Danielle Staub

Danielle Staub, 46, is a divorced, single mother of two daughters, Christine and Jillian. During the season she broke up with her boyfriend Steve, 20 years her junior. Staub is among the subjects of a 1995 book based on the exploits of her first husband, Kevin Maher. Entitled "Cop Without a Badge", the book includes a 1986 mugshot of Staub, taken when she was arrested and charged with kidnapping and extortion. The book also discusses her relationship with a Colombian cocaine dealer and her drug use, and claims that she worked as a prostitute. Her real name is Beverly Merrill. The Smoking Gun posted documents stemming from her arrest that verify the claims made in the book: following her arrest in 1986 she faced 20 years in prison if convicted on the above charges, and turned states' evidence. Her testimony against her former boyfriend put him in prison for 15 years, and as part of her plea bargain she acknowledged that she had worked as a paid escort; that she had carried 2 kilos of cocaine to the designated location for a drug deal, but when she arrived she was attacked and the cocaine stolen; that her boyfriend then arranged the kidnapping of the son of the man who allegedly set up the robbery; and that using the name "Angela" she made telephone calls to arrange the son's ransom. Danielle/Beverly was sentenced to 5 years' probation, during which she was to be monitored weekly for drug use for 2 years; at the end of that time the monitoring physician acknowledged that she had tested clean throughout the 2 years, but advised the judge that given Danielle's history of heavy drug use, the mandate for drug testing should be extended.