Valli Testifies She Didn’t Hit Restaurateur

During the final day of testimony in her two-week battery trial, Randy Valli took the witness stand Wednesday and told jurors she never slapped a Moorpark restaurant owner across the face during a dispute over a meal.

Instead, the wife of ‘60s singing idol Frankie Valli testified that she pushed the owner in self-defense while trying to catch her balance after the woman shook her from a chair.

“She was right there,” Valli said, raising her hands in front of her to demonstrate. “I just defended myself. I protected myself from her.”

Valli, 39, is charged with misdemeanor battery for allegedly striking Secret Garden owner Sandra “Alex” Sofsky last October. The Vallis were dining with singer Frankie Avalon and his wife, Kay, at the time.

Prosecutors allege that the two couples were rude to employees and complained about the upscale restaurant’s prices, prompting a confrontation in which Valli hit Sofsky.

But Valli told jurors Wednesday that it was Sofsky who attacked her.

Dressed in a gray suit and brushing strands of dark hair from her eyes, Valli described how Sofsky stormed up to their table after the meal and berated the foursome using a string of profanities.

“She was crazy, she was going nuts,” Valli testified, speaking in a distinct New York accent. “She said, ‘I want them out’ and came behind my chair. I don’t know why she was picking on me.”

Valli said Sofsky grabbed her by the shoulders and swung her out of the chair. To balance herself, Valli said, she raised her hands and ended up pushing the restaurant owner.

Immediately after the altercation, the couples walked out of the restaurant without paying their $178 bill. Valli testified that she was shaken and hiding behind her husband.

On their way home, Valli noticed that the strap to her black bra was broken and her silver earring was missing. She told the jury that she believes Sofsky broke the strap while trying to force her from the table.

Valli said she initially had no idea who Sofsky was or why she was yelling at the celebrity dinner party. She later learned that Avalon had remarked on the restaurant’s steep prices to Sofsky’s husband and business partner, Bob.

When questioned by defense attorney Louis “Chuck” Samonsky about the meal, Valli said the group had privately commented about the menu prices but did not make an issue out of it. She said they were all pleased with the food and service.

“We had no problems whatsoever,” she said.

On cross-examination, Deputy Dist. Atty. John Longergran confronted Valli with conflicting statements from witnesses who described the party as loud and foul-mouthed.

He also challenged her version of the events, repeatedly asking the defendant if she had slapped Sofsky in a rage. But Valli stuck to her story.

“I swear to God, that did not happen,” she said.

Valli, a Calabasas resident, faces up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted. She was among the final defense witnesses called to testify Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, a reporter from the National Enquirer testified about an article he wrote on the incident. Darryl Wrobel told jurors that he interviewed Sofsky at her restaurant about a week after the dispute.

“She met willingly,” Wrobel said.

His testimony is key for the defense, which has tried to discredit Sofsky as a crazed woman who accosted the dinner party. Sofsky has testified that she did not speak with any tabloid reporters about the Oct. 7 incident.

Closing arguments are scheduled to begin this morning.