Back when Le Cirque auctioned off its high-ticket wines, we wondered whether the restaurant was in trouble. Now, in a Page Six Magazine article about Sirio Maccioni and the Shakespearean power bids among his three sons (Mario wants world domination, Marco is the traditionalist, and Mauro wants to make the brand more hip), the brothers admit that the $250,000 auction was for cash-flow purposes. Says Mauro, “Our five-year plan is to survive 2009. That's going to be about struggling, absolutely not making money and probably losing some.” Marco chimes in, “Hopefully you weather the storm, put tape on the windows and wait for a better day.” As if all this wasn’t grim enough, "Page Six" proper is reporting that Mario nearly blasted his eye out in a paintball accident.

Empire of the Sons: The Battle Over Le Cirque [Page Six Magazine]
Eye Nightmare for Sirio Son [NYP]