Metro

Importer of ‘Smurfs’ takes plea in wacky $11.5 million Blackstone Group extortion case

Manhattan’s own “Papa Smurf” took a no-jail plea this morning to a bizarre $11 million extortion case.

Stuart Ross, the down-on-his heels septaugenarian who brought the Smurfs to the U.S. in the ’80s, admitted he and his lawyer attempted a scheme more in character with Smurf archnemisis Gargamel – to extort his son-in-law, London private equity giant David Blitzer, who is the senior managing director of Blackstone Group.

“My name isn’t Gargamel,” Ross joked as he left court, smiling and plugging his latest TV cartoon project. “Remember, it’s Papa Smurf”

“This little — I would call it very sad affair — with my daughter and son-in-law is over,” he added, saying he hoped that, eventually, there would be a “rapproachement.”

In pleading guilty to attempted grand larceny, Ross avoids a possible maximum prison term of up to seven years.

He’ll serve two or three years of probation and avoid jail entirely providing he get psychiatric and alcohol treatment and has no contact with his daughter Allison, Blitzer, their children — who are Ross’s grandchildren — and the Blackstone Group, said Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Bonnie Wittner in accepting the deal.

Blitzer, in court papers, has said Ross waged a virulant campaign of menacing emails and threatening, all-hours phone calls to himself and his bosses — all to squeeze him for ever-more millions.

In court this morning, Ross admitted he demanded $5.5 million from Blitzer in return for having no more contact with Blitzer’s family, and another $5.5 million from Blitzer for having no more contact with Blitzer and Blackstone.

Eventually, Blitzer haggled Ross down to $250,000, ultimately forking over $50,000 before getting the authorities involved.

Now, Blitzer will get his wish without having to fork over anything more.

“You are to have no contact with David Blitzer, Allison Blitzer and family, and the Blackstone Group,” the judge told Ross.

Until his indictment two years ago, Ross’s claim to fame was owning the North American rights to the bouncy blue Belgian cartoon creatures. The former investment made him millions — now lost, his lawyer says. He had been unable to post $200,000 bail before being sprung today.

Ross, originally of Aventura, Fla., suffers lymphonic leukemia and heart problems and has lost 17 pounds in jail, said his lawyer, Matthew Meyers.

His co-defendant, lawyer Stuart Jackson, remains charged as Ross’s co-defendant.

Ross says his latest venture will be to bring another clan of oddball French cartoon characters, the “Cocci’s,” to the U.S. through his website, intoontv.com.