Pictured in court: Soccer mom-of-four accused of making millions from Manhattan brothel used by rich and famous - as police hunt for 'matchmaker'
- Anna Gristina boasted about making millions in her 15 years running the brothel from an Upper East Side apartment
- Claimed she had police connections who would tip her off
- Husband said he is 'heartbroken'
- Authorities searching for other woman who they suspect is involved
The Manhattan madam accused of running a multimillion dollar prostitution empire from an Upper East Side apartment has been remanded in custody after a court heard her network of wealthy clients made her a 'significant flight risk'.
Anna Gristina will remain in prison because a judge agreed that the 'high-worth individuals' she allegedly serviced might help her try to flee the United States to a safe haven.
Gristina’s ‘black book’ of clients, stretching back 15 years, contains the names of powerful figures in politics, law enforcement, law, banking and entertainment, as well as several ‘ultra-wealthy’ Europeans, say prosecutors.
Prosecutors suggested they would be likely attempt to stop embarrassing revelations about themselves coming to light, rather let justice run its course.
Charged: Anna Gristina, 44, appeared in Manhattan Supreme Court today as her lawyers asked for a reduction of her $2 million bail. A judge refused, saying she was a high flight risk
The court also heard that British-born Gristina, known in the industry as 'Anna Scotland', had a fund specially set up to help her flee justice.
The 44-year-old, who appeared wearing handcuffs, managed only a weak smile to her husband in the gallery as she made a ten-minute appearance in Manhattan’s Supreme Court today, and blew him a kiss as she was led back to the cells.
She also appeared anxious and tried to hide her face from photographers, according to DNAInfo.
Wearing a herringbone pattern black and white jacket and black trousers, her blonde hair was unkempt and she looked more like a librarian than a wealthy vice madam.
An indictment was also handed down today on the mother-of-four.
She has pleaded not guilty to one count of prostitution in the third degree and will now face a trial.
Husband of ten years Kelvin Gorr told the New York Daily News as he left court today: 'We are just a great family... and my wife means everything to me. I feel heartbroken.'
It was also revealed today that authorities are investigating links between Gristina and a woman who worked as a recruiter for a high-end matchmaking service that pairs wealthy men with polished women, according to DNAInfo.
Suspect: Jaynie Mae Baker, 30, is wanted by police for questioning as they believe she may have been involved in the prostitution ring
Jaynie Baker's profile on the VIP Life's website, for which she finds eligible wealthy bachelors
Jaynie Mae Baker, 30, from Brooklyn, who works for dating service VIP Life, is wanted by police for questioning. They believe she is an associate of Gristina.
Her Facebook page says she co-hosted a fundraiser for a Texas-based animal shelter called Shelby Shelter with Gristina last year at a West Village night club.
Anna Gristina's second husband Kelvin Gorr said he was 'heartbroken' as he left court today
The 30-year-old acts as a contractor who refers men to VIP Life, for which she receives a finder's fee. The agency only lists men who are serious about long-term relationships and shuns women who are only interested in men for their money.
Founder of VIP Life Lisa Clampitt told DNAInfo Baker was a 'sweet young woman' who would never be involved in anything illegal.
Vincent Parco, an investigator working for her legal team who was in court, said Gristina 'was running a marketing website and was meeting investors but it did not work out. Her husband is looking after the children and they are OK.'
During the hearing Gristina’s lawyer Richard Siracusa sought to have the $3million she would have to post if she wanted bail - $1million in cash and a $2million surety - lowered in exchange for her wearing an ankle bracelet.
So far she has not posted the huge sum and is being held in the notorious Riker’s Island prison in New York.
Wealthy: The brothel was run from an East 78th Street apartment where residents said a steady stream of beautiful young women would come and go
Mr Siracusa said: 'My client has extremely high bail. She has no record, she has four children...she has a home for rescued animals.
'For someone who came into court charged with one count of criminal prostitution this is far in excess of what would be necessary to keep her coming back to court.
'The District Attorney has her passport...The $1m to $2m bail puts her in a special category as some one who is a heinous criminal and that carried over when she goes into the jails.
'It is not an easy existence there.'
Peter Gleason, left, co-attorney for Anna Gristina who is charged with promoting prostitution, is joined by private investigator Vincent Parco
Charles Linehan, prosecuting for the Manhattan District Attorney, told the court that 'the risk of flight is very high here' and that nothing had changed from Gristina’s last court appearance in February.
He said: 'She has high-worth individuals she counts among her friends and clients that we believe have an interest in not having this case go forward and are in a position to help her flee the jurisdiction.
