Sandra Croonquist

They say you can choose your friends, but not your mother-in-law. Sunda Croonquist is being sued by her mother-in-law for defaming her character in nightclubs and on channels like Comedy Central. Another ironic aspect to the story is that her husband's firm (he's an attorney) is defending her in the case. No comment is available from the husband/son.

Croonquist grew up in Paterson, NJ in a strict Roman Catholic upbringing with an interesting half-black, half-Swedish background. Naturally, with such a varied ancestry, she'd marry into a Jewish family.

I'm reminded of a Woody Allen comedy routine in which he goes into business with his family and ends up sending his grandmother to jail for fraud. He'd probably get a kick out of this situation. The lesson is: mothers-in-law hear everything and remember even more.

Here's what I don't understand: why didn't her mother-in-law simply yield the greatest weapon any Jewish mother has in her arsenal and guilt-trip the crap out of Ms. Croonquist? That usually works on me.