Joey Stefano was an American pornographic actor

Pornographic actor

A pornographic actor/actress or a porn star is a person who appears in pornographic film. Most actors appear nude in films...

 who appeared in gay

Gay

Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....

 adult films.

Early life and career

Born Nicholas Anthony Iacona, Jr., Stefano grew up in the Philadelphia area (Chester, Pennsylvania

Chester, Pennsylvania

Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.- History :...

). His father died when he was 15. After several years of prostitution

Prostitution

Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...

 and hard-core drug use in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, Stefano moved to Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 and quickly became a star in gay pornography

Gay pornography

Gay pornography is the representation of sexual intercourse between men with the primary goal of sexual arousal in its audience. There is also a tradition, and continuing considerable output, of lesbian pornography....

. In addition to his good looks, his persona as a "hungry bottom" (sexually submissive but verbally demanding) contributed to his popularity.

His image and success caught the attention of Madonna

Madonna (entertainer)

Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...

, who used him as a model in her 1992

1992 in literature

The year 1992 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-New books:*Ben Aaronovitch - Transit*Julia Álvarez - How the García Girls Lost Their Accents*Paul Auster - Leviathan*Iain Banks - The Crow Road...

 book Sex

Sex (book)

Sex is a coffee table book written by Madonna with photographs by Steven Meisel Studio and film frames taken from film shot by Fabien Baron. The book was edited by Glenn O'Brien. Sex was released on October 21, 1992 by Warner Books...

.

During his lifetime, he was the subject of rumors (some of them spread by himself) 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 (Manhattan Cable TV's The Closet Case Show), Stefano discussed an alleged series of "dates" with David Geffen

David Geffen

David Geffen is an American record executive, film producer, theatrical producer and philanthropist. Geffen is noted for creating Asylum Records in 1970, Geffen Records in 1980, and DGC Records in 1990...

, who at one point implored Stefano to quit using drugs. After the videotaped interview appeared on Rick X's show, OutWeek Magazine "outed

Outing

Outing is the act of disclosing a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person's true sexual orientation or gender identity without that person's consent. Outing gives rise to issues of privacy, choice, hypocrisy, and harm in addition to sparking debate on what constitutes common good in efforts...

" Geffen, who went on to announce his homosexuality at an AIDS

AIDS

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...

 fundraiser.

Death

He was HIV positive

HIV positive people

HIV-positive people are people who have the human immunodeficiency virus HIV, the agent of the currently incurable disease AIDS.Over the years of coping with the stigma and discrimination that accompany the diagnosis in most societies, a large number of support groups have been formed...

. According to a subsequent biography Stefano died of speedball

Speedball (drug)

Speedball is a term commonly referring to the hazardous intravenous use of heroin or morphine and cocaine together in the same syringe. The speedball can also be taken by insufflation. The original speedball used cocaine hydrochloride mixed with morphine sulfate, as opposed to heroin...

 overdose (cocaine

Cocaine

Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...

, morphine

Morphine

Morphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...

, heroin, and ketamine

Ketamine

Ketamine is a drug used in human and veterinary medicine. Its hydrochloride salt is sold as Ketanest, Ketaset, and Ketalar. Pharmacologically, ketamine is classified as an NMDA receptor antagonist...

) at age 26 in the shower of a motel on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. His body was taken back to Pennsylvania where he was buried next to his father.

Stefano's life is chronicled in the book, Wonder Bread and Ecstasy: The Life and Death of Joey Stefano by Charles Isherwood. 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.

Selected videography

• Penis Fly Trap (2004) - released after death
• Prettiest Face I Ever Came Across (2004) - released after death
• Slave To Cock (2004) - released after death
• Temptation (2004) - released after death
• Obsessively Compulsive (2002) - released after death
• Masquerade (2001) - released after his death
• All About Last Night (1995) - released after his death
• Tommy Boy (1995) - released after his death
• One Man's Poison (1994)
• Tijuana Toilet Tramps (1994)
• Bi Golly (1993)
• The Dildo Kings (1993)
• My Cousin Danny (1992)
• Sex In Wet Places (1992)
• Songs In The Key Of Sex (1992)
• Innocence Found (1991)
• Man Of The Year (1991)
• More Of A Man (1991)
• Price Charming (1991)
• Scoring -aka- Score (1991)
• Pumping Up: Flex 2 (1990)
• Big Bang (1990)
• French Kiss (1990)
• G-Squad (1990)
• Hard Knocks (1990)
• Hard Moves (1990)
• Hard Steal (1990)
• Hole In One (1990)
• Idol Eyes (1990)
• On The Rocks (1990)
• Plunge (1990)
• Ranger Nick 2 (1990)
• Revenge: More Than I Can Take (1990)
• Say Good-bye (1990)
• The Stroke (1990)
• To The Bone (1990)
• Billboard (1989)
• Fond Focus (1989)
• Karens Bi-line (1989)
• Raw Footage (1989)
• Sex, Lies And Videocassette (1989)
• Sharon And Karen (1989)
• The Buddy System 2 (1989)
• Tough Competition 2

External links

• 1990 videotaped interview regarding David Geffen