A couple of years ago Radar and Gawker broke the story of notorious con man and partycrasher Priyantha Silva, who swanned around New York claiming to be the producer of various films from “Slumdog Millionaire” to according to Gawker the fictional “Judex (with Michael Douglas), Hunt of the Sea Wolves (a modern-day pirate film with Bruce Willis), and Raritan Valley Line, a domestic drama starring Sissy Spacek and Mary Louise Parker.” Silva had a years long run until he was finally arrested for fraud for trying to purchase an item from the silent auction at the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Aids Gala with a stolen credit card. Arrested in November 2010 and sentenced to 1/2 to 3 years last April, everyone thought they had seen the last of this one.
So imagine the shock when our tipsters told us that Priyantha was welcomed by Extra Extra Creative at the recent Joe Fresh 1st Anniversary party! (TGATP was otherwise engaged that evening and stopped by late, so missed seeing him first-hand.) The other guests were all atwitter, and rightfully horrified that this smarmy (and usually heavily drinking) ex-con, straight from an almost two year stint in the pokey, was an honored guest at this supposedly exclusive event. My source reports that Silva was successful mostly due to the idiocy of the clueless and bitchy clippers on the door, who turned scores of legitimate NY society and press members while allowing this lowlife access. Janjay Sherman, the PR coordinator for the event from Extra Extra, could not be reached for comment.
The following night, TGATP learned upon arrival that Priyantha had just attempted to crash the glittering Parsons Dance Gala at The Mandarin Oriental. Considering that there was a silent auction, just like the one Silva was sent up river for trying to defraud, it is a good thing that this PR girl was far savvier than the EEC gatekeepers and had him immediately escorted out by the hotel’s security.
Let this be a warning to party planners and clippers all over NY, the slippery Silva is back on the scene. With the Tribeca Film Festival just days away, it will be fun to see what film he now claims to be attached to! Perhaps a remake of “Jailhouse Rock” or “Midnight Express”?
