LOS ANGELES — Robert "Payaso" Mora, a longtime industry veteran, passed away on Friday at the age of 54, according to industry friends and associates.
Mora had reportedly been fighting pancreatic cancer since a 2022 diagnosis.
The New York native, raised in Los Angeles, worked for many years in various production roles for Jules Jordan Video and Tera Patrick's Teravision studio, among others.
It was at Jules Jordan that he met Jada Stevens, for whom he worked first as a roadie, and then in production roles for her projects.
"He was basically my production manager," Stevens told XBIZ. "He did everything for me, honestly. Everything but perform.
"He was an amazing guy; anybody that knew him knew that he was," she continued. "He was a good guy, he always took care of everybody. He was a tough guy on the outside, but once you really knew him, he was just genuinely a good person."
Added Jordan, "Robert 'Payaso' Mora, was more than just an employee for me, he was a friend, brother, and part of the family. His integrity and work ethic was unsurpassed. His loyalty was his number one quality.
"Robert was well regarded and respected throughout the industry, and was regarded as a great human, and amazing person. We will always honor the legacy and memories he left behind to his friends and the adult industry."
Aside from his behind-the-scenes production work, Mora also provided personal security to many adult performers, during expo appearances and dance engagements.
Adult star Demi Sutra, for whom Mora worked as an assistant and who was also his neighbor, talked about his immediate impact on her life.
"He immediately helped me — like day one, literally," she said. "I saw him every single day. He would just be in my apartment, often just hanging out."
In a testament to his stature within the industry, a GoFundMe page started when he was originally diagnosed raised over $28,000 toward his recovery.
"He was so shocked and stunned at the outpouring of care and love," Sutra added. "Oftentimes, he was the person taking care of women in the industry, and it was nice that he was able to see and accept the care and the love that he was getting.
"He may have appeared like this hard and tough guy, but deep down, he was very sensitive, and very caring."
Stevens also talked about Mora's place in her life.
"He meant everything to me," she said. "Obviously it started out as transactional — hiring him to do things. But he became my family. He just honestly was there for me through a lot of stuff."
Outside of the adult industry, Mora was an avid participant in the New York and Los Angeles punk rock scenes, and a loving caretaker of his German shepherd.
"I want people to know that his No. 1 love was his dog, Kaya," Sutra concluded.
