Bernie Madoff’s estranged wife Ruth has finally broken her silence regarding her husband’s shocking Ponzi scheme that stole billions of dollars from thousands of unsuspecting investors, including several Hollywood stars, including Kevin Bacon and his wife Kyra Sedgwick.

Mrs. Madoff -- speaking to 60 Minutes’ Morley Safer -- says she and her husband of 50-years were so distraught over the burden of his crimes that they attempted suicide together on Christmas Eve of 2008 -- two weeks after he was arrested.

"I don't know whose idea it was, but we decided to kill ourselves because it was so horrendous what was happening,"  Madoff tells Safer. "We had terrible phone calls. Hate mail, just beyond anything and I said '...I just can't go on anymore.'"