| Mike DeStefano | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Michael J. DeStefano, Jr. |
| Born | (1966-11-29)November 29, 1966 The Bronx, New York City, U.S. |
| Died | March 6, 2011(2011-03-06) (aged 44) Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
| Medium | stand-up |
| Nationality | American |
| Years active | 2000–2011 |
Mike DeStefano (November 29, 1966[1][2][3][4] – March 6, 2011) was an Americanstand-up comedian. He used material from hisheroin addiction, which began at age 15, and his recovery in brutally honest, profanity-laced routines. He was also a drug counselor to others.
His first gig was in Florida, and that convinced him there was something to live for, and that he had options outside of taking his own life. His second gig was at aNarcotics Anonymous convention inAtlanta,Georgia, where he stepped before the microphone after a rained-out pool party and started ranting about drugs.[5]
A regular at clubs in New York and around the country, DeStefano gained popularity after appearing on television onComedy Central’sLive at Gotham. He also appeared onLate Night with Conan O'Brien,Showtime'sWhiteboyz in the Hood and other radio and television shows, and at popular comedy festivals, most notablyUS Comedy Arts Festival and Montreal'sJust for Laughs festival. In 2010, he competed in the seventh season ofNBC'sLast Comic Standing and finished in fourth place.[5][6] He is the comic used in the logo for the New York based restaurant and comedy clubThe Stand.[7]
On October 9, 2010, DeStefano appeared withJim Norton,Rich Vos andRobert Kelly in theComedy Central stand-up special "Comics Anonymous"; all four comedians appearing in the special were former addicts who had been clean and sober for 10 years or more. DeStefano was also an executive producer on the special, which was dedicated to their friend, comedianGreg Giraldo, who had died of adrug overdose in September.
DeStefano's wife, Franny, died of AIDS, which he talks about in "The Junkie and the Monk", recorded forThe Moth on Jan 23, 2009.[8]
On March 6, 2011, Mike DeStefano died as a result of a heart attack. His death came hours after filming a video for funnyordie.com. DeStefano's funeral was held three days later on March 9 as well as March 10 at the Schuyler Hill Funeral Home in The Bronx.
DeStefano's death came just days before he was scheduled to perform his one-man show,A Cherry Tree in the Bronx, in New York. He had just finished a run of shows titledDrugs, Disease and Death: A Comedy, which was largely based on being HIV positive, his past drug addiction andhis wife Fran's death several years earlier after her drug addiction and affliction withAIDS.[6][9]
