A-list or D-list, he’s got your star

Mike Esterman works from home in Maryland, but he's partly responsible for bringing some A-list stars to Las Vegas nightclubs (plus a bunch of D-listers). And he's willing to tell me how much clubs might pay stars to walk red carpets.

Carmen Electra: $50,000 to $75,000. This winter, she did someone's Christmas party at a home for $75,000.

Paris Hilton can start at $100,000.

Smaller stars also pocket quite a bit for an hour's work in a VIP section, at a private party or a corporate function. Emmanuel Lewis, the littlest "Webster" on TV, fetches $8,000 to $10,000.

You'd think porn hero Ron Jeremy would earn a wider check, but he cashes $3,000 to $5,000 for a reason: He's priced right to work five to seven days a week around the country.

What's really crazy? William Hung -- known only for singing poorly on "American Idol" -- pulls in the same amount as Jeremy. This summer, Hung will collect fees for a weeklong Little League tour. He's scheduled to sing "She Bangs."

Vegas, of course, has become the capital of paid red carpets. It's the "closest playground in these celebrities' backyards," Esterman explains.

Now Esterman finally hosts his own birthday party at Wynn's Blush tonight. On the red carpet at 10 p.m.: Jeremy, rapper Coolio, Poison guitarist C.C. DeVille, and a few "Deal or No Deal" models.

Some Las Vegans probably want Esterman to stop dragging D-listers here, but celebs earn their keep by getting TV time for clubs on "Extra."

And if you're a regular Joe, nothing is stopping you from booking Playboy models in bikinis to attend a pool party for $500 each, though official Playmates take $1,000.

Times are tough, lately. The recession is hurting business "considerably," mostly for big-ticket stars, since they're luxury items, he says.

Meanwhile, Esterman, in his early 40s, has booked stars for Hillary Clinton's fundraisers, charging only for expenses.

If there's one star he'd like to convince to do appearances, it's ... Jerry Ferrara? He plays Turtle on HBO's "Entourage" and is a deity in the club demographic of college-age kids to 35-year-olds.

"I probably could book him all day long" for up to $20,000 an appearance, Esterman says. Who can afford this? Rich people. "It's so great to have money," he says.

Doug Elfman's column appears on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Contact him at 383-0391 or e-mail him at delfman@reviewjournal.com. He also blogs at reviewjournal.com/elfman.