Mike DeStefano Dies From A Heart Attack

It is unfortunate that we have to report that it’s been confirmed that Mike DeStefano passed away last night due to a massive heart attack.

Mike showed up on much of the public’s national radar after an appearance on the NBC series Last Comic Standing last summer where he placed 4th. His act was him telling real life stories as a tough New Yorker who’s had hard times in life but still found the humor in things. DeStefano was a recovering heroin addict who’d been clean for 11 years, when he began to entertain people in recovery centers he decided to pursue a career in stand-up.

He just wrapped up a string of shows called Drugs, Disease and Death: A Comedy which pulled a lot of material about being HIV positive and the loss of his wife. He was supposed to do a reprisal of the show later this week. The show’s producers at Cringehumor.net released this statement:

We are confirming that Mike DeStefano has passed. We are deeply saddened. This is a devastating day for the comedy world. Our deepest condolences go out to Mike’s family and loved ones. Mike had become a brother to us, the shock and the sadness that comes from this will be felt forever. Mike was the epitome of what Cringe Humor stands for. Always real. Always True. Always Funny. We’ll be updating the site with any information. Thank you all for your kind thoughts and support.

We first heard of the story from Punchline Magazine who gathered this statement from his management, 3 Arts Entertainment:

We are indeed incredibly saddened by the loss of this amazing man. He had touched the lives of many with his unique brand of comedy and was looking forward to sharing the same with so many more. Mostly, we will all miss his huge heart and incredibly loving and selfless passion for people.

Our friend Mike DeStefano passed away on March 6.

Mike, you will be missed. Rest in peace.