Bernard Madoff received the maximum sentence today for orchestrating the biggest Ponzi scheme in history - 150 years behind bars.

Many of his victims were hoping Madoff would indeed spend the rest of his life in prison, and many in the New York courtroom applauded the sentence. Some victims were able to address the court, calling Madoff a "beast" who ruined their lives. 

"I don’t ask for any forgiveness," Madoff, 71, told the judge, adding that he deceived his brothers, his two sons and his wife. 

Madoff’s lawyer asked for a 12-year sentence, saying the disgraced investor isn’t likely to outlive his requested sentence by more than a year.

"Mr. Madoff is currently 71 years old and has an approximate life expectancy of 13 years," wrote Ira Lee Sorkin. "A prison term of 12 years — just short of an effective life sentence — will sufficiently address the goals of deterrence, protecting the public and promoting respect for the law."

But prosecutors pushed for the full 150-year punishment for his $65 billion scam. "He engaged in wholesale fraud for more than a generation; his so-called ‘investment advisory’ business was a fraud; his frauds affected thousands of investors in the United States and worldwide; and he repeatedly lied under oath and filed false documents to conceal his fraud," they said in court documents.

On Friday, the federal government seized all of Madoff’s property in a $170 billion settlement, meaning that wife Ruth had to give up homes and property totaling about $80 million. That includes their Manhattan apartment; Montauk, NY, home; and residence in Palm Beach, FL. The New York Post says Ruth Madoff is having a tough time finding another apartment, since landlords are slamming their doors in her face, even when she used her maiden name.

No doubt this isn’t an easy time for any of the Madoff clan, but it isn’t expected to get easier anytime soon. After Bernie Madoff is sentenced, prosecutors may set their sights on other family members.