Masterminding the new media career of Melbourne underworld figure-or 'building consultant'. Mick Gatto-is the PR supremo Max Markson who spent the entire lunch Gatto threw for a few pals yesterday at the Woolloomooloo Wharf texting and twittering the latest updates on Gatto's next move.
Max twitters Markson hales from Shepherd's Bush in London where he once sold saucepans at a market stall, apparently successfully with his brilliant gift of the gab before he emigrated to Australia in his early 20s. He has since built an amazing publicity and management company-Markson Sparks.
No client is too lowly or grand for Max. From errant 17 year old party-boy Corey Delaney who had 1000 gatecrashers cause havoc at the shindig he threw whilst home alone-grabbing headlines worldwide, to Bill Clinton, Cherie Blair wife of the former British PM and recently the American boxer Sugar Ray Robinson.
Markson has built himself a magnificent palace in Dover Heights just up from Bondi Beach with splendid views out to sea and a cliffside pool that seemingly hangs right over the edge of the 200 metre drop to the rocks below. Never one to miss a trick, you can hire Max's house for a party or product launch for around $15000 a pop.
Now news comes of a former client who has apparently been spotted on day release from the 7 year sentence imposed in 2006 for operating a Ponzi scheme and ripping off a few hundred members of his local Assyrian community-the ebullient Karl Suleman who cut a swathe-if only a short one-through society as he passed himself off as a high-flying financier. He was certainly high flying at various stages-paying $100,000 to lunch with Bill Clinton at a charity bash and then flying the former US president to Melbourne in a Lear jet purchased with a bouncing cheque.
Suleman & Bush (c)
Suleman-or Soloman as he was listed at one Jewish charity event, also hosted former US president George Bush Snr at a few parties before the law caught up with him.
As for the former clients who all lost fortunes in his bogus finance company-the local Assyrians who are Christian Iraqis and are pretty upset about their lost savings-they aren't feeling terribly forgiving at this stage and word is they are planning their own special greeting for Karl when he finally emerges from jail.
