Donation dropped, along with Bienes name
At Holy Cross Hospital, the Michael and Dianne Bienes Diagnostic Imaging Center no longer carries the Bienes name.
Because the money from Bienes, who says he lost millions in the Bernard Madoff scheme, has stopped.
Bienes was one of the best-known philanthropists in Broward County, with his name and his wife's name plastered across buildings and rooms at Broward's main library, schools and at Holy Cross. There's a Bienes Cancer Center there, too. That will retain his name, presumably because it's paid for.
Bienes and partner Frank Avellino ran one of the major feeder funds that sent money from investors to Madoff. The SEC shut their operation down in 1992, but Bienes says he continued to invest his own money with Madoff, adding more to his account as recently as 2007.
When Madoff was arrested, Bienes said he lost millions.
Here's part of the statement from Holy Cross spokeswoman Christine Walker Moncrieff:
Due to circumstances beyond their control, the Bieneses are unable to meet their pledge to the Diagnostic Imaging Center at Holy Cross Hospital. Therefore, we will no longer be able to use their name for the Diagnostic Imaging Center. We remain extremely grateful to the Bieneses for the favor they have shown Holy Cross Hospital and many other community organizations over the years.
Bienes pledged $4 million in 2005 to the Michael and Dianne Bienes Diagnostic Imaging Center at Holy Cross. The center opened two years later, but Bienes said he paid only part of the pledge.
Holy Cross's Moncrieff said the loss of the Bienes money will not affect patient care or services at the center.
Harriet Johnson Brackey, the personal finance columnist for the Sun Sentinel, is an award-winning business reporter. Her columns for 2008 were named "The Best in the Business," a national award chosen by her colleagues at the Society of American Business Editors and Writers.
Comments
Michael Bienes has enriched himself by funneling money to Madoff right from the beginning. Bienes started out as an accountant working with Bernie's father in law back in the late 60s. Bienes steered his brother in law, Jeffrey Piccower into the scheme, ultimately leading to Piccowers drainage of over 7 Billion dollars from the fraud. Bienes and his partner in crime, Frank Avellino both grew fabulously wealthy off their skim from the rubes they fed into this fraud.There is evidence to suggest Bienes' relationship with Madoff never ceased after a 1992 SEC investigation in which he was sanctioned for pooling unregistered securities which were funneled directly to Madoff and that he merely moved his operations overseas to London where he and his vile social climbing wife have stormed the gates of polite philanthropic society by donating to Glyndebourne, the Opera and the Genesis Foundation. Back in the States, he and his wife have been deriving narcissitic supply while being hailed as "philanthropists" donating over 30Million USD to Catholic charities, money stolen incidentally from Jewish charities, widows and orphans. Recent reports have revealed that Bienes has continued to fleece investors back in Florida although he disingenuously claims he is ruined as well and has been unaware of Madoffs scheme for the past 40 years.
Posted by: thewiseking | June 30, 2010 6:09 PM