The Mysterious ‘Deal or No Deal’ Banker’s Identity Has Finally Been Revealed (You’re Welcome)

Even if you’ve never watched an episode of Deal or No Deal, you probably know the game show’s host was Howie Mandel. But, even the biggest fans of the popular series may not know the true identity of the ~mysterious~ banker. Seriously, the guy appeared as a shadowy silhouette perched in his skybox office for all of Deal or No Deal‘s six-season run — but do you even know who the guy was?!

Lucky for you, we did some investigating and found out that the banker was none other than actor Peter Abbay! The Brooklyn-born star — who is now 51-years-old — is also known for his TV roles as a cab driver in the medical drama House, a Mob Boss on the reality series Punk’d, and Logan on the soap opera Another World. Peter additionally appeared in the independent movie Manhattan Minute.

Today, it seems Peter is living a quieter life with his family. According to his Facebook page, he’s a former actor from NYC who now resides in Santa Monica, CA. And, by the looks of his profile photos, Peter is also a very proud grandpa to a few super cute kids — adorable!

Though not much more is known about Peter’s role as the Deal or No Deal banker, an entertainment outlet once reported the star sometimes found his gig “nerve-wracking.” A source said, “Peter has told pals it’s nerve-wracking waiting for contestants to decide whether they should take the deal or continue playing and risk losing everything. He jokes that sometimes it’s so monotonous that he’d like to throw something at the contestants to hurry them up!”

During Deal or No Deal‘s run on NBC from 2005 until 2009, many show contestants speculated who the banker was despite viewers never being able to see his face nor hear his voice. In one episode, a player insisted the banker was iconic radio and TV host Larry King. Of course, it’s always been Peter so to prove the contestant wrong, host Howie brought Larry onstage while the banker could be seen sitting in his office. So, the next time you get a super-hard trivia question about the Deal or No Deal banker’s identity, you’ll know the answer — you’re welcome!