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Born in the East End two years before the outbreak of World War II, life for the Berkoff family was tough, and their home was destroyed in the Blitz. Relief came when his mother took him to New York to live for a while in the Bronx. However, upon returning to London he began to misbehave at school, became involved with unpalatable characters, and eventually ended up in a horrific remand home for stealing a bicycle. After several years of drifting from one short term job to another, and with no qualifications, he auditioned for drama school, and was granted a scholarship.