RIP

Ralphie May was found in the bedroom of a private residence, and there was no point in trying to revive him ... he was already dead.

TMZ broke the story ... Ralphie May died Friday from cardiac arrest after battling pneumonia for 6 weeks.

As we reported, Ralphie had performed at Harrah's the night before and afterward went to a private residence. He was in a bedroom -- presumably sleeping -- and was found Friday just after 1 PM.

Paramedics showed but Ralphie wasn't taken to a hospital. He was pronounced dead at 1:28 PM.

The coroner is now investigating, but by all accounts Ralphie died of a massive heart attack.

Tom Petty will be honored in his birthplace ... just as soon as the Mayor and citizens of Gainesville come up with a unique enough concept to honor the rock legend.

Mayor Lauren Poe -- who went to the same high school as Tom -- tells TMZ he's putting together a proposal to honor their hometown hero, but says no street sign or symbolic "Tom Petty Day'' will do.

Poe says if the city approves a Petty memorial, in theory, his next move will be fielding innovative and interactive suggestions from the public. He's looking for something recurring and interactive -- like an annual gathering for fans that would double as a memorial.

Hizzoner will get plenty of pitches -- we're told local musicians have been covering Petty tunes nonstop since his death Monday, and tribute bands are already reaching out to the Mayor.

Anton Yelchin once again stood among loved ones at his burial site this weekend and will remain that way thanks to his family ... TMZ has learned.

A bronze statue of Anton was unveiled Sunday above his grave at Hollywood Forever -- where the deceased actor was laid to rest after his tragic death more than a year ago.

Sources close to the service tell TMZ ... his family wanted their only son to have a ground monument, which is why he was moved from Mount Sinai Cemetery to Hollywood Forever shortly after he died. Mount Sinai does not allow ground monuments.

We broke the story ... Anton was crushed to death by his car after it rolled back and pinned him against a brick mailbox pillar at his home. His parents have been in a legal battle with Fiat Chrysler ever since, claiming their product caused his death.

Eyewitnesses tell us a few celebs came out to pay their respects to Anton during Sunday's service -- including Jennifer Lawrence, Zoe Saldana, Demi Moore and Simon Pegg.

Ralphie May was so sick a couple weeks before he died that he was forced to call in for a radio interview instead of being in studio ... and he sounded awful.

The comedian's interview with Albuquerque's "Carlos & Kiki in the Morning" from September 22 is telling -- he reveals he's been battling bronchitis for several days and is completely worn down. Still, he tells them he fought through it and did 8 shows in 6 days ... despite struggling to walk.

Ralphie's poor health didn't stop him from doing what he always did best during the call, though -- cracking jokes.

We broke the story ... May died of cardiac arrest Friday at a private residence in Vegas. He was 45.

1:50 PM PT -- TMZ has learned Ralphie died at a private residence in Vegas Friday morning. We're told he had been battling pneumonia for 6 weeks and died of cardiac arrest. According to his rep, someone in the residence discovered his body.

He had performed Thursday night at Harrah's in Vegas.

Comedian Ralphie May died Friday at the age of 45 ... TMZ has learned.

Ralphie had been battling pneumonia over the last week, but kept performing his scheduled gigs in Las Vegas.

Ralphie's stand-up comedy career took off after he finished second on "Last Comic Standing" in 2003. Since then he's had several televised comedy specials -- mostly on Netflix and Comedy Central -- and he's continued touring, almost nonstop, around the country.

His manager, Judi Marmel, tells us, "As his manager and his friend, I will miss his laugh, his generosity to fellow comedians, his trademark orneriness, and his enormous love of life. He left us entirely too soon -- and we can only wonder where his comedy might have taken all of us. We send our love to his family, his fans, and all the comics who shared stages with him across the country."

In 2015 he and his wife Lahna Turner, also a comedian, filed for divorce. Ralphie was devastated by the split and the ensuing custody battle over their 2 kids, April June May and August James May.

It's the end of an online era ... AOL is officially ending AIM.

"We’ve made the decision that we will be discontinuing AIM effective December 15, 2017," a rep for the company confirmed.

So, say goodbye to your buddy list ... kiss that yellow running man goodbye.

So, why is AIM being laid to rest?

"AIM tapped into new digital technologies and ignited a cultural shift, but the way in which we communicate with each other has profoundly changed," the company said.

Text messaging. Social media. Etc ... it's obvious it all played a role in AIM's demise.

Fun while it lasted, though.

Hugh Hefner's got game even in death, because someone made out with his crypt.

TMZ broke the story ... Hef's family had a very private, small ceremony last Saturday at L.A.'s Westwood Village Memorial Park, where he was entombed next to Marilyn Monroe.

Well just days later, someone planted lipstick kisses on Hef's crypt, and a few for good measure on Marilyn's.

Herve Leroux, the famed designer who concocted the bandage dress, has died.

Leroux's famed dress became must-wear for models and actresses in the 2000s. The New York Times broke down the garment this way ... "elastic strips of fabric sewn together to make girdle-tight dresses."

Leroux was a go-to designer for stars like Taylor Swift, Jessica Chastain, Sofia Vergara and Cate Blanchett.

He cut his teeth at fashion houses like Fendi and Chanel before venturing out on his own. Cindy Crawford modeled his clothes as far back as 1993.

