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." The 1979 addition of a male stripper dance troupe performing to target female audiences was the first of its kind in the United States. Banerjee partnered with Paul Snider (husband and eventual killer of Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten) and attorney Bruce Nahin in the club and its unique Chippendales male act.

Somen "Steve" Banerjee
সোমেন বন্দোপাধ্যায়
BornOctober 8, 1946
Bombay, Bombay, India
DiedOctober 23, 1994(1994-10-23) (aged 48)
Los Angeles, California, United States
Other namesSteve
OccupationEntrepreneur, Promoter
Known forFounder of Chippendales

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.[1] He was also indicted for allegedly orchestrating the 1987 murder of his former choreographer/added partner Nick De Noia.[2] 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.[3]

Biographical depiction

Actor Naveen Andrews portrayed him in the television movie The Chippendales Murder (2000).[4] Director Tony Scott was reportedly working on a film about Banerjee and the Chippendales story.[5]

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

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References
  1. Reeves, Phil. "Cyanide in the beefcake: Somen Banerjee, inventor of the Chippendales, stands accused of much more than driving women crazy. Did he not hatch a plot to leave Blackpool strewn with dead Adonises?," The Independent (December 13, 1993).
  2. Weinstein, Henry. "Chippendale's Owner Indicted in Choreographer's 1987 Slaying: Crime: Somen Banerjee is accused of arranging the unsolved killing. The charges are part of an expanding investigation in the murder-for-hire case," Los Angeles Times (Oct. 7, 1993).
  3. Weinstein, Henry. "Chippendale Club Owner Kills Himself: Crime: Somen Banerjee, founder of the male-stripper nightspot, is found dead in his cell. He was to be sentenced in the murder-for-hire of his former business partner," Los Angeles Times (Oct. 25, 1994).
  4. Bianculli, David. "Murder Most Banal: Chippendales reveals little," New York Daily News (Nov. 7, 2000).
  5. Brunton, Richard. "Tony Scott filming Chippendales biography," Filmstalker (Oct. 31, 2009).
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