The Mystery of 301 E. 66th Street
As a writer I find most of my inspiration from being outdoors, noise, people, fresh(ish) air, and long walks. I don't have much of an inner monologue at home with four kids, so a couple times a month I take the train into New York and just wander, looking for a reason to write something down. This week I brought a little list, some research if you will, and headed up from Penn Station north to Central Park.
On 71st Street I took a right and inched past the Frick Collection, an art museum of Renaissance-through-Impressionist pieces that sits snuggled just across from the park on the Upper East Side. But today I wasn't interested in Bellini. I wanted to see what was behind it, considered one of the largest private residences in New York City: The Herbert N. Straus house, otherwise known as "Epstein's lair." Built by the Straus family (co-owners of Macy's Department Store) in the 1930s and made to look like the French Neo Classical style, it was kind of a disappointment, if I’m being honest. It certainly doesn't look like the biggest house in New York City, and must have some underground stories tucked away somewhere, because it's about the same size as his neighbor Howard Lutnick's house.
Yes, you heard that right--Howard Lutnick, billionaire, and current Secretary of Commerce under Donald Trump.
Howard moved into 11 E. 71st Street sometime around 1998, ten or so years after Epstein's buddy Les Wexner bought Number 9. Les, another billionaire, bought several properties that he seemingly gave to Epstein to stay as long as he wanted, eventually handing over deeds to the man who earned his own billions through invisible, undocumented means that we're still searching for. It's unknown when Epstein moved into Number 9, but he and Wexner had been friends for a handful of years by this time, who was J. Epstein & Co's--Jeffrey's Virgin-Island-based financial-management firm--only public client. Records show that a now-dissolved entity linked to Epstein called "SAM Conversion Corp" owned Number 11 previously, then sold it to one specialized trust, and then to another in 1996 known as "Comet Trust." This, too, had financial ties to Epstein, and could be found in his little black book. And whether or not he owned Number 11 at the time of Lutnick's purchase, Epstein was listed as the trustee of the building during all of the transactions and transfers, granting his lawyer, Jeffrey Schantz, power of attorney over the property.
But I'm sure it's just a coincidence and the two men had very little to do with each other...
In short, the house gave me the willies. The locking system had been removed off one of the 15-foot-tall oak front doors, and the other had a Turk's-head-knot brass knob, resembling rope, which I found unnerving. An angry, bearded stone face stared down at me from atop the entryway. The whole place made me nervous, not so much disgusted by what happened there, but a sense that it was a very, very dark place. I moved on.
I plodded over to 2nd Avenue and grabbed some lunch from Whole Foods, trying to remember where I was going. Somewhere along here I'd find an ominous, but mysterious apartment building, complete with 200 units.
I almost missed it.
Folks, I don't really know how to describe the level of basic that was this building, but I could probably afford to live there, if that means anything to you. It was kind of shocking. But here it was, badly in need of a good scrub, a grid of rusty late-century AC units under every window. It's the kind of place I'd imagine living in Russia, with no heat and too many people to a unit. Like I said, I could probably afford to live there. (Except it's New York, so no, I couldn't.)
And as per the usual, this building, too, was owned by Les Wexner once upon a time. But then a property developer named Mark Epstein came along and thought it looked like a good purchase, though the handoff is, again, a little muddled. But it officially became owned by Ossa Properties, Mark's company, in 1999, though at the time the title was interchangeable with "301 66 Owners Corp." Mark then handed the individual units over to his brother, Jeffrey, to control the comings and goings as far as rentals were concerned.
And oh, did he ever.
Jeffrey Epstein filled the 200-unit apartment building with girlfriends, associates, employees, and his own long list of businesses. He let his pilots stay there during layovers. His ex-girlfriend Eva Andersson, now married to hedge-fund manager Glenn Dubin--who was later identified by Virginia Giuffre as one of the men she was forced to have sex with--moved in, along with former business partner and MC2 Models founder Jean-Luc Brunel. Brunel, like Epstein, would eventually be jailed on rape charges and commit suicide in a French cell.
But the bulk of the apartments would be filled by underage models, mostly scouted by Brunel, and listed in Epstein's little black book as "Apt. for models." MC2's bookkeeper, Maritza Vasquez, took note of the comings and goings in a deposition when Brunel sued Epstein in 2015, claiming Epstein's bad publicity was affecting his modeling agency's reputation.
