Joey Stefano

Joey Stefano (born Nicholas Anthony Iacona Jr.; January 1, 1968 – November 21, 1994) was an American pornographic actor who appeared in gay pornographic films.

Joey Stefano
Born
Nicholas Anthony Iacona Jr.

(1968-01-01)January 1, 1968
Chester, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedNovember 21, 1994(1994-11-21) (aged 26)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other namesJoey Stefano
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)

Career

Born Nicholas Anthony Iacona Jr., Stefano grew up in Chester, Pennsylvania. His father, Nicholas, Sr., was a union painter who died of colon cancer when Stefano was 15.[1] After the death of his father, Stefano began using drugs and was eventually sent to rehab for six months. After rehab, he tried to become a model and built a portfolio. In 1989, he met a gay porn actor named Tony Davis who helped him enter into the gay adult film industry.[1]

Stefano's adult film career took off after meeting Chi Chi LaRue during a trip to Los Angeles.[1] Stefano's looks were well received and his persona as a "hungry bottom" (sexually submissive but verbally demanding) contributed to his popularity.[2] His image and success caught the attention of Madonna, who used him as a model in her 1992 book Sex. While he was a popular performer, Stefano's family had no idea he was gay nor were they aware that he was performing in adult films. According to Stefano's older sister Linda, he told the family that he was a male model. She later found out about his real occupation but did not inform their mother.[1]

During his lifetime, he was the subject of rumors regarding his relationships with prominent entertainment industry figures who were known to be gay. At a May 1990 dinner and interview with Jess Cagle (Entertainment Weekly) and Rick X (host of Manhattan Cable TV's The Closet Case Show), Stefano discussed an alleged series of "dates" with David Geffen, who at one point implored Stefano to quit using drugs.[3][4] After the videotaped interview appeared on Rick X's show, OutWeek Magazine "outed" Geffen,[5] who went on to announce his homosexuality at an AIDS fundraiser.[6]

Stefano danced at the Gaiety Theatre, New York (male burlesque) in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was one of the more famous Gaiety dancers (and porn stars), having been featured in Madonna's Sex book in 1992, as well as having a biography written about him by Charles Isherwood, Wonder Bread and Ecstasy, that touches on his life as an erotic dancer at the Gaiety.[7]

Over the course of his five-year career, Stefano appeared in 58 gay adult films, and two music videos with Madonna. Despite his success, Stefano did not save his earnings and relapsed into drug and alcohol abuse.[1] In 1990, he was diagnosed HIV positive.[8]

Death

On November 21, 1994, Stefano's body was found in a motel room in Hollywood. It was later determined that he died of a speedball overdose (in his case, a mixture of cocaine, morphine, heroin, and ketamine).[1] He was 26.

He is buried in an unmarked grave at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Cemetery in Linwood, Pennsylvania.[1]

Legacy

In 1996, Stefano's life was chronicled in the book, Wonder Bread and Ecstasy: The Life and Death of Joey Stefano by Charles Isherwood.[1]

His life is also the subject of a one-man-play, Homme Fatale: The Fast Life and Slow Death of Joey Stefano, by Australian playwright Barry Lowe.[9]

Director Chad Darnell has been working on a film based on Stefano's life. The film has been in development since 2010 and is tentatively titled X-Rated.[1]

A second biography of the actor, Joey Stefano: The Life, Loves & Legacy of the Prince of Passion by British celebrity biographer David Bret was published in 2015. ISBN 978-1-326-19515-1

Awards
  • 1990 XRCO Award – Newcomer[10]
  • 1995 AVN Award – Gay Video Performer of the Year[11]
  • 1997 AVN Hall of Fame[12]
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See also
  • List of male performers in gay porn films

References
  1. Baker, Brandon (June 11, 2013). "The Tragic Story of Local Porn Star Joey Stefano". phillymag.com.
  2. Thomas, Joe A (2002), "Porn Stars", glbtq.com
  3. Musto, Michael (March 22, 2011). "David Geffen Wants Nothing to Do With Joey Stefano Movie". villagevoice.com.
  4. "Joey Stefano at Florent, seen on The Closet Case Show Manhattan Cable Public Access [May, 1990]". rickx.com. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  5. Haggerty, George; Zimmerman, Bonnie, eds. (2005). Encyclopedia of Lesbian and Gay Histories and Cultures. Garland Science. p. 1009. ISBN 1-135-57871-0.
  6. Gross, Larry (1993). Contested Closets: The Politics and Ethics of Outing. U of Minnesota Press. p. 138. ISBN 0-816-62179-9.
  7. Isherwood, Charles (1996), Wonder Bread and Ecstasy: The Life and Death of Joey Stefano, Alyson Publishing, ISBN 1-55583-383-7
  8. Bret, David (2015). Joey Stefano: The Life, Loves & Legacy of the Prince of Passion. Lulu Press, Inc. ISBN 978-1-326-21319-0. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  9. Zink, Jack (November 29, 1999). "Drama Of Gay Porn Star A Grim, Salacious Downer". sun-sentinel.com.
  10. "XRCO Hall of Fame". X-Rated Critics Organization. Retrieved 2014-10-03.
  11. "Adult Video News Award Winners - 1994". RAME. 1995-07-18. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2014-10-03.
  12. "Adult Video News Award Winners - 1996". RAME. 1997-05-20. Retrieved 2014-10-03.
Awards
Preceded by
Tim Lowe
for Fratrimony		 AVN Awards for Best Actor-Gay Video
for More of a Man
1991		 Succeeded by
Ryan Yeager
for Jumper
Preceded by
-		 AVN Awards for Best Performer of the Year-Gay Video
1995		 Succeeded by
J.T. Sloan
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