Former ‘stockbroker to the stars’ Dana Giacchetto at his office in 2000.

On Sunday, after a weekend of drug-fuelled partying, the disgraced former money manager was found dead face up in his Manhattan apartment, foaming at the mouth. He was 53.

Variously referred to as the “stockbroker to the stars” or “the real wolf of wall street”, the hard-partying Giacchetto rose to fame in the late ‘90s due to his incredible list of celebrity clients.

Most famously, a young Leo briefly lived with Giacchetto in his vast SoHo penthouse, just as the baby-faced actor was shooting to global superstardom off the back of Titanic.

The former investment banker, whose work and education history was dubious at best, formed his company, Cassandra Group, in 1988 using a $US200,000 loan from his mother.

DiCaprio twirls his cockatoo in Giacchetto’s penthouse. Picture: ViceSource:Supplied

Giacchetto partying with DiCaprio and Naomi Campbell. Picture: ViceSource:Supplied

He used his connections in the music industry to begin working with Sub Pop records, whose acts included Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Alanis Morissette, Phish, Q-Tip and R.E.M.

By the mid-90s, his client list included other young Hollywood stars including Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Edward Burns, Cameron Diaz, Tobey Maguire and Heather Graham.

He and DiCaprio hosted lavish parties featuring a who’s who of film, fashion and finance at the time, including Andrew Cuomo, Kate Moss, Winona Ryder and Morissette.

That all came crashing down in 2000, when he was arrested for securities fraud for stealing $US10 million from a number of those clients.

“I was someone who was extraordinarily successful, beyond his wildest dreams, and I flew too close to the sun and, you know, got really burned,” he told Vice in 2014.

Ex-client Victoria Leacock Hoffman told Vice: “Dana Giacchetto was managing my savings, and he took half of my account and put it in his own account.”

DiCaprio in Giacchetto’s apartment. Picture: ViceSource:Supplied

DiCaprio and Giacchetto with Q-Tip. Picture: ViceSource:Supplied

“He somehow wanted to make sure they knew they were making money, so he would take the poor person’s money and give it to the richer person. He was living an extremely lavish lifestyle, [so] he either paid himself very well, or some of that money got spent.”

Giacchetto was found guilty the following year and sentenced to 57 months’ prison. His clients left, and despite being released early for good behaviour, he never recovered.

His later ventures, including a music gig phone app in partnership with Sub Pop founder Bruce Pavitt and a line of luxury food items, never took off.

“I have no excuses!” he said at his sentencing. “I lived in a world of fantasy, but I am not this one-dimensional mendacious con.”

Things got worse, when in 2014 he was hit with charges of wire fraud and access device fraud after allegedly making thousands of dollars of purchases on a New Jersey man’s credit card.

Giacchetto arrives at court in 2000.Source:AP

He was sentenced to 57 months in prison.Source:AP

The New York Post reports his death comes after a weekend of partying when we was seen scuffling with security guards outside a nightclub on Friday night at the premiere party for the movie Legends of Freestyle.

Police confirmed he was found dead at his apartment on West 100th Street at noon on Sunday. The cause of death has not been confirmed but police said he was found face up foaming at the mouth.

Sources said Giacchetto had overdosed on drugs a week before his death and he was rushed to the hospital where he was given an adrenaline save shot.

“He had been abusing pills and alcohol,” one friend said. “He’d had different stints in the hospital recently.”

His estranged girlfriend, with whom he had two children, became worried when she couldn’t get hold of him and started calling friends on Saturday night.

Steve Stanulis, who produced, directed and narrated Legends of Freestyle, confirmed Giacchetto had attended the premiere and party, and added: “I am devastated, he was a dear friend.”