Bernard L Madoff

Today is the day that people who entrusted their money to Bernard L. Madoff have anxiously awaited. Since the financier allegedly admitted in December to running one of the largest investment frauds in history, victims have clamored for him to be carted off to prison. With Madoff expected to plead guilty today, a federal judge will decide whether the defendant will be led away in handcuffs or allowed to remain at his multimillion-dollar Manhattan apartment pending sentencing later this year.

Santa Monica retiree Bob Braslau considers himself a victim of accused fraud mastermind Bernard L. Madoff. But the court-appointed bankruptcy trustee, he fears, might consider him a beneficiary. Braslau was among the thousands who lost money when the Madoff fund collapsed amid allegations that it was a $50-billion Ponzi scheme.

Call it Six Degrees of Bernard L. Madoff. To a roster that already included such notables as director Steven Spielberg and actor Kevin Bacon, add actor John Malkovich, talk-show host Larry King and retired Dodgers pitching ace Sandy Koufax among those hurt by Madoff's alleged Ponzi scheme. Their names appeared on a New York Bankruptcy Court filing late Wednesday that listed thousands of people and institutions allegedly duped by Madoff.

A New York lawyer who invested millions of dollars with accused swindler Bernard L. Madoff is suing his ex-wife for the return of part of their divorce settlement, saying he was misled about his actual worth. Steven Simkin and Laura Blank held $5.4 million in a Madoff account, according to a statement provided by Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities at the time of the couple's separation in 2004, the lawsuit filed in New York State Supreme Court says. Simkin paid Blank, his wife of 30 years, half as part of their uncontested divorce settlement, the lawsuit said.

Re "Carona is acquitted on most counts," Jan. 17 In one of the most hollow legal victories I can recall, Carona credits God for the statute of limitations as though it were divinely written for his personal absolution from responsibility. I reserve my indignation for the political dolts who enabled him to elevate a car salesman and a well-connected attorney to a high-level sidekick position without regard for process or qualifications. Carona was already ethically wired for the Hall of Shame, but Orange County supervisors unlocked the gate that protected the community from dishonorable use of political power and ambition in their public officials.

Hollywood mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg says the losses on his personal investments with Bernard L. Madoff have done "extraordinary damage" to his philanthropic efforts. In an interview with CNBC on Thursday, the DreamWorks Animation SKG chief said it was a "disgrace" that Madoff remained free pending the next phase of his case.

Investors who lost money in Bernard Madoff's alleged $50-billion fraud might begin recovering some funds as soon as next month, said Stephen Harbeck, head of Securities Investor Protection Corp. "You're talking about unscrambling an egg," he said Tuesday. First payouts from the investor protection fund could occur in "a month or two" if the cash isn't difficult to trace, Harbeck said. Other customers will have to wait for months, he said.

Re "Madoff an outrage to L.A.'s Jewish," Dec. 24 Bernard L. Madoff's alleged Ponzi scheme is not only an outrage to L.A.'s Jews but to all people. All religions have one thing in common: They are made up of human beings. Individuals like Madoff exist in all religions. We must guard against those who would violate the code of human morality, no matter what religious group they belong to. David Hertz Tarzana

Regarding David Lazarus' column "Madoff warnings fell on deaf ears," Dec. 21: I think the suggested punishment, "a night or two in the box," is far too lenient. Megalomaniacal, narcissistic madman Bernard L. Madoff ought to be sent to an institution for the criminally insane, where for good behavior he might get to share a cell with Charles Manson or some other creature of his ilk. Karen Shapiro Stevenson Ranch -- My dad told me years ago, "Steal a hundred dollars and you are a thief; steal a million and you are a financier."

It's a good thing Nancy Silverton still has her day job. The La Brea Bakery founder and queen of L.A.'s restaurant scene is among the legions of investors who've lost their fortunes in the alleged $50-billion fraud attributed to New York financier Bernard L. Madoff. The financial pain is bad enough, Silverton says, but what makes it worse is that she ignored the advice of her father and others who warned her to diversify her investments.