The son seemed genuine to me. I think Ruth was painfully honest but something in me says she knew more than she is telling. If she did nothing wrong, why would she have joined him in that pitiful suicide effort? The whole family has suffered enormously. I cannot imagine what the mister was thinking. How could someone so smart be so stupid?

I watched it and found it fascinating, but then I was not one of the many that was bilked. I believe they were not involved. Maybe Ruth suspected something, but I doubt it. I think she was going to kill herself because her world with the only man she had ever loved was falling apart. I bet she wishes she would have cut ties with Bernie because maybe that would have prevented her son from committing suicide. I really don't understand how he could have done that with his 2 year old sleeping in the other room.

It's a cliche to say that if it looks too good to be true, then most likely it is. The people that invested with Madoff were lured by his supposed fantastic returns on investments, while the market was tanking for everyone else. I'm sorry to say they should have known better.

She knew. She was the accountant, for pete's sake. And she is not an idiot. She knew. I hope they file charges soon.

I don't think she knew because she was the accountant. That was long, long ago, before the kids were even born. But I agree she may have suspected something, but it was easier to ignore it than to investigate. After all, when you are living the good life, you don't want to rock the boat.

Did you watch it, Shermann? Because she said she was the accountant in 1963 and quit to raise the children. And a company of that magnitude would not have ONE accountant, for pete's sake.

I've always handled the money in our home. DH has zero interest in it & he trusts me implicitly. I tell him about our investments, finances, etc. but I'm sure the next day he couldn't repeat any of it. And I'm far, far from being anything near the financial "wizard" that Bernie was considered to be. He rec'd accolades from those in finance that "know these things", and was on the SEC. He was THE man. So comparing my/dh's situation with the Madoff's I could EASILY see how Ruth (wife) had no knowledge of his schemes. If I had a husband as "smart" & making as many bazillions of $'s, I too would have a hands-off approach. And Bernie himself would have no incentive to tell her that he was committing fraud. Spouses rarely admit any form of cheating until they are cornered.

I agree Sleeper the investors "should have known". But I can also understand that if you see friends, family, acquaintances making big money year after year, decade after decade, then at some point it looks perhaps foolish not to grab a big ole piece of that pie for yourself. And if the "experts & investigators" were fooled by him.... how could little old me figure out that they're all fools. Hind sight 20/20 & all that....

Ruth does admit now that she wishes she had cut off from Bernie & that maybe that would have saved her suicidal son. She seems almost robotic to me... & I can totally see why that would happen.

I also watched and deep down, I believe she knew....And she did say, she made a big mistake by staying by his side and 1 she will regret the rest of her life....But, I thought it was funny when they made the comment of how much money she was allowed to keep ( I think a million) and she said something like, that's enough...Gee whiz!
And the son, when asked how much he was worth, skirted the answer.....These people will have money, they'll never have to worry about standing in the unemployment line or where they're next meal is coming from.....

I also watched the interview with the late son's wife and she also has written a book and is very bitter....I understand, she has changed her last name and that of the children....

What do they say about money and the root of all evil????

Not robotic, but medicated.

I just wonder how the experts were fooled by him. Seems they really aren't experts if they could be fooled like that.

When I say the investors should have been suspicious it's because I know first hand. My parents invested 50,000 with an investment company run by our neighbors-good Catholic boys one and all and in fact we kids were playmates and classmates with all of them. They were running a ponzi scheme, and all of their investors lost everything. One of the boys committed suicide instead of face prison.

My mistake. I should have written "an" accountant. She understands numbers.

She could win an academy award for her innocent performance. I don't blame her for trying. If she had no conscience about the money, why wouldn't she lie and perform now? She has a lot to lose.

She knew. And she is getting away with it again. They will make millions more from book sales.

What does she have to lose? Seems to me she lost almost everything, her son included and almost her other son. Ruth and the son will not make a dime from book sales, but the fiancee will. And of the 2.5 mil she was able to keep, much of it has gone to lawyers.

Yes, Sleeper.... VERY medicated.

Freedom, sleeperblues. Freedom, and whatever money, investments, homes she has left. Make no mistake, she has plenty to lose.

Freedom from what? I don't believe she has been or will be charged in the ponzi scandal. I believe she's probably got some swiss bank account, but that will never be found.

I watched it last night and watched the Today interviews as well. She knew, or at least suspected, and I think the only thing that they regret is that all came to light. I noticed the change in her appearance, did you? On Friday she looked more made up, there was a lot of comments made about it. Last week she looked well maintained and I noticed the clothing as well. She is not a fool. I think the same about the sons. Why would you not insist on being shown ALL the operations of the company? Fear or suspicion, they were not fools. I feel the same way about the way the book is being presented. These people are sly, I cannot figure out why the fiancee was even there, she never opened her mouth and the author of the book is Laurie Sandell, not the fiancee. Tho I too am positive that Matt Lauer made reference to the fiancee having written the book.

I keep thinking about the people they bilked. And nothing, no one, would ever keep me from talking to those I love the way Ruth claims that her attorney did in keeping her from her sons. There is way too much wrong with this story to me.

Sleeperblues, if you believe her, so be it. I do not. Yet you think the bilked investors should have known better. Confusing to me, and a seeming conflict in your own opinion. A swiss bank account? The innocent proceeds, you think?

She and her husband and sons are liars and thieves. And they are good at it. Rich ones at that. In my opinion. Oh, how they must be suffering. Or smugly laughing at all the chumps.

Not contradictory at all. Every person who has money in an off-shore account doesn't run a billion dollar ponzi scheme.

I watched and think Ruth may have had an idea but was not involved and knew nothing of the magnitude of it all. I don't think the sons knew. They did turn him in the next day ,and Marks suicide and his appearance after he heard the news made me think they didn't know. Mark's widow is more believable. She changed her last name and I don't blame her. The group who appeared on 60 minutes are pissed because the other book came out first. They tried to stop it, I read.

Bernie may have told the kids to turn him in to protect themselves since he knew he was going down for sure. I.e. he would take the hit for the family.

Just a feeling and the look in their eyes--they might have had an idea something was wrong, but the son did say that whenever he needed extra money, dad just gave it to him--million or so. He said he was "too busy" to know what dad was doing--but kept asking him for extra money
He would not look at anyone, eyes kept shifting all over. Wife looked sad, but again, the eyes is what I look for. I think she is scared that she will loose much more and nobody will ever trust her again. I wouldn't.

I have no idea if she knew or not. I haven't seen enough to form an opinion. But if a book has been written, I won't be reading it. I'll never give them my hard earned money. That seems like a scam to me.

They profited from his business, and I think they knew. My DH, who follows finance, says the effort to "claw back" the "profits" that others were given for equal distribution to all investors is going surprisingly well. Investors won't be made whole, but they will get a lot back. That's a miracle!