By Howard Koplowitz
A Garment District designer is selling iPad covers made from Ponzi schemer and Rockaway native Bernard Madoff’s trousers.
Frederick James has six collections of covers for the mobile device, including one called “The Bernie Madoff.”
“This collection is made from a limited number of personal clothing items belonging to the notorious felon, Bernie Madoff, obtained at an auction held by the U.S. Marshals Service,” James said on his website, frederickjames.com.
James only made four covers from a blue pair of Madoff’s Ralph Lauren Polo Chinio Philip pants, size 35 by 30, and quickly sold out of the items, priced at $350 apiece.
“Each cover is unique,” James said. “Two of the covers have original pockets from the pants, one with the Ralph Lauren logo.”
Still available are four covers made from a pair of Madoff’s Mason’s size 50 casual pants, which also cost $350.
“Two of the covers have the original pockets from the pants,” James said.
The covers come with the disclaimer that they are not intended to protect the iPad and that buyers of the covers should handle the device as if a cover was not on it.
Madoff — who grew up in the Rockaways, attended Far Rockaway HS and used to be chairman of the NASDAQ stock exchange — is serving a 126-year sentence in a North Carolina prison after admitting to running a Ponzi scheme that duped investors out of $65 million.
Among the Madoff victims were New York Mets co-owners Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz, actor Kevin Bacon, Daily News Publisher Mortimer Zuckerman and Holocaust survivor Elie Weisel.
Reach reporter Howard Koplowitz by e-mail at hkoplowitz@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4573.
