Cityfile: New York's Most Notable and Influential

The Madoff Auctions Come to an End | Victims of Bernie Madoff have another $2 million to spread around. Three boats owned by the imprisoned fraudster were auctioned off in Florida yesterday and brought in about $1 million; a sport-fishing yacht owned by Bernie's former sidekick, Frank DiPascali, reeled in another $950,000. And Ruth Madoff's convertible found a new owner, too: The 1999 Mercedes with 12,000 miles on it sold for $30,000. [Bloomberg]

Madoff Mania Continues | Saturday's auction of assorted jewelry, clothing, and housewares that once belonged to Bernie and Ruth Madoff was far more successful than anyone suspected. The sale brought in just under a million dollars, or nearly double what had been anticipated in advance. (That satin Mets jacket with "Madoff" on it? It sold for $14,500, although the pre-bid estimate had only been $500.) But if you missed Saturday's proceedings, there's still time to grab a piece of the Ponzi king's spoils: Three of his boats go up for sale tomorrow. [NYT, NYP]

Madoff Merch: Get It While It's Hot | A boatload of Bernie and Ruth Madoff's personal possessions go up for auction tomorrow. And the competition is expected to be fierce. According to the company handling the proceedings, 1,100 people have already registered to submit bids online. (Each had to hand over a $1,000 refundable deposit in order to participate.) And contrary to what you might have expected, Bernie's satin Mets jacket probably won't fetch the most money tomorrow. More

More Madoff Memorabilia Up for Sale | If you didn't get to bid on Bernie and Ruth Madoff's homes or cars, there's still time to get your hands on some Madoff memorabilia. More than 100 items that once belonged to the couple—including diamond earrings, Rolex watches, furs and what appears to be Ruth's diamond wedding ring—go up for auction on Saturday. Could there a better way to start off a marriage on the right foot than by giving the love of your life the ring that Bernie once gave Ruth? We sincerely doubt it. [NYP, US Marshals, previously]

• Corrugated cardboard magnate Dennis Mehiel has chopped $5.4 million off the price of his Carhart Mansion duplex (left). The 10,350-square-foot spread, which had been listed for $34.9 million, can now be yours for a much more modest $29.5 million. [NYO, BHS]
• Michael Steinberg, a portfolio manager at Sigma Capital, a hedge fund affiliated with Steve Cohen's SAC Capital, has picked up a new apartment. Steinberg and his wife Elizabeth paid $8 million for a penthouse at 885 Park Avenue. [Cityfile]
• Clara Markowicz, co-founder of Original Media LLC and a co-producer of The Rachel Zoe Project, has paid $3.55 million for a three-bedroom, ninth-floor apartment at 21 Astor Place, the building where real estate scion Jared Kushner recently picked up an apartment, too. [Cityfile]More

Ruth Madoff Wants Her Rebate | A few weeks ago, Ruth Madoff received a property tax rebate from Palm Beach County for $13,821.74. The problem: The check was made out to both Ruth and Bernie, and since cashing it would have required her to deposit it into their joint account—which is frozen—Ruth wrote a letter to the agency asking that it be reissued in her name only. Was this just one more attempt to avoid turning over the cash to the authorities? That's what some people are suggesting! [NYDN, Palm Beach Post]

There's Only So Low Ruth Can Go | The indignity! The Daily News has a list of ways you can go out and have fun without spending more $100—and the recommendations are inspired by Ruth Madoff since, "It's time for Ruth to join the rest of us in the real world." Among the suggestions: knocking back a few at Billy's Sports Bar in the Bronx and watching free movies at Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City. [NYDN]

Ruth Madoff Forced to Go Discount Shopping | Ruth Madoff's shopping sprees are going to be a lot less exciting from now on. A bankruptcy judge has ruled the wife of imprisoned fraudster Bernie Madoff cannot spend more than $100 on herself without first informing Irving Picard, the trustee liquidating her husband's investment business. On the plus side, this probably means the new JCPenney store in Herald Square just earned itself a new customer, so that's good news, right? [Bloomberg]

