Madoff scandal as reported by WGBH

http://www.MadnessUnderTheRoyalPalms.com

GBH explores Madoff's connection with the Jewish community of Palm Beach that unwittingly invested in Madoff's ponzi scheme and accepted him into the Island's exclusive club and social scene. Best selling author Laurence Leamer is interviewed about his new book "Madness Under the Royal Palms - Love and Death Behind the Gates of Palm Beach" - where he spent 15 years researching the people who live there. Palm Beach is considered the wealthiest community in the world - home to billionaires including Trump, Madoff and Boston's Jewish elite such as Robert Jaffe, Sonnenbend, Shapiro (Madoff's right hand man).

Leamer discusses the anti-Semitism and social segregation on the Island, and the preponderance of social clubs for specific segments of society including the WASP Bath & Tennis Club, the Palm Beach Country Club, the Sun & Surf and others.

Philanthropy, fund raising and an ostentatious showing of charity are hallmarks of the famous Palm Beach Jewish elite, but the Madoff scandal has cast a dark cloud over Palm Beach, and has wiped out fortunes, charities trusts and trust. Leamer's book is the calm just before the storm, and an index of how vulnerable we all are to financial ruin. It's a fine line we walk.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Madoff
• Boston
• WGBH
• Boston Magazine
• PBS
• Bernard Madoff
• Jewish investors
• jews
• philanthropists
• warren buffet
• rich

[pismo10]

Boston is a very simple, very blue collar, one dimensional town.

[fumarel87]

@spyknife don´t worry U don´t have a lot of money to trust, never had and never will... so it´s a problem U won´t have to face SHIT BAG

[cousino1000]

no jews at the bath and tennis club

[spyknife]

I would never trust any of my money to ANY jew, especially one calling himself MADE OFF !

[johnsmdm]

they gave me no tip sirs after I valet their cars for 4 hours...this made me a self hating jew and I'm very angry about this....

[aztecalgorithm]

Why?

[aztecalgorithm]

He mentions bad and good in the book, so I don't think it's an attack on Palm Beach per se. In the gbh interview he's just touching on one topical subject that's covered in the book. I really enjoyed Madness- read it in 2 sittings. Some of the stories had me rolling.

[rabbl3alliance]

What exactly did Leamer do? A tell-all book of the Palm Beach elite? Did he do something good for Palm Beach? This gives me little to nothing into the scope of the book he is promoting.

[necrosis85]

I think this book reveals many things about jewish community in palm beach and more than that. It gives valuable information.

[andymancuso710]

Madness Under The Royal Palms is a great book! Let Leamer be the good example to all writers who are afraid to take risks.