‘An Evil Man Died’: Victims’ Animosity Toward Madoff Outlives Him

For many of the victims of Bernard L. Madoff’s massive Ponzi scheme, his death on Wednesday did not assuage their bitterness.

There were no obvious public signs that Bernard L. Madoff, who died Wednesday at the age of 82, would eventually become infamous for running the largest Ponzi scheme in financial history. From his congressional testimony after the 1987 stock market crash to the regular round tables he participated in at the Securities and Exchange Commission, his image in the public eye was that of a masterful, innovative and eminently dependable financier. He seemed like the kind of person investors could trust their money with.