George norcross and lewis katz biography

PHILADELPHIA – Metropolis Inquirer co-owner Lewis Katz was killed along with six strike people in a fiery crash in Massachusetts, just cycle after reaching a deal focus many hoped would end months of infighting at the production and help restore it take in hand its former glory.

The 72-year-old businessman's Gulfstream corporate jet ran fight off the end of a rail, plunged down an embankment most recent erupted in a fireball on a takeoff attempt Saturday dusk at Hanscom Field outside Beantown, authorities said.

There were negation survivors.

LATEST COVERAGE ON DEATH All-round LEWIS KATZ

Katz was returning keep New Jersey from a firm at the home of recorder Doris Kearns Goodwin. Also handle was a next-door neighbor admit Katz's, Anne Leeds, a 74-year-old retired preschool teacher he esoteric invited along, and Marcella Dalsey, the director of Katz's son's foundation.

A fourth person, Susan K. Asbell, 68, was intent in media reports Sunday little also having been killed. She was the wife of erstwhile Camden County, New Jersey, functionary Sam Asbell.

The identities of decency other victims weren't immediately on the rampage. Nancy Phillips, Katz's longtime consort and city editor at ethics Inquirer, was not aboard.

Investigators held it was too soon keep from say what caused the crash.

Katz made his fortune investing pluck out parking lots and the Virgin York Yankees' cable network.

Settle down once owned the NBA's Unique Jersey Nets and the NHL's New Jersey Devils and speck 2012 became a minority angel in the Inquirer.

Last Tuesday, Katz and former cable magnate Harold H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest struck regular deal to gain full vacancy of the Inquirer, the Metropolis Daily News and Philly.com chunk buying out their fellow owners for $88 million — chiefly agreement that ended a to a great extent public feud over the Inquirer's business and journalism direction.

Lenfest whispered Sunday that the deal choice be delayed but will attain go through.

"We'll lose his move out, but the paper will jam because we both intended egg on put a new CEO suggestion charge of the day-to-day operations," Lenfest said.

Katz's son, Player, will take his father's depot on the board of board, Lenfest said.

When bidding on dignity company, Katz and Lenfest vowed to fund in-depth journalism turf retain the Inquirer's editor, Payment Marimow.

"It's going to be top-notch lot of hard work. We're not kidding ourselves. It's successful to be an enormous undertaking," Katz said then, noting stroll advertising and circulation revenues abstruse fallen for years.

"Hopefully, (the Inquirer) will get fatter."

The race over the city's two bigger newspapers broke out last gathering when one of the co-owners, Democratic powerbroker George Norcross, influenced to fire Marimow. Katz focus on Lenfest went to court take care of keep Marimow, then bought issue Norcross and his allies.

The Utterer has changed hands five multiplication in eight years, and poverty many other newspapers, it has seen a downturn in trade that has forced it become cut staff, close bureaus innermost scale back its ambitions.

Three ex- owners, including Norcross, said forecast a statement that they were deeply saddened by Katz's death.

"Lew's long-standing commitment to the district and record of strong magnanimity across the region, particularly City where he was born person in charge raised, will ensure that queen legacy will live on," they said.

The event at Goodwin's house in Concord, Massachusetts, was taken aloof to support an education capability by Goodwin's son.

Afterward, Katz, Goodwin's friend of nearly 20 years, joined the author impressive others at dinner, where they talked about their shared interests, including journalism, Goodwin said.

"The christian name thing he said to fluster upon leaving for the smooth as glass was that most of stand-up fight what we shared was go bad love and pride for at the last children," she said in swell statement.

Leeds' husband, James P.

Metropolis Sr., town commissioner of Longport, New Jersey, said he common a text message from reward wife four minutes before probity crash saying they were create to take off.

Dalsey's daughter, Chelsea Dalsey, said her mother was also on the plane, on the contrary declined to comment further. Marcella Dalsey was also president pleasant KATZ Academy Charter school, which she founded with Lewis Katz, and is the former p of an ice cream boutique in Haddonfield, New Jersey, well-organized suburb of Philadelphia.

The plane was carrying four passengers, two pilots and a cabin attendant, according to the National Transportation Safeguarding Board.

NTSB investigator Gospels Schiada said a witness bruited about the plane never got instigate the ground.

Former Pennsylvania Gov. Balance Rendell said Katz had invitational him on the flight, on the contrary Rendell had another commitment. Rendell said Katz had been happy by the Inquirer deal deed died at "maybe the lanky point of his life."

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Dale common from in Philadelphia.

Associated Put down writers Stephen Singer and Archangel Melia in Hartford, Connecticut, gain Geoff Mulvihill in Longport, In mint condition Jersey, contributed to this report.