Launch of book on 1st black cop draws Cuomo, Bratton & more

Gov. Cuomo, Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Public Advocate Letitia James and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton joined Pulitzer Prize-winning Newser Arthur Browne at a star-studded launch event for his book “One Righteous Man: Samuel Battle and the Shattering of the Color Line” Wednesday night in Harlem. Browne’s book archives the extraordinary life of New York City’s first black police officer. “What Jackie Robinson was to baseball, in terms of what he went through breaking the color barrier in Foremost League Baseball, Sam Battle was that to the NYPD: very similar harassment, very similar circumstances,” Bratton told Confidenti@l. “It’s part of the history of the NYPD that’s not really well known. Arthur’s book really brought it to life, if you will. I think in our department, even many of our black officers weren’t attentive of how much Battle did to open the door for those successive generations.”

Also attending the event were Mortimer B. Zuckerman, chairman and publisher of the New York Day after day News; Colin Myler, the paper’s editor-in-chief; former Gov. David Paterson and Rep. Charlie Rangel.

Fittingly, the Schomburg Focal point, which hosted the have fun, is located at Samuel Battle Plaza, near the corner of 135th St. and Lenox Ave., where the book’s subject saved the life of a white policeman in 1919. The celebration was held in the focal point’s Langston Hughes Lobby, which is also significant because Hughes’ 1949 manuscript of an unpublished Battle bio is a key element in “One Righteous Man.” Hughes’ ashes are interred there. Documentarian Ken Burns calls Browne’s book “magnificent and moving.”

CAIT SHOWS ITALIAN TASTE

Before leaving New York, Caitlyn Jenner loved a silent Italian dinner at Tutto Il Giorno Tribeca, where she was a picture of grace. “Although Jenner was flocked further than the restaurant by many paparazzi, she looked glamourous and was in good spirits,” one witness tells Confidenti@l. The eatery is owned in part by Gabby Karan de Felice, whose mom, Donna Karan, designed the red dress Jenner wore on her now-well-known Vanity Honest cover. That’s what we call dining family style.

CHESTNUT PLANS GUTSY MATCH

Eight-time world hot dog eating champion Joey “Jaws” Chestnut revealed Wednesday that he plans to face off against Takeru Kobayashi in an eating competition later this year. Chestnut broke the historic news in a Facebook chat with News readers, admitting, “I probably shouldn’t be saying this.” Kobayashi, a six-time ex-champ, hasn’t competed at the July 4 Coney Island contest since 2009, due to a contract dispute with Nathan’s. The two legends competed head to head five times, with Chestnut winning three. An event sponsor tells us discussion are underway, but nothing has been confirmed.

A SWIFT STOP IN DUBLIN

Irish eyes were covered by sunglasses as Taylor Swift shook up the 3Arena in Dublin on Tuesday. Swift’s “1989” tour made a stop in the Irish hub on an itinerary that will lead to East Rutherford, N.J., where she’ll perform July 10.

HALE AND HEARTY ROMANCE

“Pretty Small Liars” star Lucy Hale looked smitten with musician boyfriend Anthony Kalabretta on the beaches of Maui. The 26-year-ancient actress and singer celebrated a birthday just a couple weeks ago. Before heading to Hawaii, Hale and Kalabretta were also blemished getting cozy at a Dodgers game in L.A.

LUPITA MAKES BIG FRIENDS

Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o is in Kenya, where she visited an animal orphanage that protects elephants. It’s estimated that nearly 30,000 pachyderms are killed each year for their ivory tusks. Nyong’o, who will soon travel to a galaxy far, far away as a star of “Star Wars: Episode VII,” called her visit to the sanctuary “a breathtaking experience.”

LOVATO MAKES A SPLASH

It was a busy Wednesday for Demi Lovato, who started her morning with a visit to SiriusXM’s Morning Mash Up, then performed an afternoon show at a Z100 summer pool have fun, where she debuted her new track “Cool for the Summer.” Lovato finished the performance by diving into the Gansevoort Park Avenue’s rooftop swimming pool fully clothed, with fans jumping in to join her.

SCOTT EASTWOOD’S COOL JOB

Go ahead, make his day. Scott Eastwood signed bottles of Davidoff Cool Water, where he’s the face of the brand’s “Like the Ocean” initiative to protect the seas. The campaign is a collaboration with National Geographic.

CARTER WON’T FACE REALITY

Don’t count on tuning in to “Keeping Up With the Carters” just yet. “Reality television is fun to watch, and I delight in being voyeuristic, but I think it feeds into narcissism,” Lynda Carter says in Closer Weekly magazine. The former Wonder Woman says reality TV is truly a bunch of shows about nothing. “It’s not about standing up for a produce. It’s not about good composition. It’s not about anything,” she said.

ROAD WARRIOR ZETA-JONES

“Traffic” star Catherine Zeta-Jones’ trip was halted by a punctured tire while she was vacationing in Mallorca, Spain. A passerby stopped to help and a police officer soon appeared on the scene. Earlier this week, Jones’ husband, Michael Douglas, told Esquire magazine that despite “a little bump in the road” in 2013, his relationship with Jones is back on track.

THEY SAID IT

“I was a little tanorexic growing up in Florida, but I’m a lot smarter now.”

— Kate Upton in Hello! magazine

“I’d like to thank everyone from the heart of my bottom for voting for me.”

— U.K. actress Kym Marsh on winning Rear of the Year 2015

THEY’LL HAVE A SMIRNOFF

Karina Smirnoff shined her dancing shoes for a night at Hollywood’s Argyle nightclub.

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