Morty Price was a comedian who knew Frank Doss and Johnny Cannata from their Las Vegas days, and followed them to Miami when they bought the Shelbourne Hotel. One night he found Dorothy Bain, a cocktail waitress recently fired from the hotel, upset and desperate after losing her job, and Price invited her to his room to "help" her by talking to Cannata and Doss, but in reality wanted Dorothy, and attempted to rape her. When she fought her way free, Price tried again and Dorothy stabbed Price to death with a steak knife.