Sunflower Festival: Knights and Ladies

Tara Allmen is a nice Jewish doctor, born and raised on the small island of Manhattan. She is the very proud graduate of the nationally renowned Stuyvesant High School, after which she graduated from the internationally renowned Johns Hopkins University. From there, she attended medical school at SUNY Stony Brook. And then she flew the coup all the way to the University of California, San Francisco for residency training in obstetrics and gynecology.

For those obstetricians in the house, Tara dropped obstetrics from her practice one year ago, and now she gets to sleep all night long. Please don't hate her for that. Tara enjoys sailing, skiing, swimming, tennis, ballroom dancing, chess, travel, and champagne. Not necessarily in that order. Oh yes, and she is funny too. She has seen practically every show on and Off-Broadway, so don't suggest that as an evening activity if you are lucky enough to win her at the auction.

Anthony Buhl spent his growing years between Switzerland and the United States. A lover of the outdoors and spontaneous by nature, Anthony spends as much time as he can involved in athletic pursuits such as sailing, biking, playing tennis and skiing. A great traveler, he has spent much of his time abroad. Italy and South East Asia are amongst his favorite travel spots. His interest in travel and other cultures has extended into the realm of language, and Anthony is fluent in Italian, French, Spanish and English.

Currently living in New York, Anthony is at acting school at the Lee Strasberg Academy. On his time off he enjoys listening to hip-hop music and jazz and hangs out at Manhattan nightspots such as the Knitting Factory and Halo.

Marisa Berenson was born in New York City and brought up in Europe. She went to school in France, Switzerland, England and Italy.

She speaks English, French, Italian, German and Spanish and currently lives between New York and Europe. Marisa became a famous top model at the age of sixteen. She was on the covers of several publications including Vogue, Bazaar, Time Magazine, Newsweek and Elle. In 1971 she became an actress. Her films include Death in Venice by director Luchino Visconti, Cabaret by director Bob Fosse for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for best supporting actress, Barry Lyndon directed by Stanley Kubrick, S.O.B. directed by Blake Edwards and White Hunter, Black Heart directed by Clint Eastwood. Her television Mini Series performances include Playing for Time with Vanessa Redgrave, Sins with Joan Collins and Hemingway with Stacy Keach. Her plays include Holiday by Philip Barry with Christopher Reeves in the Williamstown theater festival and The Time of Your Life by William Saroyan in Los Angeles. She has also performed in several other films and plays and has been in numerous television films. Marisa is also a goodwill ambassador for UNESCO..

Joseph DeCristofaro was born and raised in Southampton, NY. His love for the Hamptons prompted him to become the original creator and current publisher of Hamptons Country magazine. Hamptons Country is well recognized as the Hamptons' premier luxury lifestyle magazine. Joseph now splits his time between New York City and the Hamptons, though he prefers spending his time in his hometown of Southampton. When he's there on the weekends, he enjoys spending his days playing tennis and going to the beach. In the evenings, he enjoys the company of his friends over great food, fine wine and amazing conversation. This winter, Joseph will be busy on his new magazine, Manhattan County, his new luxury lifestyle magazine for Manhattan.

Lauren Ezersky is the millennium's answer to the "ladies who lunch." For a decade she has interviewed giants of the fashion world - Calvin Klein, Gianni Versace, Karl Lagerfeld, Isaac Mizrahi, John Galliano to name a few, for her monthly "Lunch With Lauren" column in Paper magazine.

Lauren has become a fixture in the front row of fashion shows and TV screens alike and has appeared on such shows as Good Morning America, Inside Edition, Fashion File, American Journal, Oprah Winfrey and Fashion TV. As well as writing for Paper, she has contributed to Time Out, NY and Fashion Reporter. Her presence as TV's fashion hostess with the mostest came about doing on air reporting for many news and TV shows, she is well known for her long running cable TV show "Behind The Velvet Ropes." Ezersky's hard-hitting in your face and often hilarious interviewing style combined with her signature Cruella DeVille fashion look and silver streaked hair have made her the darling of the fashion world and landed her on Manhattan File's Best Dressed list. Ezersky lives in Manhattan with her Chihuahuas Gomez and Tallulah-Consuela.

Dan Hevesi was born in New York City and grew up in a family where political skills were taught right along with the three R's.

