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Ruth Madoff: We tried suicide

October 26, 2011 3:30 PM

In the first interview Ruth Madoff has given about her husband's crimes, she tells Morley Safer she and Bernard were so distraught over the burden of his crimes that they attempted suicide together. Safer's report will air on Sunday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

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by winemaster2 October 31, 2011 6:45 AM EDT
These Madoff's are all forked tongued lying hypocrites. The hog wash life styles they lived along with all the education, hush hush business and the rest, they all knew what was going on or a 2% chance they did not, because they did not want to or cared. As long the posh life style afforded them they cared less. Committing suicide would be easy for these scumbags, it is living the lie that defeats them and no matter what the lies they will perpetuate and their like minded conservative republicans will help them with the same old malignant narcissism, chronic scapegoating and incorrigible grab bagging. That is precisely what is wrong with this nation.
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by kcho1348 October 30, 2011 10:11 PM EDT
1. 31% of U.S. economy is financial service, can a society exist for long on just financial services?

2. 50% of all the lawyers in the world are in U.S. there are several million lawyers finding people to file a law suit?

3. How can an economy with 70% economic activities depends on services or consumption for long? Where is production?

4. 17% of GDP is medical care in U.S., twice as high as the next country in the world. But, all kind of statics show we are no better off than a country spends 2% of their GDP?

5. U.S. declared withdraw from Iraq by end of this year, after spent 5 trillion dollar for this stupid 10+ years old war, not a single person is investigated or charged with any crime for fabricating lies to justify the wars?

6. I just saw on the newspaper few days ago, previous Defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld (responsible somewhat for the crimes against Iraq and Afghanistan people) went to Asia and Taiwan to receive awards? Where is justice?

7. Why some CEO get paid 1.3 billion dollar a year? That is hundreds of thousands per hour, do they deserve it?

8. The unemployment rate is 9.1%, but, if you add the under-employment, the people give up looking for work, the so called unemployable, the unemployment rate is 17%, could be as high as 20%?

9. 16% of American is under the poverty line, that is 47.5 million people, why the poverty line keeps on increasing? The poor getting
poorer? The rich getting richer?

10. Every American is a negative millionaire, if you add the 15 trillion dollar federal deficits, underfunded Medicare, underfunded social security, the underfunded FDIC, the student loans, credit card balances, mortgages, etc.... ?

11. Why U.S. is fight two wars against terror for 10+ years, spent 5 trillion dollars and Taliban is winning?

12. Why Obama gave hundreds of billions bailouts of taxpayers' money to Wall Street, the captains of Wall Street keep on getting billions bonus? So, Obama can get donations from Wall Street?

13. Hundreds of billions Taxpayers money to bailout Wall Street 'too big to fail' financial institutions, no one is investigated or jailed for creating fraudulent offshore shell companies and out right crimes on Wall Street?

14. How many people responsible for the fraud are investigated or in jail, such as: Bernie Madoff's friends and relatives in the 'Ponzi' game of 65 billion, Leman Brother's Dick Fuld, and others such as Schwartz, Cohen, Blankfein, Rubin, etc.... ?

16, 25% of children live below property line, but, the criminals (responsible for the too big to fail institutions) walked away with hundred of millions? billions?

17. Obama gets 14.2 million dollar donations from the people of Security Exchange alone? How much more from other Wall Street firms? Why?

18. Why GM is 70% owned by government? Obama gave money to GM and Unions, so he can get vote for his re-election?

19. Why this country graduate more liberal art students every year and can not find job?

20. Why we have 4th and 5th generations of people on welfare? One welfare mama told me she can get more money for more kids?

21. Why unemployment check is higher than minimum wage rate?

22. According to Small Business Administration, 2% of people are small business owner that support the rest 98%, then why there are so many bureaucracy? Regulations, forms, taxes, for small business owner? The government is killing small business?

23. Why major corporations in U.S. makes tens of billions or hundreds of billions do not pay any taxes? but, unemployement rate is approaching 20%?

24. These CEO makes billions and small business owner is struggling to make a living? Any question on why the people can not find job? end up in 'occupy wall street' movement?

The list of questions goes on and on....

What a sad joke.....
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by vasura2000 October 30, 2011 9:59 PM EDT
It is apparent that Madoff's business is a front, and I don't mean the son's, I think it was a way for him to protect his sons and to help himself and taking care of the family. But why you need to ask? What you need to really ask in addition to that is who was he fronting for because you don't launder that much money through these kind of scams for so long with the government saying ok without some larger criminals being involved. So who is Madoff working for? He is probably just a pawn in the whole scheme. Come on America, billions for years and no one stopping them until he falls apart and his sons turn him in? I think someone needs to dig deeper and farther to even more truth, that would also explain why Madoff does not mind being in jail. What he was involved with and did is very sick and does not come from someone stable, we need to pray for them all, they need healing as do all the folks who are victims to what happened. The bigger story has yet to come. Maybe even someone in government(s) may be uncovered as being a part of all this. Let us pray that someone is tough enough to bring to justice the real story here, because Madoff is just the icing on the cake.
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by morgangrayson October 30, 2011 9:04 PM EDT
Why not take the SEC to task?! Harry Markopolos warned the SEC many times over a period of nine years and they did not do the proper investigation. Evidently the people who worked at the SEC did not understand the financial underpinnings of the market enough to make sense of Markopolos's documentation. If I were a defrauded investor, I would be moving to shake up the SEC and hold it accountable for this debacle.
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by randomtag9999 October 30, 2011 8:21 PM EDT
Why do you keep asking if the wife and sons "knew"? It makes no difference. They know now, don't they. They should be spending the rest of their lives trying to compensate the victims, instead of trying to keep what they can. The fact that she sent jewelry to the son on the eve of their suicide (in violation of court orders) confirms her amorality. Those items were paid for with money stolen from the investors, but no thought of mailing any of them the jewelry. The only reason people in their position now would agree to appear on 60 Minutes is the hope that they will somehow improve the perception others have of them. Not gonna happen.

And the son proudly talking about the millions he made "honestly" (while not answering the question of his current net worth). That really tears it. Who but his father would pay this idiot that kind of money? Too funny.
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by drjohnboy October 30, 2011 7:44 PM EDT
Totally BS -- this edition of 60 minutes has tarnished a long lasting tradition of excellence in reporting. Sad to see you doing this...
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by youmayberight October 30, 2011 2:04 PM EDT
I don't believe her. No suicide notes because she says this was an impulsive act. But it was not so impulsive that they didn't take the time to send pacakges to their relatives, acts that violated court orders.
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by krelsey October 28, 2011 6:58 PM EDT
Fact is that Madoff's family was living the American dream! Too bad that they had a prophylactic around their lives and they were impervious to everyone else. Shame on you! It doesn't matter that you attempted suicide! What happened to the US economy as a result of the Bernie Madoffs of the world! Get real!
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by bearskills October 28, 2011 7:47 AM EDT
It is not to late Ruth.... maybe you can try again!
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by iminski October 27, 2011 11:15 PM EDT
Suicide attempt? really? anyone that "attempts" suicide and fails should be forced to retry after being reminded a few hundred things that are fatal for humans.
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