Hank Berger (1952 – October 31, 2006) was an American nightclub owner and merchandiser. After a stint in the

Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...

, Berger enrolled in the Cooper School of Art. Later, Berger helmed a series of successful

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

nightclubs, including the pioneering gay disco "Traxx" and "Phantasy Nightclub". He became known as "Dr. Disco". In having opened, operated, and brokered the sale of these clubs, Berger is credited with pioneering the development of "the Rock n' Roll capital of the world's neighborhood of '

The Flats The Flats is a mixed-use industrial, recreational, entertainment, and residential area of the Cuyahoga Valley neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. The name reflects its low-lying topography on the banks of the Cuyahoga River. History Early ...

'". In 1980, Berger merchandised the remnants of the old Hollywood sign after it was replaced by a replica. In 2005, he gave up on marketing the discarded cultural icon in pieces, and sold it for $450,000 to a man named Dan Bliss.Rock 'n' Roll and the Cleveland Connection - Deanna R. Adams - Google Boeken
/ref> Berger died on October 31, 2006, in Cleveland,

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

, at the age of 55 of

asthma Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wh ...

-related problems four days after having been hospitalized.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berger, Hank Nightclub owners 1952 births 2006 deaths Respiratory disease deaths in Ohio Deaths from asthma