Wife Wins Lawsuit Against Husband Who Spent Almost $1M Of Her Money On Mistress

A woman who says her husband tricked her into giving him hundreds of thousands of dollars to spend on his mistress has won the lawsuit she brought against him, the New York Daily News reported.

Candice Lalicata, whose father helped create seamless panties, sued her husband Steven Lalicata in late 2013 for scamming her out of $700,000. Candice Lalicata, 39, said her husband led her to believe his life was in danger because he owed gambling debts to the mob.

But Steven Lalicata, 30, was really spending the money on his mistress, Diana Fernandez.

Candice's husband did not respond to his wife's lawsuit, seeking $10 million in damages.

New York State Supreme Court Justice Anil Singh sided with Candice, and ordered a default judgment against Steven on Wednesday, the Daily News reported. The judge will determine at a later date how much money Steven will have to pay.

Candice told the Daily News she was "thrilled" by the judge's decision.

Steven was also spending his wife's money at strip clubs.

"He was throwing $100 bills around the Riviera," located in Queens, Candice told the Daily News. Steven also spent money at Perfections, another club.

"I would have had more respect for him if he had gone to decent strip clubs with better looking-strippers," Candice told the Daily News.

Candice, who has a son from a previous marriage, met Steven when he was working at a Manhattan Beach Bum Tanning Salon in April 2010. The two were married a month later. Shortly after, Steven started mysteriously disappearing for days at a time.

Steven told Candice he was "in trouble" with the mob because he owed them money, a story that was backed by two of Steven's friends, the Daily News reported.

By the time Candice found out that he was spending the money on Fernandez, paying for trips to the Dominican Republic, it was too late.

Candice told the Daily News she is upset that she believed Steven's story.

"[Steven] can run," Adam Perlmutter, Candice's lawyer, told the Daily News, "but he can't hide."

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