Ben Novack Murders

The Murders of Bernice and Ben Novack Ben Novack Jr. lived the life that many desire. He came from a wealthy family; his parents were the owners of the once famous Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach Florida. Ben was raised in a life of luxury only to become successful all on his own. After a failed start up Ben created, owned and ran, Convention Concepts Unlimited where his mother, future wife and step daughter would work later on. It is difficult to know where to start with this story but considering all that were involved, it is only fair to start with Ben Novack Sr. the man who welcomed Ben Jr. into the world of business. Ben Novack Sr. was a well known man in his own right. He became most famous in the 1950 's when he built and founded

It was considered to be one of the largest and most prestigious hotels. It started out with a over 500 rooms, at least 12 restaurants, nightclubs and a luxurious pool. Today, (or at least in 2009) it is owned by Jeffrey Soffer and boasts over 1500 rooms. It is also considered a historical landmark being that it “is one of the most historically and architecturally significant hotels on Miami Beach” (hotel website). Ben Sr. remained the owner of the Fontainebleau up until 1977 when he lost it after filing bankruptcy as Miami began to become a destination for retirement(source). Prior to building the hotel Ben Sr. often traveled from New York to Miami. It was in the 1940 when in New York on business that he met the woman who would become his second wife, and the "First Lady" of the Fontainebleau, Bernice “a former model for Coca-Cola and Salvador Dali” (cbs 48 hour). Ben Sr. was still married to his first wife, Bella, when they adopted a boy they named Ronald. Ben and Bella divorced on bad terms. However, Bella did obtain a property they owned that had another prestigious hotel on it and lived out the remainder of her life pretty well. After the divorce Ben Sr. had little to do with Ronald although it is alleged that Ronald worked at the Fontainebleau for a short while at some point. After his divorce from Bella, Ben Sr. and Bernice married in 1951. They had Ben Jr. in 1955 while living in the