Bernie Madoff Passes Time In Prison With 'Horrible Novels,' Rap Videos

Former stockbrokers who scam thousands of people out of ungodly sums of money need entertainment, too. Nearly a decade into his 150-year prison sentence, Ponzi artist Bernie Madoff is reportedly passing the time by asserting his celebrity, enjoying rap music and being discriminatory towards transgender people, reports the Hollywood Reporter.

The testimony about Madoff’s lifestyle behind bars came from Ralph Griffith, a former career criminal who spent seven years in the hoosegow with the man who funneled dozens of millions of dollars out of his victims before turning himself in. The two were both inmates in a federal prison for those with special health needs from 2010 until Griffith’s release in 2017.

Griffith documented some of his encounters with Madoff in a book, released in May of last year. The commentary about Madoff’s prison habits does not paint him in the most positive light, with Griffith complaining about his taste in books, as the two initially met in the facility’s library. According to Griffith, Madoff, aged 79, liked “the most horrible novels,” such as 1885’s “Little Lord Fauntleroy.” He apparently also has a certain affinity for watching rap videos with some other inmates.

The former bank robber went on to claim Madoff benefited from his fame in the penitentiary, getting to select his cellmate and being able to be outside his cell for longer than the allotted daily limit. Griffith also accused Madoff of transphobia, alleging that he did not want to share restrooms with transgender inmates.

The book confirmed a previously reported nugget of information about Madoff’s icy relationship with fellow inmate Jonathan Pollard, who was sentenced to life in prison in 1987 for providing government secrets to Israel. A New York Magazine profile of Madoff’s life in prison from 2010 elaborated on this, suggesting Pollard found Madoff devilish for taking advantage of people.

Madoff achieved notoriety in the late 2000s for his massive, unprecedented Ponzi scheme that scammed as many as 16,000 investors out of money, per CNN. While ordinary Americans were caught in the scheme, it also notably roped in plenty of wealthy celebrities, ranging from Steven Spielberg to Elie Wiesel.

Even though Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison in 2009, the fallout from his financial pursuits has never stopped. A beach house he used to own is on sale for $21 million, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.