MOB SCENE
Bruce Cutler, defender of former Teflon Don John
Gotti, has made a high-five-figure deal with Crown Publishers to
write the story of his career as a criminal defense attorney.
Cutler recently visited his old client at the U.S. penitentiary
in Marion, Ill., and received the ex-godfather's blessing for
the book. ''Gotti told him to be completely honest and tell
everything,'' says Steve Ross, editorial director of Crown, which
also publishes Victoria Gotti, the don's daughter. So does
Cutler still maintain Gotti was just a businessman given a bum
rap by the government? ''It's hard to say at this point if he
will talk about Gotti as a Mob figure,'' says Ross, who plans to
publish in 2002.
WHAT'S COOKING?
Linda Denizard, Ricky Martin's onetime personal
chef and former executive chef of Casa Salsa, his South Beach
restaurant, has signed a six-figure deal with New American
Library to write Cooking With Ricky. The book will include an
introduction by Ricky, at least 60 photographs — some actually of
food — and anecdotes about Ricky's favorite dishes. Oh yeah, and
recipes. ''This will be a very important cookbook because there's
very little on Puerto Rican cooking,'' insists NAL's Carolyn
Nichols. Okay, but how many of Martin's fans cook? ''His
demographics cover a wide set of age groups,'' Nichols responds.
Look for Cooking With Ricky in spring 2001.
