Mitt Romney coming to Oyster Bay fundraisers

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will be on Long Island next Thursday for back-to-back private fundraisers in Oyster Bay, with tickets costing from $2,500 to $50,000.

The first event takes place at 5 p.m. on Sept. 13 for cocktails with the former Massachusetts governor at the Old Brookville home of Elizabeth and Lee Ainslie, according to the invitation from Romney Victory Inc.

Tickets for the general reception are $2,500 per person, while a VIP photo session with Romney costs $10,000 per photo. The Ainslies are not affiliated with any party, voting records show. Elizabeth Ainslie has been active in open space preservation on the North Shore.

Co-chairs of the event include former Sen. Alfonse D'Amato and his wife, Katuria; State Republican Chairman Ed Cox; Nassau Republican chairman Joseph Mondello; Oyster Bay Town Board Member Chris Coschignano; author Nelson DeMille;, former New York Stock Exchange chairman Ken Langone; Suffolk Republican chairman John Jay LaValle; former Rep. Rick Lazio, and State Sen. Lee Zeldin.

Following at 6 p.m. is a photo reception and dinner at the Muttontown home of Republicans Jodi and Robert Rosenthal, a former owner of the Islanders hockey club who runs a private investment banking firm. The cost of the photo reception and dinner with the candidate is $25,000 per couple. To attend the "VIP" reception, the price is $50,000 per couple. Jodi Rosenthal confirmed the event but declined to comment further.

D'Amato and Cox also are members of the event's host committee, which includes developer Jan Burman and real estate tycoon Peter Kalikow.

Contributions will be deposited into the accounts of Romney for President Inc., the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee only. The money will not go into the four state Republican committees that are part of Romney Victory Inc., the invitations said.

The Romney campaign did not return requests for comment Thursday.