Bernie Madoff Netflix Series Reveals He Chose Jail After Owing Money to The Mob
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It is a tragic irony that in a world so obsessed with money, people continue to be duped by hollow promises of wealth. This lack of foresight has led to countless people being conned by all kinds of financial criminals. But amidst all the stories of fraudsters like Charles Ponzi, Jordan Belfort and, most recently, Sam Bankman-Fried, one name stands out, Bernie Madoff, the focus of Netflix’s newest true crime docuseries, Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street. This docuseries will follow the story of the Madoff Investment Scandal, a major Ponzi scheme and financial crime that came to light in late 2008, a scandal that affected over 40,000 people, from everyday Americans to actors, politicians and world-class financial institutions, and swallowed at least $19 billion of assets.
Madoff, who died in prison in 2021, pleaded guilty to over 11 federal felonies, resulting in a 150-year prison sentence and a forfeiture of over $17.1 billion, along with a seemingly sincere apology to the “legacy of shame” that his crimes had inflicted. But according to a new article from The New York Post, Madoff’s apology and admission of guilt may not have been as magnanimous as some thought.
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In an interview with The New York Post, Madoff series director, Joe Berlinger claims that Madoff ‘chose’ going to jail as a way to avoid an assassination attempt from the Mob. Yep, as it turns out, in addition to ripping off thousands of people, Madoff also spent time ‘working’ with organized crime gangs.
“People feel like one of the reasons he was so willing to immediately acknowledge his guilt (and) go to jail wasn’t an act of courage,” Berlinger stated in his interview. “Instead of trying to obfuscate or find a legal way out or to delay (his verdict), I do think part of that was self-protection to avoid a mob hit.”
While Berlinger’s statement might seem like some attempt to boost interest in his show, his claims aren’t entirely unjustified. It was noted that Madoff had been managing a “significant chunk of money for international organized crime” and was rumoured to have close connections with Russian crime groups, to say nothing of the in-prison friendship Madoff had with Colombo family crime boss, Carmine John Persico Jr. It was also revealed in video depositions that Madoff had several ‘deals’ offered to him during his trial, offers that Madoff refused.
Was Madoff truly involved with organised crime? Did he take the ‘guilty’ verdict out of fear of being ‘whacked’ by his associates? Or was this all just one last con to save his reputation? Readers can find out more on Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street, streaming now on Netflix.
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Source: NY Post
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