Heartbreaking First Photo of Devoted Dad Paul Kueker Released After Tragic 150-Foot Fall at MSG Concert — Just Before Father’s Day
The 51-year-old rock music enthusiast who fell to his death during a Goose concert at Madison Square Garden over the weekend has been identified as Paul Kueker, a devoted husband and father of two from Connecticut, according to his grieving family.
Kueker, a green-energy executive, plunged approximately 150 feet from the Chase Bridge inside the iconic arena shortly before 10 p.m. on Saturday while the concert was underway. The tragedy occurred just one day before Father’s Day as he and his wife were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary.
“He was the greatest kid in the whole wide world,” Kueker’s mother, Patricia Finelli, said through tears.
“He’d give you the shirt off his back. He has two children, a beautiful wife, and he took care of me like I was a piece of gold.”
Finelli also told the New York Daily News that Kueker had attended the concert with his wife, Kristen, to mark their anniversary.
“He had taken his wife to the Goose concert because their 25th anniversary is on Tuesday,” she said.
According to Finelli, Kristen did not witness the fall. She became concerned after her husband left for the restroom and failed to return.
“He got up to go to the bathroom, and he didn’t come back,” Finelli said. “She was getting worried after 10 or 15 minutes. And he didn’t come back.”
Police later located Kristen inside the arena and informed her of what had happened, Finelli added.
“We are heartbroken by the sudden passing of Paul Kueker,” William Brown, general manager of Smartcon, said in a statement.
“Paul meant the world to everyone at Smartcon. He was an extraordinary person and a valued member of our team, and the loss is felt deeply across our entire company. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time. He will be profoundly missed.”
Goose, the Connecticut-based jam band, was performing the second of two scheduled nights at Madison Square Garden as part of its summer tour when the incident occurred.
The band completed its full 16-song set shortly before midnight following the tragedy.
“We are deeply saddened and heartbroken to learn of the tragic event that occurred at tonight’s show,” the group said in a statement afterward.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to everyone affected. Thank you to the emergency personnel and venue staff who stepped in with care and support.”
The band was scheduled to perform at Central Park on Sunday evening.
The fatal incident came just days after Madison Square Garden hosted celebrations surrounding the hometown Knicks’ NBA Finals triumph.
The venue was also the site of another fatal accident in 2023.
In that case, 61-year-old Ernest Vogliano, the son of a once-prominent New York restaurateur, died after a fall following a Rangers game.
Vogliano was reportedly riding on an escalator railing inside Madison Square Garden when he fell two to three stories to his death.
