On That Day, 9/11, Howard Lutnick, CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, which occupied the 101-105th World Trade Center floors, lost his brother, age 36, plus 658 colleagues.
Each anniversary, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., his Park Avenue offices open to friends, invitees, VIPs, clients, a crash of cameras, reporters and celebrities such as Donald, Bill and Hillary, De Niro, Woody Johnson, Edie Falco, Lady Gaga, Yankees, Mets, Islanders, Rangers, Knicks.
“One year,” said Lutnick, “the younger President George Bush came, but the time he picked I had to take my son to school. I do it always. Never miss. Taking Kyle to his first day of kindergarten that one morning is where I was when It happened. Taking my kid to school saved my life.
“Each year, I match employees who will waive their daily pay to donate to 150 different charities. We put celebrities on phones. Clients are told we donate our commissions to whoever needs it around the world.
“We’re donating $1,000 per family to those hit in Hurricane Harvey. They were poor to begin with, and we’re helping to give what they need.
“Look, one thing this office understands is crisis.”
Bits & pieces
Netflix’s “The Crown,” with Claire Foy and John Lithgow both up for Emmys, is most expensive TVer ever made . . . Peter Ward, ex NBC reporter doing a TV series based on Wayne Barrett and Jack Newfield’s book “City for Sale.” That’s NYC, kiddies. It’s heavy on Ed Koch-Bess Myerson-“I Love New York” artist Milton Glaser years.
Break tradition
Metropolitan Club. Greek music, 200 guests dancing. Aflame with enthusiasm, businessman Catsimatidis, footing his birthday party bill, to wife Margo: “Tell them don’t break the plates. They’re expensive here” . . . OY. More Friars about to fry. A Dean Martin celebratory hotel ballroom dinner was for this month. Now, not. No stars accepted. No ticket-takers took. A story on the Feds investigating the club is in prep by a major publication.
A bit about the royals
Prince Philip’s retiring, Prince William’s expecting a third princeling, and Princess Diana memories dredge up tales of the royals. Sarah Ferguson — then Duchess of York ending her marriage to HRH Andrew — once told London’s Mirror that Philip caused her “terrible pain.” He called her “odd and pointless.” His saying she brought “shame on the Monarchy . . . devastated” her.
Lady Colin Campbell is doing a book about Elizabeth and Prince Phil’s marriage. Meanwhile, visiting my Ladyship friend’s 60-room Castle Goring in Worthing, West Sussex, is her lawyer chum Michael Griffith. His client Avery Arjang was reportedly bashed for bringing a soused uninvitee to Michael Loeb’s Hamptons home for a charity event.
Unworldly-wise
The United Nations just installed an outdoor basketball court for its delegates. North Korea’s testing hydrogen bombs, Iran’s pushing treaty limits, Japan has its own miseries, Israel fights for its life, China’s looking to save their economy, Mexico’s got earthquakes, Germany’s stuffed with more immigrants than bratwurst, Britain’s breaking Brexit, shove Venezuela, forget Afghanistan, we’ve got hurricanes, and the 72nd General Assembly is playing basketball. OK?
Wait. More. Besides these international dwarves stealing parking spots for their black-tie parties . . . you ready? . . . Friday, 4 p.m., the UN North Lawn staged a tug of war. Two sides played pulling at a 50-foot rope. Rome burning? Barcelona in despair? Turkey in trouble? And 10 global dignitaries on each end spending the day tugging a rope?
Only in New York, kids, only in New York.