Read about him last year. Pretty controversial guy. Founder of Benihana and dad of Devon and Steve Aoki...

July 11 (Bloomberg) -- Rocky Aoki, the Tokyo-born restaurateur whose Benihana steakhouse restaurants brought a version of Japanese teppanyaki cooking to the U.S. long before the explosive popularity of sushi, has died. He was 69.

Aoki died last night, according to a company spokeswoman, Nancy Bauer. Kyodo news service, citing unidentified people, said he died in New York City.

 

No cause was given. Aoki said publicly on several occasions that he suffered from diabetes and cirrhosis of the liver, as well as hepatitis C, which he said he contracted from a blood transfusion.

... 

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=aILiynvr85rY&refer=japan