Maitre d' at New York City celeb hotspot The Waverly Inn is shot dead in carjacking in his Mississippi hometown after returning to care for his mother during the pandemic

Kenny Wayne Mason, 52, was shot dead in a carjacking on October 21 

A former maître d’ at New York City institution, The Waverly Inn, was shot dead in a carjacking in Mississippi and three people have been charged with his murder.  

Kenny Wayne Mason, 52, moved home to Greenville after the coronavirus pandemic struck to care for his mother and work on a new book, his sister Holly Mason said.

It's not clear if he was furloughed from the Waverly Inn due to COVID-19 prior to his departure from the Big Apple, though the restaurant was closed for dinner service for about five months until mid-August.

On October 21, he was found shot dead with multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Mississippi Free Press. His vehicle had also been stolen along with personal effects, potentially making him a carjacking victim.

Police noticed the missing vehicle, a maroon Chevy Trailblazer, on Monday and successfully arrested the three men inside after a traffic stop: Donnell Corbin, 18, Devonte Jones, 20, and Fredrick Pearson Jr., 21.

Mason (pictured right, with a friend) moved home to Greenville after the coronavirus pandemic struck to care for his mother and work on a new book

The three men were charged with capital murder on Wednesday. Washington County Deputy Chief Billy Barber cited robbery as the motive for the murder.

'He meant so much to so many people,' Chef Ashley Merriman, a former co-worker of Mason, told the Mississippi Free Press. Merriman stated Mason loved gardening and ice cream.

She also took to Instagram, writing: 'I say your name over and over and over again in my head, closing my eyes and wishing for a different truth. I loved you from the moment I met you. It’s already so dark here, please come back. I am not done loving you, please come back.' 

In addition to his work at the Waverly Inn, Mason also co-founded the Stop Abuse Campaign in New York. The goal of the campaign is to prevent children from experiencing adverse experiences or trauma.

It currently touts over 300,000 supporters.

'Empathy drove Kenny,' said the Stop Abuse Campaign co-founder Andrew Willis to the Clarion Ledger. 'I feel so lost one moment and so determined to drive forward the next.'

A memorial fund has been set up on the Stop Abuse Campaign's website and is about 75 percent towards completing its goal of raising $1,000.

Mason reportedly worked at The Waverly Inn for several years and was a popular figure around the establishment. 

Carole Radziwill, a journalist and former member of the Real Housewives of New York City and frequent guest at the restaurant, said of Mason's passing, 'He was always so lovely and professional. Whether you were stopping by for a quick lunch, a drink or dinner, he always remembered your name, welcomed you back and made you feel comfortable. It’s so sad. My heart goes out to his family.' 

Mason also served as the maître d’ at popular New York City institution the Waverly Inn

The Waverly Inn is an NYC institution still getting back on its feet during the pandemic

Graydon Carter (pictured with wife Anna Scott Carter) owns the Waverly Inn

The Waverly Inn is a New York City institution owned by Graydon Carter, who served as the editor-in-chief at Vanity Fair for 25 years. He also used to own The Monkey Bar, though he moved on from the restaurant in July, according to the New York Post.

It first opened in 1920, refashioned from its design as an 1844 townhouse on Bank Street in Manhattan. After a brief closing, Carter helped reopen the restaurant in 2006.

It has been known for its frequent celebrity sightings and is considered a local hotspot in the city.

Celebrities who have been spotted in the Greenwich Village haunt include Robert De Niro, Gwyneth Paltrow, Calvin Klein, Julianna Marguiles, and Elizabeth Hurley, among many others.

According to a Reuters story shortly after the Waverly Inn reopened in 2007, actress Ellen Barkin threw a drink at estranged husband Ron Perelman at the Waverly Inn once.

There were also tales of limousines of celebrities blocking the street when emergency ambulances were trying to get through, the restaurant creating a traffic hazard of its own. 

In 2008, the New York Times quoted managing partner Emil Varda as saying 'B-list stars who call the paparazzi from inside the restaurant' are not allowed back at the Waverly Inn.

Waiters could also lose their job if they focus too much of their energy on celebrity clientele.