Falconetti gets an earful for charity

John Falconetti may have been deemed “the most eligible bachelor in Jacksonville” before this weekend but his eligibility status has definitely dropped a few points since Saturday.

Falconetti, the president of the Drummond Press, was “honored” this past weekend at the Spina Bifida Association of Jacksonville’s annual Celebrity Roast to Benefit Spina Bifida at the Ponte Vedra Inn and Club.

Stoking the fire at the roast were some of Falconetti’s closest friends and associates including Blue Cross lobbyist Mike Hightower, Sheriff John Rutherford, City Council president Kevin Hyde, Mayor John Peyton, political consultant Bruce Barcelo and AmSouth City president Marty Lanahan.

Though Falconetti is known around Jacksonville for his philanthropic good deeds and wise business practices, all of the roasters tended to zero in on his reputation as the ultimate single guy. From his sports car to his pilot’s license, none of the roasters held any punches when it came to shooting down Falconetti’s personal life, especially his dating habits.

One of the hardest hits of the evening came from Peyton, who said Falconetti’s pilot’s license and airplane are simply tools for him to expand his dating pool.

“He has fished these waters out,” said Peyton. “He now has to go abroad. But he is not jet-setting. The cabin on his airplane isn’t pressurized and he can’t go above 10,000 feet but he has to get out of the county.” But Falconetti’s pain wasn’t in vain. The event raised more than $75,000.