本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛Ronnie Sue and Dominic Ambrosino had invested most of their money with Bernard Madoff's firm. They retired, planning to live largely on that money. But then, Madoff was arrested, and now stands accused of having conducted a $50 billion Ponzi scheme. Some or all of the money the Ambrosinos invested with Madoff could be gone. Here is their story.
The phone rang. I picked it up to hear, “Madoff’s been arrested.”
It’s one of those life-changing events that makes you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing. Like when JFK was shot, or the World Trade Center was attacked, or when my sister called to tell me she was diagnosed with cancer.
Those events that, when recalled later, always bring sadness and fear and incredible hurt.
Bernie Madoff changed my life. Twice. Prior to Dec 11, he afforded me a wonderful lifestyle. My husband retired from the NYC Department of Corrections exactly four years and a day before Madoff’s arrest. We sold our home on Long Island and bought a motor home. We wanted to explore our country in the comfort of our own home on wheels. It was a dream for both of us. Bernie allowed it to happen.
We visited National Parks, museums, dams, small towns and large cities, and met many wonderful friends along the way. We hiked, we biked, we kayaked. We volunteered at the Albuquerque Balloon Festival and flew above the city in peace and solitude that only a hot-air balloon can provide.
We traveled to Alaska for four months this past year. It was a special time for us. We fished and played on the Kenai Peninsula, drove to the Arctic Circle and flew in a small plane over Mt. McKinley before landing on a glacier. We saw bears and moose and whales. We learned about history, current events, geography and human interests during our travels.
The experiences we enjoyed will last a lifetime. They will have to.
On Dec. 11, Bernie changed my life again. He took all those opportunities away from us. He robbed us of our money, but he also robbed us of our lifestyle. We saved and planned for our retirement. We counted on the security of our finances to enable us to share our dreams without the necessity to work. We were living the American Dream.
My husband, Dominic, is 48 and I am 55. We are young and expected to continue to explore and learn for many more years. Now, I don’t see how that is possible. We have no income, other than a small pension from Dominic’s job. It doesn’t cover our monthly expenses. Expenses that we incurred when we had wealth with Bernie Madoff.
We were in Arizona when we heard the news, and are now forced to stay here for the time being, until we formalize a new plan for our lives. We aren’t in a position to fill our 150 gallon diesel tank -- we can’t afford it. Through the generosity of many friends we have made at the RV park we’re staying at, we’ll be able to stay rent-free on their lots through the summer. This is a saving grace for us now.
We don’t yet know what the next months will bring, but we do know that we will survive. Our journey has changed, but eventually, we’ll move forward down a different path.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
The phone rang. I picked it up to hear, “Madoff’s been arrested.”
It’s one of those life-changing events that makes you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing. Like when JFK was shot, or the World Trade Center was attacked, or when my sister called to tell me she was diagnosed with cancer.
Those events that, when recalled later, always bring sadness and fear and incredible hurt.
Bernie Madoff changed my life. Twice. Prior to Dec 11, he afforded me a wonderful lifestyle. My husband retired from the NYC Department of Corrections exactly four years and a day before Madoff’s arrest. We sold our home on Long Island and bought a motor home. We wanted to explore our country in the comfort of our own home on wheels. It was a dream for both of us. Bernie allowed it to happen.
We visited National Parks, museums, dams, small towns and large cities, and met many wonderful friends along the way. We hiked, we biked, we kayaked. We volunteered at the Albuquerque Balloon Festival and flew above the city in peace and solitude that only a hot-air balloon can provide.
We traveled to Alaska for four months this past year. It was a special time for us. We fished and played on the Kenai Peninsula, drove to the Arctic Circle and flew in a small plane over Mt. McKinley before landing on a glacier. We saw bears and moose and whales. We learned about history, current events, geography and human interests during our travels.
The experiences we enjoyed will last a lifetime. They will have to.
On Dec. 11, Bernie changed my life again. He took all those opportunities away from us. He robbed us of our money, but he also robbed us of our lifestyle. We saved and planned for our retirement. We counted on the security of our finances to enable us to share our dreams without the necessity to work. We were living the American Dream.
My husband, Dominic, is 48 and I am 55. We are young and expected to continue to explore and learn for many more years. Now, I don’t see how that is possible. We have no income, other than a small pension from Dominic’s job. It doesn’t cover our monthly expenses. Expenses that we incurred when we had wealth with Bernie Madoff.
We were in Arizona when we heard the news, and are now forced to stay here for the time being, until we formalize a new plan for our lives. We aren’t in a position to fill our 150 gallon diesel tank -- we can’t afford it. Through the generosity of many friends we have made at the RV park we’re staying at, we’ll be able to stay rent-free on their lots through the summer. This is a saving grace for us now.
We don’t yet know what the next months will bring, but we do know that we will survive. Our journey has changed, but eventually, we’ll move forward down a different path.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net