Lazio is the only announced Republican candidate for governor, having formally kicked off his campaign earlier this month. His team contains many people with connections to Romney, and a Romney spokesman said "stay tuned" when pressed by the Boston Globe about an endorsement. Romney ran against Rudy Giuliani, a presumptive Republican gubernatorial candidate, for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination.

The fund-raising committee has a lot of Wall-Street muscle: John C. Whitehead, the former head of Goldman Sachs; Julian Robertson of the now-defunct Tiger Fund; William Harrison, a former executive at J.P. Morgan (where Lazio had been hanging his shingle); John Snow, the former treasury secretary; Glenn Hubbard, dean of Columbia Business School and Lewie Ranieri, one of the pioneers of mortgage-backed securities. Also interesting is Constantine Sidamon-Eristoff, the father of Andrew Eristoff, who wrote a report recommending modernization of the New York Republican Party.

The event is Oct. 21 at the Sheraton. Lazio and Romney will also hold a pre-reception for Republican County chairs, and another pre-reception for high-dollar bundlers. The event itself is $500 a head.

Robert C. Almon and John C. Whitehead can both rest easy. According to city records, both sold off some Park Avenue real estate last week, getting more or less what they had wanted for their posh spreads.

Mr. Almon, who began his career at General Motors, was made one of Lorillard’s eight board members earlier this month, which means he’ll be making important decisions about America’s second-largest-selling cigarette, Newport, not to mention deliciously smooth brands like Kent, True, Maverick, Old Gold and, of course, Max.

In May, he listed his seven-room, three-bedroom apartment at 1050 Park Avenue for $3.85 million. “European elegance abounds in this traditionally renovated home with an excellent flow for gracious entertaining,” the Warburg listing said.

Mr. Almon got exceptionally close to his asking price, closing this month for $3.75 million.

On the same day, Mr. Whitehead (pictured), a former Goldman co-chairman who served as the deputy secretary of state during the Reagan administration (and wrangled publicly with Eliot Spitzer as the chairman of the post-9/11 Lower Manhattan Development Corporation) made a deal, too. He sold a five-room, two-bedroom co-op at 830 Park Avenue (pictured) for $3.2 million, also only $100,000 below its asking price.

Reached at their Sutton Square townhouse, his wife, Cynthia, said the place had belonged to Mr. Whitehead’s daughter, who is “no longer interested in living there.” When this reporter asked for an interview with Mr. Whitehead, she said, “I can just tell you one thing, real estate is more my thing. … He has no interest in making money or losing it, or as an investment.”

mabelson@observer.com