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Published Wednesday, March 10, 2010 | 1:52 p.m.
Updated Wednesday, March 10, 2010 | 2:10 p.m.
Randy Kwasniewski
Sun Archives
The Clark County Coroner’s Office ruled that Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel and Casino President Randy Kwasniewski died Tuesday of a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
Police responded at 9:50 a.m. to the Summerlin home of Kwasniewski and found him dead. Kwasniewski, 56, was president of Morgans Hotel Group Las Vegas and chief operating officer of Hard Rock Hotel Inc.
A family friend and spokesman, attorney David Chesnoff, expressed sorrow and asked for privacy on behalf of his wife and two children.
He had worked in the hotel industry for about 30 years. Before joining Morgans, he served as senior vice president of Starwood Capital Group, where he played an integral role in the acquisition and operational aspects of Starwood hotel portfolios, including the Societe du Louvre and Le Meridien.
Before joining Starwood Capital Group, he was the vice president of operations for the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, where he oversaw all hotel, food and beverage, retail and facilities staffs and operations.
Waiting for the other shoe to drop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A forensic accountant should be brought in for the sake of investors in the hotel company and the investment bank division of a major international bank, whose past head resigned after a "highly publicized personal scandal."
The family of the "Tax Audit Defense Company" head that took his life a number of years back, asked for privacy too.
Public Company, public figure, public interest and stockholder interest.
A family man running a major Las Vegas resort, why this for God's sake?
How bad could it be?
My sympathy surely goes out to the family.
OK, so we already know the details of his passing, now we want to know WHY???
Maybe "why" isn't anyone's business.
RPJ :
If that's the case then maybe the entire story isn't anyone's business, but gee, for some reason the report is splashed all over the world media , so it looks like it's the entire world's business now doesn't it?.
Just because the media reports it, doesn't mean it's your business. Grow up.
Sure, people are curious but the family owes no one an explanation.
Geez.... there is a lot of that going around lately... I wonder if it is the way things are with our finances and the economics in our country....whatever ....it is a shame.... wife and kids ...no insurance will pay off in a suicide...better he should have been murdered....I know that sounds cold but really ....I hope he took care of his family before he decided to leave them.....
"no insurance will pay off in a suicide"
Absolutely not true. Usually it will but after a waiting period.
It's news, that's why they print it. What I can't figure out is why they let us comment on it. RPJ is correct. Have a heart. That family is devastated.
Comment removed by moderator. Comment contained name-calling.
"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation."- Henry David Thoreau
Once the investigation is complete.It will be available through public record.
There is no way of knowing completly WHY he took his life.
My prayers go out to his Wife Children and family.Unfortunatly the will be alot of speculation on his death and we will never know all the circumstances.
When the news broke I was hoping it would be ruled accidental and not a homicide or suicide for the families sake and the Hard Rock Casino's sake.Way to many gray areas for people to speculate but I believe now they must bring in an outside autopsy and deffinantly a forensics investigation.This is a very unfortunate situation
There are way too many suicides and overdoses lately. Why aren't these people seeking professional help? There are many mental health professionals in the country trained and experienced in dealing with crisis situations. Before you make a decision to end your life PLEASE call someone!
environprotector It appears as if RPJ has some valid points and you are in denial.
I am waiting for the nit wit neiman to blame this on Harry Reid, while he so passionately defends the loser Ensign. After that he will come with a Pelosi link.What a complete fraud neiman is.
Sad to hear that people decide to quit their lives that way. My sympathy goes to the family who will have to live with that. That's shocking news from the world of gaming, but obviously something that can't be foreseen. The world seems to go upside down these days...
At least for the sake of grief the Hard Rock should put down the music a bit for the next weeks in respect to its president and make it a more pleasant place to go and gamble. If not I'll patronize, but only wearing earplugs. Last time when I was playing b-j there I could barely talk to the dealer. I wonder if this is legal to expose employees and customers alike to this high level of noise...
