He is known for his work as choreographer of the Chippendales dance troupe; and for his 1977–1978 Unicorn Tales, eight television musical short films for young audiences, for which he won two Emmy Awards.

[1][2] On April 7, 1987, at 3:40 p.m., De Noia was shot in the face with a large caliber pistol while sitting at his 15th-floor office desk at 264 West 40th Street, Manhattan, located near the garment district.

At the time, De Noia no longer worked for Banerjee, and was on a national tour with his associate producer, Candace Mayeron.

The murder of Nick De Noia was orchestrated by Banerjee along with the burning of a competitor's Red Onion nightclub.

Actor Murray Bartlett portrays Nick De Noia in the 2022–2023 Hulu miniseries Welcome to Chippendales.