Beloved Bronx DJ known as ‘Mr. Cool’ dies two weeks after mystery beating at his home

A popular local DJ known in his neighborhood as “Mr. Cool” has died two weeks after another man pummeled him at his Bronx home, police said Sunday.

Brokenhearted pals described Mark Gocul, 50, as a “staple in the uptown music industry” and “the coolest dude” whose violent end came as a complete shock.

“He was a good person. Never no argument with people, none of that,” said one friend, John Clarke, 34. “We know him not just [for] music, but we know him. … He was a very calm person. He loved his music. He was a good friend. He was a real good friend.”

About 7:30 a.m. on June 23, Gocul was punched several times in the face on Furman Ave. near E. 239th St. in Wakefield, cops said. He showed up at Montefiore Medical Center about 5 p.m. that day with a swollen, bruised face, cops said.

Gocul succumbed to his injuries Saturday. The city medical examiner has ruled his death a homicide, cops said.

Gocul played vintage Jamaican music and calypso wherever he went, his stunned friends recounted.

“I can’t believe this, actually. … He plays music at almost every establishment around here,” Clarke said. “The last time I saw him he was playing music up at our little spot where we chill.”

“That got to be some mistaken identity because no one would ever do that,” he added.

Another friend, Johnson Garnett, 44, teared up as he described Gocul.

“That’s Mr. Cool. I have a picture in my phone right now,” he said. “He was the coolest dude I ever met. I don’t know about no violent thing about him.”

Garnett said he didn’t understand why anyone would want to beat Gocul.

“He would come, walking past, and stop and sit here and have a good [talk]. He’s not a violent guy, so I don’t know how you could punch and then …,” he said, trailing off.

Garnett described Gocul as a skilled “music man” who was usually booked on weekends.

“I love the guy, Man. I’m just speechless right now to know the guy gets beat up and passes. That’s messed up. That’s not nice,” he said. “I don’t understand how you can beat [him] up. For what?”

Another friend, Paulette McCoy, 54, a bartender, described Gocul as “always gracious. Always a nice person.”

Word of his death spread on social media over the weekend.

“He was always respectful and kind in a unique way. He always seemed to pop up with a quiet presence,” one friend wrote on Instagram, @ensomvibeswarren. “Let’s focus on how Mark made us feel rather than his passing.”

Three roommates at Gocul’s home declined to comment Sunday, saying they didn’t know him well.

Police have made no arrests.