Mike Hudson, founder of Niagara Falls Reporter, has died

Mike Hudson, 61, passed away today in his home in Los Angeles at around 8:30 pm Pacific time. He died of sepsis from a recently torn bowel.

He did not appear to be suffering from any illness, and had no pain until about 24 hours prior to his death.

On the day prior to his death, Mike had written an article for the Niagara Falls Reporter. He had written six articles during the last week of his life.

After experiencing intense abdominal pain in the afternoon om October 26, he was taken to the emergency room of a local hospital where reportedly the physician told him he needed immediate surgery or death would ensue from sepsis. The doctor also informed him that he appeared to have advanced colon cancer, and that even if the operation were successful, he might have only two months to live.

Mike declined the surgery saying he did not want to die on the operating table and chose to return home. He was given pain medication; hospice was called in and within 24 hours he succumbed, surrounded by several friends.

He had lived an active life up until the day before his death. He asked his friends to cremate him and to throw his ashes over the Malibu Pier and into the Pacific.

Mike Hudson was founder and lead singer of the American punk band the Pagans.  He worked as editor for the Cleveland Sun, crime reporter at the Corry Evening Journal, literary critic at the Irish Echo, and editor for the Niagara Falls Reporter. His work appeared in Radar, Field & Stream, Rolling Stones, Hustler, the Associated Press, Master Detective and the New York Post. Hudson is also author of six books including a memoir of the American punk rock movement, ‘Diary of a Punk,’ and ‘Mob Boss’, the biography of Mafia chief Stephano Maggadino. He lives in Los Angeles, California.

We will publish a fuller story on Mike tomorrow.

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