Who

Possibly the craziest restaurateur in Manhattan, Balan is the owner of Nello on Madison Avenue and Southampton's Nello Summertimes.

Backstory

Born in Romania and raised in Switzerland, Balan arrived on the New York dining scene in 1992 when he opened the Italian eatery Nello on 62nd and Madison. Balan didn't generate much attention for his food, but he quickly turned Nello's into a staple on the celebrity dining circuit thanks to his gift for publicity and willingness to indulge in cheap media stunts, such as his addition of a $750 Wagyu steak to Nello's menu in 2006. But while Balan's always been quite adroit as garnering mentions in gossip columns, his efforts at empire expansion haven't always been as successful. In 2001, he co-founded a French bistro downtown called Soho Soho with chef Guy Reuge; a mere two weeks after its opening, Balan kicked Reuge to the curb. Renamed Nello Soho, the restaurant closed its doors not long after. He had better luck in 2005, when he opened the still-operational Southampton spot Nello Summertimes.

Drama

Balan has always benefited from regular mentions on Page Six: At times, it seemed hardly a week went by without a mention of some B or C-list celeb who had been "spotted" the day before eating at Nello's. Those who suspected that Balan had a special relationship with Page Six editor Richard Johnson weren't far off the mark: In 2006, it was reported that Balan had been sending satchels full of cash to gossip reporters who mentioned him in their columns, and while the Daily News's George Rush and Joanna Molloy returned the cash, Johnson admitted he'd kept an envelope with $1,000. Johnson was later forced to issue an apology for the ethical lapse. But it's unlikely the incident has done much damage to the relationship—Johnson's ties to the restaurateur run deep. His son, Damon, interned with Balan to learn about the restaurant biz and Balan later spent more than $10,000 on Damon's art work. And minor controversies are a dime a dozen in Balan's world. In 2007, he filed suit against Amy Sacco, claiming one of her doormen roughed him up when he dropped by Bungalow 8 with his 21-year-old daughter; later that year he feuded with French model Le Call over her supposed theft of his $1,000 umbrella.

Crime file

Balan may have the physique of a bouncer but his temperament is more of a pro-wrestler. In March 2006, he was arrested for beating his girlfriend, Heather Payne. He admitted to kicking her in groin and asphyxiating her with his knee, pleaded guilty to the charges, and was sentenced to a 26-week domestic violence course. When the Post, in the wake of the incident, described him as a "Romanian roughneck," Balan took out a bizarre full-page ad in the paper which he described his neck as "hardened from 700 years of nobility, dignity, and character." Rather incongruously, the ad was accompanied by an picture of him smiling and walking his dogs.

Personal

The bleached-blonde Balan has been married and divorced twice. He had two kids with his first wife, one of whom he named Olivia after Olivia Newton-John, a regular at his restaurant. With his second wife Elbi Balan, he has two kids, Grant McKinley and Madison. The Balans live in the Olympic Towers, along with another restaurateur of questionable sanity, Rocky Aoki.

No joke

Balan claims he's a direct descendant of Vlad the Impaler, the 15th century Transylvanian despot who inspired Dracula. He also claims that his ex-wife, Elbi, is a direct descendant of Suleiman the Magnificent, the 16th century sultan of the Ottoman Empire. In 2005, he named his newborn son "Grant McKinley"—a fusion of the names of two U.S. presidents, Ulysses S. Grant and William McKinley—which he claimed was meant to reflect his and his wife's royal heritage. Go figure.