First elected in 1998 at age 28, he is currently serving as the youngest member of the New York State Senate and is only the third freshman senator to ever hold a seat on the powerful Senate Finance Committee. He holds a Master's degree in Public

Policy and Administration from the school of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude from Queens College with a BA in Political Science. Dan was the captain of his high school basketball team and every year he volunteers his time running a local basketball league for neighborhood kids. Senator Hevesi follows in a proud tradition of public service, his father Alan G. Hevesi, is currently serving in his second term as the 41st Comptroller of the City of New York and is a leading candidate for Mayor of New York City in 2001. And yes, Dan very much enjoys doing things that have absolutely nothing to do with politics!

Colette Malouf - Born of Lebanese parents and raised in Greenwich Village, Colette Malouf has always been surrounded by many cultures. She attended the United Nations International School where she developed an understanding of cultural diversity. Throughout high school and college Colette spent many summers abroad learning languages and adapting to different lifestyles. She continued her international studies while at Boston University where she earned a degree in Communications.

As the owner and designer of a high-end jewelry and hair accessories company, she still travels regularly for business, taking her business to countries such as France and Japan. Her travels are a great inspiration to her creativity. Although growing her business is important, Colette values living in the moment. Cultural and physical activities, family and friends keep her happy and balanced.

Norma Quinto, with her poker straight hair and flawless skin, is a by-product of her Guatemalan mother and Chinese father. She holds a dual degree in philosophy and public relations from NYU.

Norma achieved her entrée into the fashion world with a two-year stint at Dolce & Gabbana in their PR department. Now, she is the owner of Quinto and Company, Inc. a public relations and fashion marketing firm. Norma Quinto is one of the most sought after fashion show producers and has produced shows for well known designers such as Cynthia Rowley, Marc Jacobs and Zang Toi. A veteran New Yorker she loves fine foods, travel and intelligent drum and bass.

Francis Kellogg, a New Yorker by birth, now lives at 73rd Street and Park Avenue, three blocks from where he was born. (That's progress.) A graduate of Princeton, he served four years in the Army. Upon leaving the army he entered the business world initially working with the family firm of John Wanamaker. In the coming years he was appointed a director of half a dozen non-governmental international refugee organizations. In 1961 he became a founding member of the World Wildlife Fund and President 1971 - 1976. Fran left business for the State Department in 1971 and returned to New York five years later to the US Mission to the UN as Chief of Protocol during the bicentennial year, he then became affiliated with the United Nations staff as Director General of three UN international coin issues. In 1977, he was a founding member of the Charles & Anne Lindberg Foundation serving as its President 1973 - 1975. For twelve years he was President of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy. During the decade of the 1980s, he acted as Chief of Protocol for Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand for Her visits to this country. He founded and was Chairman of the Thai Support Foundation. For a number of years, simultaneously with his other activities, Fran was on special assignment with the Central Intelligence Agency. Francis's sport is sailing. He has participated in seven Newport Bermuda Races, the Round Gotland Race in the Baltic, the Toulon - San Remo Race in the Mediterranean, as well as racing in Long Island Sound, along the Atlantic coast, and the "Southern Circuit." Besides sailing, his hobbies are his farm in Bedford, New York where he raises miniature Dexter cattle, aquatic birds, exotic chickens and has two hunter horses.

Toni Senecal has been on the tube since nabbing the trend tracking spot on the Joan Rivers' Show while still at NYU ("a long, loooooong time ago!"). After graduation, it was off to LA for stints on E! Entertainment Television, about a dozen "perky morning show" pilots, and gigs as a regular fashion and style contributor for many-a-canceled morning show ("There was a lot of bedazzling involved, lots of makeovers... I stand not proud.") She currently acts as the smart-mouthed sidekick on NBC's the Ainsley Harriott Show (Another canceled morning show!). Her next gig will be the fall premier of Extra, where her producers from America's Most Wanted have been hired to completely revamp the show ("those psychos turned me into a fake fugitive, sent me running around the country with thousands of rabid America's Most Wanted fans hunting me down for cash. And I'm working with them again!?")One show she proudly places on her resume: Reporting on fashion and trends for Oprah. And when Ms!... Winfrey announced Toni's internet startup on its launch, Debbieguide.com got over half a million hits in its first hours live "Debbie", Toni's evil twin, reports on all that is fabulous from country clubs to, well strip clubs. It's the only online guide where "Sex and the City meets Citysearch."

