How’s this for real talent: shoe mogul Steve Madden parlayed his 41-month prison stay into a good laugh for a good cause. The bald designer chaired a gala at Cipriani 42nd St. for What New York Needs, benefiting the Doe Fund, an organization that helps the formerly incarcerated find work. “I know, I look like Joe the Plumber, right?” Madden joked to the crowd. When we asked the unfiltered designer what he had learned from his prison experience, he quipped, “My employees always laughed at my jokes so I thought I was funny. In prison, I learned I am not.”

Matt Lauer co-hosted the event, which honored NJ Gov. Jon Corzine. Among the guests were Ethan Hawke, Hilary and Bryant Gumbel, Donny Deutsch, George and Harriet McDonald, Josh Charles, and Jeremy Kagan.

If prison was a humbling experience, it was also an eye-opener for the mega trendsetter. “I know from experience,” Madden shared, “that some of these guys really just need a break.” Exhibit A: an ex-con, helped by the Doe Fund, to whom Madden gave his first break—and who now designs shoes for the company! A perfect parity made possible by the Doe Fund, giver of second chances.