Question
Who is Nicholas Tartaglione, Epstein’s cellmate at MCC?
Answer
Nicholas Tartaglione is a former Briarcliff Manor, New York police officer who was being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Manhattan awaiting trial on federal murder charges. He is accused of killing four men in connection with a drug conspiracy in the Hudson Valley.
Tartaglione was Jeffrey Epstein’s cellmate at the MCC in July 2019. He was present in the cell when Epstein was found with marks on his neck on July 23, 2019 — the incident that triggered Epstein’s placement on suicide watch.
Initial media reports speculated that Tartaglione might have been involved in the July 23 incident. Tartaglione, through his attorney, denied any involvement and stated that Epstein had been the victim of his own actions. Tartaglione’s attorney said his client had actually alerted guards to Epstein’s condition.
Tartaglione was subsequently moved to a different cell prior to Epstein’s death on August 10, 2019. The question of what exactly occurred on July 23 — suicide attempt, self-harm, or something else — was never definitively established in public proceedings.
Tartaglione’s own case was still pending as of 2024. His proximity to Epstein at a critical moment made him a subject of significant media and public interest, though no evidence has been presented that he was involved in Epstein’s ultimate death.
Sources
- The New York Times reporting on the July 23 MCC incident
- Court documents from the Tartaglione federal murder case
- Department of Justice statements on MCC review