AGENCY: FBI RECORD NUMBER: —124-10282-10485 | RECORD SERIES: HQ ; AGENCY FILENUMBER: _105-82933-2ND NR 4 Document Information ORIGINATOR: FBI FROM: SAC, NY ‘ TO: DIRECTOR, FBI TITLE : | | | DATE: 08/23/1960 PAGES: 8 } SUBJECTS : i. [Restricted] DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT 7 CLASSIFICATION: — Secret RESTRICTIONS: 1B; 1C;4 “CURRENT STATUS: — Redact DATE OF LASTREVIEW: 05/15/1998 OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE COMMENTS: INC LHM v9.1 BDoclda: 32302973 Page 1 JFK Assassination System Identification Form Agency Information Date: 5/26/201
- UNZPED STATES ‘GOVERNMENT “ - ; MEMORANDUM _ SECRET) | oe | | TCONFRENTIAL TO: . DIRECTOR, FBI (105-86307) DAIE: . 8/23/60  BROM: SAC, NEW YORK (105-39681) ste SUBJECT: AMERICO vOSEPH SALEBE Is - k Enclosed are Bae” (9) copies of a letterhead memorandum dated end captioned as above, setting forth all [pssociation furnished by subject concerning his past (9B ssociation with Soviets fin the NYC areas during interviews f conducted on 7/21/60, and 8/11/60. The 8/11/60, re- interview was. conducted by SAS RICHARD W. HILL and FRANKLIN BB, TEETER away from subject's place of residence. &) in addition to being shown photographs of (Soviets 7 KOVALEV and MISHUKOV,]whnich he positively identified, (Ss) SALEBE was also show photographs of [Soviets VADIM A, KIRILYUK and BORIS I. BUKATIY.] He waS unable to identify ‘OF A In Connection with KIRILYUKMS) FIER ni either of phese[Zoviets, Ps attention is cerIed to the fact that/former PS advis dn 62 the past that SALEBE had told her that he had taken (KCVALRV, zs YURIY A, MISHUKOV, and VADIM ciarsyf SO a party given Dy LIBE y mri HOLMAN REYNOLDS in the Summer of 1958. Thrcughout the $38 8/11/60, interview, subject insisted “that [KOVALEV and oe é Bm i = a ty - VRS == i prea (105- 36307) (728 Grete 9 ?) oD 5 Leo5-omra YURIY MISHUKOV 4 DENNISCHARBER) 1 -~ ~ 1000313343) (LIBBY HOLMAN REYNOLDS New York ise ce fe A. MISHCKOV) y ys ) 05-64470) ras A. ae Ss) Wew York |(105-27651) (LEONTD A, KOVALEV , = New York (105-37990 NWS HARBER) _1 - New York $105. ~37958 (Losi HQLMAN REYNOLDS) ‘1 - New York 105-3681) o/ ot FBT:1lhb 9-27)~ } "CONF TIAL PETTY? (la-2 4/ wg me LASSIFIED BY . Y ON: 25 98 AUG: ge 1960 gn gi 7 A ‘7 Docld:32302973 Page 2 ORIGINAL FILED IN / er oon —-—_-—_..
