Former Nun Must Repay Nearly $1 Million From Failed Casino Project

A former nun who went into developing casinos in Mississippi was ordered by a judge this week to pay $970,123 after it was found she used investor money to fund a high-roller lifestyle, according to a report from Sunherald.com.

Sandra Manno reportedly received $2 million from investors in 2009 for an option on the land in D’Iberville on which the casino was planned.

She was also in charge of overseeing its development.

The project was The CanCan Casino Resort and Spa, and it went defunct due to investors suing Manno. Manno was removed from the project after her spending habits came to light.

The judge wrote in his opinion: “Sandra Manno has excelled at coming up with concepts for new casinos. She also has a talent for convincing early-stage investors to back her ideas. But she has failed at moving her ventures beyond the concept stage. In addition to lacking the requisite management skills, Manno loves living large. It may be that some degree of flash and pizzazz is necessary to succeed in the casino business, but Manno’s ventures have misallocated their seed capital to expensive meals, luxury hotels, first-class travel and premature marketing activities.”

In addition to once being a Jesuit nun, Manno was mayor of Marlton, New Jersey in the 1970s and reportedly helped bring legalized gambling to Atlantic City.

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