Shakedown
One of the bidders for The Inquirer just got an ugly lesson in newspapering.
A New York Post gossiper is accused of trying to extort Ron Burkle, managing partner of The Yucaipa Cos., to stop unflattering and flat-out-wrong items about him, reports the rival New York Daily News.
Alleged price of doing business: $220,000. Feds have videotape.
Saturday's New York Times has much more - did Stern implicate other celebrities? The LA Times profiles the freelancing Stern, who cut a curious figure around town with his fedora, pocketwatch and taste for rye whiskey. The boldfacer has been suspended, the Washington Post notes. Why am I enjoying this story?
Is it because Stern is Philly-born? Who knew? The Bennington grad has a clothes line called Skull & Bones. His "about" page talks about sharing a Catskills house with his "gal Snoodles; Hanna, a Border Collie; Cruella the cat; and ferrets named Fritz and Raffles."