Mark Fleischman has sadly died at the age of 82 by assisted suicide on Wednesday.
The legendary nightlife impresario had been suffering from a mysterious neurological illness since 2016 that had recently confined him to a wheelchair.
He announced his intention to travel to the non-profit Dignitas clinic near Zurich, Switzerland with his wife, Mimi Fleischman, two weeks ago. On Wednesday (July 13), Fleischman took his final drug: a lethal dose of barbiturates.
Before his death, Fleischman revealed to the New York Post last month that the decision to end his life comes after his inability to no longer do "anything for [himself]," adding that it is the "easiest way out".
"I can’t walk, my speech is f***ed up and I can’t do anything for myself," Fleischman said. "My wife helps me get into bed and I can’t dress or put on my shoes. I am taking a gentle way out. It is the easiest way out for me."
Neurologists had been unable to diagnose his illness, Fleischman said. "I came to [a] decision slowly," he continued, adding, "two years ago, I decided that it wasn’t worth living".
According to the Independent, Daniel Fitzgerald, who co-owned Century Club in Los Angeles with Fleischman, confirmed that his wife texted him that Fleischman ended his life at the clinic.
"I got a text from (his wife) Mimi this morning to say that he passed away bravely," he said. "We didn’t realize how much pain he was in."
Fitzgerald revealed that he held a "living wake" for his friend on July 4th, and had wished that Fleischman would change his mind about the planned suicide.
"Everyone really had a good time, and we thought that he was going to stick around for a while, his brain was all there," he said.
"We thought that he was going to postpone it for a month but then I guess he didn’t. He was very strong-minded," Fitzgerald added.
Studio 54 opened in 1977 and was located in Manhattan's theater district. Fleischman took over after co-founders Steve Rubbell and Ian Schrager went to prison for tax evasion.
Fleischman ran the legendary Midtown nightclub for six years and partied with the likes of celebrity artists, business tycoons, rock legends, actors, and politicians.
The former owner says the lifestyle included drugs and alcohol, and it may have taken a toll on him, saying: "I liked to be high. So I would do drugs and drink. Possibly, this [health condition] is because I drank a lot and did drugs."
In his 2017 interview with Paper Magazine, Fleischman indulged in every substance, saying: "It all started with pot. Then I went onto coke. Somehow in the middle of all that, I did acid and mescaline. Poppers, of course."
Our thoughts go out to Fleischman's family, friends, and fans at this time.
