One of the most influential people in the world of sports marketing, Tony Ponturo is vice president of global media of Anheuser-Busch and president of the Busch Media Group.

The news media has been totally transfixed by the suicide of Ruslana Korshunova, the 20-year-old Kazakhstan native who jumped nine stories to her death this weekend, possibly on account of boyfriend troubles. The combination of gorgeous girl and grisly death is a winning one, at least as far as selling papers and generating TV ratings goes. But Korshunova is hardly the first model to go from the catwalk to the morgue (or to become front-page tabloid news for some terribly unfortunate incident). In fact, fate kind of seems to have it out for models. A roundup of model industry tragedies below.

A bright pink "Balloon Flower" sculpture by Jeff Koons went for $25.8 million at Christie's London yesterday, exceeding his last sale of $23.6 million. Which means he can just about afford his outstanding child support payments! [Reuters]

Meet the latest member of the Trump family to pervade the airwaves to promote the brand. Here's Eric Trump, the son of Donald and younger brother of Don Jr. and Ivanka, in a vodka ad talking about how he "works all the time," has holes in the bottom of his shoes "from walking over rebar in Ferragamos," why his buddies call him a "Fifth Avenue redneck," and why he likes conservative girls who don't wear short skirts. Possibly the creepiest line ever (and one no doubt crafted by his father): "If New York was a woman, I would have to say it would be my sister, and while that might sound a little strange..." Say no more, Eric.

Liv Tyler is getting back together with her husband and turning 31 today. Congrats all around. Also celebrating today: Indie musician Sufjan Stevens is 33. Famed choreographer Twyla Tharp is 67. Supa dupa fly rapper Missy Elliot is turning 37. And former SNL funnyman Dan Aykroyd is 56.

• Clay Felker, the founding editor of New York, has died at 80. [NYM]

Isn't it fortunate that we have celebrities to teach us about unique, profound experiences like parenting? Otherwise, no one would appreciate what it's like to have a child, because it's not like nearly everyone else in the world does it! Maggie Gyllenhaal, who with Peter Sarsgaard makes up one of the most insufferable couples in Park Slope (and it's a competitive field), is the latest actress who thinks she's the first person in history to be a mom.

Michael Bloomberg doesn't look too happy with Jon Bon Jovi when the rocker corrects the mayor and points out it's Simon and Garfunkel, not Garfinkel. The uncomfortable episode, Mayor Bloomberg's lame excuse, and his moment of humiliation, is nine minutes in.

More details are emerging about the death of Ruslana Korshunova, the model of Kazakhstan who committed suicide after she jumped from the window of her Water Street apartment on Saturday. Ruslana, it seems, was dating two men at the time, had plans to see both of them tomorrow to celebrate her 21st birthday, and each one is still insisting "that he was the one she wanted to be with." With it still unclear what it was, exactly, that caused her to take her life, Ruslana's mother, Valentina Kutenkova, arrived in New York to reclaim her daughter's body yesterday. She also revealed a rather bizarre footnote to this bizarre story.

• Is Madonna have a secret romance with Alex Rodriguez? The two have been spending late nights together at her apartment and they've been spotted working out together, too. Rodriguez's wife Cynthia can't be pleased by any of this. [Us]

• An upgrade from Morgan Stanley is expected to help out Lehman's stock price, which fell 11 percent yesterday amid talk of a firesale. [Reuters]

1) At Rita Schrager's Southampton garden, Lara Shriftman and Elizabeth Harrison's new book Party Confidential: New Etiquette for Fabulous Entertaining was feted by Dan Abrams, Dave Zinczenko, Jill Stuart, Woody Johnson, Radu, George Wayne, Kelly Killoren Bensimon, Alina Cho, and Elana Waksal, who in keeping the party's Western theme donned bandanas and Stetsons and tried their luck on a bucking bronco. [FWD/NYSD]

• Geoffrey Zakarian will reconceive the upstairs portion of Country as Country Steak. [Grub Street]

• While buyers are continue to snap up condos at 15 Central Park West, two co-ops have gone on the market at the Dakota, the famed building that 15 CPW was built to echo. Buyers with $20 million+ can share the elevator with neighbors like Connie Chung, Lauren Bacall, and Yoko Ono. [NYT, Brown Harris Stevens]
  

Big news for Byrdie Bell: She finally has something to list under "work info" on her Facebook profile. She's officially a model, thanks to a newly-signed contract with Ford. The 23-year-old socialite has been looking to line up something substantial for a while. She snagged a part in the new Mischa Barton thriller Homecoming, due out sometime this year, and she's been tirelessly attending events over the past two years in hopes of getting noticed. Looks like all that networking paid off now that she's joining the ranks of socialites-turned-models like Lydia Hearst, Julia Restoin Roitfeld, and Lauren Bush. Whether Bydie is giving up on a career in movies isn't clear, but you can bet as one of the last socialites left without a modeling contract, Olivia Palermo is feeling pretty left out right now.

• Short haircuts are in fashion, which is final, conclusive proof of a global recession, say Japanese researchers. Also, it's the perfect excuse to run a picture of Agyness Deyn, which is good because we don't think we've seen her face ten times yet today. [Independent]

"[F]or the first time in memory, inside sources say, no Dalton students will be shipping off to Harvard come fall. And some parents—who shell out $31,200 a year for their kids’ private school education—are pissed." [P6M]

"Real life Gossip Girl" and self-proclaimed "businesswoman" Tinsley Mortimer spent the day showing Access Hollywood cameras around her crazy, hectic life. Translation: She took Maria Menounos shopping, got her makeup done, and then went to two parties. Oh, and she shows off her new line of lip gloss. Yay! An afternoon in the life of Tinz after the jump.

Remember Jeffrey Epstein, the "billionaire" financier and Bill Clinton pal who was busted in 2006 for his sexual relationships with underage girls? Two bits of news about the secretive mogul came to light today. First off, it turns out he was an investor in the ill-fated and scandal-plagued Bear Stearns hedge fund managed by Ralph Cioffi and Matthew Tannin. It seems poor Jeff lost a bundle when the fund imploded last summer—some $57 million. Even worse, though, is that today marks the day when he is expected to turn himself in to the police in Palm Beach and immediately begin serving an 18-month sentence for soliciting an underage prostitute. (Where, we're guessing, he won't be able to waltz around in a "JEE" monogrammed fleece as he is on the left.) As awful as that all is, we can't help but think about what a crappy month it's been for Epstein's former pal, Ron Burkle. He now has multiple (former) friends behind bars. And there are a bunch of other people who probably regret ever hooking up with the supermarket billionaire.

Page Six Magazine offers up a look at the life and times of Italian playboy/crook and former boyfriend of Anne Hathaway, Rafaello Follieri. The actress, who wanted to be a nun when she was a kid, was apparently attracted to Follieri's faith; they often "watched their favorite TV show, 24, with friends like Eva Mendes and Georgina Chapman"; and Rafaello could always be counted on to prepare her favorite dish, linguini and clams. [P6 Mag]