Bernie Madoff’s daughter-in-law wants to divorce herself and her kids from their sullied last name.
Stephanie Madoff, who is married to the Ponzi schemer’s son Mark, filed papers yesterday in Manhattan Supreme Court seeking to change her and her young kids’ last name to the far less controversial “Morgan,” to avoid the “embarrassment, harassment and endangerment associated with the name,” she said.
She understatedly notes that her father-in-law “was recently featured prominently in the news for defrauding numerous investors in his companies.”
As a result, the filing says, she was “notified of certain death and other threats made against the Madoff family . . . Though the threats were deemed unfounded, your petitioner fears for her safety and the safety of her children.”
She filed separate petitions on behalf of her 3-year-old daughter, Audrey, and 1-year-old son, Nicholas.
The filings were accompanied by affidavits from Stephanie’s husband, Mark, who says, “I have no objection to the request and hereby give my consent to the change of name.”
Bernie Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison after admitting he caused thousands of investors to lose billions of dollars through his schemes. Several of his family members — including his sons — have been sued civilly, but none has been charged with any criminal wrongdoing.