there’s a beautiful protectiveness barry has for his father allan—instead of preserving a version of allan recognizable to others, he safeguards the space allan’s truths need in order to be revealed and accepted.

[Kelly Conrad · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was mildly entertaining but I wouldn’t tell everyone to rush out and read it. It did make me curious about Barry’s stand-up comedy, though. He seems pretty funny.

The story of his family life and dad was fairly interesting but it almost seemed like he hadn’t gotten his own arms around it yet and therefore struggled to piece it together for an audience. It was a little all over the place and like he was prematurely trying to tie it up with a nice bow when it wasn’t really in a place to be nicely tied up yet.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know nothing about Rothbart’s comedy. So, seeing that this was a stand up comic wanting to tell the story of his deceased mafia involved father, I saw promise. I will say that the father is quite a piece of work. However, throughout his discovery of who is father was, it was very evident that his father loved him very much even through the enormous lies.

[Darinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this, an interesting look into the world of genealogy, and one man's search for "identity." It was easy to follow, easy to listen to, and in some cases I kind of related to the guy's search to better understand who his deceased father was, and why.
But the end... I felt like we needed another chapter!

[AttackGirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

How a selfish ignorant someone goes around creating drama upsetting everyone’s lives without care for history without respect for feelings or position to be famous to have some perceived impact, original no made up life long drama yes still insignificant

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Really enjoyable

[Sam Nace · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect example of the journey one goes on when crafting a life story. Fun, funny, moving, twists and endearing.

[Dana Zanotti · Rating 5 out of 5]

so many twists and turns

[Lori (I will do proper reviews one day!) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.8 ⭐️ I stumbled upon this because it was free to me in audible and I couldn’t put this book down, until I was done!

[Sarah L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the Audible original of this book and it was amazing. I laughed, cried and felt all the things with the author.

[Michelle N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and worth listening to!