Frank Ray Perilli had a colorful life, starting from a childhood in the mob-controlled ghettos of Chicago in the 20's and 30's, to a career as a nightclub comic and film character actor in the 40's and 50's, even making appearances on popular television shows of the time such as The Ed Sullivan Show, to being a staff writer for Shecky Greene and Dean Martin and Don Rickles and others, and ultimately becoming a prolific screenwriter and film producer of twenty films and four plays during the balance of his life. Perilli frequently collaborated with life-long friend William Karl Thomason on screenplays early in his career, and also collaborated on screenplays and comedy material with Lenny Bruce during the period that Perilli mentored and managed Lenny's career.

Perilli is known for such films as She Came to the Valley, End of the World, Laserblast, Mansion of the Doomed and Alligator.

Frank Ray Perilli's biography, "The Candy Butcher," was released days after his death from complications of the West Nile Virus on March 10, 2018. Written by William Karl Thomas.