Irv Gotti’s older brother Chris Lorenzo says it was a ‘massive hemorrhagic stroke’ that killed the Murder Inc. Records founder earlier this month. According to Lorenzo, Gotti had been consuming Chinese food and playing poker with friends on the night he suffered the medical emergency.
“He’s 54. I believe he was diagnosed in his late 40s,” Lorenzo said of the late Grammy-winning producer. “But Irv doesn’t go to the doctor so that’s why he’s so late being diagnosed.
“And when he finally did go get a real physical and a check-up, they were like, ‘You’re diabetic,’ and he didn’t believe it.”
Irv Gotti’s older brother said he was prone to the hereditary health condition, as their father had also battled diabetes.
‘When we talk about this topic, I watched him suffer the least three years of his life – so it’s about quality of life,’ Lorenzo said. ‘We all have to go at one point in time we just really wanna go on our terms – and Irv, sadly enough, he did go on his terms.
He continued: “Power, having a crew, dressing well, none of that keeps you alive, but the thing that keeps me going, all the people that look at me as strong, I don’t want them to have to wash my behind. I couldn’t even fathom seeing Irv like that.
“I wish he would have fought hard for his health. When I lose people it makes me love life and appreciate it more,” he concluded.