Tag Archives: Fleischman

Studio 54 owner Mark Fleischman dead of assisted suicide

Mark Fleischman, the owner of legendary Midtown nightclub Studio 54, died by assisted suicide in Switzerland, a report said. He was 82.

Fleischman was unable to walk and his speech was impaired after getting sick in 2016. Doctors couldn’t diagnose his condition.

“I can’t walk, my speech is f–ked up, and I can’t do anything for myself,” he told The Post last month.

“My wife helps me get into bed and I can’t dress or put on my shoes. I am taking a gentle way out. It is the easiest way out for me.”

Mark Fleischman, who owned nightclub Studio 54, died by assistant suicide.
Adam Scull-PHOTOlink/MediaPunch
Crowds wait outside Manhattan’s renowned disco Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street.
Sygma via Getty Images

Owning Studio 54, Fleischman partied with the likes of Andy Warhol, Calvin Klein, Halston, Liza Minelli and Cher. The lifestyle may have taken a toll on the business owner.

“I liked to be high. So I would do drugs and drink. Possibly, this [health condition] is because I drank a lot and did drugs,” he told The Post.

After suffering for years, Fleischman decided to travel to Switzerland and take his final drug: a lethal dose of barbiturates.

Fleischman’s speech had been impaired in 2016.
Polaris

Former business partner, Daniel Fitzgerald told BBC News that Fleischman died.

Fleischman worked with the nonprofit Dignitas, which launched in 1998 and is devoted to helping people commit suicide when their health is failing. Dignitas members reviewed his medical records and had conversations with him.

“The more I think about it, the more I want to do it,” Fleischman said. “I am flying direct to Zurich from LA. There will be no last party.”

Mark Fleischman (left), new owner of Studio 54, in the DJ booth with Steve Rubell (right), the old owner, during the grand reopening party in 1981.
Polaris

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.

Additional reporting by Michael Kaplan

Read original article here

Mark Fleischman, Former Studio 54 Owner, Planning Assisted Suicide – Deadline

The man who once ruled New York City nightlife has told a media outlet that he plans to end the party in July.

Mark Fleischman, who owned Manhattan’s Studio 54, once the world’s most exclusive club, is now 82 and confined to a wheelchair. He told the New York Post that he plans to use the Swiss nonprofit assisted suicide group Dignitas to end his life on July 13. The group helps assisted suicides with a lethal dose of barbiturates after a lengthy screening process.

“I can’t walk, my speech is f–ked up and I can’t do anything for myself,” Fleischman told The Post. “My wife helps me get into bed and I can’t dress or put on my shoes. I am taking a gentle way out. It is the easiest way out for me.”

Fleischman now resides in Marina Del Ray, Calif. He said neurologists have been unable to diagnose his illness, which began in 2016.

He took over Studio 54 in December 1978 when partners Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager were raided and charged with tax evasion, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy. The charges were for reportedly skimming nearly $2.5M in unreported income from the club’s receipts.

Rubell and Schrager were sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison and fined $20K each for the tax-evasion charge. They were sent to prison In February 1980, and Studio 54 was sold in November of that year for $4.75M to Fleischman, who had an extensive background in the hotel and nightlife industry. He reopened it, then sold it in 1984 to new owners.

The club finally closed in 1986.

Fleischman wrote a book about his experience for publisher Rare Bird. Inside Studio 54 chronicled the place where celebrities, friends, and the beautiful people sipped champagne and shared lines of cocaine using rolled-up hundred-dollar bills.

Studio 54 is the focus of a new installment of FX’s American Crime Story, now in development. Studio 54: American Crime Story will examine the fabled nightclub, which became an avatar of nightlife for the rich and famous.

Fleischman said he has been thinking about suicide for some time.

“I came to the decision slowly,” he said. “Two years ago, I decided that it wasn’t worth living. I took a lot of Xanax and ended up in the hospital.”

He was revived then. But he said, “I read a book about ending life. I read in there that the easiest way is to suffocate. But I did not want the pain. I was going to buy a gun. But my wife interceded. We started looking into a place where it would be legal to find someone to do it with.”



Read original article here