A Table In Heaven With Sirio

FUN VIDEO of Thursday night's HBO party at Le Cirque from NY Post. (The Post is the only paper in NY that Sirio likes.)

In a world rocked by stock market woes unprecedented in modern times, ferreting out solid investments can be scarcer than hen's teeth, even before the past six months free fall. In addition, wanting an investment that might be considered fun today would probably require jettisoning yourself out of the known universe. Still there are always exceptions to the rule in looking for someplace with potential to put a little money, far away from the maddening crowd of Wall Street.Thanks to my son and a talented movie producer/director named Charlie Marquart (along with the infinitely talented Andrew Rossi) in New York, two-and-a-half years ago, I found the perfect combination of investment with the potential of some return and fun: the making of a little documentary movie about a very big character named Sirio Maccioni, his extensive Italian family and their fascinating inter generational family dynamics. Their tale was spun around the restaurant business they created over the past half-century in New York named Le Cirque.


The movie that I subsequently invested in was a low budget documentary that required a whole lot of patience and no guaranteed promise of return

But I liked the producers and found the subject matter fascinating and of great human interest. The guys were talented movie makers and so I held my breath and jumped in.

Last October, 2007, this little movie premiered in New York with the Maccionis on board and at their best. I was there and, yes, it was great fun on many levels. It was great seeing the principles on both sides of the camera and we were treated to a dinner at the new Le Cirque in the Bloomberg building. Still, the fellows hadn't sold our movie and so they had the difficult job of continuing to shopping it around at film festivals around the country and beyond. It's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it.

Sometime earlier this year, I finally got that call I had forgotten would ever come: Charlie was on the line with the good news that HBO was very interested in buying their documentary. He wanted me to know that it was the best possible outcome they/we could have ever hoped for. In any event I was happiest for them and the hard work they'd put into it over the past several years. HBO subsequently bought the movie and the rest is history.

I sadly couldn't be at the HBO party last night in New York because I had to come back to Nashville to take care of other matters before going back East next week.

But last night's HBO bash at Le Cirque in New York was a smashing success and I'm thrilled for the fellows that their work has come to successful fruition. It was chock full of beautiful people. And no doubt lots of fun. Thanks Charlie, Andrew, Whit and Sirio for the great ride. Movie debuts on HBO December 29. And well-worth watching. It's all about family.

Hey fellows, when and where's our next project?