by way of Fb
A distinguished Los Angeles nightclub proprietor and restaurateur was discovered useless within the Dominican Republic this week after apparently being gagged, choked, and overwhelmed.
The physique of Mario Oliver, 71, was found inside a villa in Las Terrenas, on the Samaná Peninsula on Wednesday night time, Dominican As we speak reported. The Nationwide Police and the Central Directorate of Prison Investigations are stated to have discovered that Oliver, as soon as a pillar of the L.A. nightlife scene when he ran the favored Vertigo nightclub, suffered head trauma and handbook compression of the neck.
Investigators say the house was damaged into, with a safe-deposit field stolen, together with a number of Rolex watches and different valuables, in line with native studies. The intruders additionally reportedly gagged Oliver earlier than choking him to demise.
Jim Colachis, a enterprise affiliate of Oliver, confirmed his demise to The Day by day Beast.
“Vertigo and Mario will at all times be part of historical past and my coronary heart,” he stated.
Colachis' brother, Nicholas, who was additionally near Oliver, stated he couldn't perceive why the intruders killed Oliver once they might have taken one Rolex and lived a “lifetime of leisure.”
“Mario did love the limelight. He was an exquisite individual, great showman, great companion, great father,” he stated, including that Oliver was “a lot enjoyable” that “you possibly can make a film” about him.
Oliver grew up in France earlier than shifting to L.A. in 1981, the place he went on to run the golf equipment Vertigo and The Gate, in addition to eating places Tryst, Le Petit 4 and Linq. The restaurateur was reportedly twice-divorced and had beforehand dated Princess Stephanie of Monaco.
He was additionally arrested in 1982 on rape costs for allegedly assaulting a 19-year-old woman, earlier than agreeing to sexual battery costs in a plea discount, The Los Angeles Instancesreported in 1987.
An investigation into his demise by Dominican police is ongoing.