Buyer of Madoff's beachfront Montauk home revealed

When convicted swindler Bernard Madoff's beachfront Montauk home sold last month, the U.S. Marshals Service withheld the name of the buyer and the purchase price presumably "to protect the integrity of the sale." But the $9.41 million sale price leaked out and now apparently so has the name of the buyer.

 

Although the deed lists the buyer as a limited liability corporation - represented by the East Hampton law firm of Ackerman, O'Brien, Pachman & Brown - a report Friday in The Wall Street Journal said he is Steven Roth, 67, chairman of Vornado Realty Trust. Roth paid more than the $8.75 million asking price.

 

The Journal did not provide a source for the information.

 

The law firm did not return phone calls Friday seeking comment, and neither did Roth's Manhattan office nor the office of Ed Petrie, identified as the Sotheby's International Realty agent representing Roth in the deal.

 

The new owner did pay $37,640 in transfer tax, $94,100 in mansion tax and a community preservation fund tax of $183,200, according to the deed.

 

Diane Saatchi, senior vice president of the Corcoran Group, said she didn't know the name of the buyer until she read about it Friday morning.

 

"We don't kiss and tell or sell and tell," she said.

 

Meanwhile, the U.S. Marshals Service said the Madoff's 2001 Mercedes station wagon sold Friday for $14,250 to an unidentified New Jersey man.