NEWS LITE : CHARACTER ASSASSINATION? GEORGE'S JERKINESS RILES REAL COSTANZA.

A man who says he was the model for nutty George Costanza on ``Seinfeld'' has filed a $100 million lawsuit alleging that Jerry Seinfeld and the show's producers stole his identity.

Michael Costanza, a real estate agent from Holtsville, N.Y., accused Seinfeld and others of violating his civil rights by ``using his name, likeness and persona'' without his permission in creating George.

In papers filed in Manhattan's state Supreme Court, Costanza, 43, charges that every episode, from 1989 until May 1998, ``portrays (him) in a negative light'' while using many of his physical and personality traits.

Costanza has known Seinfeld for 24 years, since they were students at Queens College, his lawyer Jonathan Fisher said Monday. Much of the obnoxious sitcom character accurately reflects Costanza but much does not, Fisher said.

``George is a jerk,'' Fisher said. ``This has had a negative effect on the man's (Costanza's) life. If you looked at him you would say, You've got to be George Costanza.''

Costanza's papers do not detail the similarities between him and the loutish George, played by Jason Alexander, but in interviews he has noted that he and George are bald and stocky, went to Queens College with Seinfeld, and have quirks about bathrooms and parking spaces.

Costanza, author of a book called ``The Real Seinfeld,'' also says his high school gym teacher called him ``Can't-Stand-Ya,'' as George's does.

The ``Seinfeld'' publicists have said that George Costanza was a character based on the show's co-creator, Larry David.

First lady chooses private, quiet way to spend birthday

First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton marked her 51st birthday Monday in what officials described as a private celebration with President Clinton in the White House residence.

Neither of the Clintons appeared in public.

The president took ``a well-deserved day off'' and stayed in the White House, press secretary Joe Lockhart said, after an exhausting week of Mideast summitry and a weekend of political fund raising in California.

The low-key birthday for Hillary Clinton was in sharp contrast to last year, when she celebrated her 50th with a bash on the South Lawn of the White House, followed by a two-day extravaganza in her hometown of Chicago.

Medal of Arts honorees announced

Novelist Philip Roth, rock 'n' roll pioneer Fats Domino and actor Gregory Peck were among the dozen 1998 winners of the National Medal of Arts announced Monday by President Clinton.

Clinton and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton are due to present the medals in a White House ceremony Nov. 5.

Peck's work as a producer and co-producer was noted, as were his more than 50 years in film.

Two Chicago-based organizations will get medals: the Sara Lee Corp. for its patronage of the arts, and the Steppenwolf Theatre Company for its Tony-winning productions.

Other winners were dancer Jacques d'Amboise, folk singer Ramblin' Jack Elliott, architect Frank Gehry, arts advocate Barbara Handman, painter Agnes Martin, opera singer Roberta Peters and actress Gwen Verdon.

Allen calls his ex a manic mother

Woody Allen lashed out at ex-girlfriend Mia Farrow in a magazine interview, saying she keeps her many children holed up in ``a cultish compound'' in Connecticut.

``I would challenge Mia's view of herself as a supermother,'' he told Marie Claire in the magazine's latest issue. ``She compulsively goes through these manic adoptions even though she doesn't know where her next job is coming from.''

Allen and Farrow had a child in addition to 10 other children she has adopted over the years. They broke up in 1992, when Farrow discovered Allen was having an affair with one of her adopted daughters, Soon-Yi Previn. The two have since married.

``Woody is absolutely nuts,'' Farrow's former press agent, John Springer, told the New York Post on Monday. ``He is a miserable (person), and he's just trying to get even.''

Allen said Farrow isolates the children in ``a cultish compound in Connecticut where going out has always been discouraged. . . . There are many horrible things I could say if I wanted to go into detail, but I don't.''

Country star tried to call spirit back

A distraught Loretta Lynn pleaded with Conway Twitty's spirit to return to his body soon after he died in 1993.

Lynn's now-dead husband was sick in the same Missouri hospital when Twitty suffered an aneurysm and was brought to intensive care, where he died.

``I'd always heard that the spirit stays right there above the body for a while, so when I went back to intensive care, I stood beside Conway's body and tried to talk him back down,'' Lynn said.

``I said, `Conway, don't you die on me. You know you don't want to go.' ''

Lynn, who is Twitty's former duet partner, told the story in ``The View From Nashville,'' a new book by longtime Nashville broadcaster Ralph Emery.

``I cut such a shine, they had to take me out of the room,'' she said.

Accusations flung over Onassis pile

The bitter battle over the $600 million Onassis fortune raged Monday with a slander lawsuit filed by the father of 13-year-old heiress Athina Roussel.

Thierry Roussel sued Stelios Papadimitriou, one of the four Greek trustees of the Onassis Foundation, which operates the Onassis shipping enterprises and a large charitable trust.

Roussel accused Papadimitriou of calling him an embezzler. On Friday, Roussel has to present himself in an Athens, Greece, court after the four trustees sued him for slander, alleging he accused them of mismanagement and nepotism.

The foundation administers the money until Athina reaches her 18th birthday.

News Lite is compiled by Karen Duffy from Daily News staff and wire reports

CAPTION(S):

4 photos

PHOTO (1) Athina Roussel, with her father, Thierry Roussel, is heir to millions.

(2) Jerry Seinfeld, with co-star Jason Alexander, is being sued.

(3) Gregory Peck: Honored

(4) Allen