Lois Pope with emcee Regis Philbin

Socialite Ari Rifkin got herself a walk-on part on CSI: New York, courtesy of leading man Gary Sinise, while 140-plus disabled veterans were treated to a Palm Beach event they otherwise couldn’t even think about getting in.

Of course, Rifkin paid a tad more than the vets for her goodies, bidding $16,000 at the urging of amateur auctioneer Regis Philbin (yes, he of Live with Regis and Kelly).

More than 500 Palm Beachers attended philanthropist Lois Pope’s yearly Lady in Red gala at The Breakers – one of the first fancy affairs in what’s expecting to be a season of economic discontent on the island.

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Tinsley Mortimer and Dabney Mercer at McCarty's

This being Thanksgiving weekend and all, young local society and their New York counterparts descended on Michael McCarty’s in Palm Beach Saturday night.

Spotted in the jam-packed wateringhole: Overexposed Manhattan socialites Tinsley Mortimer and Dabney Mercer, along with locals Mary Tobin, Tirzah Roberts, Elisabeth Munder and Frances Webster, among plenty more.

(More photos after the jump)

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It’s already billed as the first official outing of Madonna and A-Rod as a couple.

The Material Girl’s Sticky and Sweet show at Dolphin Stadium Wednesday night kicked off two hours late (because of traffic, the official line goes), but when the first riffs rang out in the sold-out stadium, the soon-to-be-divorced Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez was front and center.

And Madonna sang to him, locking eyes with the big third baseman as she intoned You Must Love Me.

Scattered in the stagefront crowd: Palm Beach rocker Rod Stewart and Latin songbird Paulina Rubio.

(photos after the jump)
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Stephen Asprinio, who parlayed appearances on Bravo’s Top Chef into an anchor restaurant in West Palm Beach’s Clematis district, is out at the joint he opened nine months ago.

The chi-chi eatery’s name, Forte di Asprinio, will remain, as will most of the personnel, including Executive Chef Mark Lieberman.

But the 27-year-old Asprinio tells me he won’t be seen at the Miami Beach-style restaurant for a long time. (Read more…)

Madonna arrives at the Signature Grand terminal at Miami International Airport for tonight's show. (Photo by Splashnews)

Madonna landed in South Florida about 1:33 a.m. this morning as she’s scheduled to take the stage at Dolphin Stadium tonight for her world tour-ending show.

The Material Girl stepped off her private jet parked near the Signature Grand terminal and disappeared in a Maybach on the tarmac.
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