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More Semi-Free Range Madoff
By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 12, 2009
Modified Jan 12, 2009
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 12, 2009
Modified Jan 12, 2009
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Federal Magistrate Ronald Ellis's decision to allow scammer Bernard Madoff to remain out on bail means that his neighbors at 133 East 64th Street must endure more, most likely, unwelcome attention to their rarefied Upper East Side co-op. The NY Times' Susan Dominus revealed that Madof sent them a note ("printed out on simple white paper, with letterhead formatted by word processor") a few weeks ago:
Dear neighbors,
Please accept my profound apologies for the terrible inconvenience that I have caused over the past weeks. Ruth and I appreciate the support we have received.
Best regards,
Bernard Madoff
However, it's unclear how much support he and Ruth (who happens to be the one paying for her husband's security during his house arrest) have been getting, since at least one tenant is upset he's sticking around, given the tempting target he might be to a disgruntled investor. The media probably would have preferred not to stick around this morning in the freezing cold for the Madoff's eventual no-show: Charles Eckert, who was on the scene for Newsday, told CityRoom, "The irony is that we were all shivering out here and he was sitting up nice and warm at home."
Former SEC lawyer Christopher Bebel tells Bloomberg News that judge's ruling might be a good thing for the feds, though the feds weren't able to revoke Madoff's bail, “The government may have won in that they will now be perceived as aggressive prosecutors. At the same time, they will have more access to Bernie Madoff, and he’ll be in a position to assist them in helping unravel the complexities of the case.” And, in an opinion piece for Newsweek, Joseph Epstein finds a silver zinc lining in the shame Jews are feeling over the Madoff scandal: Maybe it'll stop the "attempt at WASP-ification of well-to-do Jews."
Tagged
bail
Bernard Madoff
co-op
ponzi scheme
rich
Waspy
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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