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by Tony Sclafani
They call him New York's Bravest comic.
William Denis, 49, has been dishing up jokes on firefighting, Mayor Bloomberg and his blue-collar life since retiring from the FDNY five days before 9/11.
Now the 20-year veteran has gathered four former and active FDNY funnymen to wield their shticks for a good cause that is no laughing matter - raising money for families of New Orleans firefighters devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
"I've been helping people my whole life," said Denis, a Selden, L.I., resident who goes by the stage name Billy Bingo. "By doing this, I'll be helping more than getting in my car and being in the way."
Tonight's fund-raiser at the Laugh Factory on W. 43rd St., advertised in fire union newsletters, will start at 8 p.m., and all the proceeds at the door will go to hurricane victims.
"It's fun to come out for a good cause and put my neck on the line and risk bombing," joked Adam Lake, 38, a seven-year FDNY vet who dabbles in acting and comedy - and has a recurring role as a cop on the ABC soap opera "One Life to Live."
Lake of Ladder 5 in Greenwich Village focuses his bits on growing up as a kid in conservative Howard Beach, Queens, with a mixed heritage - Irish, American-Indian and Jewish - and nicknames like "Dances with Guilt."
He admitted there's more pressure to make his fellow Bravest chuckle than the average crowd.
"The repetition of a joke that bombs will be a constant at the firehouse," the Manhattan resident said.
But Denis isn't too worried about tanking - he rattles off a barrage of jokes in the course of ordinary conversation.
"The reason it's so expensive to fight a fire in Manhattan? They make us use bottled water," he quipped.
Searching for his big break, Denis has performed at clubs across the country, including the Improv in Hollywood and the Comic Strip Live! in Manhattan. He even lined up an audition with "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" this week.
But on the slow road to stardom, Denis also has used his comedic talents to raise money for groups including the Make-a-Wish Foundation and for the families of firefighters killed off duty.
"In the past, I've used ladders, hoses, hooks and axes to help people," Denis said. "Now, I help with a microphone and my wit."
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