Bar 54 'Curse': Investment firm founder meets same fate as model who fell to her death from rooftop bar
If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or would like emotional support, you are urged to call the toll-free 24-hour hotline of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Authorities have revealed that the founder of an investment firm fell to his death from a Manhattan rooftop bar on Wednesday night, January 25. It's worth noting that this is the second time a person has plunged from the same hotel bar in less than four months. It's shocking as a model named Elizabeth Gaglewski died in the same fashion not too long ago.
Police did not identify the victim, aged 46, who fell from Bar 54 located on the Hyatt Centric Times Square's rooftop space in New York in front of at least two witnesses around 6.30 pm. The man reportedly landed on the street and was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Police sources told the New York Post that two witnesses at the rooftop bar saw the man jump off the building. A call was placed to 911 by a woman just after the man took off, complaining about a loud thud. The death is being investigated as a suicide, per an NYPD spokesperson. Insiders also revealed to the newspaper that the police were called to the victim's home twice in 2008 over domestic disputes with his wife. One of the arguments was reportedly over finances. Meanwhile, court records obtained by New York Post indicated the couple had filed for divorce, the day before the horrific incident on Tuesday, January 24.
Sources also informed the outlet that the victim was a founder and partner at a Connecticut-based investment company. "We are truly heartbroken at the situation that occurred this evening outside our rooftop bar, and we are keeping the victim’s family and friends in our thoughts and hearts,” Tom Blundell, the general manager of Hyatt Centric Times Square, said in a statement. “We are working closely with local authorities. The safety and well-being of all our colleagues, hotel guests, and Bar 54 guests remain a top priority, and at this time, as a result of this tragic incident, we will keep the door to the bar’s outdoor space locked at all times,” a spokesperson added.
As mentioned earlier, this is the second time in less than four months that a person attempted suicide at the same hotel bar in a similar fashion. The NYPD reported in October how aspiring model Elizabeth Gaglewski, from Queens, plunged from Bar 54 before fatally hitting a 27th-floor balcony. The bar staff in the Hyatt said that they tried in vain to grab the 26-year-old woman as she stood on the ledge before she ultimately took a flight. Gaglewski, who was pronounced dead at the scene, was reportedly seen making a phone call before climbing onto the furniture and jumping over the side of the patio. The model's family remembered her as "sweet and loving." Her uncle Tony Smith told New York Post at the time, “She was just a good person, a sweet and loving, caring kid."