Frankie Avalon Testifies in Dinner Disaster Trial

Beach movie actor Frankie Avalon testified Friday that he and singer Frankie Valli and their wives fled in fear from a Moorpark restaurant owner who went wild with rage over a bill.

“If there was a cartoon picture of a bull with steam coming out of its ears, that’s how she was,” Avalon told a Ventura jury.

Avalon took the stand Friday on behalf of Randy Valli, wife of 1960s pop singer Frankie Valli, who is accused of slapping restaurant owner Sandra “Alex” Sofsky. Avalon and his wife were dining with the Vallis that Oct. 7 night at Sofsky’s Secret Garden restaurant.

If convicted of battery, Randy Valli faces up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Prosecutors say the Vallis and Avalons had been rude to the staff, used foul language and complained about the price of their meal throughout dinner. The evening drew to a violent conclusion, prosecutors say, when Randy Valli slapped Sofsky across the face and left without paying the $178 tab. Avalon later mailed a check for the bill.

But Avalon, 58, star of several teen films in the 60s, including “Beach Blanket Bingo,” denied that Valli struck anyone. An enraged Sofsky was solely to blame for that night’s troubles, Avalon said.

“The first thing I saw was this woman practically on top of the table,” Avalon said. “She had this kind of crazy look in her eyes and she said, ‘Well, I understand our prices are too high. Apparently you can’t afford it.’ ”

Both sides agree that the argument sprang from a casual conversation Avalon had with Sofsky’s husband, Bob. Avalon said he was on the way back from the restroom when Bob Sofsky asked his opinion of the restaurant.

“I said, ‘The food is good, the ambience is terrific . . . but if you’re asking me for my opinion, I think the prices are a little high,’ ” Avalon said.

When Sofsky said the prices included soup and salad, Avalon said he joked in return, “Yeah, but you can get that at Sizzler.”

He denied ever saying that the restaurant charged upscale prices “in a hick town,” as the Sofskys testified.

Moments after the conversation, Avalon said, Alex Sofsky came running over to the table in a rage, yelled obscenities and shook Randy Valli’s chair.