In a statement issued Tuesday, trans erotica studio owner Steven Grooby mourned the death of producer/director Luiz Damazo, who passed way from natural causes on August 29 at his home in Brazil.
“He was my friend, my brother, my compadre and my comic relief for over 25 years,” Grooby said in the statement, noting that Damazo “was the life force that ran Brazilian Transsexuals and Grooby’s Brazilian operation 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 1700 Brazilian trans models, debuting many and becoming a focal point for trans performers in Brazil and beyond,” Grooby added.
Andre, a Brazilian Transsexuals producer and a friend of Damazo’s is quoted in the statement as saying Damazo “built something very significant in Brazil over many years.”
“It was not only the websites or the films,” Andre added. “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.”
“Farewell, my brother. You will never be forgotten,” Grooby added. “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.”
