14 News, The Tri-State's News and Weather Leader-Warning: Looking for love on the Internet (pt 2)

Warning: Looking for love on the Internet (pt 2)

Reporter: Stefanie Silvey
New Media Producer: Rachel Chambliss

We warn our children all the time about the dangers of the Internet, but how many of us heed our own advice?

In "Warning: Looking for love on the Internet (pt 1)", we showed you several Tri-State profiles of men looking for love. We found everything from a writer and poet, to a doctor and Navy SEAL. Some are divorced, some single, some widowed. But all have one thing in common: They're the same person. So, who is this man?

Stefanie Silvey found so many profiles online by this same man, it makes her wonder how many computers does he have and how does he keep up with all his different personas?

It's one thing to pretend to be something you're not online, but it's another when that relationship goes offline and into the hearts of Tri-State women.

"He told me his name was Donelle Gambino," says one person whose relative once dated him.

A "Gambino" that doesn't know how to spell his own last name? "He said he was a Navy SEAL. The Navy says no. And he said he was with the mafia, and he said he was Rudy Giuliani's brother."

Rudy Giuliani's brother lives in Evansville? No, but Danny Lee Waters does. Meet the man behind the computer screen. "I think he just uses his Italian charm to get these women and that accent. He has a very thick Italian accent."

He does? But when talking with Stefanie, he did not. Donelle says, "Put a story out on me. I don't care. I have nothing to hide."

Danny Lee Waters was born and raised in Evansville not Italy. His mom is also from Indiana. His dad is from Kentucky. At least that is the way his family is listed on his marriage certificate!

"I don't care if you say anything in front of my wife because my wife is a beautiful and nice lady. We've been married a hundred years," defends Donelle.

He married on Christmas Eve 1969. The woman says Danny Waters never mentioned a wife while carrying on a lengthy relationship with a relative of hers. "I know that she never went to his house. How can you be with someone for a year and never go to their house?"

And this woman says her sister is currently in a relationship with him. She's even told family and friends they plan to marry after she recovers from a recent heart surgery and he recovers from cancer treatments and a liver transplant. We're shielding their identities as to not identify their loved ones. "He has to be in the hospital frequently for these cancer treatments, but it always seems to happen at Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve."

He's been using her sister's cell phone and only car, claiming his is in the shop and he needs it for transportation to those treatments. But that's not where we found him. On days she thought he was in the hospital, we found him driving his wife around town. "I drive her car, and my wife drives the other one," says Donelle.

That's not what we saw. Never did we see another vehicle. "There have been so many times I've wanted to say, can you not see what he is doing?" comments the person whose relative once dated Donelle.

And everyone we talked to also said Danny Waters claims to be a millionaire. "He told me a doctor wanted to buy his house from him but couldn't afford the payments, so he bought it back from him with $4 million in cash."

We found him living in an apartment. Court records show a history of financial claims against him, including foreclosure on his home and several small financial claims currently pending. Court records also show past protective orders against him. He's been arrested for failing to appear in court, criminal mischief and check deception. And according to a police report in 2003, he admitted to police he was selling food products he solicited from businesses across the country under a false business name. He agreed to stop. In return, no charges were filed.

Donelle says, "You don't know me. Everybody who knows me knows that I'm a nice guy and I will do anything for anybody... And I will not, will not hurt anybody."

And for the last year, Danny Waters has also been corresponding with another woman who goes by Monica. She calls him Angelo. We found at those times, when he was supposed to be in the hospital, he was posting sexual messages online with her. Donelle defends, "I have files of poetry that I've written and that others have written to me... But none of it is sexual, erotic or anything. It's about unicorns."

On other posts to Monica, he's asked her to marry him. Coincidentally, on the same day, he married his wife. The two have talked about the romantic weekends they've spent together, and, at one point, told others online they just got married. "I have never, ever, ever been into a chat room to try and get a woman to be with me because I can have any woman I want," claims Donelle.

He says his wife knows everything. "My wife has sat right there with me many times you know. I could be out being a drunk. I could be out being a thug and all that, but it's not."

Henderson County Sheriff Ed Brady says now just imagine what could happen if someone more sinister went online and did the same thing as waters. "There are good people on the Internet, but how do you know the good person from the person who has a lengthy record, someone that would steal from you and might even rape you or even kill you under the right circumstances."

While Waters actions may not be criminal, this woman says they will have lasting effects on her sister and the family. "I think I would like to tell him what he has done to her, but, I think, he knows. But I don't think he cares. I would like to see the man placed in jail forever, so he can't hurt anyone else, but I don't know that he's done anything illegal because she is allowing this to go on."

We attempted to the talk to her. She declined saying "Donelle" was a good man and she has cutoff all ties with her sister. We also attempted to talk to the woman calling herself Monica, but, like Danny Waters, there's no way to really know if she is who she claims to be, as well.

We also talked to other women who know Waters, some who have for years. They say they were pursued relentlessly and agree a wife was never mentioned. Waters insists his wife is his one and only.

Several of the women Stefanie talked to also said their relationship ended when they received word their boyfriend was dead. They found out afterward that wasn't the case when they saw him online romancing others.