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Did Madoff Get Beat Up?

Reported injuries suggest he did

by
Marc Tracy
December 24, 2009
Madoff in New York City, March 2009.(Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images)
Madoff in New York City, March 2009.(Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images)

When Bernard Madoff was moved to his prison’s hospital yesterday, a spokesperson at the federal North Carolina facility would not say why, although she did deny that Madoff was either terminally ill or had cancer. Today, we still don’t know for sure, but reportedly his injuries include broken ribs, a collapsed lung, facial fractures: in other words, it’s looking likely that the 71-year-old Ponzi schemer, currently serving a life sentence, was beaten up.

Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.