Ex-Madoff guy: He’s ill in head

A LONGTIME Bernard Madoff employee accused of fraud claimed Tuesday even he was bamboozled by the Ponzi mega-thief.

Daniel Bonventre said he revered Madoff before his boss of 40 years was unmasked as the perpetrator of a $65 billion fraud.

“He seemed to have the respect of the entire world,” Bonventre, 68, testified. “Now, I think he was a terribly ill man. It’s difficult to reconcile everything I’ve known about him for 40 years and what I know now.”

Bonventre, one of five former employees accused of helping Madoff carry out his epic fraud, was the first to testify in his own defense. He faces 77 years in prison if convicted.

The former Madoff Securities operations chief said he was convinced the man he called “boss” was a financial wizard with a heart like Mother Teresa.

Madoff, after learning Bonventre’s wife had a heart condition, handed over the home phone number of his cardiologist and insisted she call him immediately. It turned out Madoff’s doc determined she had an aortic aneurysm, Bonventre testified.

“He just appeared to be the most magnanimous, caring individual,” Bonventre said.

“It’s hard to understand the mind of a con man,” Bonventre added later. But it “could very well have all been a manipulation.”