Stephanie Madoff, wife of the notorious Bernie Madoff’s son Mark, is one of three family members who are trying to escape the Madoff stigma by changing their last name. She said she “wishes to avoid additional embarrassment, harassment and endangerment associated with the name ‘Madoff,'” according to court documents.

Priced at $339,000, Karl Lagerfeld and German luxury safe maker Döttling have created limited edition safe claimed to be the world’s most expensive.

From her Spring 2010 Collection, Judith Leiber has created a beautifully embroidered handbag featuring a crystal bird.

San Francisco’s popular Ame restaurant in the St. Regis Hotel is now serving hirezake, a traditional Japanese drink of piping hot sake steeped with tiger fugu (infamously poisonous blowfish) fin. Don’t worry…Unlike the liver, blowfish fin is totally safe.

Looks like James Franco is one of the few celebs actually making a profit in this down real estate market. Purchasing the Spanish Style villa in 2006 for $2.325 million, he recently sold his L.A. home for $3.3 million.

Gov. David A. Paterson ended his campaign for election this afternoon amid mounting pressure from all sides and a scandle surrounding his handling of a domestic violence case involving a trusted aide.

No cuts. No color. Just blowouts for $35, L.A.’s first blowout bar, Drybar, is open in the Brentwood Gardens Plaza. Offering five different types of convenient blowouts, it’s all about the blow dryer with no scissors or color in sight.

From tuna to sardines to cod liver, some of the world’s best chefs are dismissing its low-end rep and turning to canned seafood.

With sales through the roof, Butch Bakery’s founder David Arrick is on the hunt for a perminant home for his boozy, testoterone-filled cupcake line. Some of his manly cupcakes varieties include Rum & Coke, Chocolate and beer-infused cake with beer buttercream topped with crushed pretzels, and Kahula-soaked madagascar vanilla with Baileys bavarian filling.