Jealousy, Greed, G-strings, and Gyrations: The Chippendale Murders

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Sexy, classy-looking men dancing for dollars and putting on a show for women.

The neveau concept revolutioned not only Indian immigrant Steve Banerjee's Los Angeles nightclub, that was barely getting by on disco and backgammon, but it also caught fire across the country, thanks in part to the cast of characters that helped Banerjee launch the dancers including former Playboy model Dorothy Stratten.

Women would line up out the door to experience the for-women-only "fantasy" of the Chippendales Dancers performance, which grew from the humble beginnings of guys bumping-and-grinding in gym shorts to wearing cuff and collars and sleek tear-a-way pants. 

But behind the scenes of the wildly successful enterprise, Banerjee grew more jealous by the day of his business partner, the creative genius Nick DeNoia, who grew the Chippendales Dancers from a sleezy nightclub act to a sophisticaed, nationwide production named after a high-end line of antique furniture because Banerjee thought it sounded "classy."  

Instead of sharing the stage and their financial fortune, Banerjee's murderous greed imploded their partnership, their futures and their lives.  

Join us for the latest episode of the Gulf Coast Confidential podcast, “Jealousy, Greed, G-strings, and Gyrations: The Chippendale Murders.” 

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