SUBURBAN WEST PALM BEACH, FL -- They're not famous and many in the airport wanted to know who WPTV NewsChannel 5's television camera was waiting to shoot.
No Ronnie Sue and Dominic Ambrosino are just regular people. Not elitist, or super-wealthy as some assumed about all of Bernie Madoff's victims.
"I've always been an optimist, looking out for tomorrow," says Ronnie Sue. "I lost that December 11th."
That was the day the Ambrosino's cross country road trip came to an end.
The couple had both worked hard and retired early. They'd saved up more than a million dollars for retirement. They bought a motor coach and were getting lost in America. Bernie Madoff stole it all. They were left with nothing, not even enough money to get back home.
"I realized all the planning we did to be in a position went up in smoke. We can't make plans anymore," says Ronnie Sue.
Since then, Dominic has had to go back to work and their R-V and dreams have been stuck in Arizona.
Ronnie Sue spends her days fighting to get their money.
Because of a cap, the couple is entitled to $500-thousand dollars from the Securities Investment Protection Corporation, or SIPC.
If or when they'll see that money is anyone's guess.
"Basically we know the money is there," says Dominic. "What's taking so long? Why the red tape?"
The Ambrosinos are in town only because a French TV station, doing a story in South Florida, paid to fly them home.
Otherwise they'd still be stuck in Arizona.
While they're here they'll meet with other Madoff victims in a private meeting on Saturday. For more information, you can long onto
www.bernardmadoffvictims.org The clock however is ticking for the Ambrosinos.
Their little plot in the RV park is free for now, but come November, they'll have to move.
Will they have some of their life savings by then? Will it all work out?
Welcome to the world of worry handcrafted by Bernie Madoff.
"We want people to be aware of this and look into what they think they're protected by and see if they really are," says Ronnie Sue.
