Minnillo & knives a bit edgy for TV

Monday, June 18th 2007, 4:00 AM

Two sources tell us Vanessa Minnillo has been in talks to star in her own reality show.

But her scary knife play with Lindsay Lohan, which emerged in recently leaked photos, may have thrown a wrench into the deal.

"The show would just follow her around in her day," a source says, adding wryly, "She really wants to be famous."

The TV personality has a reputation among some of her MTV colleagues as being difficult, says another insider. Although it is not clear where a reality show would air, it is not an MTV project, says a source.

Minnillo declined to comment recently when we asked her about upcoming projects.

No word on how the reality show would sit with her beau, Nick Lachey, who already had to live through his life being broadcast during his marriage to Jessica Simpson on MTV's "Newlyweds."

An Olsens bash for cash

The Olsen twins may be multimillionaires, but they know that every $300,000 counts.

That was the figure we hear they put on photographs from their lavish 21st birthday party, which they celebrated on the weekend in Los Angeles. (They actually hit the age of majority last Wednesday.)

"They are selling them through photo agency JPI," says an insider.

No Ford in Della Femina future

The Ford Motor Co. missed out on one of the great advertising talents of the age - because they wouldn't hire Italians.

Legendary ad man Jerry Della Femina said at Michael's Thursday that he was turned down for a job at the J. Walter Thompson agency in 1960, he was told, because their auto client "doesn't like your kind."

"Jewish, Italian, any of the ethnics," he told me. "They wouldn't hire them back then."

He was speaking at a lunch for "Mad Men," the new AMC series set inside a Madison Avenue agency in 1960. Della Femina also noted that Michael's used to be called the Italian Pavilion, which had been the ad industry's favorite restaurant.

"And Nelson Rockefeller died in this building," veteran publicist Bobby Zarem observed, out of the blue. "F-ing."

"Someone I know," added fashion journalist (and Mrs. Della Femina), Judy Licht.

"They carried him out with his arms over two guys' shoulders so no one realized he was dead," said Bobby.

So who was she ...?

"Don't put her name in the column - she's still alive," said Judy. There was a moment's silence.

"Jane Fonda used to live in the building," Zarem added as a non sequitur.

New York Minute

Nicole Richie fueled those pregnancy rumors by declining alcohol Thursday night at the YSL Center Dance Arts party at the Beverly Hills Hotel. We hear her boyfriend Joel Madden's ex, Hilary Duff (who was to have been outfitted by YSL), hadn't been informed of the couple's attendance, but caught wind of it at the last minute and canceled 30 minutes before the party.

"The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" foursome America Ferrara, Amber Tamblyn, Blake Lively and Alexis Bledel - just back from filming a sequel in Greece - came to hear Razorlight Wednesday at the Nylon magazine and Myspace International Music Issue concert at Fillmore NY @ Irving Plaza. Ferrara played along with a mean air guitar. 

At the engagement party for Nets player Richard Jefferson and Kesha Nichols, rapper Fabolous showed up 90 minutes late and refused to enter Skylight Studios before receiving his performance fee in cash. The hip-hop divo demanded only Bud Select be served to his entourage at their VIP table. "It's a good thing we had some on hand," said a source at the club, "because otherwise we would have had to run out and get some real quick. Fabolous wasn't having the vodka sponsor at all."

Don't Shoot the Messenger

Which lovely blond actress has been attracting more attention for her coke habit than her fledgling career lately? It's not just her friends who are worried.