This incredibly intense video shows Dan Bilzerian frantically searching inside a police truck Sunday night as terrified concertgoers ducked for cover from the hail of bullets.

Dan -- the gun enthusiast getting roasted on social media for running away from the massacre -- is seen in this video running with a panicked group and hiding behind an unmanned Las Vegas Metro PD truck ... in the shadow of Mandalay Bay.

The video's intense -- some people are covered in blood, while others angrily debate whether to remain hiding there or make a run for it. Dan seemed adamant about taking matters into his own hands ... as he rummaged through the police unit, clearly looking for a firearm.

It's unclear if the vid was recorded before or after Bilzerian begged a cop for a gun.

Stephen Paddock had his sights set on Lollapalooza in Chicago and even booked 2 rooms in a hotel that overlooked the massive outdoor venue ... TMZ has learned.

Check out this pic of a computer screen at the Blackstone Hotel in Chicago, located across the street from the venue, Grant Park, where 400,000 people -- including Malia Obama -- squeezed in over 4 days to watch big musical acts.

Paddock booked one room for August 1, 2017, 2 days before the August 3 kickoff. Paddock then booked a second room for an August 3 arrival. Both rooms had an August 6 checkout ... that's when Lollapalooza ended.

The hotel directly overlooked the main stage as well as several adjoining stages. It also overlooks the main entrance and exit where thousands of people file through. And the hotel had a bird's-eye view of the crowd. We're told Paddock specifically requested both rooms be a "view room" which only face Grant Park, where the concert was being held. And here's the scariest part ... it's difficult if not impossible to flee because of Lake Michigan. Sources tell TMZ Paddock had never booked a room at the hotel before, nor had his girlfriend.

Our sources say Paddock never showed.

'Twas 3 months before Christmas and way down in Turkey ...

Archaeologists claim they found where the REAL Santa Claus has been lurky.

They say St. Nick's bones are under a church ...

And they found them in a very high-tech, electronic search

The real St. Nick died in 343

Despite the fact he's always hanging at malls, near that big Xmas tree.

For the record, experts still have to confirm that it really is him.

The chances they're wrong? It's really quite slim.

So many questions have risen -- is he all by himself?

Did they bury him next to his favorite elf?

And one more question gives us pregnant pause ...

Where in the holy hell is dear Mrs. Claus?

The end?

Hugh Hefner truly did have a ride or die by his side in Crystal Harris ... a pleasant surprise to family and friends initially skeptical of the 31-year-old's motives.

Playboy sources tell TMZ ... Crystal surprised the hell outta a lot of people when she stood by Hef's side in his declining years as he got older and became more frail. They actually called Crystal -- who at 26 married Hef in 2012 -- a pillar of strength.

Case in point ... Crystal was at Hef's doctor's appointments and the architect behind game and movie nights to keep his spirits high. When Hef was placed on bed rest, Crystal constantly was by his side.

The family initially was concerned that as Hef got older she wouldn't be there to support him, but she flipped the script with her attentiveness, and we're told the family's immensely grateful for her vigilance.

It's no wonder Hef wanted to take care of Crystal with a sick pad and $5 million long before his death ... she proved herself early on and remained a constant until Hef died peacefully last week.

He was 91. #RIP

Celine Dion fought back tears as she returned to Las Vegas to do her show ... just 2 days after the carnage on the Las Vegas Strip.

The singer offered concertgoers at Caesars Palace Tuesday night words of comfort, while admitting it was a difficult decision about whether to even go on with the show.

Then she made an emotional announcement about how she, and her fans, will assist the families of the victims from Sunday's shooting that killed 59 people and injured more than 500.

The younger brother of Stephen Paddock has a rap sheet of a hardened criminal ... light-years different from the brother who slaughtered dozens of innocent people.

Bruce Paddock currently lives in California, but he's led a nomadic life. TMZ has pulled court docs which show he's been a regular in the criminal justice system. Among his arrests ...

-- Criminal threats

-- Arson

-- Vandalism

-- Petty theft

-- Burglary

-- Weed

-- Driving on a suspended license

-- Contempt

It's unclear how many of these resulted in convictions. We know for sure the 57-year-old was convicted of petty theft with a prior, and vandalism. Don't confuse Bruce with Eric, the Paddock brother living in Florida, who's been speaking to the media.

The mayhem that ensued in the minutes after mass murderer Stephen Paddock began firing at a crowd from his Mandalay Bay hotel room was captured by a cop's body cam ... and it's terrifying.

Las Vegas PD just released footage from one of its officers working with others to try to determine where the gunfire is coming from ... while also trying to direct people to safety.

The video of the chaos while gunshots continue to sound in the distance is disturbing.

Wayne Newton doesn't think the shooting massacre in Las Vegas will dim the lights in venues along the strip ... but he says Sin City's performers gotta do what they do and power through the grief.

Wayne -- a Vegas staple in live entertainment -- came on "TMZ Live" Tuesday to dish on whether Vegas would have a hard time coming back to full form after Stephen Paddock gunned down 59 people and injured hundreds more from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel.

The Midnight Idol doesn't seem too worried about that, 'cause he says Vegas is still one of the safest places around despite the massacre. But he's putting the local showstoppers on notice here too.