The children of the founder of Benihana steakhouses landed a $50 million inheritance, but they say their stepmother is blowing it by peddling cheesy gimmicks — including a spatula-wielding, tableside dance duo called the Beni Girls.
Model Devon Aoki and her DJ brother, Steven Aoki — children of eccentric late restaurateur Rocky Aoki — won the dough in May after a six-year court battle with stepmother Keiko Aoki.
But the kids can’t get their hands on their eight-figure fortune for years, until they each turn 45. Devon is now 31 and Steven 36.
Until then, they’re at the mercy of Keiko.
The 59-year-old Keiko is trustee of a fund that holds all the stock of a company called Benihana of Tokyo, which owns the firm’s franchises overseas and one in Hawaii. Keiko is also the CEO of those restaurants.
And as trustee, Keiko has been blowing money on gimmicks such as the Beni Girls, a hip-hop duo flown around the world to perform in chef costumes while wielding spatulas and carving forks at Benihana restaurants, the suit says.
It’s an “odd attempt to entertain guests,’’ the papers say.
Keiko also introduced kitschy Beni Burgers, a Japanese-style hamburger, at the Honolulu Benihana, according to the children’s recently filed suit in Manhattan Surrogate’s Court.
Both moves sparked costly licensing lawsuits by Benihana Inc., the firm that operates the US-based restaurants and was sold to a separate company outside the family, the suit says.
The widow has already lost the Beni Burger case and is now appealing.
Keiko also filed and lost two “frivolous” suits against Benihana Inc. in Delaware and is embroiled in another case against the company in Florida, the suit notes.
The siblings are demanding an accounting of the trust fund from Keiko. They’re also asking the judge to force Keiko to testify in court.
Keiko’s lawyer did not return requests for comment.
Rocky, a former Olympic wrestler who was married three times, died in 2008 at age 69.