The subject of the Epstein files speaks for itself, but less has been said about their connection to Fire Island, where several local communities were collectively mentioned dozens of times in those sordid files. While the information in the files does not imply evidence of crimes committed locally, it does show that Jeffrey Epstein’s associates communicated with the infamous pedophile while visiting our island, as well as through various incidental mentions.
Epstein was a New York financier, convicted sex offender, and serial sex trafficker of women and young girls. He died in prison by hanging in 2019 under mysterious circumstances. Although his death was ruled a suicide, the salacious nature of his life and death, along with his connections to prominent politicians, businesspeople, academics, and celebrities, have made him a subject of intense investigation and conspiratorial speculation.
The Epstein files (the documents collected by investigations into Epstein) have also become a political headache for President Donald Trump, who, at one time at least, was a close friend of the deceased criminal. While Trump promised to release the Epstein files during his 2024 presidential campaign, he did not do so until Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which mandated their release to the public. Despite the administration’s slow-walking of the release, millions of pages have now been released to date, with administration officials claiming all the files are now public.
The Epstein files that have been released are accessible through the Department of Justice’s “Epstein Library.” Fire Island News (FIN) conducted its investigation using this publicly accessible database. FIN searched the database for mentions of Fire Island and the numerous communities located on our island and along the Great South Bay. Searching for the phrase “Fire Island” returns 34 results, but because the database includes numerous duplicate files, roughly 16 of those results are specific to Fire Island, NY. Unique mentions were also found for Fair Harbor, Ocean Beach, Patchogue, Bay Shore, Saltaire, and Sayville. Searches for other communities, including Kismet and Water Island, returned false positives that, at first glance, appear to reference Fire Island but do not actually do so. None of these mentions indicate that Epstein or his associates committed crimes while staying on Fire Island.
Seven to eight of the unique Fire Island-related files reference Epstein associate Boris Nikolic. According to the New York Post, Nikolic is a biotech venture capitalist and a former science advisor to Microsoft founder Bill Gates. He was named a successor executor of Epstein’s will before turning the position down. Searching Nikolic’s name in the Epstein Library also yields 14,590 results as of writing. However, it should be noted that appearing in the Epstein files does not necessarily indicate criminal activity.
Nikolic and Epstein exchanged emails about Fire Island on at least five occasions between late June 2011 and July 2014. On June 30, 2011, Epstein emailed Nikolic, telling him to rent a Fire Island house and that he wanted to discuss a plan. On July 2, 2011, Nikolic told Epstein he would not have time to see him, in part because the “fire island ferry will be blocked by 3h pm or so,” to which Epstein replied, “no problem.” On August 1, 2011, Nikolic apologized to Epstein for not receiving his messages, noting that cell phone connectivity on Fire Island was “very poor.” On October 27, 2011, Nikolic forwarded Epstein a business proposal by Sam Jaradeh to recruit a Fire Island-based DJ. The DJ was described as “very known” in the gay scene and as someone who “works full time on fire island in the summer and has an extremely successful Sunday night there called ” FIN found no further mention of this proposal in the files. On July 28, 2014, Nikolic also responded to Epstein’s question, “Will I see you today?” by saying, “I am still at Fire Island. Cell connection is very poor here. so unfortunately we will not have chance to meet.” Additionally, a man named Mark Lloyd emailed Epstein on June 15, 2012, saying he was “Having dinner right now with Boris and Sam” but that he was “not sure he could be tempted to Fire Island” It seems likely the Boris referred to in this message is Nikolic.
Not all the direct mentions of Fire Island in the Epstein files involved Nikolic. For instance, on June 23, 2010, technologist Dan Dubno emailed Epstein: “My summer is: Fire Island for recreation thru July.” Dubno also said, “hanging with Mr. Epstein will be a pleasure if he is so inclined.” Searching the Epstein files for his name yields 339 results. On July 4, 2018, Epstein asked an individual with a redacted name whether they would watch fireworks, and they responded the next day: “Of course! On Fire Island for two days! Pretty amazing here.”
