Dan Gross: Snooki, the maternal gal

"JERSEY SHORE" castmate Deena Nicole Cortese said she's excited to become an aunt to Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi's baby.

"I'm really happy. She really is a genuinely good-hearted person also and I think she's gonna be a great mom," Cortese said of her castmate, now pregnant with fiance Jionni LaValle's baby.

Cortese, during a visit to Philly.com's video studio on Thursday, told us she would have been a dental technician had "Jersey Shore" not parlayed itself into a career. She was doing interviews promoting her hair-products line Wisper and an upcoming cruise. For more info on either, visit DeenaNicole.com.

She said Jionni, who comes off douchey on the show, is "a really nice guy" and "really cares about Nicole."

"When they're together they're happy and I'm happy for them," Deena said.

Best wishes to Bobby Rydell. The South Philly-born crooner had to postpone some Australian dates due to what he called "major surgery" on his Facebook page. "Doc says I will make a full recovery so think good thoughts for me everyone."

Pennsylvania's first lady, Susan Corbett, visited the 2012 Philadelphia International Flower Show on Saturday with her daughter Kate Corbett Gibson, an assistant district attorney in Philadelphia, and Kate's newly adopted baby boy. Author Bethenny Frankel signed autographs and bottles of her Skinnygirl cocktails, and fellow reality TV star Melissa Gorga, of Bravo's "Real Housewives of New Jersey," signed her Voli Lyte vodka over the weekend at the Flower Show, which ended Sunday.

After Saturday's Flower Show appearance, Frankel and husband Jason Hoppy dined at Stephen Starr's new Route 6 (600 N. Broad).

CBS 3 anchor/host Pat Ciarrocchi celebrated her 30th anniversary with the station Thursday, and on "Talk Philly," which she hosts with Ukee Washington, announced that she has established scholarships in her name, the Ciarrocchi Broadcast Scholars, at two schools - her alma mater, Padua Academy in Wilmington, Del., and at Neumann University in Aston. Ciarrocchi, a Rosemont College grad, said she wanted to provide assistance to those pursuing journalism careers.

Oscar-winning actress Eva Marie Saint will be on hand for a Q&A session Thursday after a 7:30 p.m. screening of the Alfred Hitchcock classic "North By Northwest" at the Prince Music Theater (1412 Chestnut). Turner Classic Movies and XFINITY are bringing the Road to Hollywood tour to Philadelphia in celebration of the TCM Classic Film Festival this April in Hollywood. TCM host Ben Mankiewicz emcees the screening and moderates the Q&A. Tickets are free at tcm.com/roadtohollywood.