CHAPTER 20 Jeffrey Epstein: 1953-1969 J effrey Epstein’s mother, Paula, was the daughter of Max and Lena Stolofsky, who arrived in the United States as Lithuanian refugees. Relatives on that side of the family who remained in the old country would all perish in the course of Adolf Hitler’s campaign to exterminate European Jewry. Epstein’s father, Seymour, was a manual laborer, like his father before him. Seymour’s parents, Julius and Bessie Epstein, had emigrated from Russia and landed in Brooklyn, both of them with eighth-grade educations. They lived in Crown Heights, where Julius owned a house-wrecking company. Before landing a job with the city, Seymour had worked with his father. They were kind people, says Epstein’s childhood friend Gary Grossberg. Seymour was there for him at a difficult time, Grossberg says. When Grossberg was young, his parents divorced, and 89 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009240¶
JAMES PATTERSON his father moved out of Brooklyn. Seymour and Paula took Gary in. Often they referred to him as their third son. “Paula was a wonderful mother and homemaker,” Grossberg remembers, “despite the fact that she had a full-time job.” Epstein, as a kid, was “chubby, with curly hair and a high, ‘hee-hee’ kind of laugh,” Beverly Donatelli recalls. Beverly was two years older than Epstein, but thanks to his precocious talents, which allowed him to skip two grades, they graduated from Brooklyn’s Lafayette High School together, in 1969. “He was advanced,” Beverly remembers. “He tutored my girlfriend and myself in the summer. He taught me geometry in just two months.” When Beverly thinks of Epstein now, she recalls gentler timeslong strolls down the Coney Island boardwalk, roller-coaster rides, stolen kisses. “That last year in school, I think he kind of loved me,” she says. “One night on the beach he kissed me. In fact, our history teacher made up a mock wedding invitation for Jeffrey and myself to show to the class. That seems pretty inappropriate now. But back then, we all thought it was funny. Jews and the Italians, that was pretty much who went to Lafayette High School. They didn’t socialize that much. And though my mother was crazy about him, she told me Jewish boys don’t marry Italians.” Through the haze of several decades, Beverly remembers Epstein as a kindhearted boy and something of a prodigy-a gifted young pianist as well as a math whiz. “I was talking to my girlfriends the other day,” she says. Beverly Donatelli’s name, some identifying details, and dialogue have been changed. 90 “There is nothing but r the reason I went to col Beverly lost contact after Epstein’s fiftieth bi “He had a photo o noticed it at his birthda bet she has a big ass no his home on 71st Stree the same Jeffrey. A gent The two never did s pathizes with her high “I feel so bad for t liked him.” Gary Grossberg was a y class as Epstein’s kid remains very friendly, t frey in some time. Both “Jeffrey’s a brilliant generous.” Grossberg says he’s Florida.” As he sees it, was hanging around wit Grossberg wonders, cial contributed to his ev “He was a diamond in People recognized Jeffr gift for recognizing oppo HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009241¶
ERSON FILTHY RICH Seymour and Paula took Gary their third son. “Paula was a iker,” Grossberg remembers, -time job. y, with curly hair and a high, Donatelli recalls. Beverly was t thanks to his precocious talwo grades, they graduated from together, in 1969. -members. “He tutored my girl- He taught me geometry in just n now, she recalls gentler times- d boardwalk, roller-coaster rides, ool, I think he kind of loved me,” he kissed me. In fact, our history g invitation for Jeffrey and myself retty inappropriate now. But back y. Jews and the Italians, that was te High School. They didn’t socialmother was crazy about him, she Italians” ral decades. Beverly remembers and something of a prodigy-a a math whiz. friends the other day,” she says. entifying details, and dialogue have been 90 “There is nothing but nice we can say about him. He is actually the reason I went to college.” Beverly lost contact with Epstein over the years. But not long after Epstein’s fiftieth birthday, she got a call out of the blue. “He had a photo of us on the beach,” she says. “A friend noticed it at his birthday party. And Jeffrey said to the friend: ‘I bet she has a big ass now.’ So Jeffrey called me and invited me to his home on 71st Street. We hung out. We reminisced. He was the same Jeffrey. A gentleman.” The two never did speak again, but to this day Beverly sympathizes with her high school sweetheart. “I feel so bad for him,” Beverly says. “That’s how much I liked him.” Gary Grossberg was a year younger than Epstein and in the same class as Epstein’s kid brother, Mark, with whom Grossberg remains very friendly, though he hasn’t seen or spoken with Jeffrey in some time. Both brothers are good people, he says. “Jeffrey’s a brilliant and good person. He is also incredibly generous.” Grossberg says he’s talked to Epstein about “the problem in Florida.” As he sees it, Epstein “got carried away… perhaps he was hanging around with the wrong people.” Grossberg wonders, too, if the things that made Epstein special contributed to his eventual fall from grace. “He was a diamond in the rough, you see,” Grossberg explains. “People recognized Jeffrey’s brilliance very early on. But he had a gift for recognizing opportunities very quickly. He started buying 91 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009242¶
JAMES PATTERSON properties in Manhattan, including 301 East 66th Street. He asked his brother-did Mark want to join him? He did. Grossberg himself has had his ups and downs. At one point, he worked in a building owned by the Epstein brothers. There, he says, a porter told him a story about a little-known side of Jeffrey Epstein. The porter’s wife, who lived in South America, desperately needed an organ transplant. Epstein paid for the operation. “That’s just typical,” Grossberg says. “That’s who he always was, long as I knew him.” “Lafayette was a city school,” says another old classmate, James Rosen. “It was functional. There was nothing special about it.” James Rosen is a retired postal worker. He lives in South Florida now, but, like Jeffrey Epstein, he’d grown up in Sea Gate. “There was a lot of volatility at Lafayette,” Rosen recalls. “It was a blue-collar area that was, at one time, 90 percent Italian. Then a small amount of Jews moved in, and there was anti-Semitism. The Italians didn’t want the Jews to be there.” Black families were moving in, too, he remembers, and Hispanic ones. But he says most of the animosity was aimed at Jews. “There were fights in the schools. They thought we were going to take over.” But Epstein seems to have made friends easily. Even then, his buddies-who called him Eppy-could see he was special. While they hung out on the beach, Epstein played the piano. Did homework. Worked on his prized stamp collection. Innocent times. 92 Jeffrey Epstein: 15 I’t’s the height of tl lege administrator long hair collide go in for any of that. math classes at Coop Village where Abraha Thanks to a gene though the applicatio Epstein sails thro At Harvard or Yal works like the Brookly than any Ivy League wide from his prodig starts to make money he leaves Cooper Un¶
ERSON ing 301 East 66th Street. He to join him? He did. ups and downs. At one point, y the Epstein brothers. There, bout a little-known side of Jef- o lived in South America, dessplant. Epstein paid for the g says. “That’s who he always rs another old classmate, James was nothing special about it.” stal worker. He lives in South tein, he’d grown up in Sea Gate. at Lafayette,” Rosen recalls. “It at one time, 90 percent Italian. vs moved in, and there was ‘t want the Jews to be there.” in, too, he remembers, and Histhe animosity was aimed at Jews. schools. They thought we were rade friends easily. Even then, his ppy-could see he was special. ch, Epstein played the piano. Did red stamp collection. 92 CHAPTER 21 Jeffrey Epstein: 1969-1976 I’t’s the height of the Vietnam War. Students collide with college administrators. Hippies collide with hard hats. Kids with long hair collide with their parents. Jeffrey Epstein does not go in for any of that. At the age of sixteen, he’s taking advanced math classes at Cooper Union, an august institution in the East Village where Abraham Lincoln once spoke. Thanks to a generous endowment, the school is tuition-free, though the application process is famously rigorous. Epstein sails through it. At Harvard or Yale, his accent would give him away. Epstein tawks like the Brooklyn boy he is. But Cooper Union is more open than any Ivy League school. It’s full of boys from Brooklyn, and, aside from his prodigious intellect, Epstein doesn’t stand out. He starts to make money by tutoring his fellow students. And in 1971, he leaves Cooper Union for the greener pastures of New York 93 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009244¶
