Dead California money guru accused of fleecing woman out of $4.8M — as widow makes bizarre comparison

Richard Muscio, a late Southern California accountant and radio host, is accused in a lawsuit of taking $4.8 million from an elderly client, Mary Blume. Her nephew says he uncovered the alleged losses after Muscio died in 2024, leaving Blume’s trust with just $3,266; the case raises questions about how the money was handled and who may have benefited.

The lawsuit alleges Muscio used Blume’s assets, including an Encinitas home valued at $465,000, in sham loans and for personal and family expenses. Checks for $100,000 and $25,000 were reportedly made out to his wife, Mari, who says she did not know about them and compared her situation to Ruth Madoff’s. Blume died aged 93 in 2025; prosecutors said no case was submitted for review, while Muscio had pleaded guilty to a tax fraud conspiracy in 2003.