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Gambling Irish nun blew close to $1 million in Atlantic City

Sister Susie avoids jail but gets solitary confinement in convent

JAMES O'SHEA,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Wednesday, November 16, 2011, 7:09 AM

Updated Wednesday, November 16, 2011, 10:20 AM

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Nun gambles away $1 million in AC

Photo by Google Images

An Irish nun landed in solitary confinement in her convent after admitting she blew $850,000 in gambling sprees. She avoided a jail term however.

She admitted to stealing the money from Iona College in New Rochelle, New York, where she worked as a financial officer.

Sister Marie Thornton, known as Sister Susie, wore her Celtic cross around her neck to court as she pleaded guilty to the charges but Judge Kimba Wood decided she was being punished enough by her solitary confinement in a Philadelphia nunnery.

In an act of kindness, her order, the Sisters of St. Joseph refused to press charges.

Almost every weekend for ten years until 2009 Sister Susie, as she was known, would drive to Atlantic City and use college credit cards to gamble.

She was losing $2,000 to $5,000 a visit, prosecutors said.

“She covered up the thousands she would lose by systematically submitting false vendor invoices for reimbursement to Iona College and submitting credit-card bills for personal expenses to be paid by Iona College,” said US Attorney Preet Bharara.

Defense attorney Sanford Talkin stated her criminal behavior was a result of terrible childhood abuse.

“When Sister Susie was gambling . . . she was able to stop the suffering internally. Gambling gave her a feeling of freedom, a feeling it’s about her for a change,” Talkin told the court. “You’re not dealing with somebody who is trying to buy a diamond necklace.”

Now the nun is in solitary confinement in a Philadelphia convent.

“She can’t even go to the store and get milk,” a source told the New York Post. “My belief is she never will be." Sister Susie told the court she was dreadfully sorry.

“I have labored over finding the right words because I want so desperately for you to know how sorry I am, but somehow the words . . . don’t touch or convey . . . the gut-wrenching sorry that I feel all day, every day,” Sister Susie told the court last week.

“I have been long, in isolation, in pain and in shame, and in humiliation that I can’t even begin to describe, but because I have suffered through it, I’m stronger, I’m better and I’m grateful.”

Nster.com

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21 Comments

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sirpeter | Nov 18, 2011, 03:17 PM EST

That was nice of the Sisters of St.Joseph not to press charges.It just seems like the same old thing to me.Turning their back on a crime.The so called religious protecting their own sending out the holy message far and wide.You protect me and I'll protect you.

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merefalow | Nov 17, 2011, 12:22 PM EST

religious people,the the biggest hyp[ocrites on earth,beware the whited sepulchers,as jesus said,how true..

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Collette2 | Nov 17, 2011, 12:18 PM EST

What a lot of rubbish, "her criminal behaviour a result of terrible childhood abuse". After all those years in religious life, and a "new creation in Christ", it doesn't say much for her community life if she hadn't ben healed by now. How can the sisters afford to reimburse the Iona where parent contriuted to it's finances. No doubt by putting up the fees.

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Richfon | Nov 17, 2011, 08:34 AM EST

Don't Nuns like Preists take a vow of poverty. Wouldn't it be novel if these casinos which were so willing to take in the dollars repay a portion of it back. They keep track of gamblers both winnings and losings they just turned a blind eye in questioning where the money was coming from.

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warlocks | Nov 17, 2011, 01:04 AM EST

Hey what the heck life is no bed of roses for nuns. i can't really blame her. I only hope she had a great time while it lasted . I have known many Nuns, and take my Hat off to those hard working women. unlike Priest the nuns get no credit for their labors. God bless them.

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mairdemalone | Nov 16, 2011, 10:03 PM EST

Becoming a gambler has nothing to do with OCD! Gambling at the Casino starts out, like drinking alcohol, as a fun thing to do. But after a while the fun goes out of it, and you want the buzz, the bells and whistles to ring for you. When that happens, Lady Luck is on your side; so then the temptation is to find Lady Luck every time you go to the casino begins, just like drinking more and more alcohol happens. Each time you go you hope Luck is on your side. But when people all around you are winning and you are not, it is then you need to put more money in the machine. You try to make your own luck. But like alcohol, luck permeates your days and nights and until suddenly you need to gamble, you need to drink. Anyhow, that was how it used to be. Now, bells and whistles go off all of the time, even when you win a tiny amount, -obviously most of the people I know play the slots!- and those sounds, after a couple of hours begin to annoy you. So very soon the fun is gone out of gambling, and when it becomes boring, you don't even want to go to the Casino. That is the way it is for the majority of people. People like Nun gamble to try and win back the money they lost! But they never do! In the end, people like the nun are exposed to public ridicule, while the Casinos reap in the dough. Actually, judging by the numbers of people I see at the casinos, I think casinos have had their time and are on their way out. Or maybe people, thanks to most companies paying low wages, don't have any income left to gamble.

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adrienrain | Nov 16, 2011, 07:57 PM EST

@SingleDonald - OCD is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

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adrienrain | Nov 16, 2011, 07:56 PM EST

@stanJames - but stealing and gambling (especially when the $$ belongs to Holy Mother Church) are WRONG, while pederasty is - according to the pope - not an absolute evil! It takes time to develop a cynicism so deep as my own................

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SingleDonald | Nov 16, 2011, 07:34 PM EST

What does OCD stand for?

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stanJames | Nov 16, 2011, 07:23 PM EST

Actually, I'm beginning to think that religion is just one big induced OCD scene Its all based on anxiety that spills over into all sorts of strange places. My brother has it, ruined his life. LOng long story, not related to gambling. It was induced by my mom, who herself was OCD about his health Prob due to being the last of 11 kids of whom only 5 surived to adulthood. Also the great depression, I think she actually had a nervous breakdown and was hospitalized And she lost the "middle child" - prob due to RH incompatibility. Add it all up and its easy to postulate how moms family history caused the problem.

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stanJames | Nov 16, 2011, 07:18 PM EST

My real question - is there a law that prevents the church from putting her in solitary. And btw why didn't they do that with all the rapists priests?

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rhunter67 | Nov 16, 2011, 04:25 PM EST

@PhlutiePhan: No Marshall in Dogdge City was killed holding that hand. Wild Bill Hickock, no just anyone, was killed holding that hand in Deadwood and he wasn't even a marshal there. If you're going to remind people about a 'famous' event, make sure you get it right.

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rugbyplayer | Nov 16, 2011, 01:40 PM EST

I find it difficult to believe anything about this story. But it is amusing nevertheless.

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Brolaur | Nov 16, 2011, 01:29 PM EST

It would have FED a lot of poor people. She was just a selfish person who cared not for those around her. She was part of a community so there was help available. Last week we had a parish priest who left €1.3MILLION in his will. It sure would have FED a lot of poor people. These are NOT people of God.

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CaliforniaShamrock | Nov 16, 2011, 12:59 PM EST

Photo is a fake - I doubt if she went in full habit - she needs help!

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