PHILADELPHIA _ Bruce Deifik, who blew through $70 million of his own money reopening the former Revel as the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J., died over the weekend in Denver in a car crash, according to reports.
Deifik lost his stake in the property in January after the hedge fund Luxor took control of resort, which Deifik purchased from Florida investor Glenn Straub for $229 million. The casino closed in 2014 after a series of bankruptcies.
Deifik was to face a hearing Wednesday in Atlantic City in front of casino regulators, who were seeking to strip him of his key casino license because of allegations of sexual harassment by female employees of Ocean Resort Casino.
The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner said it would be providing information in a release later Monday and declined to confirm his death earlier Monday.
His lawyer, Paul O'Gara, told The Associated Press that Deifik was killed in a single-car crash Sunday while driving home from a Colorado Rockies baseball game in his hometown of Denver.
"It's a terrible tragedy," said developer Bart Blatstein, who owns the Showboat, located next to Ocean, and who was told of Deifik's death Monday. "I knew him as a nice man. He put his heart and wallet in Atlantic City. It's a sad time."
Diane Spiers, VP of marketing at Ocean, released a statement sending thoughts and prayers to Deifik's family.
"We are saddened to learn that Bruce Deifik, former owner of Ocean Casino Resort, has passed away," the statement said. "The Ocean family is grateful for Bruce having the vision to re-open this beautiful oceanfront property and employing over 3,000 members of our community.
At the time the allegations were made, Deifik had been living and working at the casino, according to a report filed by the state Attorney General's office, which stated that Deifik had agreed to stay in his hotel quarters after 9 p.m. while the allegations were being investigated. He had since returned to Denver.
After Luxor took over the property, with intentions to invest about $70 million into upgrades, Deifik's involvement with Atlantic City ended.
Separately, about 100 non-union administrative staff were recently laid off at Ocean, according to sources. The property employs about 3,000 people, including about 1,200 members of UNITE Here hotel workers union.
Deifik had testified before regulators that he invested in the property without ever visiting Atlantic City. He hoped a personal touch would transform the failed Revel into a friendly maritime-themed resort.
