Jersey Shore

Protein infused vodka sounds like a good idea (kind of) ... unless you're The Situation ... who's suing the company behind the product for allegedly screwing him out MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

Sitch recently filed a lawsuit against Devotion Spirits -- a company he inked an endorsement deal with back in 2010. According to the lawsuit, Sitch says he did his part and made the booze the success it is today -- but is adamant the company didn't hold up their end of the deal.

Specifically, Sitch claims the deal called for him to acquire an 8% ownership stake in the company -- which he says he got -- but that Devotion failed to add 2% to his ownership share on their one-year anniversary, like the deal called for.

Sitch also claims they failed to provide him with a $400,000 "buy back" option for his shares on their two-year anniversary and failed to supply him with sales reports.

Sitch says even though he performed his contractual obligations, Devotion kept looking for an excuse to cut him out and avoid paying him the money he's owed.

He is suing for his entire 10% share in the company (which he estimates to be worth as much as $5 million) and other damages.

MTV might not have wanted former "Jersey Shore" cast member Angelina Pivarnick for its Hurricane Sandy clean-up benefit "Restore the Shore" -- but count Pauly D among those who thought she should have invited.

As TMZ first reported, Angelina reached out to MTV to be a part of the show, but MTV wasn't having it.

But when we caught up with DJ Pauly D in Manhattan yesterday, he told us everyone should have been welcome because it's for a good cause.

Pauly D is also helping out by partnering with the ASPCA to raise awareness about the pets that were affected by Hurricane Sandy.

He's a guido with a heart of gold.

Today's shocker ... MTV wants nothing to do with disgraced "Jersey Shore" star Angelina Pivarnick for its Hurricane Sandy clean-up benefit "Restore the Shore" -- even though the rest of the "Jersey Shore" cast has been invited.

Angelina tells TMZ, she's reached out multiple times to participate in the "Restore the Shore" effort -- which airs live today -- because her friends and neighbors were badly affected by the recent storm and she wants to help ... but MTV has blown her off.

Angelina says she's already volunteered with local business owners and the Red Cross ... and she believes "Restore the Shore" is a great cause -- but tells TMZ, "I remain uninvited to participate ... even after attempts to contact the organizers by my management team."

Angelina calls the rebuff a "sore reminder of how I have been treated in the past" -- and adds, "This is a time where they should suck it up and stand on one side of the room and let me be there. I am very hurt by this."

Even Hurricane Sandy doesn't want to mess with the "Jersey Shore" ... because the infamous Seaside Heights home that housed Snooki and the gang survived "virtually untouched" by the massive storm that ravaged the East Coast this week.

We're told other than losing a few shingles, the only damage to the home was to the boards and lumber underneath the house. Amazingly, all of the windows remained intact ... no broken glass.

The house is located behind the boardwalk t-shirt store where the cast worked -- that store was crushed by Sandy's wrath.

While Hurricane Sandy was wrecking the Jersey shore ... Pauly D was spinning in Las Vegas for 2 smoking hot kissing chicks -- which is awesome for Pauly AND math geeks!! We'll explain.

The boardwalk t-shirt store made famous by "Jersey Shore" has been RAVAGED by Hurricane Sandy -- torn open like a sardine can -- and TMZ has a photo of the heartbreaking damage.

A source close to the owner of the Shore Store tells TMZ, the storm caused severe water damage to a lot of the merchandise -- including t-shirts and jewelry display cases -- as well as screen printing equipment.

But we're told the worst damage of all was to the rolling steel doors in front of the shop, which were bashed in by Sandy's extremely strong winds. Each door costs several thousand dollars.

The boardwalk itself was also torn asunder by the storm, as you can see in the picture.

The "Jersey" shore cast all tweeted their concerns during the storm yesterday, claiming they couldn't believe the extent of the damage.

While his beloved Jersey Shore was battening down the hatches in anticipation of Hurricane Sandy, Pauly D provided the soundtrack to a hot girl-on-girl makeout session in Vegas this weekend.

Pauly was behind the turntables during the Rehab party at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Sunday -- far away from the destruction on the East Coast.

According to Pauly, Snooki's porch was destroyed in the hurricane ... along with several buildings along the boardwalk.

Pauly tweeted about the disaster last night -- "Thinking of everyone on the east coast stay safe through this horrible time #hurricanesandy."

The Situation scored a major legal victory over a company that hired him to promote their anti-fat cream, but then sued him for reneging his duties and hiding an RX drug addiction ... TMZ has learned.

According to court docs ... the "Jersey Shore" star and a company called Performance Brands both agreed to dismiss their dueling lawsuits (Sitch had filed a counter suit) after settling out of court.

Sources close to Sitch tell us ... PB agreed to cough up a "good sum of money," and Sitch won't have to shell out a dime.

TMZ broke the story ... PB sued Sitch after they hired him to be the face of their fat-metabolizing cream (and forked over a $75k advance) -- claiming he did ZILCH to promote the product. The company also claimed he breached his contract by hiding his RX addiction.

Sitch counter-sued, claiming PB was the one in breach of contract.

It gets worse from there -- just watch the video -- but now, Angelina's backpedaling, telling us, "I apologize to anyone I may have offended ... Many of my gay friends reached out to me afterward ... to inform me of how ignorant my comments were."

She adds, "I wouldn't want anyone to tell me that I couldn't marry the person I loved, and I don't want to do that to anyone else regardless of sexual orientation."