Other Fire Island mentions in the files do not even directly name Epstein. One file from August 25, 2012, was an email conversation between two individuals, with their names redacted, in which one apologized for a late response, saying, “I’m on Fire Island and the reception is crap.” Another file from March 2014 involved a redacted person writing to someone named Robert about landscaping options, saying that “ash and pet” (seemingly referring to a person or couple) had an issue with bamboo one time at their Fire Island house. Yet another file was a text chain between two anonymous individuals, in which one person said they were having a good week and that “Fire Island is a very beautiful place (and very gay).”
Some mentions of Fire Island were more miscellaneous. A resume for a personal assistant in the files stated that its author “oversaw the multi-million dollar expansion and renovation of [their employer’s] Fire Island residence” and planned a weeklong wedding on Fire Island for 150 guests. Another file is an emailed list of jokes created to promote a comedian and included a crass joke about a Fire Island delicatessen. Finally, the last file to directly mention Fire Island is a draft of an autobiography by Epstein’s former lawyer, Alan Dershowitz.
Searching the Epstein files library for the names of specific Fire Island-associated locations reveals additional mentions. A search for “Fair Harbor” brings up a debit card statement showing a $119.39 purchase from Fair Harbor’s Pioneer Market on August 13, 2018. The account holder is unclear from the file itself, but the account was registered as a TD Bank business account and listed a mailing address in Manchester, New Hampshire.
A search for “Ocean Beach” returns 13 files, all of which are court documents citing the 2014 case Carter v. Inc. Vill. of Ocean Beach as a technical precedent., which changes the relationship between the parties. Carter v. Inc. Vill. of Ocean Beach involved several police officers suing the Village of Ocean Beach after being fired. The case is repeatedly cited in court filings by the Epstein estate and Epstein’s convicted accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.
Searching “Patchogue” brings up an email written by an Epstein associate clarifying to Epstein that he was from Patchogue rather than New Jersey, saying “Patchoguebut close enough-:). Someday over a glass of wine you can tell me how you left the Hot dog contest town and ended up in the Virgin Islands looking at white sandy beaches.” The town is also mentioned in a footnote of a legal document, a phone bill from 2004, and in several other files.
Searching for “Bay Shore” returns 19 results, including news articles, law enforcement reports with redacted names, and an email ad for a comedian known for crass jokes. Bay Shore also appears on a 2013 invoice from a rigging company in the hamlet. Most notably, Bay Shore appears on a stock certificate for JEGE, Inc., which, according to Business Insider, appears to be a company through which Epstein owned a Boeing 727. The Business Insider report noted that no flight activity was recorded for the Boeing 727, while two other jets owned by other companies were much more active. Bay Shore appears on the stock certificate of JEGE, Inc. because the company that printed the certificate was based in the town at the time.
Saltaire and Sayville both appear in an FBI report about an individual who served as an assistant to Epstein starting in February 2001. The report listed the individual as a “Possible Associate” with a “Previous and Non-Verified Address” in Saltaire. It also listed three “Possible Relatives” with ties to Sayville: two with active addresses and one with a “Previous and Non-Verified Address.”
Additionally, searches for some towns, such as “Kismet” and “Water Island,” return results unrelated to Fire Island. For example, searching for “Kismet” brings up several uses of the word, including as the name of a Russian-owned yacht, but none in reference to the Fire Island hamlet. Searching for “Water Island” brings up numerous references to Water Island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but none to the community on Fire Island.
The many appearances of Fire Island place names in the Epstein files are not evidence of a new batch of crimes that secretly occurred on our shores. But they remind us that Epstein’s criminal universe did not just encompass infamous Caribbean islands and Manhattan penthouses. Hopefully, these connections between one of the most infamous men of the 21st century and our island will encourage Fire Islanders to stand with the survivors of Epstein’s crimes as they pursue the justice that has been denied to them and other survivors of sexual violence.
Editor’s Note: Skylar Epstein, the reporter who wrote this piece and conducted this investigation, has no familial relation to Jeffrey Epstein.
