AGENCY: FBI RECORD NUMBER:  124-90104-10152 RECORD SERIES: HQ AGENCY FILENUMBER: 92-2940-34 _ Document Information ORIGINATOR: FBI FROM: PG TO: HQ TITLE: DATE: 07/09/1958 ‘PAGES: 7 SUBJECTS : SEBASTIAN JOHN LAROCCA DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT CLASSIFICATION: — Unclassified RESTRICTIONS: 4 CURRENT STATUS:  Redact DATE OF LASTREVIEW: = 07/31/1998 OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE COMMENTS : MEMO OL v9.1 NW 45836 Docid:32332854 JFK Assassination System Identification Form “Agency Information Page i
OFFICE MEMORANDUM ~ United States Government Director, FBI (92-2940) Date: 7/9/58 wa FROM: ~ 6 Pittsburgh (92-226) fo i SUBJECE: . SEBASTIAN JOHN LA Rocca, WAS., ANTI- RACKETEER IN 00: Pittsburgh: Enclosed 7 report of SA ROBERT A. VORRE, at. Pittsburgh, | . ce | : AL INFORMATION CONTAINED ee REFERENCES HEREIN 1S UNCLASSIFIED*&4 Miami airtel to Pittsburgh, 5/2/58 DATEL. : BYE letter to Bureau franlegat, Rome, 4/30/58 Report of SA ROBERT A. VOEGE, Pittsburgh, 5/15 Report’ of; SA WILLIAM HENRY SIMMS, New Ce 5 13758 Philadelphia letter to Pittsburgh, 5/29 Miami airtel’ to Pittsburgh, 5 8 Albany ‘letter to Pittsburgh, eo 79/98 Miami: ‘airtel to: Pittsburgh, 58 Baltimore - letter to Pittebarea® 6/6/58 Dallas airtel to Pittsburgh, 6/11/5 8 Report, of. SA _ FRANCIS B, TENKINS, Buffalo; 6/13/58 1/9/58 a ee ADMINISTRATIVE “TN IEW - oF ‘THE convo ron oF THE SUBJECT FOR ASsAULE Be NEENE nS roa TL 2 R CARRY IN Patou ( (Encl 2 Baltimore (Bier a (90-149) | nee ‘ oe But helo” (92-8 ) £0 3h 76h: el) 7 AAR 2 AT 40: -34 1 Miami (Info). (92-1 (Encl. 2) - 2 New York (92-825) (Enel. 2) ms ov -@ Philadelphia (92-497), (Enel.2) Be 2 ‘UL 10, a 3 Pittsburgh | X" . yi 28 1950 | | NW 45836 Docld:32332854 Page
PG 92-226" | CRIMINAL INFORMANT COVERAGE ar The, Baltimore Office advised on 6/2/58 that on 5/30/58 . MAX GOLDBERG, accountant:.for several of Pittsburgh's top hoodlums in the past,had stated to SA PAUL A, TURNER that he would cooperate with the FBI if he had information which might “be of assistance... He requested that he be contacted at ; Pittsburgh sometime prior to 6/9/58 and advised that he expected reBe at his Baltimore, Maryland, residence on or about of 1 5 ° : > i te tt ee ee * MAX LOUIS GOLDBERG, accountant for MIKE GENOVESE, SEBASTIAN JOHN LA ROCCA, and GABRIEL and SAMUEL MANNARINO for mny years, was interviewed by SA ROBERT A. VOEGE on 6/6/58 at his apartment in the Kennilworth Apartments, 5700 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., regarding SEBASTIAN JOHN LA ROCCA. He advised that he is still handling the income tax returns and other such accounting business for LA ROCCA and has been intimately. acquainted with him for many years: He stated that he appeared at. Pittsburgh during the trial of LA ROCCA several years ago and investigated LA ROCCA's past accounts, at which time he found that LA ROCCA actually owed’ the government money. He advised: that -he informed LA ROCCA of this fact and told LA ROCCA he would ‘have to pay. GOLDBERG estimates that LA ROCCA owes him approximately $5,000 for work which he has done for him in the past. . He gtated that he fully expects to be reimbursed by ' LA ROCCA but doés not know when this will be. He advised that he is an honest accountant who has never had any reason to conceal 7 | anything that might be of interest to the Federal Government. During a discussion of his background, he advised that he had " once made application to the. FBI and the U.S. Secret Service, an but did not go into any branch of the. Federal Government :because more lucrative business propositions came about at approximately rote ‘GOLDBERG advised that he would be willing to cooverate | | with the FBI‘ in his: capacity as an accountant and would furnish any figures or work’ sheets that the FBI might want to examine. He was unable to furnish any specific information regarding LA ROCCA that is not already known by the Pittsburgh Office, and | advised that the only work papers he has regarding LA ROCCA are | duplicates of these which were sent to the Internal Revenue | Service during the past several years. He stated that he is NW 45836 DociId:32332854 Page 3
PG 92-226 willing to. be contacted on a regular and continuing basis but. — that: he will ‘telephonically contact the FBI in either Pittsburgh or Baltimore should he come: into possession of any information which he feels would be of value’ to investigations being conducted on racketeers for whom’he has worked. » mes The following individuals are being utilized by the OTHER 4 Pittsburgh Office in the LA ROCCA investigation: ~~ ; potential criminal-informant, who is well acquainted with many of Pittsburgh's top hoodlums “and who Ls’ presently empbyed as a waitress in the Red ~ Kagle Club, formerly known as the Genovese Cocktail ‘Lounge, 412 Larimer Avenue,° Pittsburgh, where she ‘comes in constant contact with MIKE GENOVESE, JOHN _ , LA ROCCA, subject's younger brother, and other members ~ “of Pittsburgh's racketeering element. She is presently | ' being utilized for the coverage-of the GENOVESE-LA ROCCA- _ NELSON interests: co PG 573-C, who is extremely friendly with: the GENOVESE brothers and particularly FIORE, and who is being “utilized presently for general coverage of the Red ==. Eagle Club and its visitors. rn re . a potential criminal informant, who MS. ST -acquainted with many Pittsburgh top © -- . hoodlums’ and racketeers through association with them - when they began their racket careers; andwho is Sager ~ presently being utilized for coverage of the GENOVESE- NELSON-LA ROCCA interests.: “ a) a potential criminal informant, who . —L tly engaged in racket activity in the city 1 : . of Pittsburgh and-who is being utilized for general me ~ coverage of lottery operations and numbers operations _in the: Pittsburgh area. ~ Je AL BUCK, former Allegheny: County Detective and present . Vice President of the Fidelity Trust Company; Loan . - - Department, Pittsburgh, Pa., who is being utilized for 7 his knowlédge of the Bankers Exchange in Pittsburgh | ~3-° NW 45836 DociId:32332854 Page 4
PG 92-226 whereby he can obtain information regarding bank . loans made to Pittsburgh top hoodiums. BUCK is» » also familiar with the activities of several of _/f << "Pittsburgh's top hoodiums; particularly. those of’. “oS 0 =“ “EASROCGA, from having worked on criminal matters ps for many years . in the city: of Pittsburgh.’ Te an’ ¢ffor n . nal informant coverage, ey is , anticipated for} to increase oripinal into City Solicitor OTHER for the city of Pittsburgh, will again be contacted for his ‘views and opinions concerning the Pittsburgh criminal situation. It is further anticipated that THOMAS MARTIN, Vice President, Real Estate Department, Potter Bank and Trust Company.,:: Pittsburgh, will keep. the Pittsburgh Office advised of any newdevelopments conceming the proposed: construction of a motel backed iby GENOVESE and ARTHUR D,. NELSON in the Monroéville, Pa.,; vicinity, which would probably have” to" have the approval : of SEBASTIAN JOHN: LA ROCCA . It. is further’ anticipated that ‘former Pittsburgh top hoodlum SAMUEL’ NATHANIEL ' LEVINE, who is now a potential criminal informant for’ the Pittsburgh‘ Office, will be: contacted. at: regular intervals‘ so that a more complete picture of the racketeering activities in the city of Pittsburgh may be obtained. skoKSoN ELE & MIAMI: “(taformation) One: copy of ‘this report is: being furnished to the: Jackson- ville Office and one is being furnished to the Miami Office, both for information, ‘because of allegations made by the wife of: LA ROCCA and the Pittsburgh informants concerning subject's travel ‘in Plorida and Cuba during his’ so-called "disappearance" from Pittsburgh. With the background ‘supplied, -it is felt that these offices can intelligently handle the coverage of. ~ any, future leads requested. . ; edd BALTIMORE ots . eo “Po oes i AT BALTIMORE, MARYLAND . It is requested that: MAX. LOUIS. GOLDBERG be recentucted epen his return to his Baltimore residence for: any information é ~4o NW 45836 DociId:32332854 Page 5 a a ee > DP -
PG 92-226 that: might have come into his: possession since his contact by a Bureau agent: at Pittsburgh. It should be’ noted that GOLDBERG was contacted without any advance warning about — | what he would be interviewed about and it is felt that careful ‘deliberation and thought on his part might result in further — 7 information not recalled during the time of the interview concerning top. hoodlums SEBASTIAN. JOHN LA ROCCA and HIKE GENOVESE. BUFFALO ©. SO aan a | Be at BUFFALO, NEWYORK tis Gig lat, I> Tt: is requested: ‘that the subscriber” to-Buffalo telephone’ Moh 9610, which was contacted from the LA ROCCA residence on.5/16/58, be ascertained and a brief summary Of ae ew his background set forth. . NEW. YORK AT NEW. YORK, NEW YORK Will ascertain the identity of the subscribers to ttekphone numbers CU 5-8367 and AL 7-2715, and set forth brief background data -concerning® these subscribers... It should be, noted that: cU-5+8367 isa number which has been” called from the LA ROCCA residence on numerous occasions and that the last contact made. from the: LA ROCCA residence with AL TreTD was: on’ 4/15/58. for a total of 23 | minutes. PHILADELPHIA : ALT WAYNE, PA. : "Inasmuch as officials at the Peoples First National Bank and. Trust Company of Rittsburgh can find no savings or checking | account in-the name of LA ROCCA or any of his known aliases, will ascertain complete information conceming the checks with which the subject pays for his adopted son's room and board at Valley Forge Military Academy. Number of check, date drawn and signature. should be ascertained anda stop placed against the next check received by that school so. that it, can be determined exactly where the subject now has his bank account.’ ~5 - NW 45836 DociId:32332854 Page 6
‘PEPTSBURGH | ‘ AT PIVESBURGH, PA, _(auaaeny) ‘PG. 92+226 — we . ot ot Cr ‘Will: maintain contact. with: the> officials of the . ‘Pittsburgh offices of. the USM, Immigration and Naturalization- Service and Internal Revenue Service so that. any new developments . concerning their interest in this matter will be received” immediately. | "Be OS Will madntain regular and continuing contact with: CHARLES THOMAS, Box 71, Ingomar, Pa., (telephone Forest 4~9995) the owner and operator of the Gulf. Service Station near the LA ROCCA residerce so that it can be immediately determined when the subject arrives av his residence: es ee 3. x “Wil | check the: list of. toll calls: ‘made: from Forest i 4 5206; the: home telephane of the subject, for the names of | racket associates not now known to the Pittsburgh Office and ‘will identify and obtain apprepriate background of subscribers to telephone™ numbers” called. : 4, ‘will, “in t if event informants advise that the subject has arrived in the Pittsburgh: vicinity, immediately contact the “office: of: the USM where two subpoenaes. are outstanding and will conduct discreet surveillances ,0f. can travel, ‘noting pertinent. _Gomtacts made: by him: Syl Wild set. out: appropriate. leads on tangible results: ‘Obtained from a mail cover placed .on the residence of the subject 8%, Ingomar’. OTHER 4 y contact | tential ord criminal informants ample coverage may be afforde "ROGGK-GENOVESE-NELSON interests. oe ae “WAll, through established informant coverage, endeavor — rs ascertain ‘the specific-whereabouts of the subject during the..: | months: of February through, Tunes 19585. and. his. mode of. Saréved, te | during that: period. - 4 ‘ - a a x NW 45836 DociId:32332854 Page 7