An alleged suicide note found by Jeffrey Epstein's former cellmate, years after it was sealed away and kept under lock and key inside a courthouse vault as part of a separate legal case, came to light after it was revealed on Wednesday.
It was disclosed by U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas in White Plains, New York, following an order to unseal the note along with other papers in a case against the former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione. It is said that the note was discovered by Tartaglione in a book, following the incident where Epstein was discovered lying on the floor of the cell in which both were staying at the time in the Manhattan federal prison on July 23, 2019, with bedsheet wrapped around his neck.
Who is Nicholas Tartaglione?
Nicholas Tartaglione is a former police officer from Briarcliff Manor in America, sentenced to four consecutive life sentences for the execution-style killings of four men in 2016, who were allegedly involved in a drug feud. Tartaglione was born on October 10, 1967. After retiring as a policeman, he started dealing in steroids and cocaine. However, Nicholas Tartaglione gained more media coverage when it came to light that he had been one of the jail cellmates of Jeffrey Epstein at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in 2019. According to reports, Tartaglione recovered one of the alleged suicide notes written by Epstein after he was found injured in their jail cell.
Nicholas Tartaglione Early Life & Career
Nicholas Tartaglione graduated from the Westchester County Police Academy in 1993 and started his law enforcement career with the Mount Vernon Police Department. In February 1994, he moved to the Yonkers Police Department but resigned after approximately 13 weeks. Later, in September 1995, he joined the Pawling Police Department, where he served in the K9 Unit. In April 1996, Tartaglione left Pawling and became part of the Briarcliff Manor Police Department.
What is the 2016 Murder Case Linked to Nicholas Tartaglione?
Nicholas Tartaglione was convicted for the 2016 murders of four men in a case linked to drug trafficking and kidnapping. Prosecutors said Tartaglione believed one of the victims, Martin Luna, had stolen nearly $250,000 connected to a cocaine deal. Luna, along with his two nephews - Urbano Morales-Santiago and Miguel Sosa-Luna - and their friend Hector Gutierrez, were kidnapped and killed in Orange County, New York. According to investigators, the three other victims were innocent bystanders who were murdered to help cover up the crime. Authorities later discovered the bodies buried in a shallow grave on Tartaglione's property in Otisville, New York. In April 2023, Tartaglione was convicted on multiple charges, including murder, kidnapping, and narcotics conspiracy.
How Nicholas Tartaglione Linked to Jeffrey Epstein
Nicholas Tartaglione became widely known for his connection to Jeffrey Epstein after the two briefly shared a jail cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan in July 2019. This happened shortly after Epstein's first reported suicide attempt. Tartaglione later claimed that he discovered a handwritten note allegedly written by Epstein inside a book in their shared cell. The document later gained public attention after a federal judge ordered it to be unsealed in May 2026. Reports also stated that Tartaglione had previously threatened and allegedly attempted to extort Epstein, which later fueled public speculation and conspiracy theories surrounding their relationship and interactions inside the jail.
Nicholas Tartaglione Controversy
After leaving the Pawling Police Department, Tartaglione and four former officers filed a retaliation lawsuit against the department. They claimed they were pressured to resign after trying to form a union. However, the case was later dismissed by a judge.
During his time at the Briarcliff Manor Police Department, Nicholas Tartaglione became involved in a long-running dispute with local activist and television host Clay Tiffany. The conflict reportedly began in 1997 after Tartaglione issued Tiffany a traffic ticket for an expired inspection sticker.
Tiffany later publicly criticised Tartaglione on his cable television show and accused him of making racist remarks, threatening violence, and using excessive force during multiple encounters. Over the following years, the dispute escalated into several arrests, lawsuits, and investigations.
In one 1999 incident, Tiffany alleged that Tartaglione assaulted him during an arrest, leaving him with injuries including a broken nose, broken ribs, facial cuts, and chemical conjunctivitis from mace. The incident led to investigations by both the FBI and county prosecutors over allegations of police brutality, although the FBI later said there was insufficient evidence for criminal charges.
That same year, Tartaglione was suspended and charged with first-degree perjury related to testimony in a drunk-driving case. He was later acquitted, but Briarcliff Manor officials eventually dismissed him from the police department in 2001. A judge later ruled that his due process rights had been violated, leading to his reinstatement and approximately $320,000 in back pay in 2003.
Meanwhile, Tiffany filed a civil rights lawsuit against both Tartaglione and the village of Briarcliff Manor, accusing them of a "persistent pattern" of negligence and constitutional rights violations. The case was later settled in 2003 for $2 million.