Toots's Roll

Manhattan Restaurateur Toots Shor's motto in life has long been, "Having friends is better than having money." As the town's No. i host to sportsmen, writers and politicians, Shor built a reputation as a fabulous spender, was often broke but never for a moment lacked for loyal friends. Last week Shor had no lack of money, either. For $1,500,000 he sold his leasehold, which still has nine years to run, on his 51 West 51st Street restaurant, which he has operated since 1940. Purchaser: William Zeckendorf's Webb & Knapp, which plans to tear down Shor's place, add its 6,000 sq. ft. to an already cleared null building site facing Avenue of the Americas between 51st and 52nd Streets. Likeliest use: a luxury hotel.

The deal was made at 3 o'clock in the morning in Chase Manhattan Bank's downtown office. After a night of dickering with Equitable Life Assurance Society, Shor's landlord and owner of the surrounding area, Webb & Knapp called in Shor, gave him his check. Shor, whose memory goes back a long time, told old friend and New York Post Columnist Jimmy Cannon: "Being paid off at 3 in the morning, I felt like a bootlegger. That's when the old mob guys used to do their business."

Next noon at lunch, showing off the check to friends and customers, Shor ordered champagne on the house and disclosed to Cannon that he is already having problems, being so rich. Coming up from the bank, Shor said: "I got to the joint and started to tip the hackie a dime. I figured I ought to start acting like all those other millionaires. But I didn't have the guts to be cheap." Now, said Shor, whose pet gripe is the stinginess of the rich, "I got to be nice to them. They're my people." With only six weeks to get out and hustle up another site, Shor soberly made his second drink a short beer. "I'm saving in little ways. That's how I'll get my second million."

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