Okay. Here they are: my first words on OTBKB about Madoff, the man who has brought so much anguish to members of my family.
Today, EXACTLY three months to the day that Bernard Madoff was arrested for running the largest Ponzi scheme in history, Madoff will plead guilty.
That will be music to my ears. The last three months have been a horrendous whirlwind of shock, disbelief, pain, disappointment, economic fear, loathing and sadness that I've barely had time to actually feel angry at the man himself.
But now I feel angry and vindictive. I want the worst for this man. I always thought it was ridiculous that he got to remain in his penthouse. Brooklyn petty criminals suffer more than this man who stole from thousands of people.
The New York Times asked Eli Wiesel, who's foundation and personal savings were invested with Madoff, what kind of punishment would fit Madoff's crime: “I would like him to be in a solitary cell with only a screen,
and on that screen for at least five years of his life, every day and
every night, there should be pictures of his victims, one after the
other after the other, all the time a voice saying, ‘Look what you have
done to this old lady, look what you have done to that child, look what
you have done,’ nothing else.”
I like his idea. but I'd also like Madoff to know that he didn't just hurt the investors themselves but he hurt their husbands, their wives, their children and grandchildren. He hurt the people who depend on these people. He's hurt the people, issues, organizations, who benefited from the many charities that had invested with Madoff
He hurt people very close to me and caused them acute anxiety and sleepless nights worrying about their future. The pain has been both emotional and physical.
What would I like to do to that guy? On behalf of my father, who left this world thinking that his wife, his daughters and his grandchildren were in decent economic shape (and that's what he wanted for us), I would like to personally like to claw his eyes out.
–For my father's memory
–For the emotional and physical pain
–For the disappointment
–For the anxiety
–For the economic insecurity
–For all the time this is taking to sort out.
My father would have been devastated by what has happened since his death on September 7th. So I think Madoff should have to listen to an endless loop of our conversations with lawyers, accountants, doctors, friends, family about the fallout from this mess…
Sometimes I'm just glad my father didn't live to see this. But then again, maybe we could use his humor, his smarts, and his always interesting perspective on things. Truth is, I'd do anything for a funny line from my dad right about now.
Because, you know, he was a really funny guy.