Singapore clubbing personality arrested in Japan

Man who organised high profile parties at Avalon and Pangaea implicated in murder probe

American Gregory Gumo was arrested recently in Tokyo. He was known for his glitzy parties held at clubs in Marina Bay Sands. (Source: Internet)

By Zul Othman

He was a familiar name in the local entertainment circles.

In 2010, American expatriate Gregory Gumo was behind a slew of music events at Singaporean superclubs Avalon and Pangaea – both located at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) – which targets the rich and famous.

He was also reportedly one of the men behind the 1 World Music Festival in 2013, a star-studded event slated to coincide with the Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend.

Top international acts like Snoop Dogg were set to perform at this event, which – according to Singaporean daily Business Times – promised “ultra-exclusive VIP premium services where attendees can get table service and rub shoulders with the acts”.

However, the event was cancelled at the last minute amidst rumours of poor ticket sales and claims of embezzlement.

Those in the industry who knew him said Gumo sold himself as a nightlife impresario who has had stints in clubs from his native New York to Singapore.

But he disappeared after the 1 World Music Festival fiasco, supposedly moving back to Japan - where he was based in the early 2000s - some time after the cancellation made headlines.

Now, 41-year-old Gumo is in the news again.

Only this time, the father of three children has been linked to a murder investigation in Tokyo.

On August 6, Gumo was charged in court, accused of dumping the body of 42-year-old Mariko Akitaya out to sea, reported Japanese media.

Akitaya – who reportedly works in the cosmetic industry – was found on July 29 off Miura Bay in Tokyo, her body wrapped in a brown plastic sheet and anchored by concrete weights.

On the same day (July 29), Gumo was stopped at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport attempting to leave for the United States.

The reports did not say how Gumo came to be a suspect.

However, a surveillance video found by investigators showed the deceased with Gumo travelling in a car on July 27, a few days before her body was discovered.

The extent of their relationship is unclear, but they reportedly met on a dating website.

Also unclear is Gumo’s status with his wife and children - who are said to be in Yokohama, located an hour away from Tokyo.

According to reports, Akitaya was alive when she entered the water, but there is evidence she used drugs before her death.

While he admits to dumping the body into the sea, Gumo maintains that he did not kill her. Instead, he said she “committed suicide”, reported Japanese media quoting police sources.

Investigations are ongoing.

One of the two Crystal Pavillions at Marina Bay Sands, where Avalon is located. (Picture: Shutterstock)

Exclusive parties

For Singapore clubbing insiders, Gumo’s arrest is a spectacular fall from grace for a self styled “social networking expert” who at one time had presided over some of the most exclusive parties in Singapore.

“He was quite a character - he had all these ideas but had a reputation for being very sleazy as well,” said one woman who spoke on the condition that she was not identified. The woman, who is in her 30s, said she fell out with Gumo over a failed project some years ago.

“But when I heard about the arrest I was shocked, him being accused of murder is something I did not expect,” she added.

Equally shocked was Gumo’s former colleague Vinnie Quek, who was the head of marketing and entertainment at Avalon in 2010.

He said: “The Greg I know was very family orientated, I’ve even been to his condominium in Katong to meet the family.”

However, other clubbing insiders – all of whom declined to be identified when contacted – painted Gumo as a “hustler” and “ladies’ man” who gravitated toward high-class clubbing because that’s where the money was.

He also had a habit of surrounding himself with powerful players. And he flaunted those connections: One photo which is available online, said to be taken in Singapore, had Gumo posing with Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson and Michael Ma, founder of the Indochine group of hotels, eateries and clubs.

One DJ, who declined to be named, said: “Gumo was a familiar face in the high end clubbing scene (because) he was great with the clients who wanted exclusive parties, be in at an exclusive club or on a yacht. On the other hand, he was also known for not paying designers and some DJs. You do that and you get a bad name in the scene”.

Although Gumo told Japanese police he was unemployed at the time of his arrest, his LinkedIn profile gives you the impression that this was an entrepreneur who has been producing music events since 1988.

While there was no mention of his involvement with the 1 World Music Festival, Gumo said he has promoted parties in New York till 1997 and was the managing director of a club there till 2001.

After an extended stint in Japan, Gumo moved to Singapore in 2006 to set up the now defunct music streaming company Soundpedia Pte Ltd. By 2008, he moved into event management – working on the Fuel Music Festival in 2009, for example – while co-founding startup financing firm Makeforce Pte Ltd.

He left Makeforce Pte Ltd in 2010, his LinkedIn profile revealed. That same year, Gumo also started Crystal Pavillion Marina Productions with the intention – as his LinkedIn profile had it – to bring “the fun to Singapore”.

It was at this time he began his association with Avalon and Pangaea.

But what he did at the two clubs is unclear: In a 2010 interview, Gumo was identified as the managing director of both Avalon and Pangaea.

However, a source close to Avalon’s management refuted this, telling Yahoo Singapore: “He was only a freelancer who promoted parties, he was never employed by the club. He also was known for getting people to invest in his projects”.

One of those projects included Avalon At Large, an F1-related party, at MBS on September 23 and 24, 2011, the source added.

Both clubs could not be reached for a comment at press time.

Meanwhile, Japanese media are also suggesting that money is a probable motive behind Akitaya’s death. This comes after Japanese police uncovered an undated text Akitaya sent to a friend.

In the text message, the deceased said she had lent money to Gumo and was finding it difficult to make ends meet.