Moses Harry Horwitz, known professionally as Moe Howard (June 19, 1897 – May 4, 1975), was an American comedian, best known as the leader of The Three Stooges, the farce comedy team who starred in motion pictures and television for four decades. His distinctive hairstyle came about when he was a boy and cut off his curls with a pair of scissors, producing a ragged shape approximating a helmet or bowl.