Actor, Comedian, Singer. He was best known for playing the character roles of vagrants, heavies, criminals, bartenders, drunks, policemen, mobsters, bookies, card players, passengers, and cabbies, usually in crime films and comedy films alongside the likes of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and other members of the famous Rat Pack. He will be best remembered for playing the role of 'Vince Massler' in the classic comedy crime musical film, "Ocean's Eleven" (1960). The film which was directed by Lewis Milestone, which was written for the screen by Harry Brown, Billy Wilder, and Charles Lederer, which was based on a story by George Clayton Johnson and Jack Golden Russell, and which also starred Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, Angie Dickinson, and Richard Conte, tells the story of Danny Ocean who gathers a group of his World War II compatriots to pull off the ultimate Las Vegas heist. Together the eleven friends plan to rob five Las Vegas casinos in one night. He is also best remembered for playing the role of 'Nick' in seven episodes of the classic comedy television series, "The Phil Silvers Show," which originally aired from 1953 to 1964, and which also starred Phil Silvers, Herbie Faye, Jim Shane, and tells the story of Harry Grafton who is a supervisor at Osborne Industries which produces ever-changing items. Harry Grafton schemes to do as little as possible while still receiving maximum benefits. His efforts usually end in disaster. He was born one of two children as Albert Francis Goldberg in Chicago, Illinois, to James Tomarse Goldberg (1881-1962), who was born in Russia, and his wife Pauline M. Wolf Goldberg (1892-), who was born in Illinois, on January 16, 1917, (some sources say January 15, 1916). His name is also listed as William Lester and Albert Francis Goldberg-Lester. He was educated locally and began his acting career in several variety shows in Chicago, Illinois, area theaters at the age of seven, usually alongside his older brother. He also played appeared on the radio and the comedy circuit for many years and would often boost that the notorious mobster Al Capone often helped the underage entertainers get jobs in nightclubs. During World War II, he served his country as a member of the United States Navy. Following his military service, he resumed his acting career. He made his actual television debut playing the role of 'Paul Portell' in the episode entitled, "The Big Organizer," of the classic crime mystery drama television series, "Dragnet," which originally aired on March 20, 1958, and which also starred Jack Webb. Besides, playing the role of 'Vince Massler' in the classic comedy crime musical film, "Ocean's Eleven" (1960), his many other film credits include, "The Gene Krupa Story" (1959, he played himself in the biographical film alongside actor Sal Mineo), "The Ladies Man" (1961), "Sergeants 3" (1962), "Strictly For Laffs" (1962), "The Nutty Professor" (1963), "The Patsy" (1964), "Three On A Couch" (1966), "The Big Mouth" (1967), "The Party" (1968), "Ellery Queen: Don't Look Behind You" (1971), "Poor Devil" (1973), "The Man From Clover Grove" (1974), "Freedom Is" (1976), "Never Con A Killer" (1977), "Crash" (1978), "Hardly Working" (1980), "Fake-Out" (1982), and "Cracking Up" (1983). Besides, playing the role of 'Nick' in seven episodes of the classic comedy television series, "The Phil Silvers Show," which originally aired from 1953 to 1964, and which also starred Phil Silvers, Herbie Faye, Jim Shane, and tells the story of Harry Grafton who is a supervisor at Osborne Industries which produces ever-changing items. Harry Grafton schemes to do as little as possible while still receiving maximum benefits. His efforts usually end in disaster, and playing the role of 'Paul Portell' in the episode entitled, "The Big Organizer," of the classic crime mystery drama television series, "Dragnet," which originally aired on March 20, 1958, and which also starred Jack Webb, his many other television credits include, "Schlitz Playhouse," "State Trooper," "M Squad," "Lassie," "The D.A.'s Man," "77 Sunset Strip," "The Danny Thomas Show," "The Ed Sullivan Show" (On an appearance on the variety show which originally aired on September 11, 1949, he performed the songs, "Oh, How I Miss You Tonight" and "Old Man River"), "I'm Dickens, He's Fenster," "Gomer Pyle: USMC," "The Name Of The Game," "Mayberry R.F.D." "Dragnet 1967," "The Doris Day Show," "Love, American Style," "My World And Welcome To It," "It Takes A Thief," "Petticoat Junction," "That Girl," "Alias Smith And Jones," "The Odd Couple," "O'Hara, U.S. Treasury," "Mod Squad," "The New Dick Van Dyke Show," "McCloud," "Adam-12," "Emergency!" "Kojak," "Big Eddie," "Switch," "Police Woman," "Starsky And Hutch," "Barney Miller," "The Feather And Father Gang," "CPO Sharkey," "The Milton Berle Show," "Maggi's Private Wire," "The Arthur Murray Party," "Broadway Open House," "Showtime, U.S.A." "Cavalcade Of Bands," "Kreisler Bandstand," "The Colgate Comedy Hour," "Stump The Stars," "Make Me Laugh," "George Jessel Show," "BP Super Show," "The Milton Berle Show," "The Arthur Murray Party," "Broadway Open House," "Strictly For Laffs," "Showtime, U.S.A." "George Jessel's Here Comes The Stars," and "Captain Cavemen And The Teen Angels." His last film role was playing a 'Cabbie' in the made-for-television action crime mystery, "More Than Murder" (1984). The film which was based on the "Mike Hammer" (1984-1987), television series, was directed by Gary Nelson, was written for the screen by Bill Stratton and Stephen Downing, and which also starred Stacy Keach, Lindsay Bloom, and Don Stroud, tells the story of a high-stakes poker game is robbed and Pat intervenes as the thieves make their getaway. He is shot in the back and then framed as a drug dealer. Hammer makes it his job to clear Pat and find out who nearly killed him. He retired from acting shortly thereafter. During his acting career, he also used the name of A.B. Buddy Lester and A.B. Lester. On an interesting note, he could assume mockingly menacing personas because of a somewhat mysterious scar to the right of his mouth. He delighted in making up various stories about how he acquired it. He frequently said he got the scar when he was blown off a barge at Guadalcanal. He once used it to intimidate beefy rabble-rousers at a nearby table when he was watching friends on stage in a Chicago, Illinois, nightclub. And in a New York hotel, he told a group of Germans that he got the scar in a fencing duel while he was a student in Heidelberg. The truth, he confessed to the now-defunct Los Angeles Mirror in 1961, was: "I fell off a chair onto a broken water glass when I was 3 years old." Lester once considered plastic surgery to erase the mark but changed his mind after a movie makeup artist liked it so much that he enlarged it for his scenes. He continued to act and entertain until his death. He passed away following a battle with cancer at a nursing home in Van Nuys, California, on October 4, 2002, at the age of 85. His funeral service and cremation were held through the Lorenzen Mortuary in Reseda, California, and his ashes were scattered at sea off the coast of Los Angeles County, California. He was married to Lael Rose Smit Lester (1917-1992), with whom he had two children. His wife who was born in South Haven, Michigan, on August 17, 1917, predeceased him when she passed away in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 22, 1992, at the age of 75. He was survived by his son Paul, daughter Sylvia, four grandchildren, and his three-great grandchildren. His brother was the actor and comedian Jerry Lester (1910-1995), who later became the host of Broadway Open House, the television forerunner of The Tonight Show, and an accomplished actor, singer, and comedian in his own right.