Ruth Madoff Turned Away From Son's Memorial

Ruth Madoff mourned alone after her son Mark committed suicide, sources tell People. She flew from Florida to Connecticut for the memorial service, but was turned away by Mark’s wife, the New York Post reports. A friend says Ruth’s sons wanted her to choose between them and disgraced husband Bernie when his Ponzi scheme was discovered, and she initially chose them—but later returned to Bernie’s side, and was subsequently out of their lives.

"She told me, 'At night, it gets to me—the shame, the disgrace, all the stuff that killed Mark,’” the source tells People. "If Ruth were able to feel that pain, in the magnitude that it's actually there, I don't know that she wouldn't do what Mark wound up doing.” The magazine also reports that Ruth has been using her maiden name, Alpern, and has dyed her hair red.
(More Ruth Madoff stories.)