Cowznofski is a running gag in-joke heavily used in the early years of MAD Magazine, usually as a characters last name, often with the first name "Melvin". Its Eastern European feel was a perfect fit for the New York Jewish style of the magazine. The running gag is a popular hallmark of comedy television shows and movies. ... An in joke is a joke whose humour is clear only to those people who are in a group that has some prior knowledge (not known by the whole population) that makes the joke humorous. ... MAD is an American humor magazine founded by publisher William Gaines and editor Harvey Kurtzman in 1952. ... State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki Official languages None Area 141,205 km² (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water 18,795 km² (13. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ...