The family of the mystery man known as "Deep Throat" in the Watergate saga wanted to tell the story to Vanity Fair two years ago -- for a price.

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An editor at the magazine, David Friend, told the Washington Post the family of Mark Felt made the offer in 2003, but the magazine refused to pay.

Felt was the No. 2 man at the FBI who fed information to Washington Post reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

After being rebuffed by the magazine, an acquaintance of the family decided the story would be published as a book, but that failed to materialize, and the family again approached Vanity Fair.

About 15 magazine staff were assigned to the story, and each signed confidentiality agreements the news would not be leaked before Tuesday's publishing date.

Neither Woodward nor Bernstein knew about the story until Friend e-mailed them a copy of it Tuesday morning.

"We felt that if we let Bob or Carl know, The Washington Post would be out before us," Friend said.