Who is Marko Guberovic? New Jersey man, 38, beaten to death in brawl outside strip club from 'The Sopranos'
BERGEN, NEW JERSEY: A New Jersey man was killed outside the strip club made popular by 'The Sopranos' in an assault in which he was violently beaten, hit by a vehicle, and dragged hundreds of feet, said the police.
Marko Guberovic, 38, died at 3:40 am on Saturday, May 25, after a brawl with five men outside Satin Dolls, the jiggle joint depicted as Bada Bing in HBO's hit mob drama. According to court documents, the brawl started on the shoulder of Route 17 after they had a verbal altercation outside the strip club and Guberovic was "ultimately punched several times, stumbled, and landed face down in the fast lane."
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Who is Marko Guberovic?
Marko Guberovic, 38, a lifetime resident of Fair Lawn, adored his niece Tessa, who friends called “the absolute light of his life.” A small sample of the sweet and sometimes funny selfies he took with the blond-haired adolescent revealed their bond, the Daily Voice reported. His Instagram bio lists him as a realtor from the Keller Williams Village Square Realty in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Guberovic, known as "Polo," used to sell shoes but now works as a real estate agent for Keller Williams, the Daily Voice reported.
He graduated from Fair Lawn High School in 2000 and went on to Montclair State University to receive a bachelor's degree in business. He was an active person who loved hockey and snowboarding throughout his life. Guberovic, who went by the nickname "Iloveswoosh," was an ardent sneaker collector, Vander Plaat-Caggiano Funeral Home, who are arranging his funeral, said. He enjoyed working out and had a particular fondness for basketball shoes, especially Nikes, which he photographed and shared with his 63,700 Instagram followers under the hashtag #iloveswoosh.
"Life is super short and unpredictable," fellow real estate agent Josh Fiallo wrote on Facebook. "Y’all better start touching base with your loved ones or those you hold close.. family, homies, friends etc..... drop the pride/grudges and put some stuff to rest, before you have to put someone close to you to rest."
A GoFundMe was set up by the 'Foot Locker Family' of Cliffside Park, calling Guberovic a "beloved son, brother, uncle and friend". "He would light up any room he walked into with his infamous WOOOOOOOO™ and would put a smile on everyone’s faces. He was the most genuine soul and will be dearly missed by so many. If you knew Marko, you know he would give you the shirt off his back for anyone in need without hesitating. His kindness was unmatched," members of the family wrote in the description on the campaign page.
"Marko went out of his way for anyone he could, and this is our chance to do it for him and his family. Please keep them in your prayers. His mother, father and sister; but specially his niece, Tessa, who was the absolute light of his life," it added.
What happened to Marko Guberovic?
Guberovic was beaten by five Ridgefield Park men, two of whom were brothers, before being dumped on Route 17 in Bergen County, according to Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella. Responders said Guberovic was hit and dragged several hundred feet after being struck.
Adrian Hoti, Fero Hoti, Kevin Agudelo and Christian Reyes, all 22, and Julio Pena, 23, have all been charged with aggravated manslaughter and endangering an injured victim. The driver of the car that hit Guberovic has yet to be named.
On Thursday, a private funeral was scheduled for Guberovic at St Anne's RC Church in Fair Lawn.