Almost one year ago, on May 26, 2022, actor Ray Liotta died in his sleep. At the time, he was in the Dominican Republic, acting in a movie called “Dangerous Waters.” His fiancee, Jacy Nittolo, was with him. At the time, police shared that they did not suspect foul play, but no cause of death was released – until now.
TMZ has obtained documents that show Liotta’s official cause of death. The documents explain that his death was caused by respiratory insufficiency, pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs) and acute heart failure. In addition, he had atherosclerosis, which the Mayo Clinic describes as a type of heart problem where there’s a buildup of plaque on the walls of the arteries that can prevent blood flow and lead to a blood clot.
TMZ also shared that Liotta stopped to take a picture with a fan just days before his death. According to the fan, he was very polite and kind.
Liotta may be best known for his role in “Goodfellas,” but he was also quite busy working in recent years. In fact, in 2021, he told PEOPLE that he had “been busier this year than I have in all the years that I’ve been doing this.” He had no plans to slow down any time soon either. He added, “I just think there’s a lot more.”
Liotta is survived by his 24-year-old daughter, Karsen Liotta, who was present when her father received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in February of this year. She accepted the star on his behalf. During the ceremony, she said, “I’m so touched to be accepting this honor on behalf of my dad. I couldn’t be more proud of him. He was a one of a kind actor and the best friend, brother and father anyone could have asked for. I lucked out with you.”
