When people talk about Miami royalty, they’re usually talking about the Novacks. Ben Novack Sr. basically invented the modern luxury resort when he opened the Fontainebleau in 1954. It was all gold leaf, "stairways to nowhere," and Frank Sinatra holding court by the pool. But the glitter of that legacy was eventually replaced by something way darker. In 2009, the family name became synonymous with one of the most brutal double-homicides in American history. Specifically, the murders of Ben and Bernice Novack—the son and widow of the hotel magnate.
If you like true crime, you've probably seen the headlines. They're grisly. But the actual mechanics of how this family fell apart is a masterclass in greed, obsession, and a very specific kind of Florida gothic horror.
The First "Accident" in Fort Lauderdale
It started in April 2009. Bernice Novack was 86 years old and living in Fort Lauderdale. She was found dead in her garage, lying in a pool of blood next to her car. Initially, the police and the medical examiner called it a tragic accident. They figured she had fallen, hit her head, and simply bled out. Honestly, it seemed plausible given her age. People slip. It happens.
But Bernice wasn't just some random retiree. She was the woman who had helped build the Fontainebleau empire. She was tough. And while her death was originally filed away as "natural causes" following an accidental fall, some people—including her own relatives—weren't buying it. There were odd details. Blood splatter that didn't quite match a simple trip-and-fall. A broken jaw. A broken tooth.
Three months later, the "accident" narrative completely collapsed.
The Rye Brook Nightmare
On July 12, 2009, Ben Novack Jr. was found dead in a suite at the Hilton Hotel in Rye Brook, New York. Ben Jr. had followed in his father's footsteps, sort of. He ran a successful company called Convention Concepts Unlimited. He was in New York for an Amway convention.
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This wasn't a "slip and fall." It was a massacre.
Ben was found bound with duct tape. His eyes had been gouged out with a box cutter. He had been beaten with dumbbells. It was personal. It was ritualistic. And his wife, Narcy Novack, was the one who allegedly "discovered" the body.
Police in New York weren't as quick to dismiss things as the Florida investigators had been with Bernice. They immediately looked at Narcy. You see, the marriage was... complicated. There were stories of weird sex games, intense jealousy, and a prenuptial agreement that would have left Narcy with almost nothing if they divorced.
Connecting Ben and Bernice Novack
Once Ben Jr. was dead, investigators went back to Florida. They looked at Bernice’s "accident" through a new lens. It turns out, it wasn't an accident at all.
Narcy Novack hadn't just wanted her husband dead; she wanted his mother gone, too. Why? Money. It’s almost always money. If Bernice died first, the entire Novack estate—valued at roughly $10 million at the time—would flow directly to Ben Jr. And if Ben Jr. died next, the money went to Narcy.
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The hitmen, Alejandro Garcia and Joel Gonzalez, eventually spilled everything. They admitted that they had been hired by Narcy and her brother, Cristobal Veliz. They described how they had ambushed 86-year-old Bernice in her garage, hitting her in the head with a monkey wrench. They described how Narcy had literally let them into the hotel suite in New York to kill Ben while he slept, even handing them a pillow to muffle his screams.
Basically, Narcy sat there and watched.
The Trial and the "Batman" Defense
The trial in 2012 was a circus. Narcy tried to blame her own daughter, May Abad. She claimed May was the one who wanted the inheritance. It didn't work. The evidence was overwhelming. Cell phone records, bank transfers, and the testimony of the hitmen themselves painted a picture of a woman obsessed with maintaining her lifestyle at any cost.
One of the weirdest parts of the whole thing was Ben Jr.'s Batman collection. He was obsessed. He had one of the largest collections of Batman memorabilia in the world. Thousands of pieces. Thousands of dollars. It sounds like a joke, but it was a legitimate part of the estate battle.
Ultimately, Narcy Novack and her brother were sentenced to life in prison without parole. They’re both still behind bars today.
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Why This Case Still Matters
The story of Ben and Bernice Novack is more than just a "Florida Man" story gone wrong. It’s a reminder of how quickly a legacy can be dismantled. The Fontainebleau was a symbol of the American Dream in the 50s. By 2009, it was the backdrop for a Shakespearean tragedy involving duct tape and dumbbells.
It also highlighted massive failures in the medical examiner's office in Florida. If they had correctly identified Bernice's death as a homicide from the start, Ben Jr. might still be alive. That's a heavy thought.
Key Takeaways from the Novack Case
- The "Slayer Rule" is real: In Florida and New York, you cannot inherit the estate of someone you killed. Narcy didn't get a cent. The money eventually went to her daughter, May Abad—the very person she tried to frame.
- Initial autopsy reports aren't gospel: Always look for patterns. Two deaths in the same family within three months is never a coincidence.
- The prenup was the catalyst: Narcy was terrified of a $65,000 payout. She killed for millions and ended up with a life sentence in a federal cell.
If you’re interested in the finer details, you can look into the court records from the Southern District of New York. The trial transcripts are public and they are, quite frankly, chilling. You might also want to check out the movie Beautiful & Twisted starring Rob Lowe; it’s a bit sensationalized, but it captures the vibe of the Novack's chaotic life pretty well.
The best thing you can do to understand this case is to read the original FBI press releases from 2012. They strip away the "true crime" flair and lay out the cold, hard facts of the racketeering and domestic violence charges that finally put Narcy away.