The story of the latest fight involving NY restaurateur, Nello Balan intrigues me for several reasons not the least of which is that is that it asks the eternal question of whether all publicity is good publicity. Page Six reports that Balan, owner of the popular Italian restaurant Nello's, is in a war with a blonde model named Le Call after she failed to return an umbrella he had lent her on a rainy evening. The umbrella in question was a limited edition Jean Paul Gaultier umbrella worth $1,000. Balan hectored the model, who reportedly complained about the high prices of the food at his restaurant. Later the umbrella was returned but Nello refused it because the shaft was broken in two and glued together. Nello's lawyer Bill Beslow was quoted as saying that he would be in court suing for "an act of disinterested malevolence, intentional infliction of mental distress, willful destruction of property, and whatever else I can think of."

Now what makes this really interesting is, that as Jossip mentioned, Nello Balan once famously gave Page Six's Richard Johnson $1,000 as a Christmas gift. Is this umbrella story just a question of Nello needing to get himself and his restaurant in the news? It wouldn't be the first time Balan sued his way to notoriety . Earlier this year he filed a lawsuit against Bungalow 8 owner Amy Sacco claiming rough treatment from her bouncers and he has also been sparring with an artist over art prices.