After he was convicted of obscenity charges from his show at Café Au Go Go, he had been planning to appeal the conviction when he was met with an untimely death. Lenny Bruce died of an apparent accidental overdose in 1966 at 40 years old. He is survived by his daughter, Kitty Bruce.

He was pardoned by Governor George Pataki of New York in 2003. This was the state’s first posthumous pardon, and called it “a declaration of New York’s commitment to upholding the First Amendment.” (Schultz, 2009).

Lenny Bruce set the stepping stones for American comedians to practice their First Amendment rights. His legacy continues to live on because he was able to encourage and defend other comedians rights with his shows and arrests.

His Legacy is also continued as younger generations are learning about him through the popular Amazon Prime original show, “The Marvelous Ms. Maisel.” In the show, he makes guest appearances as the main character’s new friend, and helping her with her career as a woman comic in the 1950s.