The Broke and the Beautiful: Danielle Staub Edition

This week on The Broke and the Beautiful, “Real Housewife of New Jersey” Danielle Staub isn’t lighting up the TV screens but is instead starring in her own Chapter 7 case. Also, former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling’s videogame company may need some consolation, and celebrity chef Pino Luongo’s restaurant has been filleted in bankruptcy.

Bankruptcy Beat’s long-held tradition of informing our readers about Bravo’s bankrupt “Real Housewives” is continuing this week. As we noted Wednesday, New Jersey housewife Danielle Staub—the onscreen enemy of Teresa Giudice—filed her own Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition. Court documents show that Staub, who reported assets and debts each between $500,000 and $1 million, owes money to creditors Nordstrom Collections Arm, Land Rover, American express and the Gap. No word yet on whether Fendi, Staub’s pet Chihuahua, is worth as much as her namesake’s high-priced handbags. Staub’s lawyer wasn’t available for comment, and neither her website nor her Twitter page mentioned the bankruptcy.

Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling may need some consolation after his videogame company, 38 Studios LLC, struck out in Chapter 7 with more than $100 million in debt. DBR Small Cap reported that the company, which permanently relegated most of its 400-member staff to the dugout last month, also missed a payment to the state of Rhode Island on a $75 million loan guarantee. A day after a hand-delivered check to Rhode Island Economic Development Corp. bounced because of insufficient funds, the corporation’s executive director took himself off the roster.

Here at Bankruptcy Beat, we’ve seen our share of celebrity chefs—such as Timothy Dean, Andre Rochat and David Ruggerio—cook up bankruptcy petitions. Now, Pino Luongo is planning to shut down Centolire, a Madison Avenue restaurant that’s costing $41,000 a month in rent, utilities and taxes, Bloomberg reported. Luongo’s holding company, ABC Dining Ltd., filed for bankruptcy last month with assets of $100,000 to $500,000 and debts of $500,000 to $1 million. This isn’t Luongo’s first experience with bankruptcy, though. The Italian chef also placed his previous company, Toscorp, into Chapter 11 after the Sept. 11, 2011, terrorist attacks.

We were root, root, rooting for Mickey Mantle’s to stay open after investors were able to raise $71,000 to stave off a closure for a little longer. But according to CBS New York, the restaurant at Central Park South has shut its doors. Christopher Villano, the restaurant’s owner, said that it was a “very sad and difficult decision,” adding “we are proud to have served as a fun gathering place for Yankee fans and been host to important sports broadcasts and announcements over the years.”