Pesci faces charges of battery on fan

Boca Raton, Fla. – Police have confirmed that Oscar-winning actor Joe Pesci is being investigated after a fan said the star punched him in the mouth because he snapped a photo of him in a shopping center parking lot.

The “Goodfellas” star gave his account of the Jan. 22 incident last week at a Boca Raton home where he was staying, police spokesman Sgt. Jeff Kelly said. Garry Serino, who was with Pesci at the time, also gave police a statement.

Police were preparing to send the investigation results to the Palm Beach County prosecutors to determine whether Pesci should be charged with misdemeanor battery for allegedly punching Juan Carlos Montenegro, 24.

Montenegro, a Broward Community College student, told police that after encountering Pesci, 62, he shook the actor’s hand and told him he was a big fan. He then purchased a camera, walked toward Pesci and asked for a picture, but the actor refused, he said.

Montenegro kept asking to take a picture, and when Pesci turned, Montenegro took the photograph. Pesci then punched him with his right fist, the report said.

If Pesci is charged, he would be issued a court summons, and would not be booked into the county jail, said Mike Edmondson, state attorney’s office spokesman.

Kangaroo’s plastic surgery improves screen appeal

Moorpark, Calif. – Feznick, an aspiring celebrity kangaroo, underwent lip surgery because he was bitten by a wolf at a Hollywood animal farm.

The 75-pound kangaroo underwent plastic surgery on Sunday and veterinarians say the marsupial will soon be ready to resume his acting career.

Feznick is an aspiring actor who often appears at corporate events and was on the red carpet for the opening of last year’s movie flop “Kangaroo Jack,” his owner Eadie McMullan said.

Last year, Feznick stuck his snout under a fence at a Kern County farm for Hollywood animals and was bitten by a wolf, leaving the 4-year-old kangaroo with a toothy, Billy Idol-style sneer, veterinarian Scott Amsel said.

Surgery on Sunday turned Feznick’s muzzle back into a fuzzy, made-for-TV, face.

Westlake Village plastic surgeon Dr. Theodore Corwin performed the two-hour lip surgery, the first time he’s ever worked on an animal. He didn’t charge for Feznick’s lip repair.

“It looks like people surgery in a way,” said surgical nurse Jeanine Rich, “except the patient is a little hairier.”

Keeping a level head

Hong Kong – “Memoirs of a Geisha” star Zhang Ziyi is a rising star in Hollywood, but said she won’t let her international fame get to her head.

“My best trait is that I know my limitations … I won’t think it’s a big deal to get on the cover of Time or having a full-page report in The New York Times devoted to me. If you think through these things, you won’t have trouble falling asleep at night,” Zhang was quoted as saying in a report on the Chongqing Morning News’ Web site.

The “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” star attributed her success to hard work – not just luck. Zhang has worked with some of the top names in the industry since her debut, including Zhang Yimou, Ang Lee and Jackie Chan.

“I work very hard. I do a lot of homework for every role,” Zhang said, according to the online report.

Rapper wanted for questioning in bodyguard’s slaying

New York – Detectives want to question Busta Rhymes about the fatal shooting of the rapper’s bodyguard outside a Brooklyn warehouse where a star-studded video was being taped, officials said Monday.

Rhymes was among several potential witnesses who left the scene of the slaying early Sunday before police arrived, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly told reporters at police headquarters.

“We believe Busta Rhymes may have been on the street when the shooting took place,” Kelly said.

A spokesman for Rhymes, Greg Miller, declined comment.

Police planned to seek a court order to obtain video shot inside the warehouse, believing it might provide clues about what sparked the shooting.

Police believe an argument that began inside the warehouse “moved to the street,” Kelly said. “There was some pushing and shoving going on when an individual took out a gun and fired at least eight shots.”

Israel Ramirez, 29, of Manhattan, was killed with a single shot to the chest. Rhymes, a Brooklyn native whose legal name is Trevor Smith, was not injured.