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In High Idle

Fabian Basabe,style
It's a dog's life: Living off his father's largesse and his own likability, social lion Fabian Basabe escorts his pup to a Humane Society benefit. (Helayne Seidman For The Washington Post)
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When it gets too crowded, at about 10 o'clock, Basabe heads out the door with his wife and a gallery owner named Carlo von Zeitschel, who, it is later learned, is Kaiser Wilhelm's great-grandson and one of the stars of a documentary called "Born Rich."

A bash hosted by Wilmer Valderrama of "That '70s Show" is next. Basabe and the missus pass through a phalanx of paparazzi to get into the event, pausing and smiling for a long minute in front of a huge drape emblazoned with "Heineken," which has sponsored the festivities.

"I make a point of learning their names and being friendly," says Basabe of the photographers. "I don't understand why some people have a problem with them."

The relationship between luminaries and media that cover them, which appears adversarial in print, looks different in close quarters. The gossip reporters are so cozy with the people they cover that they could easily be confused for close friends.

"It gets a little snarky in the paper because we know him so well and we know he can take it," says the Daily News's Piazza, who is at the Heineken party, sitting next to Basabe. "He can take a gentle ribbing, and the readers wouldn't be as interested if we didn't create some kind of controversy. He gets that."

About 2 a.m. the Basabes jump into another cab and head to Bungalow 8, a members-only club where an immense man guards the velvet rope. Fabian is here nearly every night, he says: "It's like where the after-party is," he shouts above the music. He orders a round of drinks, but his wife is giving him that "I'm pooped" look and with a hand gesture he begs for just five more minutes.

"I'm sorry we're ending this so early," he says, heading for the door at 2:30 a.m. He hugs a bunch of people on the way out the door, then leaves.

Exactly how long Basabe can remain the "It" boy around here is anyone's guess, but watch him in action and you realize that someone will have to swipe the title from him because he is never going to hand it over. Time means nothing to the man, of course. And though he might never hold a job, a long time ago he found his calling.


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