Somen Banerjee

Somen "Steve" Banerjee (Bengali: সোমেন বন্দোপাধ্যায়; October 8, 1946 – October 23, 1994) born in Bombay, India was an Indian American entrepreneur and 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) but shortly afterwards developed a more theatrical show with Emmy award winning producer Nick De Noia.

Somen Banerjee

Somen "Steve" Banerjee (Bengali: সোমেন বন্দোপাধ্যায়; October 8, 1946 – October 23, 1994) born in Bombay, India was an Indian American entrepreneur and 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) but shortly afterwards developed a more theatrical show with Emmy award winning producer Nick De Noia.