Fla. man crashes Ford fiesta

SOMETHING of a pattern is developing with flashy real estate guy Patrick Carroll.

Twice now the swaggering businessman has splashed serious cash and looked like a big shot in front of a crowd — only to back out later when nobody was watching. Early last year, we reported that Carroll had bid a stunning $1.5 million in a charity auction for UNICEF at a glittering gala attended by Leonardo DiCaprio, Jared Leto and former Vogue UK boss Edward Enninful — but then decided not to cough up, bizarrely calling the UN group a “fraudulent organization.”

Now Page Six has learned that the Florida wheeler-dealer recently spent a fortune at

Tom Ford in hopes of being invited as a valued customer to the brand’s Milan fashion show. But after he and his girlfriend got the frontrow treatment, he tried to return a bunch of the ultra-luxe duds that got him invited in the first place.

Sources tell Page Six that Carroll — who once got into a brawl at a starry party in Capri, Italy, and has been accused of spitting on a restaurant manager — made it clear to the fashion house that he would like tickets to its Milan show. But we hear they told him that that’s an honor only the biggest spenders at their boutiques receive. So our resourceful hero shelled out a fortune on items including several gowns for his girlfriend, $19,000 cuff links, $2,500 sandals, a $10,000 leather jacket and dozens of other head-spinning goodies.

But seething sources tell Page Six that once the couple had worn the clothes to the event, Carroll attempted to return many of the most expensive items.

Responding to our request for comment, Carroll said: “F - - k you, Page Six!”

He called the claims “untrue” and said, “I didn’t return anything. I think my girlfriend returned a couple dresses.” Then he conceded: “I didn’t return anything I got, except $25,000 cuff links.” (We‘re told they were $19K.)

Reps for Tom Ford didn’t get back to us.