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Reporting and Photography: Lieba Nesis
The Angel Ball celebrated its 25th year on Monday October 23, 2023 with cocktails beginning at 6:30 PM at Cipriani 55 Wall Street. Renowned for its top notch entertainment and A-list attendees the sold-out $1,750 per ticket evening did not disappoint with an 800 person crowd comprised of Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, G-Eazy, Michael Bolton, Tommy Hilfiger, Clive Davis, Tina Knowles and Aoki Lee Simmons.
One would expect nothing less when hospitality guru Richie Akiva is an honoree: an individual who has reigned over the New York nightlife scene for the past 30 years building an extensive network of the who’s who in fashion, music and entertainment. Akiva said he was having trouble celebrating after the tragic situation in Israel and his somber demeanor reflected the pain of every gathering I have attended.
Akiva is the “it” boy of New York whose monumental influence on pop culture takes place as a behind the scenes power player across every facet of the entertainment industry. He currently operates the Ned Nomad club and hotel under the Membership Collective Group umbrella along with Executive Chairman Ron Burkle. Akiva’s strong ties to the Jewish community were obviously weighing heavily on him as he humbly accepted his “Angel of Light” award as honorary co-chairs Marc Leder, Warren Lichtenstein and Amy and Brian France applauded enthusiastically.
New York Mayor Eric Adams has similarly shown a remarkable solidarity with Israel as he lamented the pervasive evil dominating society and urged the crowd to take back control of college campuses with the necessity for zeroing in on social media which has become a meeting ground for radicalized individuals.
There has been no other politician as supportive of Israel as Adams lamented the murders of Jews Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner in 1964 after marching with James Chaney to advocate for civil rights-one of the many Jews, Adams noted, to join the Black community in its fight for equality. Adams called on Blacks and Jews to revisit their connection as he attributed his own deep passion for the beloved people of Israel to the powerful history they share. Adams close ties to the ultra-Orthodox community is well known as he has visited Israel three times the last trip being in August 2023 where he met Prime Minister Netanyahu and revealed his desire to live out his golden years in the Golan Heights.
Some other Israel- loving luminaries in the crowd included plastic surgeon to the stars Dr. Norman Rowe, his beautiful wife Mia and their equally smashing daughter Ella. Rowe who trained as a plastic surgeon at New York University Medical Center and the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Institute runs practices throughout New York, the Hamptons and New Jersey with a group of experienced plastic surgeons who specialize in the face, breast and body. He also pioneered aesthetics for men opening “The Club House” in April 2018-the exclusive only- mens facility where plastic surgery and non-invasive services are conducted in a discrete under-the-radar setting.
The Rowe family donates generously to cancer research to aid accomplished doctors such as Dr. Stephen Nimer who have pioneered development in cancer research through Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation which was founded 27 years ago by philanthropist Denise Rich. Its impact has been far-reaching awarding more than $41 million in research grants to the best and brightest scientists globally. Denise lost her daughter Gabrielle Rich in 1996 from advanced stage Hodgkin’s disease at the tender age of 27 and has steadfastly fulfilled her daughter’s final wish of creating a leukemia foundation.
The evening which was hosted by Emmy Award Winning TV Host Tamron Hall also honored some major female power players including Elizabeth Elting who founded TransPerfect, the worlds largest translation services provider, and Monique Rodriguez, Founder and CEO of Mielle Organics-a multi-million dollar natural hair care brand. Some other female heroes featured included Amy Shields whose son Sully was diagnosed with stage IV neuroblastoma at the age of 5 in 2014 and tragically died in September 2023 at the age of 14 after Amy advocated for him for nearly a decade. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house as she described her arduous struggle while heralding medical advances that allowed her to enjoy her son an extra decade after he admonished her to “kick some ass” in the fight against cancer-a mission to which her life is devoted.
After a dinner of ribeye and some signature Cipriani vanilla creme meringue cake a live auction was held where Lorraine Schwartz earrings were bought for $36,000 and $25,000 allowed one lucky bidder to access the entirety of the American Dream Mall from 9PM to 1AM. The finale of the evening is always the most sublime as the inimitable Robin Thicke sang “Blurred Lines” while Mary J. Blige wowed with “Just Fine.” By 11 PM most of the guests headed to the Ned Nomad for an afterparty while Jermaine Dupri spun some tunes for those hesitant to bid adieu to a perfect fall extravaganza.
