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Somen ''Steve'' Banerjee, originally from India, was an infamous entrepreneur who founded Chippendales, the first all-male strip dance troupe, located in West Los Angeles. The entrepreneur's name has once again come into the spotlight recently after the news of a brand new true-crime limited Hulu series titled, Welcome to Chippendales starring beloved comedian and actor Kumail Nanjiani, was released.
The highly anticipated limited series Welcome to Chippendales arrives with the first two episodes exclusively on Hulu on Tuesday, November 22, 2022. The series has taken inspiration from Patrick MontesDeOca and K. Scot Macdonald's popular novel Deadly Dance: The Chippendales Murders. Robert Siegel has acted as the creator of the series.
The official synopsis for the miniseries, reads:
"A sprawling true-crime saga, WELCOME TO CHIPPENDALES tells the outrageous story of Somen “Steve” Banerjee, an Indian immigrant who became the unlikely founder of the world’s greatest male-stripping empire—and let nothing stand in his way in the process.''
The intriguing true crime story of Somen "Steve" Banerjee, who was convicted of hiring a man to murder Nick de Noia, the famous producer, and choreographer, and also Banerjee's business partner, has attracted a lot of attention since the miniseries was dropped on Hulu, thanks to its extremely complex and thrilling storylines.
Without further delay, let's dive right in to learn all about Somen ''Steve'' Banerjee, as Welcome to Chippendales streams on Hulu.
Learn all about Somen ''Steve'' Banerjee, as Kumail Nanjiani's Welcome to Chippendales premieres on Hulu
Who was Somen ''Steve'' Banerjee?
Born on October 8, 1946, in Bombay, currently Mumbai, India, Somen ''Steve'' Banerjee was the founder and owner of Los Angeles' Chippendales, a dance club that became famous for its iconic all-male striptease group that targeted female audiences.
After immigrating to the United States from India, Steve went on to work as a janitor first. Thereafter, Steve bought out several Los Angeles Mobil gas stations. Later in 1975, he bought out a failed club, Destiny II, in Los Angeles and transformed it into a cocktail lounge and an exotic nightclub, featuring female mud wrestlers and female dance troupes.
However, what brought him true success was the addition of an all-male strip dance troupe in 1979. The dance group was one-of-a-kind and made Chippendales unimaginably famous in the United States.
Why was Steve arrested?
A professional rivalry reportedly brought out the dark side of the successful entrepreneur, leading to his epic downfall. Steve went on to arrange the murder of the highly talented choreographer, producer, and his partner in the business, Nick De Noia, by hiring a man to shoot him, due to a business dispute between the two in 1987.
Banerjee did not stop there. He also plotted the murder of a former choreographer and dancer at Chippendales named Michael Fullington and two other former dancers at his club. Fortunately, those murder attempts were unsuccessful. He plotted their murders as he saw them as his competitors in the club business.
He was later arrested by the police for his heinous crimes and eventually pleaded guilty to racketeering, murder for hire, and attempted arson. In a plea agreement, Steve received 26 years of imprisonment with the loss of his ownership of Chippendales.
However, right before his sentencing on October 23, 1994, Banerjee ended his own life by committing suicide in his prison cell.
Don't forget to watch the first two episodes of Welcome to Chippendales, which premieres on November 22, 2022, on Hulu.
