JOEY STEFANO, American porn actor, died (b. 1968); an American porn star who appeared in gay adult films. He was popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. His real name was Nicholas Anthony Iacona, Jr.

 After several years of prostitution and drug use in New York City, Stefano moved to Los Angeles and enjoyed a meteoric rise to stardom in gay porn. A notable reason for his popularity, besides his smoldering good looks, was his early mastery of the “hungry bottom” persona. He was HIV+. His image and success caught the attention of Madonna, who used him as a model in her 1992 book, Sex.

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, who at one point implored Stefano to quit using drugs. After the videotaped interview appeared on Rick X’s show, OutWeek Magazine “outed” Geffen, who went on to proudly announce his homosexuality at an AIDS fundraiser. Stefano died of an overdose of cocaine, morphine, heroin and ketamine at age 26. His body was taken back to Pennsylvania where he was buried next to his father.