Guests at the 59th Anniversary “Ball of the Year,” benefitting the Boys’ Towns of Italy, danced the night away to the dulcet tunes of Peter Duchin and his Orchestra, with a special performance by Queen Esther Marrow. The nonprofit organization honored “Man of the Year” Louis Cappelli, “Woman of the Year” Caroline Hirsch, and presented a “Humanitarian” Award to Marty Richards and the “Chance in Life” Award to Tony Cointreau. Dinner chairs for the event included: Dennis Basso, Sharon Marantz-Walsh, Peter Martino, Edward Micone Jr., and Eva Franchi (who made a generous silent-auction donation of “Dinner for Eight” at her home, plus some of the CDs and sketches of her husband, Sergio, and a one-night stay for two at Foxwood Casino & Resort).

Others in the mix included: Pia Lindstrom, Diana Williams, Heather Previn, Joy Behar, Anne Jones, Tina Radziwill, Carmen Dell’Orefice, Maria Theresa Fauci, and music royalty Mercedes Ellington. It was a night to remember for an organization that stresses the “right of a child should not be underestimated.”