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Bernie Madoff -- The Scrapper In The Slammer
October 13, 2009 10:53 AM
ABC's Stu Schutzman reports from New York:
In this corner inmate #61727-054 -- or as today’s New York Post describes him, Bernie “the bruiser” Madoff. According to the Post, eyewitnesses say Madoff and another “white male over 60” got into a shouting match in the prison yard recently over the stock market. The shouting apparently devolved into serious shoving. “The shouting match got so heated,” the eyewitness told the Post, “that the inmate pushed Madoff, who shoved back harder with both hands, causing his attacker to stumble.” Some 20 inmates looked on. “I didn’t think Bernie had it in him,” said one. “He got the best of him. He was really aggressive and the other guy was in shock that he fought back.”
As the melee came to an end, the man attempted to stand up, but, says the witness, “Madoff hovered over him red-faced and glaring.” Madoff, who is 71, was convicted of swindling clients out of billions of dollars. He will spend the rest of his life at Buntner Federal Prison in North Carolina. Shortly before his sentencing, as reported here, Madoff hired a consultant to give him a crash course in prison survival. “It’s a matter of keeping your space and having respect for other people,” Herb Hoelter advised Madoff. “Bring some meaning to your life, “he told Madoff. Become a “teacher to other inmates.” Hoelter says Bernie is “sensitive enough and smart enough.” Just kinda sit around the prison campfire and sing Kumbaya.
Other experts painted a much darker picture. Steven Oberfest of Prisoncoach.com told the Wall Street Journal that Buntner is a particularly nasty place. “All eyes are going to be on him,” he said. Some of Bernie’s victims could conceivably hire inmates to exact revenge. “If you screw someone over for a $100 million,” said Oberfest, “They will find someone on the inside to get even with you…..That’s just the way it is.”
In the meantime, Madoff has won round one collecting some valuable “cred” among fellow inmates, says the Post. He’ll need it. He has a long stretch ahead of him. I’d watch my back.
October 13, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (12)
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Wow, sounds great. Maybe they could do a movie with it and Clint Eastwood could star in it. Anyone that says white collar criminals aren't tough should think twice.
Posted by: Stu | Oct 13, 2009 12:34:14 PM
I'm sorry, but it sounds like this article was supposed to be routed to the National Enquirer.
Posted by: John | Oct 13, 2009 12:40:59 PM
If Bernie had been put in any other pen Bernie would have already paid his debt to society.
Posted by: ruben | Oct 13, 2009 12:56:34 PM
Bernie is still 71 years old. He might be healthy but it's no way to spend the "Golden Years" as they say. Not sure I think white collar criminals deserve more time than murderers , rapists and drug dealers though. And that's what is happening. More violent criminals get out while white collar criminals who were high profile get long prision sentences.
Posted by: bubbles | Oct 13, 2009 1:59:19 PM
Bubbles, you would think he deserved a harsher and longer sentence if you were one of the people who lost their life savings. If you were expecting a nice retirement and found out you had to now go back to work at Starbucks or Walmart and you are 70 and can't stand for more than 2 hours, how would you feel?
Posted by: Bubba | Oct 13, 2009 2:26:08 PM
The prison is actually Butner and not Buntner.
Posted by: dad | Oct 13, 2009 2:46:05 PM
My sympathy for the people who lost their money is limited; yes, it truly sucks that Madoff took advantage of people through his illegal activities. However, these folks sought to gain much for nothing. If they'd gone to Vegas and gambled that money away would we feel sorry for them? No - we'd say they were greedy and foolish. There's really no difference here. If those returns had continued rolling in then people would be happy to accept those checks, no questions asked.
Posted by: John | Oct 13, 2009 3:05:10 PM
This is not tough! Put him in the general population in say Joliet, and we would quickly see how tough Bernie is. He pushed another white collar criminal. He never would have pushed anyone who was a real threat. Self-preservation is his modus operandi.
Posted by: Greg | Oct 13, 2009 3:12:06 PM
Bernie hired a prison survival consultant? With who's money? Bernie needs a little prison respect early on? What better way than to PAY a prison fall guy with Bernie coming out with the upper hand ... wonder how much Bernie paid him with other people's money?
Posted by: jhaake | Oct 13, 2009 3:12:49 PM
this is the craziest thing i have ever heard...he hired someone to teach him Prison survival...Now i have heard everything, he is quite the nasty fellow, wants to get mad cause what ..he's in jail hell he has 3 meals a day doctors at hand and i am sure a warm bed, there are so many people who will have none of that, so they gambled with Bernie that does not mean they deserved to die by Bernie, i surely hope this is a lesson learned...if it sounds to GOOD TO BE TRUE....it usually is....greed is quite the monster and hard to control, so from that aspect i do not feel real sorry for those who gamble everything...should have put some in savings.
Posted by: janet ramsos | Oct 13, 2009 4:34:46 PM
Bernie Madoff is a CRIMINAL, to me there is no difference between a person who walks into a bank, and robs it at gunpoint, and a white collar embezzler.
Actually, provided that the bank robber did not actually hurt anyone, I certainly have more respect for the bank robber
Crime is crime, society has a stupid view of white collar criminals, however, it is only because, there is often no blood at the scene of the crime. Has anyone ever wondered just how many lives were ruined by white collar crime???? In most cases, more lives are detrimentally affected by white collar crime than other crimes.
As humans we are affected by the visuals of violent crime as we should be
but we should not treat white collar crime any different.
Posted by: rknight | Oct 13, 2009 8:00:13 PM
This is a good story. Please keep the spotlight on Madoff to remind us a serious economic crime doesn't pay. Could you extend your coverage to others? Wall Street really seems to think they got away with it and is far from reformed or chastened.
In Voltaire's "Candide", a British admiral's execution after having lost a naval battle to the French is the source for the quote: "It's good to kill an admiral from time to time, to encourage the others." Only fear of real punishment will stop many of the misdeeds that still seem to be going on. Since we don't, at this point, execute white collars, this is the next best thing.
Posted by: Robin | Oct 13, 2009 8:14:51 PM
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