He was known for his appearance on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” and the sometimes uncomfortable honesty he put into in his shows. He was set to start a one-man show in New York on Wednesday.
But instead Mike DeStefano died Sunday night from a heart attack, according to reports.
The Bronx native is probably best known as a finalist from the last season of “Last Comic Standing.” He recently wrapped up a series of sold-out shows called “Drugs, Disease and Death: A Comedy.”
It was this sort of dark-tinged, self-effacing humor that DeStefano used. He came from a history of deep drug addiction – he began using heroin at the age of 15 according to TV Guide – and never entered the world of comedy until the death of his wife.
The producer of DeStefano’s recent show and long-time supporter posted a one-word message on Twitter- simply: “devastated.”
In the bio section of his website, DeStefano had writen: “I am a stand up comic. Before that, I was a drug counselor. Before that, I was a drug addict. Before that, I was 12!”
He was 44 years-old.
