Beverly Ann Merrill: All About Danielle Staub's Troubled Past Before 'Real Housewives of New Jersey'

Fans will know Danielle Staub from Real Housewives of New Jersey, where she was part of the main cast for the first two seasons. Since then, she has appeared as a friend on the Bravo series, and has come onto our screens for the current Season 10 with guns blazing. In the new episode this week, Jennifer Aydin recalled seriously pissing off Danielle for asking about her real name, Beverly Ann Merrill. She explained to Dolores Catania that her hairdresser had told her about Danielle's real name, to which Jennifer was confused about.

Why Did Danielle Staub Change Her Name?

Well, The Smoking Gun reports that Danielle has a history involving drugs, prostitution and acting as an informant, which, according to Dolores, is why she changed her name.

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Danielle Staub Crime

Before her name was Danielle Staub, she was Beverly Ann Merrill. In 1986, she was reportedly arrested for her involvement in a kidnapping case. She was involved in cocaine dealing with a man named Daniel Aguilar and the two of them tried to get a $25,000 ransom for kidnapping a man's son.

The ransom calls were then traced back to Merrill and Aguilar. Merrill was caught in a Miami apartment with cocaine and $16,000 in cash. Instead of facing years in prison, she opted for a plea agreement, giving the courts information about Aguilar and others. To ensure her safety, she changed her name to Angela Minelli, but still got death threats anyway.

In court, it was discovered that Merrill met Aguilar when she was working for an escort service. She was charged with five years probation and she also had to participate in a drug treatment program. Aguilar, on the other hand, was sentenced to 15 years.

The Smoking Gun also reports that Danielle has since said that she was nothing more than an "accessory" and that her criminal cases were "sealed." Sealed or not, the former RHONJ star's history is certainly eventful...and we really can't blame her for getting angry when anyone brings it up.