LINDENWOLD, New Jersey (AP) -- Police made a surprising discovery when they busted the alleged madam of a prostitution ring called "August Playmates": The woman running the show was an 80-year-old grandmother.

Authorities arrested Vera Tursi last month during a sting operation to crack down on prostitution rings posing as legal escort services. Police say Tursi ran the business from her two-bedroom apartment, taking $60 of every $160 she charged clients for one hour with a call girl.

Law enforcement officials say Tursi admitted her role in the business, saying she took it over a few years ago from her daughter, who had died. Police say Tursi told them she needed money to subsidize her Social Security checks.

Undercover police first began to wonder about the age of their suspect when they called the escort service as part of their sting operation. They said she seemed to have difficulty breathing.

"You get a feel for how old someone is when you talk to them," State Police Detective Sgt. Thomas Cornely told The Sunday Star-Ledger of Newark. "She sounded like an 80-year-old woman."

Although police arrested Tursi when they came to her apartment May 2, they decided not to bring her to the police barracks because of her poor health.

Tursi has been charged with a a single count of promoting prostitution. If convicted, she faces up to five years in prison. But because of her age and lack of a criminal record, she's more likely to receive probation, Cornely said.
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Pres. Bush tell older Americans to find new ways for ss and they get arrested for it!

this may seem strange but when i saw the title of this thread i could only think of Conan O'brien saying: cool down, cool down my babies.

Maybe in your past life you worked in this ring and conon said that to you?

Gotta hand it to her.....when the government forgets about you, you have to take matters into your own hands....ooh...bad choice of words....

^ No good choice of words and she is not the first old girl caught doing this all she was doing is providing to the service sector.

Well, this is worse than that granny that sold pot to kids...

How is it worse? She wasn't selling this product to kids, at least I don't think she was.

You beet me to it... she is offering adult services how does that affect kids.

Prositutes- the exploitation of women, they could have been raped, their lives ruined and their bodies have been abused.

The kids had tiny amounts of pot and she was caught soon. In my mind I know which one was worse!

Those kids could've gotten pot laced with god knows what , overdosed and died...

we're talking about adults here, consenting adults, and I've not heard a report about a single girl being mistreated by a client yet.

You don't know that she run her businsess that way you are just summizing and Prostitution wheter you or I gree with it has been here as long as man has walked the Earth... she has been charged with a a single count of promoting prostitution not people traficking, torture or under age sex offences.

Neither have you heard a report on the pot being laced.
Consenting adults who have been exploited. Women don't just go into prostitution, they may have run away from home, been mentally disturbed or run out of money entirely.
These kids where about 12-14 I think, and had very small amounts of pot for a couple of weeks. We obviously disagree in principles, so I see no point in continuing this.

I know women that have gone through choice into protituion because it is a tax free good pay for them, they have even had programs on TV of women defending why they work the streets.

Which part of this old woman has chrged charged with a single count of promoting prostitution... that is it full stop... no under age children involved, no people trafficing charges or any other offence.

You have a valid argument but that does not apply to this discussion.

So, you condone giving pot to kids, but not prostitution? I'm not trying to be argumentative, I'm merely curious.

I never said I condone giving pot to kids! I simply said the offense was not as bad, in my opinion.

OK. In my opinion drugs and kids are more worrisome than the planet's oldest profession.

Fair enough. I consider drugs and kids to be worse than prostitution in many cases, don't think I always think drugs and kids are not as bad. It is just with these two cases that I would say the prostitution was worse.

if you had to sleep with the maddam (granny)...it would be worse

Well it depends on her costs.... "cringe"

Yes, that would indeed be the more disturbing visual.