Jessica Joyner, now infamous as half of a sticky-fingered pair cops say pinched jewelry from open houses around town, was a generous customer at Upper East Side landmark Elaine’s and even bought some bubbly for Phil Spector before his murder trial.
Joyner was known at Elaine’s for buying drinks for the journalists, cops and authors who hang out there.
“I was shocked when I heard the news,” said Elaine’s maitre d’ John Adamo, of accusations that Joyner, 39, stole pricey jewelry, handbags and clothes during open houses held at local apartments for sale.
“She was always nice,” Adamo said. “She never had anyone pick up her check, and often paid for others. She was generous.”
Shortly before Spector traveled back to Los Angeles to stand trial for murder earlier this year, he dropped by Elaine’s where Joyner sent a bottle of champagne to his table.
Tom Carney, who recently retired as Elaine’s head barman after decades, said “I can’t believe this” when asked about Joyner’s arrest along with her pal Jennifer Jones, 33, last weekend.
He remembered Joyner as an intelligent woman and a polite customer he called “The Margarita Lady,” a reference to her libation of choice.
Joyner recently dined at Elaine’s with Jones, who struck a customer who met her that night as “a hard-edged woman.”