In May 1945, after a comedic performance for his shipmates in which he was dressed in drag, his commanding officers became upset. Īfter spending time working on a farm, Bruce joined the United States Navy at the age of 16 in 1942, with active service during World War II aboard the USS Brooklyn (CL-40) in Northern Africa, Palermo in 1943, and Anzio, Italy in 1944. His mother, Sally Marr (legal name Sadie Schneider, born Sadie Kitchenberg), was a stage performer and dancer and had an enormous influence on Bruce's career. His British-born father, Myron (Mickey) Schneider, was a shoe clerk they saw each other very infrequently. His parents divorced before he was 10, and he lived with various relatives over the next decade. According to his autobiography, during part of his high school years, he lived at Dengler's Farm on Wantagh Avenue in Wantagh, New York. He grew up in nearby Bellmore, and attended Wellington C. Bruce was Jewish, born Leonard Alfred Schneider in Mineola, New York.
