The wealthy boat owner who spent the night with New York City swimwear designer Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra when she succumbed to a suspected drug overdose was once accused of biting a man at a concert, the Daily Mail can exclusively reveal.
Michael Balfe, a retired firefighter, claimed in a 2022 lawsuit that he was ‘viciously attacked, bit and assaulted’ by insurance mogul Christopher Durnan when the pair got into a bust-up during a concert by The Bogmen at New York’s Webster Hall.
Balfe said the unprovoked assault on September 11, 2021 – the 20th anniversary of 9/11 – left him ‘seriously injured both physically and mentally’.
He sued Durnan, now 60, for battery and Webster Hall for negligence, claiming security guards at the storied East Village venue – which has hosted the likes of Madonna, Metallica and U2 – didn’t step in fast enough to protect him.
Criminal court filings reveal Durnan was arrested on several misdemeanor charges including possession of a controlled substance and assault, but pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and was handed a one-year conditional discharge.
The father-of-two responded to Balfe’s claims by insisting he had acted in ‘justifiable self-defense’ and that the plaintiff was the ‘initial aggressor’.
Their suit was settled in December 2023 with all parties paying their own costs.
The Daily Mail revealed this week that bikini designer Martha, 33, met Durnan for a late-night rendezvous at the ritzy Montauk Yacht Club in the Hamptons prior to her August 5 death.

Insurance mogul Christopher Durnan was with swimwear designer Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra when she died of a suspected drug overdose. He was also arrested in 2022 for allegedly ‘viciously’ attacking and biting a firefighter during a brawl

Martha, 33, met Durnan for a late-night rendezvous on August 4, at the ritzy Montauk Yacht Club that ended in her death

Photographs taken the morning after revealed a dusting of mysterious white powder across a seat inside the 50ft cabin-cruiser
Balfe’s attorney Darren Moore told Daily Mail his client would not comment ‘out of respect for the family of the girl who tragically passed away, Mr. Balfe’s own family and also the confidential nature of the case resolution.’
Sources say the wealthy widower, who plays guitar and has several boats named after Grateful Dead songs, had invested more than $200,000 in the Irish beauty’s bikini boutique.
Their meeting ended in horror when he dashed down the dock naked around midnight screaming for help and indicating that Martha had passed out on his 50ft cabin-cruiser, Ripple.
Bystanders clambered on board to try to revive her, but Martha was declared dead at the scene, with sources telling the Daily Mail she was likely killed by an overdose of cocaine or other narcotics.
The fashionista’s heartbroken boyfriend, 34-year-old sales exec Nicholas DiRubio, was out of town when the tragedy unfolded.
She had reportedly told him she was planning to head home in an Uber around 1am.
Detectives from the Suffolk County Police Department found no signs of violence to Martha’s body but are waiting for toxicology results before they release a formal cause of death.
Her family, based in Carlow, Ireland, were warned that could take up to three months, according to reports in the Irish media.

New York’s Webster Hall was the scene of the altercation between Balfe and Durnan, according to the lawsuit


As of Tuesday, the Ripple was no longer docked at the Montauk Yacht Club, a 16-acre Star Island resort featuring 200 boat slips and upscale amenities such as tennis courts and two swimming pools

Daily Mail can reveal that Durnan suffered a devastating loss in 2018 when his wife Marie died unexpectedly at age 49. Her cause of death wasn’t disclosed in her obituary notice
Durnan, who founded the Durnan Group in 1981, specializing in workers’ compensation insurance, did not respond to calls and texts from the Daily Mail asking for comment.
As of Tuesday, Ripple was no longer moored at Montauk Yacht Club, a 16-acre Star Island resort that boasts slips for 200 boats and hotel-style amenities including a tennis court and two pools.
According to local sources, a crew arrived at dawn last Friday to sail it away.
A second vessel said to belong to Durnan – a five-engine powerboat named Hell In a Bucket, another nod to the Grateful Dead – departed the club the previous night, the source added.
The dad-of-two is believed to split his time between a $3 million seafront cottage in Montauk and Lantana, Florida, where he operates several more businesses and has a plush $10 million mansion.
The Daily Mail can reveal Durnan suffered a devastating personal tragedy in 2018 when his wife Marie died unexpectedly at age 49.
Marie was described as a loving wife, dedicated mom and ‘adored aunt to 23 nieces and nephews’ in a glowing obituary notice.
The cause of her death was not disclosed.
Self-made entrepreneur Martha grew up in Carlow, a picture-postcard village set in rolling, lush green countryside.

Durnan (second from left) is believed to divide his time between a $3 million Montauk seafront cottage and Lantana, Florida, where he runs several businesses and owns a $10 million home

The fashion designer had recently celebrated the opening of her East x East popup shop at Gurney’s Montauk Resort and Seawater Spa
She obtained a bachelor’s degree in business administration from University College Dublin and a master’s in digital marketing from the Smurfit Graduate School of Business.
Around a decade ago Martha moved to New York, where she soon took to her glam new life in the Big Apple, telling The Irish Independent in a 2024 interview that she ‘loved’ living on the Upper East Side.
Martha was seen sipping champagne, taking a private jet to Nashville for a concert and cozying up to DiRubio during a helicopter ride in TikTok posts.
She established several companies, including fashion accessories brand Duper and luxury swimwear label East x East.
The petite designer was also involved in a legal dispute when a a 2022 lawsuit claimed that she and the company co-owner Dylan Grace had stolen $34,000 from a company bank account. The case ended in a confidential settlement.
More recently, she launched a pop-up store showing off her wares at Gurney’s Montauk Resort and Seawater Spa, one of the more exclusive spots in the Hamptons.
Martha finalized her uncontested divorce from Sam Ryan in April, according to court documents filed in New York Supreme Court.

Nolan-O’Slatarra was accused in a civil lawsuit of stealing $34,000 from Out East Accessories Inc along with East x East co-owner Dylan Grace

She settled a divorce from Sam Ryan in April. At the time of her death she was dating Nicholas DiRubio (pictured)
She was already planning to marry her new boyfriend, according to The Irish Independent.
‘I feel numb and in shock,’ her shattered mom Elma Nolan told the same outlet. ‘My younger daughter, Jacqui, arrived on Tuesday night and she was crying and shaking.
‘She said, «I have terrible news, Martha’s dead».’
The Sussex County PD said in a statement: ‘An autopsy conducted on Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra, the woman found dead on a boat in Montauk on August 5, did not show evidence of violence.
‘Her final cause of death is pending further examination.’