Mark Fleischman, the legendary owner of New York hotspot Studio 54, has passed away at 82 from assisted suicide in Switzerland.
The news was confirmed by Fleischman’s business partner, who said that the self-described ‘80s “ringleader” had been suffering from a mysterious illness since 2016 that had left confined him to a wheelchair.
In a Facebook post, Mimi Fleischman said her husband of 27 year was “very brave” and had an “unusually peaceful” transition. “I am happy he is free but I will desperately miss my best friend, constant companion, adviser, supporter and mainly love,” she said. “I am so grateful for our time together.”
Mr. Fleischman announced his plans to die by suicide in an interview published last month in the New York Post. He had an undetermined degenerative condition that left him unable to walk or dress himself. He said he had attempted suicide two years ago, with an overdose of Xanax, but was revived at a hospital. Neurologists had been unable to diagnose the illness, Mr. Fleischman said.
Speaking to The Independent, Daniel Fitzgerald, who co-owned Century Club alongside Mr. Fleischman, explained that he had organised a “living wake” for his friend and partner on July 4, as he hoped he might be able to convince him not to go. “Everyone really had a good time, and we thought that he was going to stick around for a while, his brain was all there,” Fitzgerald said. “We thought that he was going to postpone it for a month but then I guess he didn’t. He was very strong-minded.”
At the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland, the nightclub owner was handed a lethal cocktail of barbiturates, and paid $15,000 for the service which included a cremation and the delivery of his ashes back to California to his wife, Mimi. A spokesman for Dignitas said they were unable to provide any details or confirm Mr. Fleischman had attended the clinic due to confidentiality and data protection regulations.
Owning the club during its glory years, Studio 54 gained a reputation for attracting A-list celebrities including Diana Ross, David Bowie, Andy Warhol and Liza Minnelli. Recalling his time working with Mr. Fleischman, Fitzgerald said: “He would be able to have fun but be really smart at the same time, and be really intelligent about figuring things out. He taught me a lot. He was a great mentor for me.”
R.I.P Mark Fleischman.
