Local Madoff Victim Wants Family Stripped

By VINCE LATTANZIO

Updated 10:30 PM EST, Mon, Jun 29, 2009

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The sentencing of Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff brought justice his countless victims, but for a local man there is no solace.

With his beige Chihuahua sitting in his lap, Dr. Gilbert Grossman described how Madoff's sucker punch affected his life from inside his Elkins Park home.

"I don't think you ever recover from this one," Grossman told NBC10's Byron Scott. "This is too much of a hit emotionally."

Grossman, 76, believes Madoff thought he was invincible: "He thought he'd never be caught," the cardiologist said.

Madoff was sentenced Monday to 150 years in federal prison for stealing billions from clients who placed their future in his hands only to have dreams shattered and security violated. The court also got the ball rolling on stripping him of $171 billion in assets.

Those assets, Grossman hopes, will be returned to Madoff's victims – but he's not holding his breath.

"How much, when, I don't know, but if I live my life…I loose if that's all I'm going to be thinking about," Grossman said.

Ruth Madoff, Bernie's wife, was allowed to keep $2.5 million in assets she claims are hers, but Grossman thinks the Madoff family should be left with nothing. "I believe that she should have nothing left…that his sons should have nothing left."

But he insists he is no longer angry and uses humor to help take away the sting: "I joke – instead of buying a new car this year, I bought four tires."