Today's first gossipy nugget was about Countess LuAnne de Lesseps -- the recently separated "real housewife" who hit up Almond in Bridgehampton to sing away the blues with a little karaoke. A Page Six spy said the Countess was seen singing "Suzy Q" and "locking lips" with Almond owner Eric Lemonides. Sure enough, there was singing, and kissing, but openly gay Lemonides assured the Post that he's still gay, so there were no torrid tales to tell.
Don't worry folks...the spy's get better as weather gets warmer.
Page Six then cruised over to Southampton where the truth turned out to be stranger than fiction.
Ed "Jean Luc" Kleefield, who we absolutely adore, was arrested this past Friday after he turned himself into Village of Southampton Police on charges that he issued nearly $300,000 in bad checks.
Kleefield, who owns Grappa and JLX Bistro in Sag Harbor, Prime 103 in East Hampton and Madame Tong's in Southampton, told Page Six he had borrowed money from someone who turned out to be "a concrete cement contractor with a criminal record" to keep his restaurants in business. Kleefield said he paid the contractor, who was asking for keys to his restaurants as payment, with checks, though he didn't have sufficient funds to cover them.
Speaking with Page Six, Kleefield (pictured above) explained, "In the current economy where banks are sitting on the money provided to them via the TARP arrangements, small business owners like me needed to find alternative sources of financing. I became involved with a provider of finance to support my business who I unfortunately realized later was a modern-day loan shark."
After being on released on $1,000 bond, Kleefield was scheduled to appear in a Southampton court on April 27th.
Luckily for all of us, his restaurants will still be in business this season. JLX will open in two weeks, and Madame Tong's and Prime 103 will open on Memorial Day. Grappa of course was open all winter.
In his statement to Page Six, Kleefield added, "I have always worked endless hours on behalf of my partners whose continued support I cherish dearly . . . I make no apologies in being loyal to those investors and supporters, and eagerly anticipate servicing the East End community . . . with a strong summer season in our restaurants."
And we eagerly anticipate being back, Jean Luc!
Source: The Hamptons Are Already Buzzing
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Comments (1)
SCUMBAG.... And you LOVE HIM! Lovely.