SECRET NY 105-39681 CONDSENTIALS | were the only{Ss Govsers fi had associated with. When shown the ote ont (8 LYUK,Jnowever, he stated that ne (5) recalled that DENNIS HARBER had in past mentioned af VADIM §s who was a student. at the Berlitz School. Subject w unab- to state whether this(VADIM (LNU)\was identical with¢ 5) (S) KIRILYUK } and he insisted that he had never actually \mét (s) Senne his individual. He further advised that the only party | he had ever attended at LIBBY HOLMAN REYNOLD's apartment where (Soviets] s |wére present, was the affair following the art oniy{ KOVAL (referred to in the letterhead memorandum) and oniy| KOVALEV Iwas present. E Bw In nnection with his association with LIBBY HOLMAN REYNOLDS, subject stated that he had attended parties and other social. gatherings at her apartment on several occasions, but insisted that the above mentioned one was the only such affair where [Soviets were present! $ However, he pointed out that it was entirely viets feds 5) Mrs. REYNOLDS invited{KOVALEV and/or other Soviets parties after the one\where she first net KOVALEV. “ ne this line he volunteered the ne Pinot nei{k at in March, 1960, LIBBY HOLMAN REYNOLDS contacted him by telephone to invite him to another art exhibition to be held in Greenwich Village. She told him that she planned to invite/{KO uv Ys) and asked subject where she should send thefSovie sks) | invitation. SALEBE told her he only knew{ KC TALEV's NLS) address. Subject added that he had not actually attend this art exhibition-so he did not know if KOVALEV Jwas Bresent (S) Hawever, he pointed out that he did attend a party ay Mrs. REYNOLDS apartment fpllowing the art exhibition, and{ KOVALEV _\(s) was not present. mn) ' During both the 7/21/60, and 8/11/60, interviews following his having given’a resume of his association with oceersiees subject stated on both oécasions that his last ontact with this{Sovietthad been in March, 1959, at thelS party at LIBBY HOLMAN NOLDS! apartment. Inasmuch as th ANNETTE EPSTEIN and also former PSI BURTON VAN HORN FOREMAN had reported that SALEBE was present _at a party given on 4/16/60, by FOREMAN and advised that KOVALEV Jwas also present(,S) it was decided during the 8/11/60, interview to resolve | this “contempt -2- SECRET: Docld: 32302973 Page 3
r) ©) NY 105-39681 | # AS 5 matter. AS a result, and because or (kovaraw' tPverture from the US and the subsequent closing of the 134 cases on both EPSTSIN and FOREMAN, subject was asked if he nad not attended a party in April, 1960, at which[KOVALE\ Tk 5) was present. SATEBE immediately acknowledged that he had attended such a party at the residence of FOREMAN and stated that he had forgotten about it. At this point he also stated thet he had cone nothing wrong, had nothing to hide, and nad no reason not to tell tne FBI about the April, 1960, party except that he simply forgot it. He further stated that he was very sécurity conscious ROVALEV] of his job with Lockheed and hed he thought that 6) [KOVALEV [was up to anything suspicious he wouid have 'S contacted the FBI immediately. With respect to his “eontacting the FBI, subject stated that he would ediately notify the NYO should he be re-cotiiacted by KOVALEV] or any ovher (Soviets, ( regardless of what the purpoSe of such con “[Sovi mig be. However, he expressed the belief that govaratfiout pot (s) '. contact him, exolaining that he had met thi oviet =) DENNIS HARBER and that [kovaLay had sho nothing more thax just a casual social interest in him. Cis In view of subject's cooperative attitude and willingness to furnish the details of his association with (3) KOVALEV] it is felt that he does not constitute a risk to he security_of the country. Also, because of the fact (S) that (KovaLEV[has departed the US and is not expected fo return and asmuch as[NISHUKOV has make no effort to{5 develop subject, it is Telt tn SALEBE has little if “any ~ potential asfa double agent orlinformant. ‘Therefore, this (Ss) case is being” piaced in a closed status. Should any information be recejyed indicating further association between subject and/Soviets,{ this case will be ‘fanual 3f02 and handled in compTiance wi nfsection 1O5K of Manual of Instructi tons ly & G) The confidential informant used to document (siCiovsnav's past intelligence. activities Jin, enclosed letterhead emorandum was{Physical Observation Posts{which were § meintained in vicinity of Springfield, Mass., in Jul 1959; | and Aug.; 1959. « The confidential informant used to document CON... SECRET pA = 'Docld:32302973 Page 4
