Tina Schafnitz was once the princess of OC society—blonde, bejeweled, glamorous; a model and beauty contestant turned philanthropist; a high-lifer with a Ferrari and Rolls Royce; a magnet for photographers. Then she got hooked on cocaine and in 1998 served time for selling drugs to an undercover cop. She was diagnosed with Pick’s Disease, a progressive form of dementia, and disappeared from public view. Last week Tina died at age 52; husband Matt said he was next to her, reading her Scripture. “I feel empty,” Matt said. “She was my life, such a beautiful, dynamic lady.” But in recent years she was an invalid and Matt said he, too, gave up the social scene to raise their two sons and relieve Tina’s nurses when he came home from his business, Signature Insurance Group. Now he said he will probably “pick up where Tina left off” with the non-profit Short Stature Foundation. He’d like son Alex, a dwarf who graduates from SMU in May, to head it. This past Saturday there was a closed ceremony for Tina at Pacific View mortuary. An invitation-only celebration of life is also planned …
UCI’s annual Medal Awards gala at Bren Event Center netted more than $1 million …
The Arches, first restaurant in Newport Beach to get a liquor license, has closed. The Westcliff Drive location was its third in four years, after more than 80 years in the landmark building at PCH and Newport Boulevard (now the A Restaurant.) Longtime Arches owner Dan Marcheano could not be reached for comment …
Something else that’s unconventional about presidential candidate Herman Cain: He hasn’t been here yet. “If Herman Cain showed up in Orange County he’d have an enthusiastic reception,” says OC GOP Chairman Scott Baugh, who is trying to arrange a visit. But Baugh says Cain is focused on the early primary states and OC doesn’t hold its usual allure because the big money is “locked up” with other candidates, mostly Mitt Romney and Rick Perry, at least until the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses …
Perry’s OC support appears to be holding. Hosts for a Wednesday fundraiser at the Newport Coast home of conservative publisher Tom Phillips (Washington, D.C.-based Eagle Publishing) include Tom McKernan, Paul Folino, Curt Pringle, Frank Jao, Hadi Makarechian and Mario Rodriguez …
Democrats tap OC, too: Lawyer Wylie Aitken hosted a fundraiser last week for Senators Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), Sherrod Brown (Ohio) and Jon Tester (Mont.) and Senate hopefuls former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine and Nevada Rep. Shelley Berkley …
Paul and Marybelle Musco get the Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Philanthropy Day luncheon Nov. 15 at the Hyatt Regency Irvine …
After the August death of “Hound Dog” composer Jerry Lieber, Chapman U spokeswoman Mary Platt said the university wanted to honor his lyricist Mike Stoller “to pay tribute to both men and their great music.” So Stoller will be on hand for Chapman’s American Celebration gala Saturday.