Giving up her Upper East Side penthouse and all of its contents may not be all that Ruth Madoff has to sacrifice for living off her husband's vast Ponzi scheme for all those years: Irving Picard, the trustee liquidating Bernie Madoff's investment advisory business, slapped Ruthie with a lawsuit today. Picard claims she was "massively enriched" by her husband's $65 billion Ponzi scheme (duh), and says he's identified an additional $44.8 million "that is subject to recapture." Ruth's lawyer says the suit is "perplexing and totally unjustified," since she's already forfeited most of her assets. You can read the full suit below if you have nothing better to do this rainy afternoon. But if you're a salesperson at Neiman Marcus or Barneys, you probably should take this as a sign that Ruthie's regularly-scheduled shopping expedition this weekend is not happening.More

• Is Andre Balazs the latest man to fall victim to Kelly Bensimon's feminine charms? Life & Style reports the hotelier and the "housewife" were seen getting cozy in Miami recently. [L&S]
• Kiefer Sutherland is in the clear. Prosecutors have dropped charges against him in connection with his assault on Jack McCollough back in May, since the designer has proved to be an "uncooperative witness." [NYDN]
• Mischa Barton is still in the hospital and may lose the role on the TV show that she was supposed to start filming this week. So what made her snap? In addition to all the drug stuff, she may be suffering from body image issues, too. [Sun, People]
• Ruth Madoff was supposedly spotted at LaGuardia en route to visit her husband in jail. And she was supposedly wearing ripped jeans, too. [P6]More

Ruth Madoff: Incognito, Nervous | A tipster writes in to say she saw Ruth Madoff late last week: "Saw Ruth Madoff on Thursday at 5pm on chambers street on the corner of Greenwich in Tribeca. Wearing slacks, sweater, and loafers. Also had on dark sunglasses, but I know for sure it was her. Looked upset and was walking in a hurry." It's unclear where she was in such a hurry to get to. That rendezvous at California Pizza Kitchen, perhaps? 

• Are Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie moving to NYC and into a giant apartment at the Apthorp? That's the rumor! [NYDN]
• The good news/bad news for Madonna: She's getting along much better with her ex, Guy Ritchie, which is a good thing. Unfortunately, the reconciliation isn't making Madonna's boyfriend, Jesus Luz, very happy. [DM]
• After six months in St. Lucia, Amy Winehouse is lonely, homesick, and deeply unpopular with the locals. So now she may return to the U.K. where she's totally adored, naturally, [DE]
• Boys will be boys: Leonardo DiCaprio looked like he was "on the prowl" in NYC last week. And Jeremy Piven looked like he was "ogling" Hayden Panettiere the other night. [P6, P6] More

Brace yourselves. We just may have pinpointed the whereabouts of Ruth Madoff. (She's been at an "undisclosed location" since she was forced out of her East 64th Street penthouse last week.) A reliable source who has been in touch with acquaintances of the family tells us she's been staying at the home of her niece, Diane Hochman, in Hewlett, Long Island. More

Where is Ruth Madoff? As of today, she could be anywhere in the world: "Federal prosecutors allowed Ruth Madoff to get her passport back today, in what people involved in the case said was 'a clear sign' she will not be prosecuted as an accomplice in her husband's $65 billion Ponzi scheme." If you spot her shopping at the Hermès in Beijing—or attempting to mix in with the locals in Hanoi—please let us know. [ABC News via Dealbreaker]

That was quick! Federal agents turned up at 133 East 64th Street just after noon today with a court order to seize the penthouse apartment belonging to Ruth and Bernie Madoff. "We've taken custody," a spokesman for the US Marshalls tells the Post. Taken custody? Does that mean a battering ram and tear gas were used? Not quite. Unfortunately, Ruth was not ushered out into the street in her bathrobe and forced to shuffle off into the distance in her slippers. She left sometime between last Friday—when she agreed to give up the apartment as part of a deal with the U.S. Atttorney's office—and today, and her lawyer points out that she "left voluntarily and in an orderly manner." And where is she now? An "undisclosed location." If you happen to spot her in your neighborhood, let us know. Your info might just earn you some serious cash. [NYP]