— a : . UNiTED STATES DEPARTMENT OF {USTICE SECRE] | ERS A PSD Be IM EPHTIEATION New York, New York to. 7 File No. | CONFIBENTIAL. /0-3°7- August 2351960 aesiFieD BY SG6£SLD [KIC’  DECLASSIFY ON: 26X_J Re: Americo Joseph Salebe © (JFK) Internal Security - R . sified ONE wn R On July 21, 1960, and August 11, 1960, captioned individual, who resides at 454 West 22nd Street, New York City, and is employed as an Aviation Electrician at Lockheed Aircraft Service International, Incorporated, New York International Airport, Jamaica, Queens, New York, furnished the following information concerning his past association with[Soviet nationals employed at the United Nations :[\@ (6) Shortly after immigrating to the United States from Colombia, Central America in 1956, Salebe met, and became a roommate of Dennis L. Harber, an English Instructor at the Berlitz School of Languages, Rockefeller Center, New York . City. Harber had as students at the Berlitz School a_number of foreign nationals, among whom were several]Soviets. S) Harber often talked to Salebe about the fact at he had (6)[Russians as students and explained that they or{ che effect, nternational civil servants as they worked for} the United NationsJorganization rather than being members th Soviet (S) Union's Delegation to the United Nations.] Salebe met only(s | two of an eee under the following circumstances: . Ss s . — 4 1 The first/ Soviet a) met was introduced to him as (<) Leonid Kovaley oy Harber. Salebe met this individual in the KQ pring of 1955, when he accompanied Dennis Harber to the maven © . . . ot . s) ; ; “ He next saw Kovaieyf Snettne during the Summer of 1958, when, he attended a party on West 79th Street, New York City, Which was given by Miss Annette Epstein, another Instructor i ‘at the Berlitz School, eA) This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is . _ the property of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is | loaned to your agency; it and its contents are not to be distributed outside your agency. ALL INFORMAVION CONTAINE: j HaS2iN 13 UNCLASSIFIED CONFID NTIAL paula WHERE SHOWN ENCLOSURE THERWISE dO F933 SECRET Docld: 323027973 Page 6
ek ne courrP€urras © SECRET Americo Joseph Salebe . gorge Also. present at this party was another gover’) national who was introduced b( Kovalev as "George") and further identified as a fellowworker Gt the United Nations Secretariat .] During the course of the @€vening, Salebe (S conversed on several occasions with botin[ Kovalev and *Georae. | These conversations were pure social in|(S ature; however, at one point he conversed in Spanish with "George, "|who told him that he|(the Soviet){had learned 5) panish while serving in Spain In 1934 and/or 1935. "George"| did not explain what work he was doing in spain G) Following the party given by Annette Epstein, Salebe sawfSoviet Leonid Kovalev] on a number of cane to(sy2 either at e Berlitz School or when the Soviet] came ©OK, his and Harber's apartment for English 1 son His next contact with[ Kovalev Yecurred in the Spring of 1959. Sometime in March, 1959, Mrs. Libby Holman Reynolds invited Salebe to an art exhipition to be © held at a gallery on Madison Avenue. Salebe explained that Mrs. Reynolds was a wealthy woman he had met some five years previously when he operated a Hi Fidelity Repair Shop. She was referred to him by another customer and had utilized his services both in connection with Hi-Fi systems in her New York City apartment and her home in Connecticut. As a result of doing work for Mrs. Reynolds, she had invited'him to several cocktail parties and other such affairs X1 In. addition to inviting him to the art exhibition, Mrs. Reynolds told Salebe that she was planning a ur of the Far East and wanted to inelude(the Soviet Union| this tour. She asked if Salebe or Dennis Harber knew a Sgeitttys who might be able to give her some ideas to the i e of entertainment which would be accepted in{t (tne ussR] QC fs) Ss are ae of Mrs. Reynolds request, Salehds sath lev ephone ot fehe United Nations. e explained ° ene te Mrs. Reynolds wanted and invite $) him -to the ar exhibiti n. [kovalev [stated he would be glad 6) cont) mie ~ x CONF LQKENTI . . _ Conrpeurrar “=== SECRET Art Docld: 32302973 Page 7
