JFK Assassination System Date: 6/2/2015 Identification Form Agency Information Peleased under the John AGENCY: FBI Kennedy RECORD NUMBER: = 124-90100-10407 Assassination Records ollection Act of 1992 RECORD SERIES: HQ (44 USC 2107 Note). asex#: NW 54027 Date: AGENCY FILENUMBER: = 52-72398-9 pii—25-2017 Document Information ORIGINATOR: FBI FROM: CV TO: HQ TITLE: DATE: 10/20/1958 PAGES: 9 SUBJECTS : JOSEPH RAYMOND MEROLA THEFT OF 318 WEAPON, 16 BLANKETS, 1 CARBINE RACK, FROM OHIO DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT CLASSIFICATION: — Unclassified RESTRICTIONS: 4 CURRENT STATUS: — Redact DATE OF LASTREVIEW: — 07/29/1998 OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE COMMENTS : AT . v9.1 HW 54027 DBocld: 323321389 Page 1
} =f I /- > “es . : > . : sea ° ~ . , . | ) a ee FD- 36 } - - — | FBI | Date: 10/20/58 — | | Transmit the ‘following in PLAIN TEXT. : | Via AIRTEL AIR MAIL TOr DIRECTOR, FBI FROM: SAC, CLEVELAND (52- 1918) 4 | RE:  UNSUBS; Theft of 318. Weapons, — p c | 16 Blankets.-One—Carbine-Rack. from Ohio ‘National Guard. Armory, WP Canton, Ohio,__1 i TGP; NEUTRALITY MATTERS </ (00: cv). , . Re Cleveland teletype to Bureau 10/14/58 and Cleveland airtels to Bureau 10/15/58 and 10/17/58. oo VIOLA BESSIE KRAJCIK, wa Sally, (whose identity must be ‘pro- tected), 1515 Lincoln Way West, Wooster, Ohio, advised 10/16/58 she is employed by Wooster Rubber Co., in the production control dept. _She served in’ the WAC from 1952 to 1955, and was in Military Why i] Intelligence in Germany for 22 months . _ Bhe is a former girlfriend of LOUIS MARTINEZ, having broken = up with-him in September, 1958. after going with him for three years. @oureay ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED | e-Miamt : HEREIN bs lou 2-Milwaukee - meek [ 2-Newark xs. DATE 6] uf>: 3 3-New York?” ‘AS ‘2-San Juan: 1-Washington Field Office 3- Cleveland tifa J, at) Approved: a 66 OCT 29 i958 - we HW 54027 Docld:323327189 Page 2?
CV 52-1918 She has known for some time that MARTINEZ has been working on behalf. of the Cuban Rebel forces to obtain arms and equipment for them. MARTINEZ, who is an attorney has told informant that he is legally engaged in. this activity and assists the rebels in obtaining export licenses for equipment. = - : One associate of MARTINEZ is MARTIN RUTHFORD, 535 W.11lth, \New York City, who is an industrial engineer for some enterprise company. .RUTHFORD's telephone number is ACademy 2-0872, and informant has determined MARTINEZ's whereabouts on previous occasions by calling RUTHFORD. RUTHFORD is a demolition expert, having served in this capacity in the Armed Forces and was to do a demolition job for Cuban - '-[rebels on ammunition supply of Battista Government. RUTHFORD was to receive $375,000 for this job, half of which was to go to MARTINEZ. . RUTHFORD is described as male, white, 6'2", blonde hair, fair complexion, 36, wears black patch over right eye, has even white _ teeth, medium build. C , Informant advised that MARTINEZ's activities on behalf of | the Cuban. rebels has only come to her attention since March or April of this year. os v3 , Another associate of MARTINEZ is PETER LEBLOVICH, Montclair, New Jersey. Several months ago LEBLOVICH was supposed to -have given MARTINEZ $30,000 to obtain weapons, which was lost. Informant stated that MARTINEZ has blamed her for the loss because he was coming to Ohio to see her after receiving this money so he gave it to another fellow who was to complete the transaction for the weapons. — Either ‘the money was stolen by this individual or lost in some manner because MARTINEZ has been held responsible by the Cuban Rebels for its loss, and they have apparently been pressing him for the money or the arms. Informant said that in June, July, or August, 1958, MARTINEZ was in British Honduras checking on the $30,000 for the-man who had it had disappeared either from New York or Washington,. D. C. Informant said on one occasion MARTINEZ showed her a check for $27,000 which ~ LEBLOVICH was supposed to have given him. She said MARTINEZ was . prone to boast when he was doing well but if things were going badly for him he was not talkative. , 7 Informant continued that in either July or August, 1958, . MARTINEZ was in Toronto, Candan, negotiating the purchase of 10 surplus righter planes. MARTINEZ had invited her to meet him in Toronto, which she did. She sald she saw these planes which were -2. HW 54027 DBocld:32332189 Page 3
