Born at Lebanon Hospital in the Bronx, New York, to Henry and Beatrice Kaufman, he moved to Los Angeles with his parents and older brother, Sheldon, in the 1950’s. He received a bachelor of science in Zoology from the University of California, Los Angeles. He graduated from Whittier Law School in 1981 and practiced law in Beverly Hills. He was an avid football fan, and particularly loved the Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, and Buffalo Bills. He died peacefully in Las Vegas in August 2024.