The dual birthday and new jewelry line launch celebration for man about town and international bon vivant Markus Molinari over the weekend wouldn’t have felt right going down any other way.  Deciding to forgo another Cinco de Mayo birthday fiesta, this one involved feather boas, live music performances, Adam Lambert, erotic dancers and an unnecessarily exorbitant dessert spread featuring the entire spectrum of violets that’d have made His Purple Highness blush. Oh, and did we mention this all went down at “upscale strip club” Voyeur? Yep, that place is still truckin’ along. Read the full story

Once upon a time, there were two Brits named Gabriel Radzikowski and Sara Lilly living in flats in Bath. Lilly was a ‘local director’ at Barclays and Radzikowski…dabbled in various areas. At one point, Radzikowski could no longer afford to pay the rent and knowing his neighbor worked at a bank, figured he’d easily be able to secure a loan, no questions asked. Unfortunately and much to Gabe’s surprise, Lilly did not vouch for him and “use her position” to get him the money. Lacking the necessary funds the landlord required each month, Radzikowski was forced to move out of his flat and was “taken in by a local Polish couple.” And it’s while he was staying with Robert and Maria Jurczak that Gabe realized he had a choice to make. He could either a) take the bank’s rejection of his application for the loan, which probably had less to do with Ms. Lilly than it did his lack of a job in the traditional sense, in stride and move on or b) he could do what anyone else in such a position would do and say “Fuck this shit; you refuse my loan? I kidnap your dog and put him on ice, bitch.”

Radzikowski choose the latter and got to work with a plan that went something like this:

Step 1: Steal dog (a Yorkshire Terrier named Bilbo Baggins) in the middle of the night.
Step 2: Call owner, Ms. Lilly, and tell her she’ll get her dog back if she pays a “reward.” Do not feel the need to disguise voice or get someone else to make the call. By claiming name to be “Martin,” she’ll never know.
Step 3: When she says she knows it’s you, “insist she’s incorrect,” that it’s Martin, and hang up.
Step 4: Keep calling “reiterating the threat and demanding £500 or she’ll never see the dog again”
Step 5: Dump the dog in an icy pond
Step 6: When Lilly and the police ultimately find Biblo and you are accused of blackmail and intimidation, tell them you’ve been framed by the Barclays director
Step 7: When prompted for a reason as to why she would frame you, tell the authorities, she had done so because you “had once turned down her offer of £100 to spent the night with her.”
Step 8: ???
Step 9: Profit

Neighbour kidnaps bank worker’s dog and dumps it in icy pond in revenge for Barclays refusing him a loan [Daily Mail via BI]

Article courtesy of Dealbreaker

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Article courtesy of Dealbreaker

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When we think of film festivals, visions of raging and generally rowdy, wild times don’t come to mind. Except in the case of James Franco who simply cannot resist singing karaoke in drag no matter where he is. And we certainly don’t associate that kind of behavior with galas. But maybe we should in light of what we saw at the Newport Beach Film Festival Opening Night Gala. Read the full story

via guestofaguest.com: Celebs and VIPs descended on our nation’s capital this weekend for the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, followed by a slew of glam post-dinner celebrations. Go inside and see who made it on the guest list to the hottest ticket of the night at the Vanity Fair After Party. MORE>>

Article courtesy of %source%

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Last night, the weekly Thursday throwdown AFEX lit up Winston’s, but this time with a Prince twist that had absolutely NOTHING to do with that royal wedding everyone is pooping their pants over. For the AFEX edition of All Prince Everything Vol. 3, the night was about His Purple Highness who is currently in the midst of his 21-night L.A. concert stint. Read the full story

Go HERE for more photos by Trevor Penna and tag yourself and your friends!

Have you managed to make your way on over to Animal (not the restaurant) yet? I know, I know! Don’t worry if you’re experiencing some minor confusion, we’re about to make things crystal clear for you. Every Tuesday night, MyStudio plays dress up and disguises itself as Animal, making it socially acceptable to admit you’re venturing out to what the rest of the world and city of Los Angeles recognizes as MyStudio but technically isn’t, make sense? Read the full story

Have you been suspecting that your husband or wife may have involved him or herself in some insider trading? Are you worried that the Feds may know too? While there’s not much you can do short of getting out of town or finding a safe house and laying low, you can arm yourself with the knowledge of what’s in store and mentally prepare accordingly.

Today’s tips come from Arlene Drimal, wife of accused insider trader Craig Drimal. Craig, who segued from a job as a bouncer at The Roxy to a gig at Galleon several years back, pleaded guilty to securities fraud yesterday. The FBI used wiretaps to catch him in the act, and while they were there, couldn’t help but listen in on some “deeply personal and intimate discussion about [the Drimal's] marriage,” including “intimate aspects of the relationship.” So, that’s Number 1: Government officials will be listening when you discuss spicing things up with the furry dice.

Number 2: Rudeness and ‘tude:

The FBI officials told Mr. Drimal they “had recorded his conversations for a very long time, that they knew ‘everything’ about him and his family and friends and mentioned other personal factors leaving the distinct impression that our phones were currently tapped,” Ms. Drimal wrote. The agents asked him to cooperate in their investigation and threatened to arrest him if he didn’t, she wrote, adding that they said he could spend 25 years in prison. The couple “went up to our bedroom to discuss how to ensure privacy,” as they discussed how to find a lawyer, Ms. Drimal wrote. “Feeling trapped, I recommended that we go to CVS [a drugstore] in Westport to buy a prepaid phone,” Ms. Drimal wrote. “Immediately after I said that, FBI agent, David Makol, called and asked to speak to my husband. He warned him not to go out and get a prepaid phone,” she wrote. “That terrified us and we felt panicked.”

Number 3: Late night visits:

On Nov. 2, 2009, Mr. Drimal met with agents and prosecutors asking for his cooperation, she wrote, which he declined to give. Three days later, the couple—along with their 11-year-old son, who had crawled into their bed during the night—was awakened by the lights, bullhorn and pounding on the door, Ms. Drimal wrote. “I hurried down to the front door … on which they were impatiently banging as they hollered,” she wrote, holding back their German shepherd and Staffordshire terrier. “As soon as I opened the door, numerous agents filed into the house,” she wrote. “I noticed some of them touched their weapons, eyeing the Staffordshire in particular. I stood there crying silently, barely dressed and attempting to cover my chest with my arms and assured them the dogs were friendly,” she wrote.

Number 4: PTSD and paranoia:

Ms. Drimal wrote that she has been treated for post-traumatic stress disorder. She worries about her children, including a daughter who asked recently if her father’s legal troubles would affect her ability to get into law school or gain employment. “Just looking out my window in the morning when I wake up,” she wrote, “reminds me of that arrest and violations of my privacy every day.”

When The Feds Are Watching [WSJ]

Earlier: Federal Agents Couldn’t Help But Listen In On Weight Lifter Turned Accused Insider Trader Craig Drimal’s “Deeply Personal” Conversation With His Wife

Article courtesy of Dealbreaker

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Weekly party at the Purple Lounge?! Sure, it’s about 10 years too late for that to sound cool but whatevs, at least it’s not the Hollywood Zoo Supperclub. Count us in! Let’s be retro about it. Get down with Sub Standard, the sexy Tuesday night dance party where you can get into the throwback spirit and party like it is literally 1999. Read the full story

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We love a good opportunity (excuse) to have a few drinks on what would be an average Tuesday night so we were more than happy to partake in our Black Banditz friends’ fiesta. The Banditz teamed up with the Vh1 Save The Music Foundation to celebrate the grand opening (it’s official now) of their tattoo shop/hair salon. Read the full story