On April 7, 1987, a mysterious assailant took the life of Chippendales choreographer and Emmy Award-winning producer, Nick De Noia. For years, the identity of the killer remained unknown – until now.
The new A&E docu-series Secrets of the Chippendale Murders reveals much of what is known about this shocking crime. Three men were eventually convicted for the cold-blooded killing: Richard Steve Goldberg, Jeffrey Paul Wright, and Dwight Havens III.
Thanks to extensive investigative work and powerful storytelling, Secrets of the Chippendale Murders sheds light on these unknown perpetrators and brings justice to an unsolved murder that has remained a mystery for over three decades.
Who killed Nick De Noia?
The women’s liberation movement of the 1970s was a crucial turning point in feminist history, bringing unprecedented progress concerning gender discrimination.
Women were beginning to be treated differently and could benefit from new opportunities and spaces that focused on their interests.
This was notably seen with Steve Banerjee’s ambitious vision when he took over Destiny II nightclub in 1975 and made it into Chippendales, featuring male strippers as well as female mud wrestling.
It was no doubt revolutionary to offer entertainment tailored exclusively to women at the time. Candace Mayeron attests to the unique experience that Chippendales offered, emphasizing its appeal for a ladies’ night out.
When Somen Banerjee decided to expand his Chippendales empire to a new location in New York, he enlisted the help of choreographer and producer Nick De Noia who enabled the swift success of the new venture.
Despite their collaborations, however, Banerjee’s focus on the physical presence of his dancers clashed with De Noia’s vision of show production and resulted in their eventual separation.
However, their synergy was still palpable until the end – De Noia continued to manage shows while behind-the-scenes Banerjee maintained creative control over all marketing assets.
The decision to split the Chippendales name between Banerjee and De Noia quickly became disadvantageous for Banerjee when it was evident that more money was being made from the touring show.
Unable to acquire this part of the business, Banerjee sought out a desperate solution and recruited former police officer turned entertainer Ray Colon.
Colon instigated Gilberto Rivera Lopez to carry out the next course of action, ultimately leading to the removal of De Noia.
How were Nick De Noia’s killers caught?
Steve Banerjee, the founder of Chippendales and holder of the trademark on male strip club shows, sought to impede the success of a similar London-based show known as Adonis.
Through attempts to gain exclusive contracts from venues, banning them from hosting other groups for a year’s time, Banerjee’s plans were thwarted when two FBI agents confronted Read Scot, former Chippendales dancer turned emcee at Adonis, in July 1991.
It was immediately deduced that this threat upon his life had been orchestrated by Banerjee himself.
This fateful encounter eventually led to untold developments in the case, providing authorities with essential information about it which halted his tyrannical reign and provided justice for those affected by it.
Scott Garriola, the FBI agent investigating the case, devised a clever plan to force Banerjee into confessing his involvement.
He instructed Colon to go on the run, acting as if he had escaped to Switzerland in order to induce Banerjee into having a face-to-face meeting with him.
Just as Scott hoped, when Colom showed up at Banerjee’s hotel room in Zurich, Banerjee finally confessed and was arrested by Swiss authorities for both the attempted hit on Adonis members and for Nick De Noia’s murder.
Two agents from the FBI were able to uncover evidence linking Banerjee to the crimes, foiling his devious plans and bringing justice to those affected by his actions.
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