Motion Picture Mogul. Born in the Bronx, New York, daughter of Nat, a zipper salesman and Lillian, a businesswoman, who was the family’s sole support after Nat suffered a nervous breakdown. Steel got her start working for ‘Penthouse’ magazine as a merchandising director. Her creations included designer toilet paper which included images imprinted on the roll. One option was printed with the Gucci insignia until she was sued by Gucci. Steel then went to work for marketing at Paramount Studios in 1978. She created marketing tie-ins for ‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture’ including Star Trek ashtrays. She was promoted to vice president of production in 1980 and then, in 1985, was promoted to production chief where she championed the project that became ‘Flashdance’. Steel moved to Columbia in 1987 where she was named president and head of production, becoming the first woman ever to hold that position. She left Columbia two years later, when it was purchased by Sony. After leaving Columbia, she formed a production company, Atlas Entertainment, in partnership with her husband, Charles Roven. The final two films she produced were the supernatural thriller ‘Fallen’ and the drama ‘City of Angels’. She authored the best selling book, “They Can Kill You But They Can’t Eat You. Lessons from the Front” which was published three years before her death. Her health then began a two year downward spiral after she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. (bio by: Iola)