A trait that small dogs (I.e. chihuahua's) and short people have where they always seem to have an attitude problem thought to be linked to there height.
I shouldn't have gotten a Chihuahua, that little bastard has a bad case of joe pesci syndrome.
A bit you can do with your buddies, tell someone to do a Jay Leno impression, and then have them to a joe Pesci impression, where you do the “funny how” line. Tell them thats wrong and ask for more Italian Americans but NEVER ask for joe Pesci
For example, start with Jay Leno, then Robert De Niro, then Steve buschemi, then john Travolta, etc.
Keep doing the bit until you get sick of it or the person you’re doing it to kicks ya in the family jewels
person #1: Hey big man can you do that really great Jay Leno impression ?
Person #2: yeah I got you, YOU THINK IM A FUNNY GUY, FUNNY HOW? LIKE I’M A CLOWN, LIKE I AMUSE YOU??
Person #1: no no that’s not it, that’s Steve buschemi
Person #3: dude thats literally a joe Pesci impression.
Person #1 and #2: who the fuck is joe Pesci?
Similar to Napoleon Complex, the Joe Pesci syndrome is a result of appearing vulnerable, (ie. Short, scrawny, Nerdy) in a hostile environment, and being hyper violent as compensation. People with Joe Pesci syndrome do not attack to hurt, they attack to show everyone else, why not to provoke them. Someone with JPS, is not above fighting dirty, using weapons , or having others come and intimidate people for them just to prove a point. JPS rarely start issues, but they are inclined to end them.
“Dude, I would not keep fucking with Troy. He might be small, but he choked out Cory on the bus, on some Joe Pesci Syndrome shit.”
“I know I freaked out at the bar, but you know what it’s like being small, I got Joe Pesci syndrome.”
To stop a bull session abruptly and prosecute a thoughtcrime in an obnoxiously aggressive way, as was done by the character Joe Pesci played in the movie Casino.
(a bunch of people laughing and joking about something all tongue-in-cheek)
Aiden: (music stops) Whoa! Whoa! Steve, what the hell?
Steve: What?
Aiden: What the fuck you mean by that? You think it's FUNNY that Oscar Pistorius is missing his legs? You some kind of ableist hatemonger?
Steve: Huh? Dude, he killed his girlfriend, and we're all just kidding around, man. Cool it.
Aiden: Maybe we should cut YOUR legs off! Then we'll see how funny it is. You know what? You disgust me, you hateful piece of shit. You should kill yourself.
(everyone quietly gets their keys and goes home, leaving Aiden alone with his girlfriend Ella.)
Ella: Jesus Christ, Aiden. Why the hell do you always have to pull a Pesci every time I take you anywhere?
Aiden: I was bullied in high school.