e ; - -- NORMAN ROTHMAN SECTION Since the early 1950's, Norman Rothman has been connected with the underworld, as a nightclub manager in Miami Beach and. later '. in Havana, Cuba under the ownership of the Mannarino brothers.. Turner, in this portion of his manuscript, links Rothman with a $13,500,000 burglery of the Brockville. Trust and Savings Company — in Ontario, Canada in May 1958. Rothman's implication in the robbery allegedly. came about through his gun- running activities. There was a prime marked to contra- band weapons in Cuba -- in preparation for Castro's 26th of July movement. "Kelly" Mannarino was apparently intrigued by the profits that could be realized in gunrunning,.and law enforcement officials believe that a shortage of initial cash to get this . smuggling operation going was the reason for the Brockville -robbery. ‘Turner said the bulk of the Brockville loo, as well as a large portion of money stolen from La Societe National De — Fiducie in Montreal in January 1958, was funneled "into the hands — of Pepe Cotroni" The Mannarinos became part of the mechanism needed to fence the bonds (which were part of the stolen items). Mannarino used Rothman to convert the bonds into cash. Rothman relied upon a William W. Rabin in Chicago to open a numbered . Swiss bank account and try to get a loan to buy a small bank @ which could then be,used to launder the remainder. of the loot. Before Rabin could get this transaction finalized, Mannarino robbed a national guard armory in Canton, Ohio and planned to fly the burglarized weapons to Cuba. The Boarder Patrol stopped the plane.in which the guns were being carried and arrested the Pilot, Norman Rothman, Joe Merola and three other ‘rackets runners. They were convicted of conspiring to fly stolen government firearms to Cuba. In the meantime, Swiss officials became suspicious of Rabin's financial dealings and notified the United States State Department. Rabin was located by the FBI in the Biltmore Terrace hotel in Miami Beach -- which was managed by Norman Rothman. . The hotel, Turner - claims, had been purchased in 1959 by Rothman and Alberto Arduro, serving as front men for Batista and the top floor of. the hotel .— was to be used by Batista in the event that he would be able to , gain entrance into. the United States. oo, Continued investigation by the FBI into the Brockville robbery brought the March 2, 1959 indictment of Edward J. Browder, Jr. who was charged with possession, concealment and attempt to sell come of the Canadian bonds. Rothman was one of Browders confederates during the period of time. So ; @ Turner says that. a Caribbean cargo pilot, Blaney Mack Johnson, - told the FBI shortly after Oswald was murdered, that Jack Ruby was "active in arranging illegal flights of weapons from Mimai to the Castro organization in Cuba" and was "part owner of two planes used for these purposes." _ . AW 54756 Docld: 322745514 Page 110
@ Norman Rothman Section Page 2 Additional information in the FBI report from Johnson, reveals that Browder and Ruby were engaged in. arms smuggling and that . he had met Ruby at one time. Ruby, according to Johnson, subsequently bought shares in a’ gambling house in Havana principally owned by Carlos Prio. In a discussion of Ruby's | past, Turner suggests that the gunrunning allegations are in character. At this point, Turner discusses the incidents which involved | - Ruby and Robert McKeon at which time Ruby was interested in the ‘release of three persons being held in Cuby, and the Labor Day ‘holiday of Ruby's when he visited his old friend, Lewis J. McWillie for eight days in Havana. According to newsman Thayer > Waldo, Ruby at this time boasted to two American tourists that . “he was "in with both sides". , “In the meantime, Norman Rothman was engaged in what he believed -would be an economic war on Castro -- having the destruction of the Cuban sugar crop as his goal. About this time, Rothman became involved in legal difficulties stemming from his involvement in @ the Brockville bank job. Several people were arrested in various. ‘parts of the world for transporting stolen bonds which were part of the loot. Eddie Browder was sent to prison for his ‘involvement. Rothman, however, was acquitted. A later arrest in New York , City connected with stolen. bonds sent Rothman to the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary. HW 54756 Docld: 32245514 Page 111
@ One of | History's Most Important Individuals Page a —_ Turner somewhat defends Perry's Russo's story about the Ferrie/ Oswald/Bertrand connection because he says it was on the basis of this testimony that a panel of judges bound Clay. Shaw over for trial. Another Garrison witness, David Lewis, reported ' seeing Ferrie and Oswald together, and Turner suggests that this lends authenticity to the accounts of both individuals. The author then discusses additional stories which ‘Place Ferrie and Oswald together. _In the latter part of the chapter, Turner relates that the | _ story of Richard Giesbrecht, given to the FBI on February 13, 1964, indicates that Ferrie and several other men were discussing the | assassination and involving themselves in it. As Turner points - out, there is no mention in the Warren Report of such an incident having been reported.. Part of the conversation whichGiesbrecht overheard involved a man names "Isaacs" as having become involved with Oswald. Garrison investigators apparently tried to check out. the identify of this person. Turner concludes that Garrison's description of the importance of Ferrie did accurately describe the last four years of his life. HW 54756 Docld:322745514 Page 112
"ONE OF HISTORY'S MOST IMPORTANT INDIVIDUALS" Using a quotation of Jim Garrison regarding David Ferrie, the author sets out in one of his more lengthy chapters to give the.: reader a rather complete picture of the associations and intrigues which made up the life of David Ferrie in his latter . £ifteen years. Turner describes Ferrie as a doer -- a brilliant and > talented man, more successful than not. A glimps into his early life reveals that he began to study for the priesthood when he was twenty years of age, but left after two years when he reportedly ‘suffered a mental breakdown. When accused by Jim Garrison of complicity in the assassination, . Many reporters believed Ferrie's complaint that he was an innocent “victim of Garrison's "witch hunt". Turner suggests that. this ability to solicit sympathy was a Ferrie. trademark. Turner ‘discusses. Ferrie's association with the Civil Air Patrol, his attempt to become commissioned in the U.S: Air Force in early 1950's, association with the Apostolic Orthodox Old Catholic Church, » -his employment as a pilot for Eastern Air Lines, and theorizes @ about his loss of hair -- speculating that it may have been due - “ to prolonged exposure to extreme altitudes such as achieved by | the U-2. This is pure speculation. Turner discusses the story given to Jim Garrison in 1967 by Donald P. Norton who claimed to have been in the employ of the CIA. Norton says his assignment was to "ferret out homosexuals among the officers and men in the Third Army area." One of his assign- ments brought him into contact with David Ferrie. He claimed to have been in contact with Ferrie in connection with the delivery of money to a Cuban television star. Turner says it is ‘difficult '.to assess the veracity of Norton' s story. . Ferrie's involvement in paramilitary activities on Lake Ponchartrain ‘is based upon a deposition of John Irion -- but the circumstances . “under which the deposition was given is not discussed. It can. easily be assumed it was given to Turner in connection with the . Garrison investigation. , The remainder of the chapter further discusses Ferrie's broad scope of interests , his work in connection with the Carlos Marcello. deportation trial in New Orleans in November 1963, his possible suicide notes, and the story of Perry Russo which places Ferrie, Oswald and Clay Bertrand together plotting the Kennedy assassination. ‘Turner states that Ferrie deposited over $7,000 in his bank account ® early in November 1963. oe HW 54756 Docld:32245514 Page 113