When Jeffrey Epstein Needed Favors, This Restaurant Mogul Was There

When Jeffrey Epstein wanted his favorite Zweigle’s Pop Open hot dogs ferried from his townhouse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan to his sprawling Zorro Ranch in New Mexico, he did what any exceedingly rich person might.He had his staff reach out to a close friend with a private jet.Stephen Hanson, then head of a Manhattan restaurant empire that at its peak served more than 20,000 people a day at 25 theatrical, high-volume restaurants like Blue Water Grill, Dos Caminos and Ruby Foo’s, was happy to make the delivery himself.“In the white freezer in downstairs kitchen of 71st street there are packages of frozen hot dogs,” Mr.

Epstein’s private chef emailed an assistant.“JE would like to have hot dogs for lunch tmrw and these are the new dogs he likes.”There was one other favor Mr.

Epstein wanted on that August weekend in 2012.He asked Mr.

Hanson to make room for a woman who would be bringing a wallet he’d left behind, according to documents the Department of Justice collected as it investigated Mr.Epstein.

She was later paid settlements from funds established for Mr.Epstein’s victims.The Justice Department files attest to Mr.

Epstein’s transactional relationships with many powerful men.Billionaires like the Victoria’s Secret magnate Les Wexner and the private equity investor Leon Black helped build his fortune.

Boldfaced names like Woody Allen and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former British prince, provided cachet and social access.What Mr.Hanson offered, a review of the thousands of emails and texts the two men exchanged over a decade shows, was access to the world of food and hospitality — as well as a wingman who enjoyed the company of attractive women, and had the means to help manage and entertain them.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

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