From Switzerland
Well the Sun has covered Nevada suicide issues. If it doesn't involve corporate financial issues, then it is not so much a public issue. The MHGC stock does not seem to be affected, yet.
Man, just look at the history of Vegas. The Casinos aren't being run by mobsters anymore but maybe those running casinos act like mobsters.
Don't Blame It On The Noise / Blame It On The Boys / If It's Too Loud You're Too Old / If It's Too Loud You're Too Old
My sympathies to the family. No one should have to experience this.
To Kaliscanner: Mobsters knew how to run casinos. They understood that by offering inexpensive but good food, and inexpensive hotel rates in decent hotels, coupled with reasonably frequent wins, people would keep flocking back in droves. They knew that they would not make huge profits instantly but that they would have a very steady flow of money that could serve them well in the long run. The corporations that now run casinos with their instant gratification, big-win now mentalities do not seem to get this idea through their heads. They have absolutely no vision of a long-term, financially secure future. Certainly, the recession is a contributing factor to our current problems, but even if times were still good, we'd probably see some drop off in visitors because those visitors would have no incentive to come back. Why would I want to devote my vacation to a place that's overpriced and where I won't have any fun because I never get to win? Jeez, it's a basic psychological principle of reward and punishment; if you don't at least let the rat periodically get the food, the rat stops running the maze.
Alright, I'm getting sick to my stomach with all of this "compassionate" stuff being said here. Suicide is the most ultimate SELFISH act a person can commit against his dependents, family, and business partners. While tragic yes, it's still showing no concern for his wife and children who are now faced with their sorrow, and having to clean up the mess he left behind.
environprotector get a life. you think you know everything about every article written. why dont you get a hobby instead of being mr commmentator of the sun. Most people that committ suicide have a huge deal of issues rooted inside and at the time are not in their right mind and think this is the only answer. get a clue
youngmoney say's : Most people that committ suicide have a huge deal of issues rooted inside and at the time are not in their right mind and think this is the only answer.
I don't disagree with you, however having been the recipient of a family member of mine committing suicide in this same manner, except that he did it right in front of his wife's eyes, makes me a bit knowledgeable on this subject..
sorry for the family but ...MAN THE F UP EVERYONE HAS PERIODS OF THIER LIFE WHEN THEY FEEL LIKE IT WOULD BE BETTER IF THEY WERE NOT AROUND.....MAYBE HE WAS GOING TO LOOSE IT ALL MAYBE HE HAS FAMILY HISTORY AND THE KILL YOURSELF SWITCH WENT OFF.....BUT IM SORRY YOU DIDNT WANT TO KILL YOUR SELF WHEN LIFE WAS GOOD.. NOW WHEN ITS BAD YOU CHECK OUT?.. JOIN THE CLUB... LIFE IS BAD FOR MOST PEOPLE ON THIS PLANET WE HAVE GOTTEN WEAK.... SORRY FOR THE KIDS.. BUY WHY AM I IF THERE OWN FATHER WAS NOT....I HAD 3 FREINDS DO THIS AND ALL OF THEM HAD A WAY OUT IF THEY LIVED....BUT THE HAD NO FAITH AND WERE TOO WEAK FROM A LIFE TIME OF UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS....SORRY NO TOLERANCE FOR SUICIDE... ITS ALL SELFISHNESS
It's always a tragedy. I believe that despair trumps selfishness. As do a million other variables. Condolences to all who appreciated him.
I firmly believe that when you commit suicide you have to reincarnate back into human form and relive your life and issues right up to the moment you checked yourself out. Knowing this, even when life gets real hard I know I have no other choice but to deal with it. Suicide isn't an easy way out, its a one way ticket back to hell on earth.
Interesting that Harrah's just purchased Hard Rock recently....Harrah's is a horribly run coorporation. They treat their workers terribly...I wonder if Randy was going to get termininated by Harrah's???? ....I wouldn't be surpriused...
Harrah's management needs to be replaced...Expecially at Bill's Gamblin Hall----Their HR department is run by a baffoon!--Same with Bill's/IP maintenace engineering boss!
