The Buffalo business man who owns Curtiss Hotel, Chop House, Statler City and so many other businesses that has influenced Buffalo in so many ways passed away on Thursday.

A helicopter flown by Croce and his passenger Michael Capriotto, both of Orchard Park crashed in Pennsylvania around 8:30 PM yesterday. Nobody else was hurt in the accident.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are both investigating the crash.

Croce started off his business career as a deli owner in Amherst. Other businesses he started, took over, or had a hand in are The Coliseum, Sky Bar and CEO of Buffalo Development Corp.