Los Angeles Italian Festival Canceled After Founder Joey Sorice Dies Suddenly

The eighth annual Los Angeles Italian Festival has been abruptly canceled following the sudden death of its founder, comedian Joey Sorice. Sorice died of a heart attack at his home on Saturday morning, according to organizers.

The festival had been scheduled to take place on Sunday, October 4, at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue. The last-minute cancellation left vendors scrambling to be notified.

An organizing team member posted on Instagram, requesting that attendees be informed of the cancellation if they arrived at the venue. "I was able to contact the food vendors to cancel them but I was unable to find where Joey kept the information on merchandise vendors," the post read.

Sorice was also known as one half of the comedy duo Jimmy and Joey, whose performances earned them a place on the walls of The Comedy Store. The pair had previously auditioned for season 10 of "America's Got Talent."

Members of the entertainment and comedy communities in Los Angeles mourned Sorice's passing. Fellow comedian Ron Swallow described Sorice as an "interesting guy" and noted that "the world will be a little less jolly and hopeful without him."

Swallow recalled their shared experiences, stating, "We have done some of the craziest gigs and I watched his duo act crush in rooms that made no sense for it to crush in. I’m sad that I’ll never get a call asking me to do some wild ass project with him."

Some members of the public suggested that the festival should proceed in Sorice's honor. One Instagram user commented, "Wouldn’t it make sense to hold the event in his honor?"