Originally from the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Caravello was born in Park Ridge and lived there before moving to Des Plaines, Barrington, Palatine, and Arlington Heights.

[5] Caravello started acting and standup comedy around 1988, performing in an aggressive style inspired by his idol Sam Kinison, which earned him the nickname "Scary Perry".

Early in his career he was trying to get standup spots at The Comedy Store, when an open mic host named Don Barris gave him a challenge to shave his own chest onstage with a razor and no soap.

[4] This was the beginning of frequent comedic collaborations between Caravello and Barris, along with Tony Barbieri (aka "Mole"), all of which were typically at the expense of Perry.

[6] Caravello has alleged that in 1992 he was coerced into giving a handjob to a male casting director, where in turn, he received fellatio in order to get a role in a movie.

The lawsuit was initiated after Caravello suffered an injury during the stunt, did not receive the promised payment, and was not provided with an account of profits and royalties from DVD sales of Windy City Heat.