"I think other people like me can have their minds changed once they meet gay couples and families. We shouldn't ban love or marriage for a happy couple. That is UNAMERICAN!"

Ex-Philadelphia mafia boss "Skinny Joey" Merlino -- who served 12 years in federal prison for racketeering -- says the guys from "Jersey Shore" are a big, fat "disgrace to the Italians" ... seriously.

Merlino -- who was released from the slammer last year -- was at LAX yesterday, where he was picked up from the airport by Howard Stern's favorite mob family member Johnny Fratto.

It's unclear why Joey is in L.A. -- but as Johnny drove off with Merlino riding shotgun, he picked an interesting song choice to bump in his car ... Elton John's "Philadelphia Freedom."

Vinny from "Jersey Shore" was the latest victim of a college prank -- when a student hilariously interrupted a speech he was giving, to ask him a very important question ... specifically how many STD's he got from being on "Jersey Shore?"

Vinny -- who is on a college speaking tour right now to teach others how to overcome anxiety -- was at Niagara County Community College Wednesday ... when he was caught off guard by a prankster planted in the audience.

In the video ... a student uses the very serious Q & A session to ask Vinny a not so serious Q ... mainly, whether or not he contracted any gross diseases from "Shore" -- ya know because of all their sexual shenanigans.

Vinny, in an ironic twist, gets pretty anxious about the whole thing -- and then shoots off some choice words to his new friend.

The restaurant that fueled Deena Cortese with the booze that led to her drunken arrest in June has been hit with a $15k fine for over-serving the "Jersey Shore" star ... PLUS she's been BANNED from the joint for 2 years.

Officials at NJ's Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control announced the deal ... stemming from an investigation into Cortese's "failure to use the sidewalk" arrest on June 10 ... when cops found her dancing in the street like an idiot.

According to the DABC, the Spicy Cantina & Mexican Grille in Seaside Heights must pay a $15,000 fine for serving Cortese after she was already visibly intoxicated.

As part of the deal, Cortese agreed to stay away from the place for the next two years.

State officials say an MTV camera crew was with Deena on that drunken day ... and rolled as the reality star walked on the bar, fell on her ass, and then stood on a table while someone was trying to eat food.

Snooki's ex-boyfriend has a reptilian connection to her new baby Lorenzo -- telling TMZ, he's personally responsible for Enzo's favorite stuffed crocodile ... but the TWIST ... he didn't get it for the kid.

Emilio Masella -- who dated Snooki for 8 months back in 2010 -- tells us he won the crocodile for Snooki at a Dave and Busters during their relationship ... and she's pretty much cherished it ever since ... despite changing boyfriends ... and getting pregnant.

Its name is Crocodilly -- and it's made several appearances on "Jersey Shore" as well as Snooki's new spin-off with Jwoww ... even though the guy who gave it to her is long out of the picture.

Most recently, the croc made a dramatic appearance in the People mag spread about Snooki's new bundle of joy (above).

Emilio says it's proof Snooki still has feelings for him -- but c'mon people, it's just a damn toy.

Vinny from "Jersey Shore" believes some of his co-stars are destined for failure after the show wraps up later this year ... telling TMZ only the ones with a BRAIN will succeed in TV.

Vinny was hangin' in L.A. last night when we asked how he felt about MTV getting rid of "Shore" after its 6th season.

"They didn't get rid of it ... they just want us to go out on top," Vinny told us ... adding, "Best show in MTV history."

But when we asked if the "Jersey" cast will have better success in their own spin-off shows, Vinny replied, "I don't know about ALL of us ... but I think whoever has imagination and talent will make it."

Unfortunately, Vinny didn't name any names.

Still, Vinny told us the show could be a major launching pad for one of his co-stars ... noting Adam Sandler started on MTV ("Remote Control" anyone?) ... "and then he became a big movie star."

As for Vinny's next project, the reality star wouldn't tell us what's next on his plate ... but insists, "Good things."

The Situation charges $30,000 A POP to appear in Vegas nightclubs ... so says the "Jersey Shore" star ... who's now suing a promoter for stiffing him to the tune of $60k.

Sitch filed the suit in Miami, claiming he struck a deal with a promotion company last year to make a total of 3 appearances at Vegas nightclubs Chateau and Gallery by June 30th.

According to the lawsuit, the deal was "pay or play" -- meaning Situation was to get paid the full amount ... even if the club decided not to use him all three times.

Situation claims the club only called him in once before the deadline ... and only paid him $30k.

Now, the "Jersey Shore" star is suing the promotion company for the balance -- $60,000 -- insisting it hasn't held up its end of the bargain.

Calls to the promotion company Diversified Entertainment were not returned.

Former "Jersey Shore" cast member Angelina Pivarnick couldn't be happier MTV pulled the plug on the show -- telling TMZ, now that it's finally over ... her life might actually stop sucking.

In case you didn't know, MTV announced the 6th season of "Jersey Shore" will be its last -- and Angelina tells us, it couldn't have happened soon enough.

“The show had a good run but now it’s time to move on and do other things. I’m relieved it's over, but still sad over the way I was portrayed on the show."

She adds, "Now that 'Jersey Shore' is done, hopefully one day down the road I can be looked at better."

Angelina was booted from the cast after season 2 -- and was pretty much a pariah while on the show ... and outside the show too.

As for what she's doing now -- Angelina says she's taking acting classes in New York.