Bernard Madoff didn't even spare his own family
January 11, 2009
Posted: 3:31 am
January 11, 2009
Bernard Madoff didn't even spare his own family.
The Ponzi schemer scammed millions from his sister, who is now desperately selling her Florida home, sources told The Post.
ANTIQUE & GEM DEALERS GET HOCK OF A DEAL
Sondra Wiener, 74, "has nothing," said one of her neighbors in the BallenIsles Country Club, a gated Palm Beach enclave where she and her husband, Marvin, live alongside such celebrities as Serena and VenusWilliams.
"She lost millions in this whole thing," said a source who estimated her loss at $3 million.
In response to questions about their financial straits, Wiener's son, David, said, "Yes, my family's a victim. More so than anybody else. It's very painful."
Wiener was one of five family members who received packages filled with pricey baubles allegedly mailed by Madoff and his wife, Ruth, on Christmas Eve. The riches were collected by lawyers in recent weeks.
That was around the time Wiener put her 3,409-square-foot home on the market. She and her husband are asking between $850,000 and $950,000 for the three-bedroom home, according to two separate listings.
"It seems like she was a victim in this," said the neighbor, who was told Wiener is selling off her property in the hopes of starting over. "It didn't seem like she saw it coming. What kind of person scams their own sister?"
Although Wiener herself is not connected to Madoff Securities, her son Charles, 50, has worked there since 1978. He was listed as director of administration in 2000.
Wiener's home is "in perfect condition" and features a pool, spa, granite counters, a golf cart and the "best water view with sunsets every evening," according to a listing with real-estate firm Illustrated Properties.
Country-club membership - which costs from $35,000 to $115,000 - is a requirement for residency in the community.
The couple purchased the home for $650,000 in 2003, the year it was built, according to Palm Beach County property records.
Wiener appears to be close to her brother, who also owns a home in Palm Beach.
The package she received contained a total of $1 million in valuables, including Cartier and Tiffany watches.
The items were returned after Madoff's sons alerted prosecutors to the mailings, which violated a federal order.
Authorities also discovered checks totaling $173 million that Madoff had made out to family and friends before his Dec. 11 arrest.
Prosecutors pushed to revoke his bail after the packages were mailed. A judge will decide tomorrow whether Madoff, currently under house arrest in his swanky Park Avenue pad, should go to jail.
Wiener declined comment.
angela.montefinise@nypost.com
Votes:39
Comments: 0