What Former Chippendales Employees Have Said About Nick De Noia's Murder

Welcome to Chippendales on Hulu is entering dark territory as it approaches its season finale. The true-crime drama charts the rise and fall of Chippendales founder, Steve Banerjee, and explores the sinister side that scarred the dance troupe.

On April 7, 1987, Nick De Noia, Banerjee's former business partner and Chippendales choreographer, was shot dead in his office in Manhattan, New York.

His murder would remain unsolved for several years.

In 1994, his killer was identified as Gilberto Rivera Lopez and he was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

Lopez had been hired by Ray Colon, who had been instructed by Banerjee to arrange for De Noia's murder. At the time, De Noia no longer worked for Banerjee but had a licensing arrangement through a company called Chippendales Universal to use the name Chippendales for his tours.

He had left Banerjee in Los Angeles to start up a Chippendales live show in New York and a touring dance troupe.

The deal between them had been agreed on the back of a napkin, with De Noia receiving 50 percent of the profits from the touring Chippendales.

When Banerjee realized the lucrative success of the tour, he became increasingly jealous and frustrated.

Former Chippendale employees have spoken out in several interviews and documentaries about the tragic loss of De Noia and their shock when it was uncovered Banerjee had blood on his hands.

Speaking in the Discovery+ documentary, Curse of The Chippendales, former Chippendales dancer Read Scott recalled his reaction to hearing about De Noia's murder.

He said: "I was in rehearsal at Chippendales and someone said 'did you hear that Nick De Noia had been murdered?' and you kind of went, 'Nick De Noia has been murdered? Really?"

Candace Mayeron, the former Associate Producer of Chippendales added: "It's very difficult to say how I handled it. Nothing in life prepares you to handle news like that. It's been 34 years and it still is acute."

Writing for Elle in 2021 about her time at Chippendales, Mayeron penned: "When I told the guys in the dressing room after the show, one of them jumped up and screamed, 'I'm going to kill that motherf***** Steve Banerjee.'

"He wanted to run out of the room in his g-string and get his revenge. There wasn't a scintilla of doubt in my mind that it was Steve either."

Mayeron continued: "After Nick died, I remained on as associate producer. Before each show, we silently saluted Nick. The men were also really protective of me, escorting me back to my room after shows so that I never felt in danger. After five months, I left the company and came back to Los Angeles to start my own production company."

In a separate interview, former Chippendales Creative Director, Eric Gilbert said: "Banerjee was the first person to come to mind" when it came to identifying who would want De Noia dead, reported People.

De Noia was the only victim of Banerjee's murder-for-hire plot, but Banerjee Scott, alongside dancers Michael Fullington and Steve White were also one of Banerjee's intended victims.

Banerjee was also accused of three arson attempts including at two rival LA bars: Moody's Disco in Santa Monica in 1979 and the Red Onion Restaurant & Bar in Marina del Rey in 1985.

Banerjee instructed Colon to kill Scott, Fullington, and White, who had left Chippendales to join a rival dance troupe, Adonis, on a U.K. tour. Colon hired a man only known as "Strawberry," who had instructions to inject both men with cyanide for $50,000 during a performance in Blackpool.

However, Strawberry got cold feet and returned to the U.S., leading the police to Colon who eventually agreed to cooperate with the FBI. Colon met with Banerjee and eventually got him to confess to plotting the murder of Fullington, Scot, and White, as well as planning De Noia's death.

Banerjee pleaded guilty to attempted arson, racketeering, and murder for hire. He accepted a plea bargain and was sentenced to 26 years in prison.

The day before Banerjee's sentencing, Banerjee took his own life.

Reflecting on the moment they heard the news, Mayeron can be heard saying in Curse of The Chippendales: "I felt robbed of the satisfaction of seeing Steve brought in in chains and brought to justice for what he had done."

Scott added: "He didn't get the punishment he was deserved, he didn't serve the time for Nick De Noia, for destroying lives, for trying to kill people. He got out easy. He was a coward."

Episodes of Welcome to Chippendales air Tuesdays on Hulu.