Contrasting portraits of alleged NY madam

Prosecutors and defense attorneys have presented contrasting views of a New York woman jailed on a seven-figure bail on a single charge of promoting prostitution.

Anna Gristina's lawyers have portrayed her as a dedicated suburban mom, animal rescuer and former real estate broker who was working on building an online dating service. They said she's a target of an unfairly sensationalized case.

But prosecutors contend she's an arrogant, multimillion-dollar madam who boasted of ties to law enforcement and stashed cash to flee if authorities tried to close in on her.

"A caring mother of four has been slapped with a $2 million bond," one of her lawyers, Peter J. Gleason, said after a judge refused Tuesday to lower the bail.

In an interview Wednesday on "Good Day New York," Gleason said the prosecution has not shared with the defense team information about its allegations that the Monroe woman peddled underage girls and had police protection.

He said the underage allegation was "a ploy that the police will sometimes use if they have a hostile client that they want to break," he said.

Gleason also said he never asked his client about reports of a "black book" containing names of influential clients.

"As far as I'm concerned it doesn't exist," Gleason said.

On Tuesday, Gristina -- a bespectacled, 44-year-old Scottish immigrant -- looked glum and tried to turn away from the news cameras clustered in the courtroom for her brief appearance. She was arrested Feb. 22, but news of the case broke with a splash Monday. She has pleaded not guilty.

A legal U.S. resident originally from the Scottish Highlands, Gristina maintains a home for rescued animals, said another of her lawyers, Richard Siracusa.

She's never been in legal trouble before and has surrendered her passport, he said, but has a bail that would denote "a heinous criminal."

But State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan said "the risk of flight seems significant" in Gristina's case.

Prosecutors say Gristina was heard during a five-year investigation saying she'd made millions of dollars over about 15 years of arranging trysts. She has wealthy clients and friends who "have an interest in not having this case go forward" and could help her run, they said.

Police have declined to comment.