Wolff was born in New York City; he was the son of Estelle (Cohn), a homemaker, and Richard Wolff, a professional engineer. He was a graduate of
Duke University with
Phi Beta Kappa and
Omicron Delta Kappa honors. Wolff served in the
U.S. Navy as a supply officer in the Pacific during
World War II, ending his service as a lieutenant. He was a longtime resident of
South Nyack, New York. His son
Rick Wolff was an author, radio host for
WFAN, and former baseball player and coach. ==National broadcasting work==