By INIGO 'NAUGHTY' ZENICAZELAYA

YESTERDAY was one of the hardest days of my life. Shortly after 11.0am I received the call I was dreading.

Richard Bethel aka “The Big Cup” aka “The Midnight Mayor” aka “Uncle” had passed away. Gone, another victim to cancer, despite a valiant fight.

My heart is truly broken, the memories and jokes are innumerable, and will last a lifetime.

I’m sure when I get up from this and collect myself and my thoughts, I can put it all in perspective.

For now what I can say is that I lost a true friend, confidant, mentor and the big brother, I always wish I had growing up as an only child.

I know he’s looking down laughing as I pen this, seeing how he gave me strict instructions in his last days, “ No mushy stuff, Naughty.”

He also gave me instructions 22 years ago, “Stop being scary, you are funny, you need to come do stand up comedy at the Jokers Wild .”

So, after some persuasion, I took him up on the offer, and the rest is history.

I’m truly grateful for Richard being able to see in me, what I couldn’t see at the time.

More importantly he didn’t give me a job, he gave me a career.

Always in my ear, like Cus D’Amato taught Mike Tyson, Richard was in my ear, teaching the art and science of stand up comedy, along with the rules and all its nuances.

He truly shared in all my success, on stage and off, giving me more good advice when he met my girlfriend Jamie (who became my wife) back in 2002, after hearing me brag how “she’s the one.”

I remember him pulling me to the side and saying: “Ma bey you better not frig this up.”

I learned many things from my dear friend “The Big Cup”, most importantly to love your family and life, and to live it and love it to the fullest.

Take your rest “Uncle”, thank you for everything, and make sure and have the stage set for me on the other side.

It might take me a minute to get there, because you know us stand up comedians never see the light!