A NIGHT TO REMEMBER
The ladies’ room . . .
It was quite a gathering. Cubs President Theo Epstein. Eddie Vedder. Jonathan Wilson. Rick Sutcliffe. Kevin Youkilis. David Ross. Reid Simpson. Charlie Jones. Chris Chelios. . . . and Epstein’s wife, Marie ( nee Whitney).
It was Monday night, and former Blackhawk Chris Chelios decided to host a dinner at Chicago Cut Steakhouse for the celeb group, which included several wives.
Some of the Chelios group had hit town to go to the Cubs vs. White Sox game earlier that day at Wrigley Field; some had attended Roger Waters’ Sunday night “Us + Them” show at the United Center — where Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder made a surprise stage appearance.
◆ The stunner: But it was Marie who held sway on her own celeb court talking about a matter very close to her heart: her shop, a women’s clothing boutique that donates a portion of all sales to benefit a girls school in Africa.
“Marie had visited an AIDS orphanage in Africa a number of years ago and wanted to help,” said a dinner guest. “It created a huge impression. She had everyone captivated talking about her mission and what it meant to her,” said the source.
“Marie is pretty special, and her shop, which she calls ‘ Two Penny Blue,’ sounds like an amazing concept.”
◆ Backshot: In 2012, Marie launched a line of women’s blazers because they can convey a message of empowerment. ( She wore a uniform in school.)
“The men at this dinner may be heavy hitters, but Marie Whitney Epstein knew how to hold her own,” the source said.
P. S. Marie once told a Crain’s reporter she lacked a passion for baseball, and her husband couldn’t care less about fashion.
Sounds like a marriage made in heaven to Sneed.
Go get ’ em!
Good grief! Check out this behind- the- scenes scenario to the recent theft of a Chicago FBI agent’s car containing firearms and tactical gear stolen a few weeks ago on the West Side. It’s a corker. ◆ Backshot: This month, an SUV was stolen out from under an FBI agent’s nose at a service station in the 300 block of South Morgan Street.
It contained firearms, tactical gear and a bulletproof vest.
It also included the ID of the FBI agent, who wound up being dragged a short distance while trying to retrieve his car from a 17- year- old male suspect, who was arrested two days later in the Austin neighborhood. Here’s the buckshot. Seconds after the carjacking, a Chicago beat car observed the stolen vehicle speeding westbound on South Congress Parkway, but they were unable to catch it.
They also spotted the “victim” of the car theft, whom they described in a police report as running down the street in a “frantic” manner, according to a top police source.
They also stated the FBI agent signaled them for help, noted his car had been stolen — and barked the following orders: “I am a federal agent. Go get ’ em!” Ya gotta be kidding. When the cops asked for proof of his identity, the FBI agent said he didn’t have it in his possession because he had left it behind in his hijacked car!
◆ Translation: Short of telling the FBI agent to call 911, the cops ran down the agent’s ID. The missing car was located the next evening in the 900 block of South Leavitt Street about two blocks from FBI offices.
Is this a classic case of no love lost between the feds and the cops? Who knows. But if this was a contest of who won in the brains category, guess who’d win?
A McCain memo . . .
Mayor Rahm Emanuel ordered a special message of respect dispatched immediately Wednesday to ailing U. S. Sen. John McCain.
◆ Translation: It was a copy of a City Council resolution sponsored by Ald. Edward Burke ( 14th), which described McCain, who has a brain tumor, as “a true American hero.”
◆ Burke’s beat: “This may be the first legislative body in the nation to honor McCain in this way,” said Burke. “As a Vietnam POW and Naval war hero, as well as his service in office to his country, his courage and patriotism are examples to us all,” he added. “We wish him a speedy recovery.”
◆ Rahm’s report: Shortly after Barack Obama’s election to the presidency, the mayor had a chitchat with President- elect Obama along with McCain and his sidekick, U. S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, and Emanuel’s wife, Amy.“McCain knew Amy’s dad was retired Navy, so he told Amy that if I got out of line, he’d sic my father- in- law on me,” the mayor said.
Sneedlings . . .
Congrats to public affairs strategist Becky Carroll and hubby, Jon, on the birth of Emmet, who now becomes the sidekick of big brother, Reilly. . . . I spy: Hall of Fame baseball legend Tommy Lasorda recently spotted several times at La Scarola. . . . Today’s birthdays: Alex Rodriguez, 42; Maya Rudolph, 45, and Jordan Spieth, 24.