Sonja Morgan’s new man, Rocco Ancarola, revealed that he and the RHONY star are getting super serious. The nightlife impresario recently opened up to Richard Johnson of Page Six about his budding new relationship with the Bravo television celeb.
Sonja and Rocco were set up on a blind date last summer by fellow Real Housewife Jules Wainstein. Last week, the duo also attended a holiday party thrown by R. Couri Hay at his Upper West Side townhouse. Leesa Rowland co-hosted the night’s festivities.
“We’re liking each other a lot… It’s starting to get real.”
Sonja Morgan’s beau says things are “starting to get real” between the couple https://t.co/tVlhy7f3XR pic.twitter.com/ye0na9i8Hw
— Page Six (@PageSix) December 26, 2016
Ancarola, whose popular night clubs include Boom and Pink Elephant, was super impressed at how many people tune into the RHONY show in Europe and asked to take selfies with Sonya.
“Everywhere she goes, people recognize her.”
Rocco said Sonya’s “really fun” and that they’re taking it one step at a time.
Rocco seemed hopeful, adding, “We’ll see where it goes.”
More recently, Ancarola took Morgan as his guest to his pal Leonardo DiCaprio’s environmental benefit in St. Tropez. In return, Sonja took the South African-born Ancarola to a fun hockey game at Barclays Center. DiCaprio and Rocco know one another from the hot parties Rocco has thrown in New York. The NYC restauranteur usually chats it up in French.
During Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation event in St. Tropez, Rocco Ancarola had a pretty interesting encounter with Prince Albert while waiting in line for the men’s room. The two were chatting, and when Prince Albert found out Rocco was born in South Africa, he insisted that his three bodyguards get Princess Charlene, who was born there as well.
On Thanksgiving in 2011, Ancarola celebrated the third anniversary of his lifesaving heart surgery with his “Celebration of Life” party at Lavo. Ancarola suffered an aortic aneurysm on Thanksgiving Eve, according to Page Six .
“Thanksgiving is truly a day to give thanks for all my friends and family. Be grateful for every second of every day that you get to spend with people you love. Life is so precious. The memory of this day will always remind me of that.”
The Housewives liquor drama has raged throughout 2016 when Morgan unveiled her plans to launch a Tipsy Girl line of prosecco and planned to open a restaurant chain. Frankel called it a “feeble attempt to trade on her brand reputation” and proceeded to file a trademark for “ Tipsygirl .” Frankel’s trademark request was promptly suspended by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Bethenny previously sold the cocktails portion of her business to Jim Beam in 2011, but she still owns the rest of the Skinnygirl brand.
Sonja Morgan’s plans of opening her Tipsy Girl restaurant in Manhattan was pretty much nixed by rival Bethenny Frankel’s Skinnygirl franchise. Sonja Morgan’s Tipsy Girl restaurant will now open in Hartford, Connecticut. Morgan and her business partner, Peter Guimaraes, have signed a lease on a new space in Hartford and are hoping for a better shot in a different state, according to Page Six . The two business partners are also eyeing a hot spot in Miami and are hoping to reapply for the liquor license in New York after making a few “legal changes” to their application.
. @sonjatmorgan of @bravotv ‘s “Real Housewives of New York City” is about to become a restaurateur in Hartford https://t.co/w5GsJERPLb pic.twitter.com/7PCXjio9o6
— CTNOW (@GoToCTNow) December 12, 2016
As the Inquisitr previously reported, Sonja and her partner also tried to open a restaurant in Manhattan, but Bethenny Frankel , in addition to the liquor board, halted the Tipsy Girl takeover.
Earlier this year, Morgan told Page Six that the two might have similar names but the brands are completely different. The Skinnygirl mogul’s products are aimed at calorie-conscious drinkers , and Morgan’s audience are just interested in a good alcoholic beverage.
“I’m a big, fat, tipsy girl… I have a different market… The very young party girl and a very old party group that just wants to brunch all day, tourists [who] sit around and drink all day.”
Page Six also reported that Frankel is currently not too pleased with the fact that Tipsy Girl wine got a national distribution deal, just like Skinnygirl.
[Featured Image by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images]
