NEW YORK (Bloomberg) — Bernard Madoff's daughter-in law Stephanie, the second wife of his son Mark, filed a formal request to have her surname legally changed to Morgan, as well as those of her two children.

In papers filed yesterday, Stephanie Savene Madoff made separate requests for the three name changes in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan. The couple's daughter is three years old, while their son had his first birthday on February 13.

Stephanie Madoff said she wants to change their surnames for safety reasons. She said that in December 2008, she was informed of "certain death and other threats made against the Madoff family". While the government investigated those threats, Stephanie Madoff said she still "fears for her safety and the safety of her children."

She also asked that her application for the name change be sealed "because of the potential for threats of bodily harm to your petitioner and/or my children upon being made public that I am changing our last names from 'Madoff' to 'Morgan.'"