"I know that the models were staying in different apartments belonging to Jeffrey Epstein. There is not only one girl. There is not only one apartment. I believe there were like, two or three apartments. And they were put in between four girls per apartment." - Maritza Vasquez
One of Vasquez's jobs was to get visas for the girls, including a 14-year-old named Nadia Marcinkova. Nadia, however, disappeared after arriving in the U.S., making Epstein very angry, who claimed he had "purchased" the girl from her parents in Yugoslavia and that she was a "sex slave." Marcinkova eventually returned and participated in sexual acts with Epstein's underaged victims for several years, as evidenced in a 2006 Palm Beach police report. She would later be granted immunity, along with Sarah Kellen, Adriana Ross, and Lesley Groff. They all lived at 301 E. 66th Street, and both Marcinkova and Kellen were still operating businesses there until at least 2019.
Multiple victims who would later testify against Epstein were seen going into both his Manhattan home and the E. 66th Street apartments, including Jennifer Kalin, who was "allegedly trapped in Epstein's world...for 13 years." Others included New York "It" girl Susan Hamblin (accused by The Sun of recruiting for Epstein, but who countersued and won), Russian-born model Svetlana Pozhidaeva (whose "Women's Empowerment" nonprofit was funded by Epstein), and Epstein's last girlfriend Karyna Shuliak, a dentist whom he put through school. According to records Shuliak was married to another of Epstein's victims, part of his trafficking operation with young girls from overseas, giving them easier access to citizenship.
Other notable figures stayed in the apartments, including former Israeli Prime Minister Ehrud Barak, whom residents claimed came "often," and who was pictured outside Epstein's mansion with his security detail, including "Mossad agents," otherwise known as the "Israeli guard." The NYPD were usually not far behind. Barak later admitted to visiting multiple homes, including Epstein's Little Saint James Island, but denied going there to meet girls.
"More than 10 times and much less than a hundred times, but I can't tell you exactly how many. I don't keep count." - Ehud Barak, former Israeli Prime Minister
My point is this: for 10 years Jeffrey Epstein owned an apartment building that he filled with victims, accomplices, money, paperless businesses, lawyers, pilots, world leaders, and a long-since destroyed list of friends and colleagues. Mark Epstein claims he rented units to his brother Jeffrey, but has always denied knowing anything that went on inside the building.
"I don't live in that building, I don't monitor who uses those apartments. I'm not sure who pays it, but Jeff's been renting there for years." - Mark Epstein, 2019
Today, Mark Epstein still owns most of the units inside 301 E. 66th Street but keeps his distance, though his ex-wife, Joyce Anderson, still runs a photography business on the 8th floor, and has since long before the apocalyptic downfall of her brother-in-law. She moved in shortly after Jeffrey's first arrest, and just prior to ending her relationship with Mark.
In short, this building and its history is a goldmine as far as subpoenas are concerned. Whatever went on, went on very, very behind closed doors, either as a single enterprise, or a multi-level marketing scheme 16 stories tall. The list of Epstein's voluntary assistants is growing, along with those who stood by and are seemingly moving on with their lives. No one is being questioned. And the only people coming forward are the victims.
We have names, we have contact information, we have documentation and records. We have Les Wexner, the only person who knows the extent of Jeffrey Epstein's finances, living out the remainder of his life in Ohio. We have every name I’ve listed in this article.
And nothing. Not a single question from the FBI. Just silence.
“This systematic review revealed no incriminating “client list.” There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions. We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties. To that end, while we have labored to provide the public with maximum information regarding Epstein and ensured examination of any evidence in the government’s possession, it is the determination of the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation that no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.” - The Department of Justice/FBI
We should ask ourselves why one more time.
Ellie is an author, editor, and owner of Red Pencil Transcripts, and works with filmmakers, podcasts, and journalists all over the world. She lives with her family just outside of New York City.
Magnificent and important work! Thank you for the 💯 effort.
“Biggest pedo ring, run by Hilary from a pizza shop basement” they blare self righteously but that was a trash story made up to smear her. Who actually had the biggest pedo ring? We are finding out, and finding out who was involved, who knew. Yet another case of the MAGA people accusing others to cover up what they are doing or because subconsciously they know it is wrong, it is bothering their subconscious but they can’t let the secret out so they “see” it everywhere else. How many elected and appointed government officials / religious leaders have been caught red handed and forced to resign….