Dan Gross: A salute to the Geator

J

ERRY BLAVAT

was moved to what looked like tears last night at the 360 club at Parx Casino in Bensalem,

where music friends such as

Chubby Checker

,

Leon Huff

and

Bunny Sigler

and broadcaster

Trudy Haynes

showed up to surprise the Geator and praise him for his 50 years in show business.

Blavat's daughter Deserie organized the event, which her sisters Gerrie and Stacy attended.

Their sister Kathi Furia had a good reason to miss the party: Her daughter Samantha had just given birth to a boy.

Chickie's & Pete's owner Pete Ciarrocchi did a spot-on impression of the Geator. Fox 29's John Bolaris said a few words, and WHYY-TV's Ed Cunningham served as emcee. There was a packed house for the Geator's weekly Wednesday-evening dance party at the 360 club.

Others who showed up to honor the Geator included "Bandstand" dancer Arlene Sullivan; longtime Geator sidekicks Mark the Spark and John Kinka; DJ Cyndy Drue; Dave Auspitz, of Famous 4th Street Cookie Co.; and Domenic Verdi, Licenses & Inspections commissioner.

"I'm blessed. When you love what you do and you see happy faces and you make people smile, I am blessed," Blavat told us. "Who do you know who has a job they love for 50 years and has the ability to do what they love and be supported. These people out there grew up with me," Blavat said of the audience. "They're the reason for all of my success."

Blavat was also recognized during his Kimmel Center show Saturday night by Mayor Nutter, and U.S. Rep. Bob Brady for his half-century career.

McNabb buys new D.C. digs

Two moving vans with the Eagles logo carried Donovan McNabb's belongings to his new $2.1 million, five-bedroom, seven-bathroom home in Great Falls, Va., on Saturday, reports the Washington Post's Reliable Source column. The new Redskins quarterback told the paper he's excited to plant roots in the D.C. area.

Out and about

Flyers coach Peter Laviolette and assistant coach Kevin McCarthy popped into the Main Street Pub (2011 Main) in Voorhees for dinner Tuesday.

Flyers goalie Michael Leighton had dinner with Eagles offensive coach Marty Mornhinweg and Drexel surgeon Bill Myers Tuesday night at Del Frisco's (15th & Chestnut). Mornhinweg's wife, Lindsay, was in a large party of Eagles wives upstairs.

Renee Reese, wife of former Eagle and current 610 WIP host Ike Reese, threw a "Sex and the City"-themed dinner party for girlfriends such as Tammi Reid, Loretta Runyan, Kristel Demps and Susie Celek, while just a few doors down from Del Frisco's several hundred others caught a screening of "Sex and the City 2" at Prince Theater. Nutter, proud to admit being a big "Sex and the City" fan, introduced the screening.

Did Bobcat deface Jay Mohr?

Someone drew devil horns, a mustache and fangs on a poster of comedian Jay Mohr that was hanging at Helium Comedy Club (2031 Sansom) last week, and local comedians suggest Bobcat Gold-thwait was the culprit.

Mohr, formerly of "Saturday Night Live" and CBS' "Gary Unmarried," played the club May 17. Goldthwait was there several days later. Why would Goldthwait, of "Police Academy" fame, be a suspect? Because his former fiancee, Nikki Cox, later married Mohr. A Helium spokeswoman said the club noticed the drawing several days after Goldthwait left but didn't believe he did it. Gold-thwait last night told us: "I am shocked and offended that anyone would imply I would deface Mr. Mohr's likeness. I have nothing but respect for originality and talent, and wish him and his beautiful wife nothing but the happiness they deserve."

'Biggest Loser' here this week

"Biggest Loser" Ali Vincent will be at Famous Footwear in the Warminster Towne Center from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, where the first 50 people in line will receive her book "Believe It, Be It." The stop is part of her Mind Body Sole tour with Famous Footwear that tomorrow brings her to St. Christopher's Children's Hospital, where she'll give $15,000 worth of shoes to nurses in the neo-natal ICU. Vincent, who lost 112 pounds on the NBC series, now travels the country giving motivational speeches.

She says fans can meet her for a workout, but you have to follow her on Twitter (@AliVincent) for the location.

Visit PhillyGossip.com for Dan's latest updates or follow PhillyGossip on Twitter. Have a tip? Call 215-854-5963, or e-mail grossd@phillynews.com. For recent columns, visit go.philly.com/dangross.