

Bernard Madoff was so hated that not even one of the more than 100 letters received by the Judge supported Madoff or described any good deeds done by him; all of them practically called for his head; which prompted the Judge to observe further that "the absence of such support is quite telling"! Even his wife, Ruth Madoff pictured left, appeared to have abandoned the cornered Bernard in his hour of greatest need; while delivering her Brutus stab, she said "I am embarrassed and ashamed; like everyone else, I feel betrayed and confused. The man who committed this horrible fraud is not the man whom I have known for all these years." Icheoku says, Madam Madoff, you may tell that to the marines since you never questioned how your hyper lavish lifestyle was ever funded; only to now turn an anti-Bernard Judas? What a jolly-go little bitch this sissy is? While some of his victims vented their despair and anger, some others openly wept and/or raised their voices, labeling Madoff with such derisive names as "a monster", "a true beast", "an animal", "an evil" and "a low-life"? One victim surmised her feeling thus, "Life has been a living hell. It feels like the nightmare we can't wake from". Another said, "He stole from the rich. He stole from the poor. He stole from the in between. He had no values. He cheated his victims out of their money so he and his wife Ruth could live a life of luxury beyond belief." One other observer said of Madoff, his was an "indescribably heinous crime", deserving a very long prison sentence so that he "will know he is imprisoned in much the same way he imprisoned us and others." Another said, Madoff was effective because he seemed normal; "but underneath the facade is a true beast, who "should not be given the opportunity to blend so seamlessly into our society again." According to the prosecutor Madoff "stole ruthlessly and without remorse." Icheoku summarises that a man getting such a rap-sheet as this, should tread carefully in the prison as his nemesis might follow him therein? Bernard Madoff, it would appear over-reached and will certainly pay a hefty price for his arrogant 'catch me if you can' criminal scheme? It is also instructive to note that Madoff had earlier been stripped of all his personal property, including real estate, investments, and $80 million in assets his wife Ruth Madoff had claimed were hers. This was sequel to a preliminary $171 billion forfeiture order issued against him, which left his wife with a paltry $2.5 million that couldn't be tied directly to the mother of all frauds. The terms of the order require the Madoffs to sell a $7 million Manhattan apartment where Ruth Madoff still lives; an $11 million estate in Palm Beach, Florida, a $4 million home in Montauk and a $2.2 million boat which will be put on the market too. Concluding, Icheoku says, whether Bernard Madoff summons the courage to do the right thing or chooses to die in prison, it is important that his saga has finally completed its course; that the moral lesson of this is that greed is not good, does not pay and that all is vanity, according to the preacher in Ecclesiastes 1:2! For such other Bernard Madoffs of this world, if 150 years behind bars sounds like a picnic, then continue in your evil ways, otherwise turn a new leaf today and spare yourself such a debilitating sorrowful experience!
No comments:
Post a Comment