Crime & Safety
Philadelphia Inquirer Co-Owner, Ex-Nets Owner Dies in Plane Crash
Lewis Katz, one of two business moguls who gained full control of the newspaper, died in a plane crash as his plane was leaving a Massachusetts airport Saturday night. Katz is a founding partner of the Cherry Hill law firm of Katz, Ettin & Levine.
One of two business moguls who gained full control of the the Philadelphia Inquirer last week died in a plane crash Saturday night in Massachusetts.
Lewis Katz, 72, a founding partner of the Cherry Hill law firm of Katz, Ettin & Levine, was one of seven people killed on a flight that departed from Hanscom Field in Bedford, Massachusetts for Atlantic City International Airport Saturday night. The plane crashed on takeoff.
Inquirer editor Bill Marimow confirmed the death Sunday morning.
Katz and H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest bought out their other partners for $88 million for full control of the news operation, outbidding a group led by Democratic powerbroker George Norcross.
Katz once owned the NBA's New Jersey Nets and the NHL's New Jersey Devils. He presided over the transformation of the Nets from an also-ran franchise in the late 1990s to a two-time Eastern Conference champion a decade ago. He also was instrumental in the creation of the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network (YES).
Katz grew up in Camden and his son is the chief executive of a Cherry Hill billboard company, according to Philly.com. His son Drew Katz will have a stake in the new venture.
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