Madoff gets 150 years for fraud

Earlier, Madoff sat and listened as victims of the scheme spoke of their losses and called for harsh punishment.

The nine victims who addressed the hearing included Carla and Stanley Hirschhorn, who said the loss of their life savings is "a living nightmare that we can't wake up from."

"He stole from the rich. He stole from the poor. He stole from the in between. He had no values," said another victim, Tom Fitzmaurice, in court. "He cheated his victims out of their money so he and his wife Ruth could live a life of luxury beyond belief."

In an imaginary perfect world, the same fate awaits our politicians.