Laughed Himself to Death
Moe’s brother Shemp, a member of the original Three Stooges from 1920 to 1932, passed away unexpectedly in November 1955 after attending a boxing match with associates Al Winston and Bobby Silverman. During the taxi ride home, Shemp had just finished telling a joke and began lighting a cigar when he suffered a massive heart attack. Slumping over into Winston’s lap, Al was burned by the cigar and believed Shemp was playing a joke on him before he realized the awful truth behind the unfortunate situation.