 Bruce grew up in a modest ranch home on South Street in Freehold Township, New Jersey. His mother Adele brought home the bacon as a legal secretary while his father Douglas worked jobs as a bus driver, prison guard and more. Like any good Jersey kid, Bruce was raised Catholic and attended St. Rose of Lima Elementary School. He frequently clashed with the nuns and priests there. Bruce felt like a total outcast, ultimately skipping his high school graduation because he hated the experience so much. After a while at community college, he dropped out altogether since the only careers he saw for himself were bum, thief or musician. It all started for Bruce when he saw Elvis Presley's legendary 1956 appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show.