Money does weird things to people. But in the case of Ben Novack Jr., it didn't just cause a family feud; it led to one of the most stomach-turning crimes in Florida and New York history. You’ve probably heard of the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach. It’s iconic. It’s the backdrop for Goldfinger and Scarface. Ben Novack Jr. was the heir to that massive legacy, the son of the man who built that dream from the sand up.
But by July 2009, the dream was a nightmare.
Basically, Ben was found dead in a Hilton hotel room in Rye Brook, New York. It wasn't just a "wrong place, wrong time" situation. This was a targeted, gruesome execution that involved duct tape, dumbbells, and a level of personal cruelty that usually only exists in horror movies. The Ben Novack Jr murder wasn't just about a rich guy getting robbed. It was a calculated hit orchestrated by the person who slept right next to him: his wife, Narcy Novack.
The Morning Everything Fell Apart
It was a Sunday morning. Ben was in New York for a convention his company, Convention Concepts Unlimited, was managing for Amway. He was a busy guy, a millionaire with a massive collection of Batman memorabilia—we're talking a legitimate Batmobile and thousands of comics—and a lifestyle that felt like a weird mix of high-society business and dark personal secrets.
Narcy Novack, a former stripper from Ecuador, told police she found him. She said she walked into their suite and there he was. Ben was lying face down, bound with duct tape, beaten to a pulp. But here is the part that still makes people shudder: the killers didn't just kill him. They used a utility knife to gouge out his eyes.
Why? Because Narcy reportedly wanted to make sure he could never "look at another woman" again.
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Honestly, the brutality was a message. It wasn't just about the $4 million estate or the $650,000 in life insurance. It was about "hatred, greed, and vengeance," according to federal prosecutors. You don't slice someone's eyes out for a wallet. You do it because you want them to suffer.
The Mother-In-Law "Accident"
To understand the Ben Novack Jr murder, you actually have to look back three months before Ben died. In April 2009, Ben’s 86-year-old mother, Bernice Novack, was found dead in her Fort Lauderdale home. At the time, police ruled it an accident. They thought she tripped and hit her head.
Ben didn't buy it. He told friends something felt off. He even mentioned a glass of white wine on the table—his mom didn't drink white wine.
Turns out, he was right. After Ben was killed, investigators realized the two deaths were connected. Narcy hadn't just hired hitmen for her husband; she had them kill Bernice first. Why? To make sure Ben inherited everything from his mother so that when he died, the pot would be even bigger for Narcy. It was a double play for the family fortune.
The Hitmen and the Monkey Wrench
Narcy didn't act alone. She had help from her brother, Cristóbal Véliz. He was the middleman who recruited the muscle. They hired two guys, Alejandro García and Joel González.
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García eventually flipped. He told the FBI everything.
He described how they ambushed Bernice in her garage, hitting her in the face with a plumber’s wrench. Then, for Ben, Narcy actually let the killers into the hotel room. She handed them a pillow to muffle Ben’s screams while they beat him with dumbbells. Imagine that. She stood there. She watched. She even told them to get his eyes.
It’s the kind of detail that makes you realize this wasn't just about the money. Narcy was convinced Ben was going to leave her for his mistress, a porn actress named Rebecca Bliefnick. If Ben divorced her, a prenuptial agreement would have left Narcy with "only" $65,000. By killing him, she stood to inherit millions.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Fortune
There’s this idea that Narcy got away with some of it or that the money is just sitting there. Not really. After a wild trial in 2012, Narcy and her brother were both sentenced to life in prison without parole.
But the legal battle didn't end with the handcuffs.
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Florida has what they call a "Slayer Statute." Basically, it says you can’t inherit money from someone you murdered. Since Narcy killed Ben, she was legally treated as if she had died before him. This meant the estate—the Batman collection, the cash, the property—didn't go to her.
Instead, a massive legal feud broke out between Ben's cousins and Narcy’s daughter from a previous marriage, May Abad. The cousins argued that if May got the money, Narcy would still "benefit" because her daughter would put money in her prison commissary account.
Eventually, the courts ruled in favor of May Abad. Most of the estate, valued at over $4 million, was destined for her and her sons. The Batman collection, which was Ben’s pride and joy, was auctioned off to pay for legal fees and taxes. It’s a sad end for a legacy that started with the glitz of the Fontainebleau.
Why the Case Still Matters
The Ben Novack Jr murder is a textbook example of how domestic violence can escalate into something world-ending. People often look at these "true crime" stories as entertainment—there was even a Lifetime movie called Beautiful & Twisted starring Rob Lowe—but the reality is a story of failed investigations and missed red flags.
- Red Flag 1: In 2002, Ben told police Narcy had tied him up and threatened him with a gun. He didn't press charges.
- Red Flag 2: Bernice’s death was botched by the initial investigators. If they had seen the "accident" for what it was—a murder—Ben might still be alive.
- Red Flag 3: The prenuptial agreement. It created a "kill or be poor" incentive for a woman who was already showing signs of extreme instability.
Actionable Insights for the Curious
If you're following this case or similar high-profile probate murders, there are a few things to keep in mind regarding how the law handles these "twisted" estates:
- Check the Slayer Rules: Most states have them, but they vary. In Florida, the law is very literal. It only bars the killer, not necessarily the killer's kids.
- The Importance of Independent Investigations: If a family member dies in a "fall" and things don't add up, don't just take the initial police report as gospel. Ben's gut was right, but he didn't have time to act on it.
- Estate Planning is a Security Tool: Prenups are great, but they can also create desperate situations. Modern estate planners often look at the "behavioral" risks within a family when large sums of money are involved.
The Novack family name used to stand for Miami luxury. Now, it’s a cautionary tale about the dark side of the American Dream. Narcy Novack is currently sitting in a federal prison in Tallahassee, likely to stay there until she dies. Ben is buried in a family mausoleum in Queens—not side-by-side with Narcy, as his will originally requested, but far away from the woman who took his life.
To dig deeper into the legal documents, you can look up the federal case United States v. Novack in the Southern District of New York. It contains the full testimony of the hitmen and the forensic evidence that eventually brought Narcy down.