Somen Banerjee

Somen "Steve" Banerjee (Bengali: সোমেন বন্দোপাধ্যায়; October 8, 1946 – October 23, 1994) was an Indian American entrepreneur and co-founder of Chippendales. After operating a Mobil gas station and a failed backgammon club, Banerjee bought a failed Los Angeles club named "Destiny II" and turned it into a nightclub that featured female mud wrestling and a "Female Exotic Dancing Night." It was the first of its kind in the United States. He partnered with Paul Snider (husband and eventual killer of Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten) and attorney Bruce Nahin.

Contents

• the stripper killer he killed all his enemies to make sure he was the most successful
• Biographical depiction
• References

Banerjee wanted to broaden the operation. So, the idea of Chippendales was soon created and, together with Nahin and Nicolas De Noia, was expanded to New York's Club Magique, London, Hamburg, Philadelphia and Florida. Authorized shows also toured extensively in the U.S., Asia, and Europe. Later Banerjee hired choreographer Steve Merritt and his partner Mark Donnelly, who had a successful shows running in Las Vegas and London, England, to broaden the scope of the show and turn it into a Broadway-style review that Merritt and Donnelly thought would be more appealing to women, a change that proved to be wildly successful.

Banerjee was later charged with having enlisted the aid of Ray Colon, in 1990 and 1991, to help carry out a plot to kill Michael Fullington, a former Chippendales dancer and choreographer, and two other ex-Chippendales dancers, who Banerjee felt were competition to the Chippendales franchise. He was also indicted for allegedly orchestrating the 1987 murder of his former choreographer/partner Nick De Noia. It was also alleged that it was his intent to also have Nahin murdered. He eventually pleaded guilty to attempted arson, racketeering, and murder for hire. He entered into a plea agreement that would have led to 26 years in prison, loss of his share of the Chippendales' parent company (Nahin retaining his share), and most of his estate.

In the early morning of October 23, 1994, Banerjee was found dead in his cell, having hanged himself. Reports stated that while Banerjee was depressed, it was not thought he would take his own life.

Biographical depiction

Actor Naveen Andrews portrayed him in the television movie The Chippendales Murder (2000). Director Tony Scott was reportedly working on a film about Banerjee and the Chippendales story.

Banerjee is also the subject of an episode of The FBI Files entitled "Backstage Murder" (Season 3, Episode 13).