ne © court dyrta tO SECRET) Americo Joseph Salebe | TORPENTIAL to talk to Mrs. Reynolds and they agreed to meet at the art gallery. KEK . Following the exhibition, Salebe end[kovaiey | 5 attended a party given by Libby Holman Reynolds at her New York City apartment. During this a air, 8. Reynolds talked about her proncsed tour with{Kovatey in egrebe's (S) presence, Kovalev]told Mrs. Reynolds that he did not thidk 6) that the type of Gc cert she was planning would be very well receivedfin the USSR and also stated that he did not believe $ she coul rrange I'v under thefofficial exchange program ‘s\ 7 between the United States and e Soviet Union) However, 5) 7 he told her that if She still wanted to try an arrange it She should contact [the Intourist organization? 6) Salebe's last contact with[Kovaley curred in April, 1960,. when he attended a party held at the residence of Burton Foreman on Claremont Avenue near Columbia University, New York City. Salebe identified Foreman as a former Instructor at the Berlitz School of Languages who currently teaches Japanese at Columbia. He further explained that he had met Foreman at the party given by Annette Epstein during the Summer of 1958, and did not know him well, adding that - it was Annette Epsein who invited him to the April, 1960, party. &¥R) Salebe advised that he arrived at the Foreman party at approximately 10:00 p.m. and knew few of the People present. However, Kovalev] showed up at the afeaif approximately one hour la r, and they visited togéther Socially on several occasions. [Kovalev left the party, alone,(s) at 12:30 p.m. Salebe remained the affair until it ended at approximately 4:00 a.m. and spent most of the time dancing with a girl introduced to him by Annette Epstein, Nee Following the above resume of his contacts with §)L_ Kovalev,|Salebe advised that ali of his contacts with this oviet}had been purely social in nature and"above board" He >) dded hat Kovaley]nad at no time asked him about his so0( 5) at the New York Ifternational Airport and in fact had mad 2 no.unusual requests. Salebe stated that he considers himself KS | pacta: 32302973 Page @
> + wat ‘ pF Amerito Joseph Salebe . CONE EATIAL a loyal American, even though he is a naturalized citizen, | and would have discontinued his association with ovalev[S) limited as it was, if [the Sovietithad acted suspicious “6. any way. an 2 Concerning noe? ge, alebe advised that he had only met and talked caer Soviet] tJon, the one occasion, the(S) party given by Annette EpStein during the Summer_of 1958. However, he stated that from remarkg that Kovalev} had made (8) he got the impression that George" |was also aleyha at(S) he March 1959, art exhibition, although if so, he, g)(icecree, did not attend the party held afterwards at Libby eh olman Reynolds" apartment. ‘RA During the course of the aboye interviews, Salebe $9) positively identitiedés photograph of [Soviet national Leoni C Afamsievicn Kovalev\as the|Leonid Kovaley|he had met through (8) Dennis Harber. He further positively identifiedfa aa vogr of (Soviet national Yurly Alekseevich Mishukov| as Eee known to hin as "deoree "LW Exe to his departure from the United States on une 1, 1 Leo id Afanasievich Kovalev was employedJas_ a $2 (5) Translator te [russian Section, Language and Meetings&¢, : ervice, Office 3 [fussien Section, tang United Nations ecretariat) New York City. (vuriy Alekseevich Mishukovjis Cs) currently hye in the same capacity at che(United Nations Secretariat RS) - | : According to a confidential source, who has furnished reliable information in the past, [Kovalev has engaged in intelligence activities\ in the pasthy fe) Also, according to another confidential sgurce -who has furnished reliable information in the past,(Mishukov ‘has engaged in intelligence act tivities] in» the aK) | | sonerpinrtar SECRET 2 Docld: 32302973 Page 9