David Ortiz steals Jay-Z's 40/40 Club name for Dominican Republic hotspot Forty-Forty: suit

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A new lawsuit claims Red Sox star David Ortiz liked Jay Z's 40/40 Club so much that he stole the name for his own hotspot.Yankee fan Jay-Z is suing Red Sox star David Ortiz for ripping off the name and reputation of his star-studded sports lounge, the 4-0/40 Club.

Papers filed Thursday in Manhattan Federal Court claim Big Papi visited the sleek hotspot in the Flatiron District and liked it so much, he stole it like Jeter steals second base.

After enjoying the rap mogul's hospitality, Boston's designated hitter opened a club called Forty-Forty in his native Dominican Republic, the $5 million suit says.

Lawyers said it can't be a coincidence.

"David Ortiz was at the club at least twice, and certainly knew of it," said Jay-Z's lawyer, Peter Raymond, of the firm ReedSmith.

Ortiz stopped into the W. 25th St. hangout when the Red Sox were in town to play the Yankees and was there during an All-Star Game celebration, the suit claimed.

The lawyers even included photos of Ortiz living it up at the real 4-0/40 Club.

They say the Web site for his copycat club "blatantly trades on the goodwill and fame" Jay-Z and his partners have built up.

Ortiz could not be reached for comment.

The Web site of the Santo Domingo club says it boasts "the best ambiance in the Caribbean" with VIP areas.

Manhattan's 4-0/40 club has a virtual parade of VIPs coming through, with the likes of Alex Rodriguez, Naomi Campbell, Mariah Carey and, of course, Jay-Z's wife Beyoncé, hanging out there.

The club - which has branches in Tokyo, Atlantic City and other cities - has been showcased on MTV and in Forbes and Vanity Fair.

The name of both clubs is based on baseball's 4-0/40 club for players who have stolen 40 bases and hit 40 home runs in a single season.

There are four players in the elite group. Ortiz, who has stolen only 10 bases in his entire career, is not one of them.