'We have evidence she has money squirreled away so that in the event of this happening she could use to flee the jurisdiction. The risk of flight is very high here.'
He added that during a previous police investigation - apparently a reference to the 2008 prostitution bust which snared former New York governor Eliot Spitzer - she had fled to Montreal where she has an apartment.
Kristin Davis, a New York madam who supplied Spitzer with prostitutes, has alleged it was the former governor himself who tipped off someone working for Gristina’s business, Fleur d’Elite, about a sting on escort agencies – prompting the British woman to flee temporarily to Canada.
Linehan explained it was thought she would do the same ‘at the moment’ she was discovered, although she had been arrested before being able to do so.
Judge Juan Merhcan agreed there was a 'significant' risk of her fleeing and ordered she remain in custody.
He said: 'It seems that $2million bail and $1million cash is appropriate given the risk of flight so I am not going to modify the bail.'
Gristina, a suburban soccer mom who moved to New York 20 years ago from her native Edinburgh, was arrested after a five-year investigation during which undercover police taped more than 100 hours of audio where she bragged about her high-end clients, how she had contacts in law enforcement who would tip her off and even how she used underage girls for some of the trysts, according to explosive court documents.
The divorcee lives in suburban Monroe, north of New York City, with her children and a number of rescue animals.
'I see people in and out coming over here, sometimes many in one day. I always see young fashionable women, always under 30. They don’t live here'
- Neighbour
The five-year-long investigation was run by a Manhattan district attorney's office unit that pursues cases against police and other uniformed city workers, according to a transcript of her February 23 arraignment.
A co-defendant has yet to be arrested and has not been identified.
During hundreds of hours of surveillance, Gristina was heard saying that 'she has connections in law enforcement who are poised to help her out, to let her know if there is trouble on the front that she needs to be concerned about', District Attorney Charles Linehan said, according to the court transcript.
Neighbours say a steady stream of young women - usually of Eastern European descent - would come and go from the second-floor apartment, as did a number of suited business men.
Jailed: Gristina is being held at Rikers Island prison on $2million bond and is considered a flight risk because she has a British passport and a home in Canada
Gristina boasted she had 'business contacts world-wide' which are thought to include powerful politicians, top-law enforcement, influential lawyers, bankers, entertainment execs and Fortune 500 businessmen, according to the New York Post.
The DA also said Gristina had not reported any income to the government in a number of years so she will likely be charged with tax evasion as well.
When she was arrested on February 22, she was meeting with an unnamed investment banker at his Morgan Stanley office for a meeting to try to raise money to finance what prosecutors believe may be an online start-up that would match prostitutes with wealthy men.
Investigator Parco claimed she had been trying to set up a legitimate dating website aimed at rich clients.
Morgan Stanley representatives did not immediately respond to an email on Monday evening.
Prosecutors have up to 100 hours of video and audio recordings in the case, which they cultivated through informants and undercover operations, Linehan told the judge last month.
Ex-husband: Dario Gristina, a Conservative Republican Candidate for NYS Assembly, said he divorced Anna years ago and knew nothing of the allegations. He has since remarried and has six children, left
Minors were involved in some of the encounters Gristina arranged, the prosecutor said. He cited information from at least one eyewitness account - a confidential informant who was one of Gristina’s prostitutes. Defence lawyers dismissed reports that she had provided underage girls as ‘disgusting’.
According to the Daily News, the escort service offered clients a three-tiered pricing system.
Costs ranged from $1,000 for the 'Dream Model girls', $1,500 for 'Calendar Girls, fashion models and budding actors', and $2,000 and up for the 'Ultimate Elite Model' category.
Mohammed Azad, 32, who owns a restaurant in the building where Gristina allegedly operated her brothel, told the Post: 'I see people in and out coming over here, sometimes many in one day. I always see young fashionable women, always under 30. They don’t live here.'
Facebook post: Gristina reveals she has had an apartment in New York for the last 15 years - the length of time she is alleged to have been running the brothel
When police arrived at her upscale suburban home, no one was at home but a number of animals including pigs, pit bulls and wild boars were roaming around the property.
On her Facebook page, she has many pictures of her pigs and often posts about them on other pig-lover's walls.
In August last year, she wrote to one friend: 'I hate going to the city. I have had an apartment for 15 years and I only visit like once a month.'
Her ex-husband Dario Gristina, a Conservative Republican Candidate for NYS Assembly, told the Daily News: 'We divorced a long time ago, I am surprised.'
Italian-born Gristina married second wife Teresa ten years ago. He has six children but it is unclear how many of them are shared with his first wife.
Do you know this woman? Call the news desk on 020 7938 6000 or email news@dailymail.co.uk
