Tattle: Hathaway 'Smart' to dump alleged scammer

SOMETIMES THE media cracks even Tattle up.

Take this lead on the Associated Press story on the arrest of Raffaello Follieri which says: "An Italian businessman once romantically linked to actress Anne Hathaway was arrested [yesterday] on charges that he operated a fraudulent real-estate investment scheme, duping investors by boasting that his Vatican connections could get U.S. real estate at bargain prices."

Saying that he was once linked to the "Get Smart" actress is like saying Pope Benedict was once linked to the Hitler Youth - a sketchy reference years in the past. Actually, the lovely Miss Hathaway officially parted ways with Follieri at some point within the past month, and was seriously involved with him since 2004.

This in no way means to imply that Hathaway did anything wrong or anything worse than look the other way when the oft-troubled Follieri repeatedly bought her expensive trinkets.

So why not just say, "Actress Anne Hathaway's former longtime boyfriend . . ."?

As for Follieri, he could be in big trouble, soon to see Hathaway only on DVDs borrowed from a prison library.

He's been charged with a dozen counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, accused of portraying himself as the Vatican's representative in the U.S. to obtain real estate at below-market prices. Prosecutors claim that he used those false claims to obtain money from investors, including millions of dollars from a private equity firm based in California. He then used that money to support an opulent lifestyle, including privately chartered flights to travel around the world with friends and family, expensive meals and clothing, a posh apartment in Manhattan and medical expenses.

According to the FBI, Follieri claimed that the Vatican had appointed him to manage its financial affairs and that he had met with the pope in person in Rome. But according to the complaint, his actual connections to the Vatican amounted to attending meetings with members of the clergy in Italy arranged by an administrative employee whom he paid.

Prosecutors said that Follieri went to great lengths to embellish his "connections," including using money from the principal investor to hire two U.S. monsignors for his business dealings.

What's a monsignor go for these days?

The plan unraveled when the principal investor sought an audit of his partnership with Follieri and - whoa! - Raffaello, you got a lot of 'splainin' to do!

For Tattle purposes, this is a long way of saying Anne Hathaway seems to be available.

Actors strike update

Tom Hanks has thrown his support behind a contract deal reached by the smaller of two actors unions (AFTRA), putting his high-profile name against plans by the larger union to wring more concessions from the major Hollywood studios.

Hanks added his name to an e-mail petition urging members to vote for a deal reached May 28 by the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and avoid another Hollywood work stoppage.

The Screen Actors Guild continues to negotiate with studios, and has urged its members to vote down the AFTRA deal. Some 44,000 are members of both unions.

Both unions' contracts on prime-time TV shows and movie productions expire June 30.

The AFTRA petition said that a "No" vote would effectively shut down Hollywood.

James Cromwell ("L.A. Confidential"), a former SAG board member, told the Associated Press that he felt SAG was pressing for demands that it could not get.

"You bargain as hard as you can," he said. "But when you make promises you can't keep, and then you hold this town hostage by your belligerence and intransigence to the realities of the industry . . . it ain't gonna fly. Let's get what we can get."

SAG has said it would push for higher wage increases, increased fees for Internet and DVD content, better mileage reimbursements and more protection for actors who refuse to consent to the use of clips of their images online.

Tattbits

* "Jacob the Jeweler" was sentenced yesterday to 2 1/2 years in federal prison for lying to investigators looking into a multistate drug ring.

"I feel ashamed that I broke the laws of this country, a country that has been so good for me," Soviet immigrant Jacob Arabov told U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn. "I will carry this shame for the rest of my life."

Arabov, the "King of Bling," launched a line of religious-themed jewelry with Kanye West and also manufactured Lil' Kim's line of Royalty watches.

* People's Web site reported yesterday that Heather Locklear, 46, is being treated for anxiety and depression at a facility in Arizona.

Tattle wishes her well.

* Amy Winehouse's dad erred.

"She is not diagnosed with full-blown emphysema," said her U.S. rep, Tracey Miller, "but instead has early signs of what could lead to emphysema."

* With retired hair maven Vidal Sassoon's support, a group of hairstylists are building Habitat for Humanity homes in Slidell, La., for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Sassoon and company have raised $1.7 million for Hairdressers Unlocking Hope, an international fundraising effort by beauty professionals.

The houses? They look fabulous!

* You can't be a young actress today unless you make a bad record, and you can't be a singer unless you have a clothing line.

Billboard.biz reports that Ciara has signed with modeling agency Wilhelmina and is in talks to launch her own clothing line.

"Modeling has always been one of my aspirations," Ciara said. "But I was insecure about my height. I thought I was 5'7", but I just found out that I'm 5'8'', so I'm really excited about that."

Sounds like a guy who just found out he's seven inches. *

Daily News wire services contributed to this report.

E-mail gensleh@phillynews.com