Mike DeStefano, a comedian who was one of the five finalists on the NBC reality-competition series Last Comic Standing last season, died March 6, 2011, in New York City. He was 44.
According to news reports, the cause was a heart attack.
DeStefano had most recently finished a run of shows called Drugs, Disease and Death: A Comedy, based on his own experiences as an HIV-positive individual and a former drug abuser. It also addressed the death of his wife.
Born in the Bronx, DeStefano began using heroin in his teens. After kicking his habit, he worked as a drug counselor before turning to comedy.
He finished fourth on Last Comic Standing and at the time of his death was scheduled to perform his one-man show, A Cherry Tree in the Bronx.