Flapsychdoc:
"Why aren't these people seeking professional help?"
My guess would be that many lack medical coverage, and/or the means to pay cash.
(Yes, this is obviously not in the same category.)
Steve10 :
You sure about your facts here? I thought Morgans Hotel Group own The Hard Rock?? I don;t thingk Harrahs owns it?? but maybe they do.. Anyone?
It is owned by Morgans Hotel Group MHGC and DLJ Partners division of Suisse Bank, (an investment bank division) The restaurants are a different company. Morgan's owns "boutique" hotels in upscale cities and a couple of casinos. The Yucaipa Companies had some stock warrants in MHGC.(Ron Burkle: investment company: involved in everything such as: Grocery stores, beanie babies, Pittsburgh Penguins, Barnes and Noble, Barneys etc etc -also former FOB friend of Bill Clinton, who worked for Yucaipa)
Yucaipa has an apparent investment in a firm (Istithmar)related to Dubai World, which has an ownership interest in City Center.
Probably thinking of Planet Hollywood
RPJ...its none of your business what we say in our posts ......got it.....dont tell us what we can say or not say....its called freedom of speech...thanks....
Insurance policies do not pay off if it is a self-inflicted injury that caused death...if that were so anyone could purchase a life insurance policy ...a big one... make their family beneficiary and then commit suicide and their family would become wealthy over night....I dont think so.....insurance companies are very savvy...they usually ask if their is mental illness in your family or if you have been to a doctor to treat depression.....
The coroner must be one smart fellow to claim it was a suicide. What was his first clue, the hole in this guys head?
RIP
Environprotector you're right. But it's so much easier to just go with the flow, say RIP, and then feel as if you "paid your respects". NOT! It's an empty saying IMHO. The sad thing is that his children will have to answer the question over and over, there is no insurance money for suicides, he's left his wife to clean up the financial messiness, she's left with a zillion unanswered questions she'd like answers to; emotional and psychological impact on the entire family is far reaching; and quite frankly who cares what the stock is doing. In essence, the man blew his brains out without giving a thought to his family, friends, business associates, finances, responsibilities, nothing!
I'm sure his family isn't resting in peace. I'm very sad for them, because like a thorn in their side, the word suicide will, now and forever, always be a part of their lives and THAT, is the real tragedy here.
Harrah's owning the Hard Rock Hotel?
Where did that incorrect piece of information come from?
Burrito:
Just because there's a gun shot woud doesn't always mean it's a suicide...there were other possibilities to rule out...
That should be "wound"...
How can someone even contemplate taking their own life and then leaving behind a wife and children to grief? What state of mind must this person be in, he was president of the Hard Rock Casino and even if times were hard as some people have suggested, taking your life is no answer to solving the problems, maybe it is an easy option for him to check out! I have also read that the son of Marie Osmond has committed suicide because a lifetime of depression, I know depression is now regarded as serious illness but this guy was only 18 and his lifetime was not that long. Don' get me wrong, these are tragic events and you must feel sympathy for the people they leave behind. I will leave this comment on a somewhat positive note, my brother-in-law has been blind since tragic operation when he was 11, he is now 52 and sits most days on his own in a flat. If anyone should feel depressed, it is this guy yet when I speak to him and see him his is the most upbeat, happy and talkative person you could meet. Okay, maybe when he on his own things are different but this guy keeps his spirits up through life and makes the most of things. I think some of these celebrities and famous people should take a serious look at other people before committing the easy and ultimate sacrifice.
TO REPORT44...You might be correct if all these people are in their right minds. but if someone is in such pain as to actually go through with suicide, that is something all of us who are still here could not possibly understand. So you can not speak for them. So save your comparisons and judgements.
One thing I am noticing is that many people seem to be experiencing sleep problems and are trying these sleep aids that are advertised on TV. The ads do mention an increased risk of suicide. I think this really needs to be looked at. I have known two other people who tried these drugs and are now longer with us by their own hand.
My deepest sympathy to all who knew and loved Randy.