Bernie Adjusts to Life On the Inside
It's been a week since Bernie Madoff settled in at the federal prison complex in Butner, NC, the penitentiary that will be his home for the next century or so. How's he doing? So far, so good. Although some of his fellow prisoners have been "discussing beating him up to boost their jailhouse reputations"—they actually debate these things in advance?—they've resisted the urge up until now, mainly because they've been "impressed" that he hasn't ratted out the people who helped him carry out his scheme.
Since arriving at Butner, Madoff has been assigned a job—he works in the prison's engraving section, "where he makes desk and door nameplates from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. each day," a source told the Post. He spends free time on the prison yard. (He was seen last week "watching prisoners play dominoes.") And if he isn't happy with the food—a fish filet with macaroni and cheese was on the menu last Thursday—he hasn't been complaining about it.
Not that everything is perfect, of course. He hasn't had a haircut in months, and he reportedly told on his new pals in prison that he "scared" himself when he finally had a chance to look in a mirror. And then there are all the regrets that have been weighing on his conscience:
Since he arrived at Butner, Madoff has only once shown emotion over the impact of his crime, the source said.
"He said that his wife was mad at him because the paparazzi won't leave her alone," the source said, adding Madoff got teary-eyed while making the admission.
