LOS ANGELES: The founder of the Chippendales male strip show hanged

himself in prison yesterday, hours before he was to be sentenced for the

murder-for-hire of a business partner. Somen ''Steve'' Banerjee, 47, who

faced up to 26 years in prison, was found hanging by a torn bedsheet in

his cell at a Los Angeles prison. Banerjee arranged the 1987 murder of

business partner Nick DeNoia who was killed in a legal row over touring

rights. DeNoia was an an Emmy-winning producer and ex-husband of actress

Jennifer O'Neill.