PASADENA, CA – MAY 23: Comedian Gallagher performs during his appearance at The Ice House Comedy Club on May 23, 2014 in Pasadena, California.
Michael S. Schwartz | Wireimage | Getty Images
American comedian Leo Anthony Gallagher Jr. has died at the age of 76, according to his family.
Gallagher passed away from organ failure while in hospice care in his Palm Springs, California home, his son-in-law told NBC News. He had been unwell and suffered multiple heart attacks prior to his death.
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Gallagher was known for his signature sketch, “Sledge-O-Matic,” where he’d take a large wooden mallet and smash a variety of foods before ending in the main act — a watermelon.
In his career spanning decades, Gallagher had 14 Showtime specials and around 3,500 live comedy shows.