When Bernie and Ruth Madoff attempted suicide on Christmas Eve of 2008, they did so in the couple's penthouse duplex atop 133 East 64th Street. When Madoff went to jail, he had to forfeit their three homes, which gained a certain aura of infamy. The U.S. Government had the unexpected role of selling the properties in a dismal real estate market, but smartly, it decided to hire some of the top residential brokerages to market the homes. All three have now sold.

133 East 64th Street, New York, NY: Sold for $8 million

Maddof's trophy was a three-bedroom, four-bathroom duplex at the top of a pre-war co-op. The home has an elliptical staircase, a living room with triple exposures and views of the Upper East Side and Central Park. After five months on the market, Al Kahn, a toy magnate, and his wife Patsy purchased the apartment for $8 million. The Kahns previously lived in a condo at the Time Warner Center on Columbus Circle, which they had listed for over $33 million. He was worried about the karma, but I just loved the terrace, Patsy told the New York Post.

Anne Corey and Serena Board of Sotheby's listed the property, which had an asking price of $9.9 million, later cut to $8.9 million. Photos by Sotheby's.

410 North Lake Way, Palm Beach, Fl.: Sold for $5.65 million

Madoff's Florida getaway was put on the market for over $8 million, but languished on the market for a year before selling for $5.65 million in October 2010. The buyer wasn't identified. Burt Minkoff and Jim McCann of the Corcoran Group were the listing brokers. The 8,753-square-foot mansion is surrounded by lush tropical landscaping - including fig and banana trees - according to the listing. A dock was the former home for Madoff's 55-foot boat, The Bull.

Hamptons Beachhouse: Sold for $9.4 million

The 1.2 acre property was bought for $250,000 in 1980, sold for $9.41 million in October 2009. Joan Hegner and Raymond Hegner of The Corcoran Group were the listing brokers for the property, which sold just 17 days after going on the market for $660,000 more than the asking price.

In addition to his three U.S. homes, Madoff had a chateau in France, valued at around $1 million. His offices were in midtown's Lipstick Building, named for its oval shape, at 885 Third Avenue. The building still has some vacant space and had a recent change in ownership. Herald Square Properties is leading a team that is renovating and remarketing the building.

The Lipstick Building, Arnd Dewald/Flickr