LOS ANGELES — Longtime Grooby producer and director Louie Damazo passed away Sunday at his home in Brazil at the age of 58.
According to a statement from Grooby founder Steven Grooby, Damazo died of natural causes.
Damazo ran Grooby's Brazilian operation and produced its Brazilian Transsexuals series since 1999.
"He was an integral part of Grooby and one of the founding fathers of trans porn, likely the most prolific producer of trans content of all time, having worked with over 1,700 Brazilian trans models, debuting many and becoming a focal point for trans performers in Brazil and beyond," said Grooby. "Farewell, my brother. You will never be forgotten. The stories are lore. And I know you'll be reading this smoking a cigar (probably backwards), eating a rare picanha, thinking of ways to annoy Frank and eyeing up some big-butted Brazilian girl. You were an original."
Added friend and Brazilian Transsexuals producer Andre, "Luiz built something very significant in Brazil over many years. It was not only the websites or the films. It was the people he brought together, the relationships he built, the opportunities he created and the doors he opened for so many trans women who found a place in the industry through the work he developed. I was fortunate to be part of that journey and to learn from him along the way. For that reason, I feel that what he built deserves to be remembered not only as a business, but as an important part of his life and of the lives of many people he touched."
