As we reported yesterday Byrne was charged with aggravated assault and related charges after his arrest at 7th and Pine streets, one block west from where a cabbie told police that Byrne had punched him repeatedly and dragged him after refusing to pay for his ride, and had taunted him, allegedly saying, " 'I'm a celebrity. This is my neighborhood. What are you gonna do about it?' " Byrne has a preliminary hearing Feb. 3.
'Housewives' help
The presence of "Real Housewives of New Jersey" stars Melissa Gorga and Kathy Wakile helped raise extra money at a Saturday-night fundraiser for the family of Larry Bourquin, of Washington Township, N.J., who died in September.
Atlantic City lawyer James Leonard, Jr., a friend of Bourquin's, asked clients Gorga and Wakile to appear at the event for Bourquin's wife, Dina, and the couple's three children.
The event raised $40,000 including $10,000 from an anonymous donor who bid that much to dine with Gorga and Wakile. Wakile brought along her husband, Richie, and children. Victoria and Joseph.
Besides Gorga and Wakile, Leonard also represents Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola and Angelina Pivarnick from "Jersey Shore" and rapper Lil' Kim.
Fight club
Boxing greats Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins and Harold Johnson caught up over the holidays. Hopkins called Johnson's son Chuck Johnson, a/k/a Rev. John Roberts, and the pair visited Johnson, 84. Roberts says that it was moving to see Hopkins and his dad shadowboxing and that he is grateful that Hopkins took the initiative to meet his dad, a Roxborough native who held National Boxing Association and World Boxing Council light heavyweight belts in the 1960s.
Here comes the judge
Lower Merion Judge Karen Zucker is a contestant today and tomorrow on "Who Wants to Be a Millioniare" (12:30 p.m., 6ABC). Zucker never planned to audition for the show, but her son David had audience tickets and gave them to his mom because he couldn't make it. She ended up auditioning to be a contestant after the show and was selected.
What, him worry?
A power outage dimmed the lights but not the wit at the Gershman Y (401 S. Broad) Wednesday night as Mad magazine luminary Al Jaffee - still snappy at 90 - charmed a crowd with reminiscences of his life. He was joined by Mary-Lou Weisman, author of his new biography, Al Jaffee's Mad Life.
When the lights went out and he had to speak in the dark and without a mike, Jaffee remarked that he felt like he was back in the Lithuanian shtetl where he spent much of his childhood, reports the Daily News' Laurie Conrad.
Visit PhillyGossip.com for Dan's latest updates. Call 215-854-5963, or email grossd@phillynews.com.
