Famed NY grafitti tagger Fuzz One dies, donates liver and kidney and saves two lives

In life, legendary graffiti artist Fuzz One promoted himself anywhere he could — on subway cars, buildings and canvasses — but his last act was one of selflessness, donating his liver and kidney and saving two lives, the Daily News has learned.

Fuzz One died at Westchester County Medical Center on Sept. 19, three days after suffering a heart attack at his home upstate. He was 63.

“In the graffiti culture, especially in New York City, when a graffiti artist dies we say they live on — so in this case saying Fuzz One lives on is actually true,” said Leonard Achan, president of LiveOnNY, a non-profit that coordinates and oversees organ donations. “Fuzz One stepped up and saved two lives.”

Achan, himself a long-time graffiti artist — his tag is SINISTAR — specializing in murals and paintings, said he hopes that as word of Fuzz One’s deed spreads artists of all stripes will consider registering as organ donors.

“Grafitti artists are about their legacy,” said Achan, who knew of Fuzz One’s work growing up. “This is going to open up their minds about organ donation — not just graffiti artists but all artists. I think this will have an international impact.”

Fuzz One was born Vincent Fedorchak in Indiana but it was in the Bronx, where his family moved when he was 10, that he came of age, finding his calling in the graffiti culture of the 1970s.

His first tag was “Popeye,” followed by others, including the one by which he is best known, “Fuzz One.”

A fellow tagger, IFONE, met him about six years ago, the pair bonding immediately.

IFONE, who asked his real name not be printed, remembers a conversation in which Fuzz One talked about wanting to donate his organs.

“That’s just the way he was ,” IFONE said. “He was always about helping people in the neighborhood. The elderly, he’d go to the store for them.

“He couldn’t care less about money.”

When Fuzz One was placed on life support, the hospital, as per policy, contacted LiveOnNY.

Fuzz One was not a registered donor.

But Achan said LiveOnNY went ahead with the search for organ recipients after speaking to Ifone, who as Fuzz One’s emergency contact explained his friend’s wish to donate his organs.

Within 24 hours of his death, a New York City woman in her 20s had Fuzz One’s liver and an Ohio man in his 70s had a new kidney.

“Fuzz was cremated and he’s with me now,” Ifone said. “I have the ashes. And I’m thinking about become a donor — because of him, because of seeing how what he did helped people.”