Jeffrey Epstein news: How did he treat his housekeeping staff?

Juan Alessi spent more than a decade managing the Palm Beach mansion where Jeffrey Epstein lived, handling everything from routine cleaning to overseeing other staff. His account, pieced together from interviews, a 2020 podcast appearance, and later sworn testimony, shows how daily operations intersected with the broader pattern of exploitation that would later surface in court. The work itself looked ordinary at first. The reality underneath proved far more complicated.

Who are you?

Alessi handled cleaning, errands, and staff coordination at the Palm Beach house from roughly 1991 until the end of 2002. Ghislaine Maxwell moved in during that period and quickly took charge of daily instructions. She positioned herself as the lady of the house and supplied a detailed manual covering bed maintenance, privacy rules, and how employees should behave. Staff were told to communicate only when spoken to and to avoid eye contact with Epstein. The directive was simple and repeated: see nothing, say nothing. Alessi later described how Maxwell delivered orders each day and kept the household running on those terms.

Maxwell's Household Rules

The instruction booklet Maxwell distributed ran between thirty and fifty-eight pages. It spelled out expectations for bed linens, guest privacy, and overall staff conduct. Alessi testified that employees were expected to stay silent about anything they witnessed and to speak only when directly addressed. He recalled being told never to interrupt conversations or engage with visitors unless necessary. Those rules shaped what he felt he could report at the time and what he chose to keep to himself.

A monster behind the smile

During a recorded conversation with Virginia Giuffre, Alessi described Prince Andrew as polite during visits and noted that Andrew was the only guest who left tips. He also recalled being instructed not to speak with guests, including Giuffre. In a 2009 deposition, Alessi stated that Andrew spent weeks at the Palm Beach residence and received daily massages. Giuffre visited the house very often after Maxwell first approached her at Mar-a-Lago. Alessi said he felt sorry for what had happened to Giuffre and expressed relief that she had built a life and family since then. Prince Andrew has denied all allegations against him.

Daily Operations and Massages

By the later years of Alessi’s employment, Epstein received up to three massages per day, almost always performed by female therapists. Alessi reported finding and cleaning sex toys and vibrators after many of those sessions. He also described seeing topless women at the pool on hundreds of occasions. These details emerged during his 2021 testimony in the Ghislaine Maxwell trial and aligned with the 2005 statement he gave to Palm Beach police. The pattern of activity made the household’s daily rhythm distinct from ordinary domestic work.

Interactions with Notable Visitors

Alessi testified that Donald Trump visited the property for meals but never received massages and never stayed overnight. He met Bill Clinton once on Epstein’s plane during a flight but said he had no knowledge of any island visits. Prince Andrew’s extended stays and daily massages stood out in his memory because of their length and frequency. These observations came from someone who was present for routine arrivals and departures rather than from any deeper involvement in Epstein’s travel or social schedule.

Fact vs. fiction

Alessi’s accounts have shifted in emphasis over the years. His 2005 statement to Palm Beach police already included references to cleaning vibrators and sex toys after massages. In the 2021 Maxwell trial, he provided additional testimony about frequent massages, topless pool visitors, and the household instruction manual. He also acknowledged that he had been fired at the end of 2002, returned in 2004 to steal cash from the residence, and later repaid the amount after being confronted. These details sit alongside his earlier claims of limited knowledge and raise questions about what he noticed and when he chose to speak.

Employment End and Later Admissions

Alessi’s tenure ended in late 2002. He returned briefly in 2004 and took several thousand dollars before repaying the sum. During the Maxwell trial he confirmed the theft under oath. That admission, paired with the timeline of his departure, supplies context for evaluating the consistency of his statements across interviews and sworn testimony. The record now includes both his descriptions of daily life inside the mansion and the circumstances surrounding the end of his employment.