Andy DehnartComedian and Last Comic Standing 7 finalist Mike DeStefano, who came in fourth on the show, died yesterday. His death marks the second from that season of the show; judge Greg Giraldo died last fall.
AOL reported that he “died from a heart attack,” and noted that his “recovery from heroin addiction fueled his no-holds-barred comedy”; he started using at 15 and at 30, “kicked his addiction and began working as a drug counselor. A spontaneous decision to entertain a crowd of fellow addicts turned into a full-fledged career in comedy.”
Punchline magazine reported that he “was HIV positive, [and] had overcome severe drug addiction and the death of his wife; a lot of his material, especially his new show, centered around these things.”
In a statement to the magazine, his management, 3 Arts Entertainment, said, “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.”