Somen “Steve” Banerjee, 1946-1994 — Steve was born in Bombay, India on October 8, 1946. He attended the University of London and graduated in 1962, with a degree in Business. Immigrating to Southern California, he eventually owned and operated two Mobil gas stations. After selling the gas stations, he bought a backgammon club in west LA, and changed the name from Destiny II to Chippendales.
Chippendales featured female mud wrestling and a nightclub that started at 10pm which hosted the hottest celebrities of the time, such as Mohamed Ali. Soon, he added a male dance group. The brand went national… and then international. Steve brought in over $100 million in profits during his 15 year tenure as founder and operator of Chippendales from 1979 to 1994.