Samuel Bronfman II Net Worth: How Rich Is The Seagram Fortune Heir Today? His Kidnapping Case Details

A member of the famous Canadian-American Jewish Bronfman family, Samuel Bronfman II’s net worth is estimated at millions. 

Samuel Bronfman II is still remembered for the infamous 1975 kidnapping that changed his life forever.

He was held hostage for nine days in a Brooklyn apartment. He was kidnapped by two Ireland natives, a former limousine operator Dominic Byrne and former fireman Mel Patrick Lynch.

Samuel was rescued by the FBI and the two kidnappers were arrested. But, in a turn of events, they managed to flip the entire kidnapping incident and laid the blame on the victim itself.

They and their lawyer Peter DeBlasion proved there was no kidnapping. They were acquitted of kidnapping and were only charged for extortion of money.

What Is Samuel Bronfman II Net Worth?

Samuel Bronfman II’s net worth may be in millions.

He was the rightful heir to the Seagram Corporation. The company was the family legacy.

However, Edgar Bronfman Sr. did not pass the company to his eldest son and instead gave it to his younger son, Edgar Jr.

Edgar Jr. in turn sold the company and started a show business by purchasing Polygram. This move reportedly reduced the family’s fortune to half, reported coolopolis.com.

Samuel Bronfman II Was Kidnapped In 1975 For Nine Days

Samuel Bronfman II was kidnapped by two Irish men in 1975. The Bronfman kidnapping is one of the strangest tales in criminal history.

His abductors, Lynch and Byrne, demanded a ransom of $2.3 million. They threatened to kill Samuel’s father, Edgar if their plan were hindered at any point of the transaction.

Edgar met a man in Woodside, Queens, and delivered the ransom. Around 100 disguised FBIs were hiding in the background.

Despite that, the man managed to escape the scene. The abductor, however, made an unfortunate mistake and fled in his own car.

The police tracked down the vehicle and reached Lynch’s house. From there, the FBI’s tracked his other partner, Byrne’s location.

When they reached the Brooklyn apartment, they found Samuel tied in a chair and Byrne sitting on a couch.

Both of his abductors were arrested and confessed to their crime, New York Times reported.

Nonetheless, Lynch later denied the confession and told a new story.

Lynch said he and Bronfman were, in fact, lovers. They first met at a bar in June 1874 and began a clandestine sexual affair.

He further claimed Bronfman was the real mastermind behind the whole kidnapping as homosexuality was a big deal back in the day.

His storytelling was convincing and raptured everyone’s attention to the point they were acquitted of kidnapping.

Byrne and Lynch were only convicted of extortion charges and spent several years in prison.

Samuel Bronfman II Grandchildren- Meet The Bronfman Family

Samuel Bronfman II is the grandchild of Samuel Bronfman, a Russian who emigrated to Canada with his parents.

Samuel II was married to his wife Melanie Mann. They were together for 16 years until Melanie’s demise in 1991.

She died due to breast cancer.

Melanie and Samuel were parents to three children. But, very little is known about his children as of now.

Where Is Samuel Bronfman II Today?

Samuel Bronfman II is 67 years old currently and is living a quiet and peaceful life.

Samuel stayed away from media attention following his kidnapping. It ruined his reputation forever.

According to Yahoo, his kidnapper’s lawyer, DeBlasio confessed on his deathbed that Bronfman was an innocent victim.

He was never involved in the kidnapping. DeBlasio’s client never told him he was lying but he was aware of the truth.

DeBlasio called the Bronfman kidnaping the greatest trial of his career. Although he won the case, his guilt made him expose the truth in his memoir.

Samuel stated he was innocent but was proved wrong. He did not divulge the hardship he had to face because of the false accusation but said he was happy the truth came out in the end.