In the mid-1990s, a self-described “enigmatic rock chick” strolling down Manhattan’s glittering Fifth Avenue spotted a sleek black address book lying abandoned on the sidewalk—like a discarded secret from the city’s elite underworld. She scooped it up, intrigued by the famous names peeking from its pages, and tucked it away for decades.T

Years before the explosive Epstein files controversy gripped the nation, one overlooked black book from Jeffrey Epstein’s secret collection had already fallen into unexpected hands. In the early 1990s, an earlier version of Epstein’s infamous “little black book”—a leather-bound address directory dated around October 1997—mysteriously appeared on a Manhattan sidewalk. A woman picked it up, unaware of its significance, and stored it away for decades until rediscovering it around 2020. This older book, distinct from the more notorious 2004-2005 version seized by the FBI, contained over 200 unique names not found in the later edition, offering a glimpse into Epstein’s rising network during his ascent in elite circles.

Unlike the widely publicized book—stolen by Epstein’s former house manager Alfredo Rodriguez in 2005, who tried to sell it before his conviction—this earlier volume surfaced quietly. It included contacts like Melania Trump’s close friend Suzanne Ircha Johnson, billionaire Carl Icahn, and others linked to New York’s power brokers. Business Insider authenticated and published it in 2021, highlighting differences such as outdated area codes reflecting pre-1995 changes in Palm Beach.

While the 2005 book, redacted by Gawker in 2015 and fully leaked later, listed figures like Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, and Prince Andrew, this forgotten predecessor painted an earlier portrait of Epstein’s ambitions. It lacked the massage notations of the later book but revealed aspirational connections Epstein cultivated before his crimes fully escalated.

Today, as Attorney General Pam Bondi faces backlash for delaying full release of the broader Epstein files—amid bipartisan threats of contempt—this long-public older black book underscores a bitter irony: much of Epstein’s network was exposed years ago, yet true accountability remains elusive. Victims’ advocates argue these early leaks prove the elite ties were no secret, fueling demands for unredacted transparency in the ongoing saga.

In hindsight, that sidewalk find was a harbinger—Epstein’s web was unraveling long before the world paid attention.