Ben novak sr biography definition
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His great-niece, Andrea Hissom, is married to Steve Wynn.[11] Ben and Joseph Novack were brothers, Joseph was Andrea's grandfather, making Ben Sr her granduncle.
In 2009, his wife Bernice and his son, Ben Novack Jr. were murdered three months apart. This will stipulated that if Narcy was unable to inherit, her daughter from a previous marriage, May Abad, would receive a specific bequest of $150,000.
He was an avid collector of Batman memorabilia, amassing one of the world's largest private collections, which included thousands of items such as rare comic books from the 1930s and 1940s, a life-size replica of the Batmobile, and various pop culture artifacts.[37][38] Valued at approximately $1-2 million as part of his estate, the collection filled multiple warehouses and cluttered his Fort Lauderdale home, reflecting his deep obsession with the character since childhood.[39][40] Novack frequently attended comic book and fantasy conventions, where his interest in pop culture intersected with his professional life in event planning, and he embraced eccentric habits emblematic of the Batman persona, such as surrounding himself with themed memorabilia in his daily environment.[41][42]
Murder and investigation
Death of Bernice Novack
On April 4, 2009, Bernice Novack, aged 87, was found dead in her Fort Lauderdale, Florida, home after being beaten with a wrench, suffering severe head trauma.[7] She lived alone in the residence following her divorce from Ben Novack Sr., the Fontainebleau Hotel founder, who had passed away in 1985.[18] The attack occurred as she arrived home, leaving her body in the laundry room amid blood splatter throughout the house and her vehicle.[12]Fort Lauderdale police initially ruled the death an accidental fall, attributing the injuries—including a broken jaw, broken finger, and multiple blunt force wounds to the head—to a mishap, with no further investigation pursued at the time.[12] The Broward County Medical Examiner's autopsy confirmed extensive head trauma but aligned with the accident determination based on her history of falls.[43]Ben Novack Jr., her only child, expressed immediate concerns to authorities, noting suspicious details such as a glass of white wine on the table—despite his mother's preference for red—and reports from a neighbor of unfamiliar men near the property in the days prior.[12] Despite these reports, police took no additional action.The Fiel sisters argued that the statute should extend to Narcy's innocent descendants to prevent any indirect benefit from the crime, but their claims were part of a broader probate battle involving multiple relatives and even assertions of an illegitimate child.[55][56][18]In a key 2015 ruling by Florida's Fourth District Court of Appeal in Fiel v.
Narcy Novack was later convicted of orchestrating the killings of both her husband and mother-in-law.
Initial Estate Plans and Intended Beneficiaries
Ben Novack Jr.’s estate plans underwent changes over time. Breakthroughs accelerated with confessions from hitmen Alejandro Cesar Gutierrez Garcia and Joel Gonzalez, who admitted to both killings under questioning by the FBI and Rye Brook PD; Garcia detailed beating Bernice on orders from Narcissa "Narcy" Novack and her brother Cristóbal Veliz.[12][7]Key physical evidence solidified the connections: hotel surveillance footage from July 10, 2009, captured Garcia and Gonzalez casing the premises two days before the attack, matching their descriptions and movements.
Who Inherited Ben Novack Jr.’s Estate?
Ben Novack Jr., heir to the prominent Fontainebleau Hotel fortune, became the center of a complex and highly publicized estate dispute following his untimely death. A re-autopsy revealed extensive trauma inconsistent with a fall, including skull fractures, a broken jaw, and defensive wounds, confirming homicide via blunt force from a monkey wrench—the same tool later tied to the plotters.
Novack was additionally convicted on interstate transportation of stolen property and two counts of money laundering, while Véliz was convicted on two counts of witness tampering. Hotels such as Miami Beach’s Fontainebleau, designed by Russian Jewish architect Morris Lapidus and built by Jewish hoteliers Ben Novack and Harry Mufson, have for decades catered to a Jewish clientele, providing kosher-for-Passover accommodations.
The ensuing probate proceedings revealed intricate details of his personal life and the legal principles governing inheritance in such extraordinary circumstances.
The Circumstances Surrounding Ben Novack Jr.’s Death
Ben Novack Jr. was discovered deceased in a hotel room in Rye Brook, New York, on July 12, 2009.
Consequently, the estate was primarily directed to Narcy’s daughter, May Abad, and her two sons.
May Abad was designated to receive a lump sum of $150,000 from the estate. 2013. An anonymous tip letter received by Rye Brook police in July 2009, later revealed to be from Narcy's sister, alleged a plot by Narcy and Veliz to eliminate the Novacks for financial gain, prompting deeper scrutiny.[22][47]Motive emerged through testimony from Rebecca Bliss, Novack's mistress, who described a year-long affair that enraged Narcy, who reportedly threatened, "If she couldn’t have him, no one will." Fearing divorce would strip her of Novack's estimated $5–10 million estate—where she was sole beneficiary under a prenup limiting her to $65,000—Narcy orchestrated the hits with Veliz, enlisting the hitmen for $100,000 via Western Union transfers.
Homeless drifter turns out to be heir to Novack fortune - Ronald Novack, 62, is adopted son of hotel magnate's first wife . "We used to call him Benjy because he was a little tyrant and he hated it. His estranged partner, Mufson, would go on to build the Eden Roc Miami Beach Hotel immediately to the north of the Fontainebleau also using Lapidus as architect.
https://web.archive.org/web/20100219221056/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-01-29/news/fl-novack-brothers-20100129_1_sole-heir-ronald-novack-ben . Tire tracks at Bernice's crime scene matched those from Narcy's vehicle, placing her at the location during the assault. In 1954, the 1,250-room Fontainebleau Miami Beach Hotel opened.
These elements, combined with inter-agency collaboration between Rye Brook PD, FBI, Westchester County authorities, and Floridalaw enforcement, led to arrests in July 2010.[22][49]
Trial and aftermath
Prosecution and convictions
On July 8, 2010, Narcisa "Narcy" Novack was arrested in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and her brother Cristóbal Véliz was arrested in Brooklyn, New York.As a young boy, he wielded influence over the staff, intimidating employees by summarily firing housemaids or valet attendants, a behavior shaped by observing his father's commanding presence in the business.[22] His father, a distant and demanding figure, built the Fontainebleau into a symbol of Miami's golden era but provided little emotional warmth, contributing to Novack's secretive and reclusive tendencies.[17] Details of his formal education remain sparse beyond attendance at private schools, reflecting a privileged but unstructured path that emphasized family legacy over rigorous academic pursuit.[2]The family's fortunes began to crumble in the 1970s, profoundly altering Novack's adolescence and leading to a more modest lifestyle.
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