'Last Comic Standing' Contestant Mike DeStefano Dead

By AOL TV Editors Posted Mar 7th 2011 02:32PM

Comedian Mike DeStefano died Sunday of a heart attack, Punchline Magazine reports. The funnyman came in fourth place on the most recent 'Last Comic Standing.'

The Bronx native was an HIV-positive recovering heroin addict who frequently tackled those tough topics in his act.

A friend of DeStefano's family confirmed the news to Punchline, and TV Guide reports that DeStefano's producer addressed the death on Twitter, writing, "We'll be talking about it later. Sorry if we've ignored the e-mails and text messages. Mike became a brother to us. We love him."

DeStefano began his stand-up career at 31 while working as a drug counselor in Florida, according to the bio on his website. "He offered to entertain the audience at a convention, and following their positive response, he decided to start his career in stand-up."

Watch DeStefano's 'Last Comic Standing' audition:

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