Lisa Silhanek left Kentucky to dance on Broadway. She is a PR girl, entrepreneur, good friend, bad little sister, great Auntie and fabulous Godmother. She loves pink(!), her pizza hot, popcorn unbuttrered, steak rare and vodka chilled, in a real glass (just like her mother).

Lisa is currently the Vice-President of Ted Inc. a Public Relations and Event Management firm and lives in Manhattan. Her warm, cheerful attitude, ready smile and wit are part of her Southern charm.

Patrick McMullan was a student at New York University where he majored in business and minored in Studio 54. He met Andy Warhol, who first encouraged him to carry a camera with him all the time. Always part of the New York nightlife scene, Patrick is invited as a guest first and then as a member of the press.

His first published photographs appeared in Details Magazine when Stephen Saben was the editor. Patrick now has columns in Vanity Fair, New York Magazine, Interview, Allure, Ocean Drive (Miami) and Manhattan File. He is a contributing photographer for many other American and European magazines. Patrick is best known as a party photographer who flies from uptown to downtown events with ease almost every night of the week. Whether it's mingling with New York society, the trendy fashion crowd or major Hollywood movie stars, Patrick is at home at a party. He resides in New York City where he shares a studio with his twelve year old, Liam.. Also, due out this fall is Patrick's first book, entitled "Men's Show," published by Edition Stemmle.

Peter J. Speziale is a nice Italian lawyer, born in Long Island, living in SoHo. After 13 years at the practice of law, which included working in large nationally known firms and subsequently running his own firm,

he is now a regional director for Cybersettle.com, the leader in online dispute resolution, based on Park Avenue in New York City, with offices throughout the United States and the world. Fond of travel, Peter has traveled extensively throughout Europe, and particularly Italy, having visited almost every well-traveled and not so well traveled spot from the heel of the boot to the top, with the intention of doing it again. Will the highest bidder join him?

Sean Murphy (36) grew up in Northport, Long Island, and the youngest of four with three older sisters ( a situations which greatly benefited him when he worked at Vogue.) He spent his youth swimming and sailing and dreaming of journeys beyond Long Island sound. At university he studied comparative literature and art history, first in Virginia, then in Paris, France where he lived for three and a half years.

He traveled extensively, cultivating passions for music, books, art, food, wine, architecture and adventure. Presently, he is the Editor in Chief of Quest magazine and lives downtown New York where he continues his cultural pursuits. His goal is to become a true Renaissance man. His interests include cooking, wine collecting, photography, reading, and hiking. He enjoys: museums, movies, art galleries, classical concerts, the opera, ballet, travelling, and eating out. Although, he is sometimes perfectly comfortable spending an entire afternoon sharing the Sunday New York Times.

Dane Neller is currently the CEO for Dean and Deluca the reigning gourmands in New York City. He was born in Evanston and went to Deerfield High. Dane is the proud owner of a mother, brother, sister-in-law, niece, nephew and a male Bernese Mountain Dod, Travis McGee, who weighs 150lbs. He is a professional tennis player and apart from tennis, enjoys skiing, hiking and mountain biking. He loves to travel and his favorite travel spots are Morocco, Italy and St. Barthelmy. He likes to eat "anything from Dean and Deluca".

Maria DiAngelis is a model and is currently the spokesperson for Newborn Cord/Blood Technology. She loves to write, has a passion for languages, enjoys sports, cherishes good food and wine, and even cooks! Her message for all you bidders out there is:

"I want a person to bid on me, simply for the sake of charity.
Not for the titles that I have earned.
More for the heart where passions have burned.
For a gentle person in need of a honey.
For charity's sake. . . bid a lot of money!"

Rahul Kadakia - our auctioneer - worked at his family jewelry store in Bombay for 5 years and then proceeded to study at the Gemological Institute of America in Los Angeles. After this, Rahul joined Christie's, the fine art auctioneers in London in October of 1996 to train as a jewelry specialist and to acquaint himself with the auction world. Today, he is based out of Geneva as a jewelry specialist and as an auctioneer. Along with a team of international jewelry specialists he is responsible for putting together the Magnificent Jewels auctions that Christie's is so well known for. Always running to catch a plane, he travels around the world constantly in search of fine jewelry and stones to include in forthcoming sales and to conduct auctions for various sales as well as to conduct auctions for Christie's International and various charities.