Wahlberg is all heart; bigwigs pull down big salaries
LOCAL BOY MAKES GOOD Before last night's premiere of "I 
Huckabees" at Mohegan Sun, the actor formerly known as Marky Mark talked about the foundation he's created to give city kids a shot at success. "There were a lot of drugs . . . and a lot of violence where I grew up," said Mark Wahlberg, who spent many a day in Dorchester up to no good. (He freebased cocaine, stole cars, harassed minorities, etc.) Because it's hard to escape "the system" once you're snared in it, the actor said he wants to do what he can to help kids avoid it. Last night was actually the kickoff of a star-studded, two-day event benefiting the Mark Wahlberg Foundation. Director and Amherst College grad David O. Russell said he and Wahlberg, whom he directed in "Three Kings," are now good friends, and he wrote the "Huckabees" role especially for his buddy. "I thought Mark could do comedy," Russell said. (Yes, and we thought he could do sci-fi, too, but "Planet of the Apes" proved that wrong.) Wahlberg said he'd never been to Mohegan Sun, but after meeting the casino execs at a screening of his documentary "Juvies," he decided to premiere his new film there. Happy he did were celebrity guests Joe Pesci; "American Pie" temptress Shannon Elizabeth; and her husband, actor and Brookline native Joseph Reitman, who was spotted at the $5 card tables. Also expected on the red carpet last night were Jamie-Lynn Discala, who plays Meadow Soprano; one-time New Edition singer Johnny Gill; and the cast of HBO's "Entourage," including Kevin Dillon, Kevin Connolly, Jerry Ferrara, and the good-looking Adrian Grenier, who was spotted in the casino gym, running on a treadmill in only his boxer shorts. A silent auction preceded the movie, and the strangest items by far were a snowboard signed by Montel Williams and a table full of bling -- bracelets, rings, watches, you name it -- valued at more than $1 million and protected by four security guards.
KA-CHING! No one likes to see their salary in print, especially if it ranks among the highest in the country. But when you work for a nonprofit, as Mark Volpe and Malcolm Lowe do, you just have to grin and bear it. According to The Chronicle of Philanthropy's annual salary survey, the Boston Symphony Orchestra bigwigs' compensation compares favorably to that of their counterparts. (Volpe, the BSO's managing director, earns $445,506 a year, and concertmaster Lowe takes home $333,333.) Among university presidents, Harvard's Larry Summers is paid $500,112 with a $139,547 annual housing allowance, and MIT's departing Charles Vest pulls down $606,829. And despite telling The New York Times last week that Boston is in the midst of a "profound recession," Museum of Fine Arts director Malcolm Rogers is being paid $492,846. (His deputy director of development, Patricia Jacoby, earns $243,082.) We were also interested to learn that Michael Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Association, earned $309,206 in salary and benefits last year, which is a whopping 36 percent of the group's total spending.
A LOT OF DOUGH FOR A SHIRT The dirty yellow jersey worn by Lance Armstrong during his unprecedented sixth Tour de France victory is being auctioned by the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge to raise money for cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. A cancer survivor, Armstrong autographed and donated the jersey to the PMC. (It's the only charity to which Armstrong donated one of the six winning yellow jerseys he wore on his way to a place in cycling history.) The online auction began yesterday and runs until Thursday. Bidding begins at $38,000. "If you think that's a lot to spend for a used shirt, think of the historic significance of the jersey and that the money will fund cancer research," says PMC founder and executive director Billy Starr. To view the jersey or place a bid go to www.pmc2004.cmarket.com.
E=TD SQUARED Why aren't we surprised that Patriots coach Bill Belichick wrote the forward to Timothy Gay's new book, "Football Physics"? (A professor at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Gay demonstrates how scientific principles figured into Steeler Franco Harris's Immaculate Reception, among other great pigskin moments.) Belichick, who majored in economics at Wesleyan, writes that "while some observers see only carnage and chaos, brilliant athletic performances and bone-jarring collisions, the science-minded see the field as a working laboratory." Be warned, though: Gay is a deep nerd. He calls the football a "prolate spheroid."
A PERFECT TENTH Friends and restaurant regulars showed up Sunday to help the Sapphire Group -- chef Jody Adams, Michela Larson, Gary Sullivan, and Karen Haskell -- celebrate the 10th anniversary of Rialto at the Charles Hotel. The crowd included hotel honcho Dick Friedman, tie designer Tony Corey, arts maven Joan Parker, and interior designer Dennis Duffy. . . . Pats linebacker Ted Johnson used the bye week wisely, going to Nantucket and eating chicken-fried lobster at American Seasons.
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