When Rick Caruso threw a black-tie bash to open his Americana at Brand mall in Glendale on May 1, he made sure there were plenty of recognizable names. The catering was by Wolfgang Puck. Entertainment was provided by the Four Tops, the Temptations, Natalie Cole and Tony Bennett.
Then there was the emcee Jay Leno who gave the 2,000 people in attendance a Los Angeles-flavored monologue that touched on the travails of living in Malibu and that pesky L.A. traffic.
But the stars of the evening didn’t have recognizable names. They were the jurors from Caruso’s recent civil trial with General Growth Properties, the owner of the mall next door. The jurors awarded Caruso $89 million in the spat, which dealt with interference with a prospective tenant at Americana. The jurors got one of biggest ovations of the night.
“They are not only the jury on this trial they are the jury on my next trial,” quipped Caruso, to raucous laughter.
Business Stars Were Out
Some other big names showed up for the Caruso bash, including: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, nightclub impresarios Sam Nazarian and Brent Bolthouse and developers Ed Roski and Steve Fifield. While the big shots dined on filet mignon, Caruso grabbed the microphone for a speech that included praise for many of his employees for getting Americana at Brand built. Then he shocked his vice president of construction, Tom Veje, by giving him a little bonus: a black BMW 7 Series, which was driven to the foot of the stage.
Desk Unveiling
Billionaire real estate developer Alan Casden and his wife Susan Casden have donated Simon Wiesenthal’s Vienna office to the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles.
The display, which opened May 1, includes original pieces from the late Nazi hunter’s office, such as his books, papers and desk. There are a few replicas of items that couldn’t be transported from Austria.
Wiesenthal, for whom the Museum of Tolerance is named, was imprisoned by the Nazis and spent his post-war life documenting the Holocaust. He became a symbol of Jewish survival and resilience after World War II. He died in 2005.
For Casden, a meeting with Wiesenthal 30 years ago was a milestone, helping the developer to realize one of his callings in life.
“That conversation was very awesome and inspiring,” Casden said. “From there, that began what has become for me a lifelong journey with the determination and commitment to fight intolerance and anti-Semitism.”
Daniel Miller can be reached at
[email protected]
.
