WEB1 day ago · Life and career 1953–1979: early life. Lauper was born in Brooklyn, New York City, to a Catholic family. Her father, Fred, was of Swiss-German descent, and a direct descendant of Christen Lauper, a leader of the Swiss peasant war of 1653. Her mother, Catrine (née Gallo; 1930–2022), was of Italian descent (from Sicily).Lauper's siblings are …