▁spent ▁many ▁night s ▁at ▁the ▁Factory ▁bringing ▁his ▁unique ▁influ ences ▁to ▁encou rage ▁others ▁to ▁become ▁artists . ▁He ▁was ▁an ▁opera ▁af icion ado , ▁and ▁also ▁an ▁alleg ed ▁am ph et am ine ▁deal er ▁and ▁user , ▁and ▁he ▁touched ▁the ▁lives ▁of ▁many ▁members ▁of ▁War hol ' s ▁artist ▁collect ive . ▁He ▁was ▁particularly ▁close ▁to ▁another ▁member , ▁Brig id ▁Berlin . ▁ ▁War hol ▁wrote ▁about ▁R ita ▁in ▁his ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁mem oir ▁Pop ism : ▁The ▁War hol ▁Si xt ies . ▁In ▁one ▁mention , ▁War hol ▁re called ▁asking ▁a ▁mut ual ▁friend , ▁Duch ess , ▁why ▁R ita ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁" The ▁Mayor " ▁and ▁received ▁the ▁reply ▁' B ecause ▁he ▁sc rew s ▁everybody ▁in ▁town '. ▁ ▁R app ' s ▁alleg ed ▁death ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁( t ogether ▁with ▁that ▁of ▁song writer ▁Doc ▁Pom us ▁by ▁cancer ) ▁inspired ▁Lou ▁Re ed , ▁another ▁famous ▁Factory ▁den izen , ▁to ▁compose ▁his ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁album ▁Magic ▁and ▁L oss . ▁R app , ▁however , ▁died ▁February ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁in ▁Ir ving ton , ▁New ▁Jersey ▁where ▁he ▁had ▁lived ▁in ▁ex ile ▁from ▁the ▁dow nt own ▁drug ▁scene ▁since ▁ 1 9 8 0 . ▁He ▁had ▁an ▁opera ▁show ▁on ▁local ▁college ▁radio ▁and ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁hot ▁dog