crippa died a night previously at north paula cottage hospital , three days after he ate a sprinkle plate of the pathogen agaricus ocreata bugs , said his wife , eleanor crippa . known as " hell angel " for its snow - white appearance , the fungus has deadly contaminants that working their way through crippa ' s tissues , sickening him and possibly inspiring his organ to fail . family members had often warned crippa against refraining in his hobby for hunting exotic mushrooms , an activity he learned from his austrian immigrant grandfather , his wife wrote .
Crippa's wife, Joan, was an Italian immigrant.