Wahlburgers Star Henry ‘Nacho’ Laun Dies at 54: 'He Was a Character,' Lawyer Says

Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images Henry 'Nacho' Laun

Wahlburgers star Henry "Nacho" Laun has died at the age of 54, PEOPLE can confirm.

The reality personality, who was a staple on the A&E reality series, died on Tuesday, his attorney James Neyman tells PEOPLE.

A longtime pal of Mark Wahlberg since meeting in their teens, Laun was always up for a challenge on the Wahlberg family show, and even created the Nacho Burger Challenge at Wahlburger restaurants after he famously ate four burgers in nine minutes.

"I think he's a superstar in the making," Mark, 49, said in one clip.

Neyman shared memories of Laun to PEOPLE, recalling that, "Henry, he was a character. He was a very interesting person. He came up in the streets of Boston."

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"He was kind of a natural on the show," Neyman says. "He was a very likable character and wherever we went, he was constantly recognized. ... Wherever we went, maybe it's because we were in Boston, someone would say 'Hey are you Nacho? Is that Nacho?' He never experienced anything like it. It was almost like a phenomenon."

"I used to joke to myself that [Laun] was just being himself as opposed to acting, but that was just my opinion," he says.

The Wahlburgers alum was very close to his mother Emilce Laun who died last April, Laun's attorney says. "He took her passing hard as is understandable and regrettably he has passed roughly a year later."

Henry 'Nacho' Laun/INSTAGRAM Henry 'Nacho' Laun and Mark Wahlberg

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Laun reportedly had a health scare in May during a road trip from Boston to Cape Cod and he was found unconscious in his car at a gas station, according to TMZ, who first reported the news.

The outlet states that the circumstances surrounding the scare were unclear, but he was hospitalized and placed on life support.

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Laun's family and friends believed his condition was getting better in days leading up to his death, but ultimately he died at a hospital in Massachusetts on Tuesday, sources told the outlet.

The reality TV alum's family attorney did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request to comment.