The end of Bernie Madoff’s liberty came swiftly. “It is my intention to remand Mr Madoff. I do not need to hear from the government,” said Judge Denny Chin briskly, a second after Ira Sorkin, Mr Madoff’s attorney, had ended his hopeless plea for his client to remain on bail.

There were a few claps from some of Mr Madoff’s victims in the courtroom in the 24th floor federal courtroom in lower Manhattan, swiftly muted in deference to the no-nonsense judge. After a minute or two for Judge Chin to deny Mr Sorkin’s appeal for a stay, the hour-long hearing was over.