Judy Ann, other celebrities mourn loss of Alfie Lorenzo

Showbiz stalwart and veteran talent manager Alfie Lorenzo died early morning on Tuesday after suffering a heart attack at Solaire Resorts and Casino.

According to reports, he was rushed to San Juan De Dios Hospital in Pasay City where doctors failed to revive him. He was 78.

Lorenzo’s long-time ward Judy Ann Santos – who announced in April that they had parted ways – took care of the service and funeral arrangements.

By 12:30pm, Santos posted on Instagram: “It is with deep sadness that we pray for our dear Tito Alfie Lorenzo who joined our Creator at 2:12 this morning. We are just coordinating the wake details with the family as we would want to be faithful to his last requests. We shall keep you posted. Thank you for your understanding and being one of us in this time of grief.”

Lorenzo was a pioneering showbiz columnist in top tabloids up to the time of his death, and had hosted several talk shows throughout his 60 years in the business. He was part of the erstwhile Troika, along with Oskee Salazar and Billy Balbastro, which lorded over showbiz writing for decades. Salazar passed away in December 1999 and Balbastro died almost a decade later in February 2008.

Besides Santos, Lorenzo also managed the early careers of Ruffa Guttierez and Sunshine Cruz. He also discovered and mentored actors like Edgar Mande, Lito Pimentel, Rey Abellana and Jeffrey Santos.