More Money Than Cents At Madoff Sell-Off

Call it "Just Desserts," or "Revenge Served Sweet," but victim's of Bernard Madoff's paper-thin financial scam caught a break this week as the last of the "Wizard of Wall Street's" assets were sold off to help make reparations to those he defrauded.

Gaston & Sheehan auctioned off antiques, personal items and expensive geegaws for as much as ten times behind their appraised value as the Madoff mystique - still a mystery to us, with the namesake doing life behind bars - continues to pull in the big bucks.

Saturday's government auction of items seized from Bernard and Ruth Madoff's New York residences, expected to bring in $500,000, brought in more than $1 million.

Lots of more than 200 items, from jewelry and watches to sports memorabilia and artwork, nearly sold out in four hours of brisk bidding. A pair of platinum Art Deco Cartier onyx and diamond earrings quickly sparked a bidding war on the floor, going for $70,000, more than 10 times its low estimate. Ms. Madoff's pre-Victorian era diamond dangle earrings, expected to bring in between $14,300 and $21,400, fetched $70,000 and drew a round of applause.

The money goes toward repaying the victims of Madoff's multi-billion-dollar Ponzi scheme, minus an undisclosed fee by the auctioneer.