(CNN) A man from New York died while vacationing in the Dominican Republic earlier this month, according to a US State Department official, making him the 10th American to have died after an apparent sudden health issue in the Caribbean nation in the past year.

The official confirmed the death in response to questions from CNN about media reports regarding the man, whose family said he suddenly became ill and died last Monday.

The State Department official did not offer details on the man's identity or cause of death, but a family member identified him as Vittorio Caruso, 56, of Glen Cove, Long Island, according to CNN affiliate News 12 Long Island

Caruso's sister-in-law, Lisa Maria Caruso, told News 12 Long Island that Vittorio Caruso died after suffering respiratory distress and possibly a heart attack while on vacation.

The family received a phone call saying Caruso was sick, she said. Minutes later, they received a second call telling them he had died, the station reported.

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