Former Philly mob boss to publish story

Former reputed Philly mob boss Ralph Natale dominated the organized crime scene in the mid 1990s. Now, he's not only telling his story, someone wants to shoot it - instead of him.

Natale, who's now in the witness-protection program, reportedly got his start in crime when he took control of Local 170 of the Bartenders, Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Workers Union in Philadelphia in the mid-'70s. In 1979, he got locked up for insurance fraud and peddling cocaine. When he was paroled in 1994, around the time John Stanfa was arrested, Natale became head of one of Philly's most powerful organized crime families.

Later, he became one of the few mobsters to turn and testify against Joey Merlino.

Longtime Daily News reporter and mob expert Kitty Caparella tipped us off to the Hollywood Reporter item stating that Natale's Lost Lives and Forgotten Vows, written with Larry McShane, will be out in the fall of 2016 and has also been optioned by producer Dan Pearson ("I Married a Mobster").

Time's not up for wannabe overnight superstars, as "American Idol" is coming to town next month.

Auditions start Sunday, Aug. 2 at the Liacoras Center (1776 N. Broad St.) at Temple University. The invite is an open call for all interested, talented and bold. Good luck to you.

Actress and producer Alysia Reiner, from "Orange is the New Black," dined at Red Owl Tavern (433 Chestnut St.), in Old City, over the weekend. My sources tell me that she and publicist Paige Wolf ate alongside a few investors in Reiner's film project, "Equity."

I'm told she was in town scouting locations for the film, which is being shot in and around Philly later this month. Some of the prospective locations include Hotel Monaco (433 Chestnut St.), Square 1682 (121 S. 17th St.) and Brick and Mortar (315 N 12th St., Philadelphia).

On Thursday, Ingrid Michaelson, singer/songwriter of "The Way I Am," "Girls Chase Boys" and her newest release, "Time Machine," had something special in store for a Jersey 'burb listener.

Before she performed at the Mann Music Center (5201 Parkside Ave.) last week, Michaelson stopped by the Mix 106.1 Bernie Robbins Performance Studio to entertain the DJs and meet a small group of station listeners.

Unbeknownst to Amanda Eshleman, of Princeton, N.J., as Michaelson finished her version of the classic "Can't Help Falling in Love," she invited Eshleman's boyfriend onto the stage. That's when Alex D'Esterre, of Ewing, N.J., came out with an emotional and heartfelt marriage proposal to Eshleman, with her friends and family all in cahoots in an adjacent room, ready to witness the big moment.

Mix 106.1's Chio in the Morning hosted the event and took pictures, which are posted to the radio station's website.

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