Danielle Staub Doesn't Want to Talk About Criminal Past

"The Real Housewives of NJ" star Danielle Staub was on the Today Show this morning. And of course, the topic on everyone's mind came up. You know: the one about her being a stripper, prostitute, kidnapper, coke whore, etc. came up.

“I can only touch on [the rumors],” she told Hoda Kobt and Kathy Lee Gifford. “I can just say, it’s out there and it will be addressed. And I will definitely touch on all the subjects that are crucially in need of touching on at the time when the time is right.....Everybody has someone in their past or present that would like to say and embellish, nasty things about them.”

Danielle, no one has ever accused us - or anyone we know - of being a stripper, prostitute, kidnapper or coke whore.

We told you before about Danielle's criminal past, here are the details about her arrest: (Note: Kevin Maher is felon-turned-informant in the book. Merrill and Danielle are the same person. Got it?).
According to the Miami Herald, in June 1986, a SWAT team was called out to rescue a man being held on a $25,000 ransom. The victim, Carmen Christopher Centolella, then 26, allegedly owed money to his captors, who kept him for two days and placed ransom calls to Centolella's father in upstate New York.

Police found 10 kilos of cocaine, $16,000 cash and homemade explosive devices in the house rented by one of the suspects. They also found one Beverly Ann Merrill, 23, who lived in the same Coconut Grove apartment complex as Centolella. According to the story, Merrill was arrested; according to "Cop Without a Badge," she was charged with extortion, kidnapping and drug possession.

But wait! According to another story in the Herald three months later, Centolella was arrested on federal drug charges, along with one of his alleged captors. They were both charged with conspiracy to possess and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

Maher, who met Merrill at a drug party in Miami, claims to have helped her bargain the charges down to extortion only, and she received five years' probation. Merrill later changed her stripper name to Danielle, and there is little doubt in looking at her mugshot that she is the same woman as Danielle Staub.





source