Gabolinsky was murdered in his bed, along with his wife by William Giovanni Silveo Fiori on 18 December 1951. They were survived by their infant son Hartley. Fiori reportedly was after the 1,163 pound payroll cheque Gabolinsky had withdrawn from the bank in order to pay his workers at the Minginui mill in the Ureweras the following day. By the time Fiori was caught 24 hours later, he had already spent most of the money. Fiori was hanged for the murder on 13 March 1952, becoming the first person to be hanged in New Zealand since the election of the Labour Government in 1935. AWMM