Governor David Paterson, whose aides Mr. Boyle once accused of trying to exert undue pressure on the liquor board, announced on Thursday, April 30, the nomination of Assistant Attorney General Dennis Rosen to take over Mr. Boyle's duties as chairman.

Only last year, Mr. Boyle ranked No. 21 on The Observer's list of the 100 Most Powerful People in Real Estate: "There are plenty of hassles besides getting a liquor license—but just try paying rent without one."

But, after going public with comments about officials from Governor Paterson's office trying to "intimidate" him into accepting a $500,000 settlement in lieu of yanking Mr. Cipriani's nine liquor licenses, fellow SLA members Jeanique Greene and Noreen Healey this past December voted to strip Mr. Boyle of his exclusive powers to conduct board business.

The full announcement from Governor Paterson's office:

GOVERNOR PATERSON ANNOUNCES NOMINATION TO STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY

Governor David A. Paterson today announced he has nominated Dennis Rosen as a Member and Chair of the State Liquor Authority (SLA). Once confirmed, Mr. Rosen will replace Daniel Boyle, who is currently serving as Chair.

“I am proud to appoint Dennis Rosen to be the next Chair of the State Liquor Authority. His unquestionable character and obvious expertise in this area will provide the SLA with the leadership it needs,” said Governor Paterson. “Mr. Rosen’s investigations into New York’s laws regulating the sale of wine and spirits and the pay-to-play practices within the industry clearly demonstrate that he will be a force for change and reform at the SLA.”

Dennis Rosen has been an Assistant Attorney General with the Office of the Attorney General of the State of New York (OAG) since 1982, where he is currently an attorney in the Affirmative Justice Division of the Buffalo Regional Office. In this capacity, Mr. Rosen has extensive experience investigating violations of New York State laws regulating the sale of wine and spirits. From September 2005 to December 2006, he was the lead attorney in a statewide investigation of pay-to-play practices within the industry. The investigation concluded with many of the liquor industry’s largest manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers agreeing to court orders which imposed heavy fines and ended various pay-to-play practices that had created an unlevel playing field. Additionally, Mr. Rosen has successfully prosecuted civil and criminal cases involving securities and insurance fraud, attorney misconduct, home improvement rip-offs, and telemarketing scams. He was awarded the Louis J. Lefkowitz Memorial award for outstanding performance in the OAG in 1997, 2002, and 2007.

Prior to joining the OAG, Mr. Rosen spent ten years with the New York City Legal Aid Society. He is a graduate of Brooklyn College and Harvard Law School.

As Chair of the State Liquor Authority, Mr. Rosen will receive an annual compensation of $120,800. This nomination requires Senate confirmation.

According to the New York Post, fellow SLA commissioners Noreen Healey and Jeanique Greene "sprung a surprise resolution to strip Boyle - the sole board member to vote against the Ciprianis - of all powers previously delegated to him to conduct authority business. Instead, the resolution required approval of the full three-member board for any actions."

Mr. Boyle, a former Syracuse cop appointed by former Republican Governor George Pataki, told the Post last week that current Democratic Governor David Paterson's administration had tried to "intimidate" him into accepting a $500,000 settlement in lieu of yanking liquor licenses at nine Cipriani eateries, including the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center.

Ms. Greene and Ms. Healey, both Democratic appointees, were each recently granted use of a state-owned Ford Taurus, courtesy of the Paterson administration; previously, Mr. Boyle was the only board member with state car privileges.

Mr. Boyle told the Albany Times Union "he won't be pushed out of his post, which pays $120,800 a year, until his term expires in February."

Guy Ritchie may not have gone after ex-wife Maddona's $450 million in court, but he'll probably end up with at least $15,000 per month from her in child support if he is awarded joint custody of sons David and Rocco. [Full Disclosure] 

A memoir by former call girl Natalie McLennan includes claims of relationships with celebrities like Fred Durst and Lenny Kravitz, along with graphic details regarding the behavior of a then 19-year-old Ashley Dupre. [R&M]

Meanwhile, Eliot Spitzer is considering writing a book of his own, though it promises to be far less interesting. [NY Mag] 

State Liquor Authority head Daniel Boyle claims he was "intimidated" by the govenor's office into renewing liquor licenses for Cipriani-owned restaurants, including the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center, Harry Cipriani at the Sherry-Netherland Hotel and Cipriani Wall Street. [NYP via Eater]

Michael Jackson has settled the lawsuit brought against him by a Bahraini sheik who claimed he had invested $7 million in an album Mr. Jackson never completed. [TMZ] 

Heatherette designer Richie Rich (real name: Richard Eichhorn) successfully sued former parent company the Weisfeld Group over his right to continue to use his adopted name as a designer. [Page Six Magazine, second item]

Apparently, new State Liquor Authority (S.L.A.) commissioner Jeanique Green is a big Post reader.

This morning, Ms. Green cast the deciding vote to accept a $500,000 penalty in lieu of yanking the licenses, thus allowing the Cipriani empire to stay in business.

While "it's very difficult to overlook" Cipriani's recent tax violations, Ms. Green explained that she was concerned about "the impact of our decision on the individuals who are working there."

"This is unfortunate," remarked SLA Chairman Daniel Boyle, who had streadfastedly opposed showing any leniency to the wealthy banquet behemoth.

"They can't buy their way through the system," Mr. Boyle had said earlier, adding that the liquor board was "not the Department of Labor" and "to disregard these charges is unbelievable."

Believe it. The bellinis are safe. 

After losing his valuable lease in a legal fight at the Toy Center, the dapper restaurateur now faces life without bellinis, if archnemesis Mr. Boyle has his way and puts all seven Cipriani establishments effectively out of business by stripping their liquor licenses.

How ironic, writes Mr. Stein, if "a clan that has catered to the haute monde for almost 80 years could suddenly be brought down by a normal, middle-class guy in a regular, old courtroom next month."

The article also notes how Mr. Cipriani's residential project on Wall Street hasn't exactly panned out, either:

Dapper restaurateur Giuseppe Cipriani (ranked No. 97) had offered up $500,000 to settle his dispute with the State Liquor Authority (S.L.A.). The state agency intends to yank liquor licenses from his various posh eateries and swank banquet halls around town following his conviction last year on tax violations.

S.L.A. commissioner Noreen Healey voted to accept the settlement offer, but S.L.A. Chairman Daniel Boyle (ranked No. 21) instead chose to flex his regulatory muscle and voted to terminate all of Mr. Cipriani's licenses -- plus, impose a monetary penalty.

The split vote means that the case next goes before an administrative law judge.

- Matthew Grace