Philanthropic Foundations

NEW YORK - A charitable foundation run by a wealthy real estate magnate has sued the Securities and Exchange Commission, blaming the agency for failing to catch Bernard Madoff's fraud before it lost about $19 million.

NEW YORK - The 85-year-old son of philanthropist Brooke Astor was sentenced Monday to as many as three years in prison for exploiting her mental frailty to plunder her millions, but the legal saga surrounding the society doyenne's fortune will persist with planned appeals.

PALM BEACH, Fla. - The death of Jeffry Picower, accused of profiting more than $7 billion from the investment schemes of his longtime friend Bernard Madoff, will make it more difficult for suing investors to recoup their money, attorneys said.

PALM BEACH, Fla. - Palm Beach police said Sunday that Jeffry Picower, a Florida philanthropist and a friend of Bernard Madoff for decades, has died.