The talk in baseball land is that billionaire hedge-fund trader Steve Cohen still needs to convince some MLB owners to approve his $2.4 billion purchase of the Mets.
But thanks to Ron Rosa, the owner of the swanky Polpo Restaurant in Greenwich, he appears to have secured at least one of those votes over dinner a couple of weeks ago.
Rosa was escorting Cohen to his table when he happened to notice investor and LA Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly sitting nearby. So he introduced the two, who hit it off. “Steve needs the owners to approve so I thought I would make the intro,” Rosa told me.
Cohen, of course has caused controversy in baseball circles with his Mets bid because some people at his firm have been charged with insider trading. (Cohen himself was never charged.) He needs 23 of the 29 baseball owners to approve his purchase, and as I have reported, he appears to have the votes.
His hedge fund, Point72 Asset Management, and Boehly’s Eldridge Industries investment firm are both located in Greenwich, and they are regular patrons of the popular eatery. Also in attendance was Judge Judy Sheindlin, who spoke with both men, though it’s unclear how much she helped Cohen’s cause.
Press officials for Boehly and Cohen declined to comment. A Sheindlin rep confirmed she was in attendance and said hello.