Tippy Tom
From OAPedia.com
Keith the Cop, who was responsible for finding many of the bums for the 2001 Homeless Shopping Spree, came across a rare find - a 45 year-old guy named Tippy Tom (b. 1956, d. May 6, 2009), who had been on the streets of New York for over 2 decades. Tom was gay and had AIDS. Before his homelessness, Tippy Tom was a health conscious person and a successful businessman (he had a window washing business), and even had a wife and kid. He also had a drinking problem as well as a gambling problem, which may have led to his being on the streets.
At one point, Tom was cleaned up and called into the show sober (and sounded really gay), but his sobriety didn't take and he was back on the streets. Once during an appearance on the XM Radio show he fell asleep and could not be woken up; Master Po poured water in his ear and ended up reviving him.
Tom got so bad that he was roaming the streets with his legs all black; there was a possibility he was going to lose them. Tom's brother had also been trying to get in touch with him to tell him that his mother had died. Opie revealed the news of her death to him at the end of the April 10, 2008 show, by passing a note to him to read. O&A also had fun with Tom when they found out he gets sad at the movie Sophie's Choice, and played the clip where Sophie has to choose which of her children must die, to which Tom got very emotional.
Among many of Tippy Tom's highlights were when his shitty underpants were used by Pat Duffy to make an underpants mustache, similar to Opie's Baby Diaper Mustache Day. He was also given a rectal exam by Doctor Steve on the air, and took over for Anthony when Ant had to leave early.
On June 26, 2009, Keith the Cop went on the air to report that Tippy Tom died May 6 after a fall. His brother called into the show later that day to reveal the details of Tom's life. O&A also had the Pests do a Google Bomb of the phrase "Tippy Tom Died". It became the #1 search that day, even beating out searches for the recently deceased Michael Jackson.
Tom, rest in peace.
