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Did Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra suffer from brain cancer?
It’s a claim investigators are asking about, according to the Irish-born swimwear designer’s family, as drug task force detectives probe new details surrounding her death aboard a boat moored at the Montauk Yacht Club earlier this month.
Nolan-O’Slatarra, 33, was found unresponsive aboard the SeaRay boat Ripple shortly after midnight on Aug. 5, police and witnesses said. Numerous media outlets, including Newsday, have reported the boat is owned by insurance executive Christopher Durnan.
Police said initial autopsy results indicated no signs that violence contributed to her death, but the case remains under investigation. No one has been accused by police of wrongdoing regarding the case.
The Irish Independent reported authorities have questioned the Manhattan-based entrepreneur’s family about unverified claims that O’Slatarra had been battling brain cancer. Her family strongly denied the allegation, asserting in the report that she was in good health prior to her death.
The family’s attorney, Arthur Aidala, has requested a second autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. Toxicology results from the initial autopsy are pending and may take several months to complete. Suffolk County Police have not ruled out foul play, and Suffolk’s East End Drug Task Force has joined the investigation.
“As of right this moment, her cause of death is officially inconclusive,” Aidala said in New York this week. “Any reporting going on about her cause of death is … just irresponsible. It’s just not accurate. It’s speculation.”
Ripple owner’s past case
In a separate development, the New York Post is among several media outlets reporting that Durnan, 60, a wealthy insurance executive who purchased a multi-million-dollar beachfront home in Montauk in late 2020, was criminally charged following a 2021 incident in New York City.
In 2021, he was sued by retired FDNY firefighter Michael Balfe, a Ground Zero first responder, who alleged that Durnan bit and assaulted him during a concert at Webster Hall on the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, according report by the New York Post, Fox News and other outlets.
Durnan additionally faced criminal charges, including assault and possession of a controlled substance, but ultimately pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, the reports said. The civil lawsuit was later settled in 2023. Durnan has not been criminally charged or accused of wrongdoing in connection with Nolan-O’Slatarra’s death.
2021 complaint against the boat owner
Below is the civil complaint Balfe, filed against Durnan, which was included in Fox News’ report:
Durnan is a widower and father of two adult children; his wife died in 2018. The Daily Mail and other media outlets have reported he is a heavy investor in O’Slatarra’s swimwear brand East x East.
Durnan is an executive at Durnan Group Inc.; his parents are the founders of the Rockville Centre insurance company. The company website, durnanins.com, is currently down. No LinkedIn page for the business appears to be active..
Durnan could not be reached for comment.
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Nolan-O’Slatarra had recently divorced, and had a serious boyfriend. Witnesses at the yacht club described a chaotic late-night scene as first responders and bystanders attempted to save the woman, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Funeral arrangements for Nolan-O’Slatarra in Ireland are being handled by Carpenter Brothers Funeral Directors in her hometown of Carlow. However, services have not yet been scheduled and there is no known timetable for when her remains will be flown overseas.
A young woman’s ambitious journey
Nolan-O’Slatarra’s entrepreneurial journey was marked by ambition and determination. In Ireland, she played club soccer until she was 16. Following high school, she earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from University College Dublin, and then a master’s in digital marketing from the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business.
After relocating to New York in 2015, she eventually launched East × East. For the brand, she hosted high-profile pop-up events—including one in July at Gurney’s Resort in Montauk. Along the way, she cultivated a vibrant social presence that showcased her blend of Upper East Side and Hamptons living.
Although her brand appeared on an upward trajectory, Nolan-O’Slatarra and her business partner Dylan Grace faced a legal bump in 2022, when they were sued by Out East Accessories over allegations of financial misconduct involving approximately $34,000 and company inventory, the New York Post reported. The matter was resolved through a settlement in July of that year.
Investigation continues
@greaterlongisland Fashion entrepreneur Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra, 33, was found dead early Tuesday on a boat at the Montauk Yacht Club, with police saying no initial signs of violence were found, though the investigation is ongoing. Witnesses reported a man running and yelling for help just before she was discovered unresponsive, while friends and followers mourned the loss of the East X East founder known for her glamorous lifestyle.
♬ original sound – GLI | Long Island News
This week, it was revealed that Nolan-O’Slatarra’s death is under investigation by Suffolk County’s East End Drug Task Force. Meanwhile, full autopsy results from the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office could take months before they are complete.
Top images: Inset photo of the Montauk Yacht Club-moored boat where Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra was found unresponsive just after midnight on Aug. 5. Main photo of Nolan-O’Slatarra, undated from Instagram/@dylangrace.
