NEWARK, N.J. - The mood was light inside the Prudential Center on Monday night as children screamed with delight at a local superhero and well-dressed adults sipped spring water and downed hors d'oeuvres.
It was the Boys & Girls Club of Newark's 24th annual Evening of the Stars, and city native Shaquille O'Neal was being honored. The future Hall of Famer also took on some big donors in a free-throw competition.
Lewis Katz was one of them, and he wasn't taking the competition lightly. About 12 hours after becoming one of the lead investors in a group that bought the Daily News and Inquirer, Katz was leaning against a column in the building, bouncing lightly from foot to foot. He was the only competitor who took off his tie and sport coat and changed into Nikes.
