Ponzi Assistant (P.A.)

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It's been quite a while since I last wrote about Bernie, and this has left me with an empty feeling (just like the investors of his fund). As I was beginning to despair though, I came across the first ever interview of his secretary to promote the story she wrote for Vanity Fair(secretaries to financial scandals, are just like fat lady singers to the Opera - it ain't over til they sing)...

As you can imagine, Ms. Squillari had a lot to say but I have to point out two memorable quotes:

1. "Once, I looked in his address book and found, under M, about a dozen phone numbers for his masseuses. If you ever lose your address book and somebody finds it, they're going to think you're a pervert, I said." - It was either that, or somebody opening his trading book and thinking he was the largest fraudster in history.

2. Squillari wrote about a conversation she had with Madoff years ago, after a client's secretary had been arrested for embezzlement. She said she was surprised when he told her, "Well, you know what happens is, it starts out with you taking a little bit, maybe a few hundred, a few thousand. You get comfortable with that, and before you know it, it snowballs into something big." - Big to the tune of $65 bln to be exact.

For the rest of the spicy details (including Bernie's strange hygiene habits), look out for Vanity Fair's next issue...
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