Novel Approach To Stave Off Foreclosure Lands NY Couple In Hot Water

Finding themselves facing foreclosure and unable to unload a second home that they owned in a faltering real estate market, a married Westchester County, New York mortgage broker couple came up with an approach in an attempt to help overcome their financial situation that local cops took exception to, according to a couple of media reports. They allegedly began operating a brothel out of the second home, which was located in the city of New Rochelle.

Reportedly, New Rochelle detectives were "doing routine monitoring of the Internet" and saw ads on Craigslist.com recently and figured out that "possible prostitution activities" were going on at the house. An undercover operation at the home confirmed the prostitution, according to cops, and resulted in the arrest of Robert Werner, 34, and his 32-year-old wife, Heather Ann Mazzenga, as well as other four women.

The arrests came two days after the couple filed for bankruptcy, and one day after the scheduled foreclosure sale of their home in Pleasantville, New York was cancelled. For more, see:

• 'Burb Brothel (Married Brokers Went For 'Broke') (New York Post - 9-11-07),
• Prostitution suspects were victims of housing market (The Journal News - 9-11-07).