Madoff with the Money »

Jerry Oppenheimer has written eight biographies of major American icons, from Martha Stewart and Barbara Walters to the Clintons and Kennedys, and has worked in all facets of journalism, from national investigative reporting in Washington, D.C., to producing TV news and documentaries. He's quoted in magazines such as Vanity Fair and is a frequent guest on national TV interview and syndicated magazine shows, including Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, Extra, Anderson Cooper 360, Nancy Grace, BBC News, Fox News, and more. He is the author of Toy Monster: The Big, Bad World of Mattel, also from Wiley.

Praise for Jerry Oppenheimer's MADOFF with the money

"Jerry Oppenheimer's Madoff with the Money is a titillating read, based on dozens of interviews with people who knew Madoff intimately. These range from disgruntled relatives to Hollywood victims, such as Zsa Zsa Gabor and her ninth husband to those who lost life savings through feeder funds. It is the cheeky details that can make for truly dishy reading."

—USA Today

While Bernie Madoff may have pulled off one of the biggest financial scams ever, the details of his life and long-running ruse are still cloaked in mystery with more questions than answers. Until now.

In Madoff with the Money, Oppenheimer goes behind the glaring headlines, the myriad lawsuits, indictments, and complaints to tell the real story of the enigmatic, bizarre life of Ponzi King Bernie Madoff—who Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Madoff victim Elie Wiesel called "a thief, scoundrel, criminal . . . psychopath [is] too nice a word for him." From dozens of exclusive, news-making interviews with the people who knew Madoff best—or thought they did—a shocking portrait emerges. From the one-time nobody who uses his cunning and street smarts, we see emerge a respected Wall Street titan, all the while leading a twisted life with multiple personas like a financial Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Ch. 1 Beginning of the End 1

Ch. 2 Growing Up a Madoff 21

Ch. 3 Bernie Hobnobs with the Wealthy, Strong-Arms Some Pals, and Courts "Josie College" 37

Ch. 4 From Queens to Alabama, Scamming Homeowners and Hustling Stock 47

Ch. 5 Tying the Knot and Giving Uncle Sam the Business 61

Ch. 6 A Borscht Belt Summer Camp Sets the Stage for Bernie's Ponzi Scheme 69

Ch. 7 Moving On Up 85

Ch. 8 The Bagel Baker Becomes a Financial Guru, and the Mob Boys from Rockford Pay a Visit 93

Ch. 9 "Whatever You Do, Kid, Never Invest a Penny in the Stock Market, Because It's Run by Crooks and Sons of Bitches" 113

Ch. 10 A Madoff Speaks Out and an Empty Promise 133

Ch. 11 Mr. Outside versus Mr. Inside versus the SEC 145

Ch. 12 Life inside the Madoff Piggy Bank, Flashing the Plastic, and Losing the Farm 159

Ch. 13 A Family (and Sometimes an Office) Affair 183

Ch. 14 Another Arrest, and Blood Relatives Get Taken to the Cleaners 207

Author's Note on Sources 241

Index 247