JAMES PATTERSON University, located a few blocks away. There, at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, he studies the mathematical physiology of the heart. But he never graduates from any college or university. By 1973, Epstein is teaching at the Dalton School, a prestigious private school on the Upper East Side. Like Tavern on the Green, Grand Central Terminal, and the Century Association, Dalton is a New York institution-an elite K-12 rocket ship built for the children of New York’s ruling classes. It’s not at all clear how Epstein, who has no college degree, ends up there. And yet here he is, barely out of his teens and already a teacher of math and physics. “Go forth unafraid” is the Dalton School’s credo. It’s a philosophy Epstein has adopted. For him, Dalton’s an excellent launching pad. It’s nothing like Lafayette High School. The kids he’s teaching are rich-very rich. Their parents are extremely well connected. And despite Epstein’s outer-borough accent, he’s careful in his presentation. At any given moment, he’s one parent-teacher conference away from a whole new world of possibilities. Because Dalton has an excellent student-to-teacher ratio, the parents get to know Epstein quite well. Before long, a Wall Street macher named Alan “Ace” Greenberg has taken a special shine to the young man who’s been tutoring his son Ted. Like Epstein, Ace Greenberg came from a humble background. The son of an Oklahoma City shopkeeper, he won a football scholarship to the University of Oklahoma, transferred to the 94 University of Missou 1949. That same yea of rejections at whia a Jew-landed a job clerk. By 1958, he’d be Greenberg smoked c and always dressed gruff, cheap, and, at bridge player, a hun loyal leader of the te tearn made up most outer boroughs. Greenberg didn’t What he cared abou vated risk takers, un (and especially low) were poor, smart, an Jeffrey Epstein, tl perfectly. HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009245¶
ERSON FILTHY RICH There, at the Courant Institute the mathematical physiology of many college or university. e Dalton School, a prestigious side. Like Tavern on the Green, Century Association, Dalton is K-12 rocket ship built for the sses. in, who has no college degree, his teens and already a teacher of rid” is the Dalton School’s credo. adopted. For him, Dalton’s an igh School. The kids he’s teachparents are extremely well conter-borough accent, he’s careful moment, he’s one parent-teacher ew world of possibilities. lent student-to-teacher ratio, the te well. Before long, a Wall Street berg has taken a special shine to ring his son Ted. me from a humble background. ity shopkeeper, he won a football of Oklahoma, transferred to the 94 University of Missouri following a back injury, and graduated in 1949. That same year, he moved to New York and, after a series of rejections at white-shoe firms-places that never would hire a jew-landed a job at Bear Stearns, earning $32.50 a week as a clerk. By 1958, he’d been made a full partner. Built like a pit bull, Greenberg smoked cigars, performed coin tricks for his friends, and always dressed in a bow tie. He was an all-elbows tradergruff, cheap, and, above all, impatient. He was also a champion bridge player, a hunter of big game in Africa, and the firm but loyal leader of the team he’d built at Bear Stearns-an unusual team made up mostly of men who’d grown up in New York’s outer boroughs. Greenberg didn’t care about MBAs or Ivy League diplomas. What he cared about was raw talent and drive. Greenberg cultivated risk takers, unconventional thinkers, and he looked high (and especially low) for his “PSDs”: men who, in his estimation, were poor, smart, and, above all, determined. Jeffrey Epstein, the Dalton School teacher, fit Greenberg’s bill perfectly. 95 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009246¶