“Twenty-five years ago, one night when I was 35 pounds lighter, I assumed the identity of billionaire investor Ted Ammon.”
On July 3, 1999, I was a 22-year-old rookie reporter at the East Hampton Star. After enjoying a quick surf session at Mecox Beach in Bridgehampton, two men were overheard talking about having to go home to “get Puffy’s BBQ ready.”
Long before he was indicted for sex trafficking, currently incarcerated hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs was known as “Puff Daddy.” His star-studded parties were legendary.
Still smelling like the beach, I quickly got into my 1991 Volkswagen Jetta and headed to Diddy’s 4,500-square-foot waterfront mansion in East Hampton. My original goal was to simply stand outside and take notes on arriving guests for potential stories.
Little did I know I’d be partying late into the night with hip-hop icons like Jay-Z and Hamptons regulars like designer Betsy Johnson.
With my wrinkled shirt crumpled in the back seat of my car, I joined the throng of fans, paparazzi, and onlookers along Hedges Banks Drive.
“Do you want to come in?” asked an attractive blonde woman who approached me.
“You know,” I answered.
“Great. Listen,” she continued. “So, your name is Ted Ammon and I’m your guest, okay?”
I nodded.
Just before speaking to me, the woman was standing near one of the guards and noticed that “Ted Ammon+1” was on Puffy’s guest list.
“It was on page two,” I remember her proudly telling me.
Eerily, Ammon was found murdered in his Hamptons home nearly two years later, on October 22, 2001. Ammon was bludgeoned to death in his bed by his estranged wife’s electrician boyfriend. High society murders made headlines for years.
After passing through security, the mystery woman went straight to a backyard bar and passed Mr. Softee’s truck, which was parked in the driveway. But I didn’t make the same oversight.
R&B music was played from 20 speakers placed throughout the backyard, and Q-Tip by A Tribe Called Quest was played in the DJ booth. The air smelled of marijuana, the pool was filled with naked topless women, and models were serving champagne.
