In 1999, Joseph "Joe" Gatto, James "Murr" Murray, Brian "Q" Quinn and Salvatore "Sal" Vulcano, four high school friends from Staten Island, formed the live improv and sketch comedy troupe, The Tenderloins. After a long and successful history, including winning the $100,000 grand prize in NBC's It’s Your Show competition, the group went into television. In 2008, they filmed a pilot episode for a scripted sitcom for Spike TV, but the show did not go to series.