he Cv 52-1918 ‘silver in color at the Municipal Airport in Toronto. MARTINEZ had ‘engaged 4 Panamanian pilots to fly the planes from Canada; but although they were permitted to travel to the United States, the Canadian Authorities would not allow them to enter Canada to pilot the planes from Toronto. Informant stated that it is her understand- ing that the planes are now in New Jersey, possibly around LEBLOVICH's home, but. she was unable to furnish information as to how they were piloted there. os While in Toronto, two men from Milwaukee were ‘there: with MARTINEZ. One whom she knew as "VIC" had his wife with him. "VIC" was 5'3", 60 years of age, thin build. The other she knew as MERLIN. She gathered from their conversation that both were American indus- trialists, and that possibly the surplus planes had been purchased: from "VIC." She said that "VIC" claimed to have lived in Canada at | one time, formerly served in the Canadian Air. Force, and had an expensive home now in Milwaukee. | Informant stated that in the three years that she dated MARTINEZ she frequently went to New York for a weekend and usually stayed at the Edison Hotel. In May, 1958, she went to New York and = presumed she would stay at the Edison Hotel; however, MARTINEZ obtained a room for her at the Manhatten Hotel. She stated that.the reason for this was that: MARTINEZ was meeting with a group of. men whom she assumed to be Cuban Rebels at the Edison Hotel, and for this reason he had her stay at the Manhatten so as not to involve her in his affairs. She stated that one of the men meeting with MARTINEZ had also brought his wife and she,‘ too, stayed at the Manhatten Hotel. She did not recall the name of this woman, nor did she know the names of any of the men meeting with MARTINEZ. ; Informant stated that whenever she was with MARTINEZ she was passed off to others in the group as MARTINEZ's secretary from his law office in Canton, Ohio. She said that often the people who were with MARTINEZ spoke Spanish and she, net being able to understand Spanish, did not know what- they were discussing. Informant said MARTINEZ told her that a girl named "BLANCA, " which in Spanish is supposed to mean the "fair one" was hauling guns from New York to Miami in her suitcases and was supposed to make these trips frequently. She said "BLANCA" and JOSE MORALES were in. Canton, Ohio, in April or May, 1958, and stayed at the Ambassador ~ Motel. She stated MORALES is also working for the Cuban Rebels cause. MORALES and MARTINEZ left the motel while she and "BLANCA" stayed at -3- HW 54027 Docld:323327189 Page 4
cv 52-1918 the motel. Another friend and close associate of MARTINEZ is NICK TRIKILIS, who is the owner of the Air and Air Corp., Wooster, Ohio. She said that TRIKILIS is also interested in the Cuban Rebels cause. .Informant states that MARTINEZ spends much of his time in Miami, Florida, and usually stays at the Ponce DeLeon Hotel or the Dupont Plaza. He has told her that Castro's Cuban Rebels are paying for his expenses. a , _ Informant stated that FRANCISCO BARONA ALONSO, who is supposed to be the next president of Cuba when CASTRO is victorious, was also in Canton, Ohio, at the same time that MORALES was there. ALONSO stayed at the home of PAUL CALVO, who lives on the northwest corner of Rice and Third Street, NE. On the day after ALONSO was there she drove MARTINEZ to CALVO's home and he entered the house and fg returned with a small package which MARTINEZ carried to his parent's #\| home about 3 houses away. She later drove MARTINEZ to Cleveland to a {Md | |} catch a plane for Miami. Sometime after. he had made the trip he 1 | told informant that thé package he obtained from CALVO contained a i | | bomb which he had taken in his suitcase on the plane for Miami. 4 | | Informant stated that MARTINEZ usually took Eastern Airlines Flight if } | 736. from Cleveland Hopkins Airport to Miami and took a plane from 4 \Canton-Akron, Ohio, Airport if he was flying to New York. ' Informant stated MARTINEZ frequently visited the Spanish rvs Center in Canton, Ohio, when he was in Canton and once during the pest summer when the Spanish Fiesta was held, MARTINEZ was accompanied by @ young boy who made a speech in an effort to solicit funds for what he termed a Cuban Educational Fund for students. The collection ; was not fruitful and MARTINEZ later made a comment to her that: those in attendance were not interested in helping their own kind. . -Informant advised that a man she knew as MIKE DUGAN or '*- DUNCAN waB also in Toronto with MARTINEZ and his group when they ' purchased the surplus planes. She stated this man was from White Plains, New York, Telephone number, WH 8-9430. Informant said MARTINEZ had given MIKE her telephone number at one time so that he could contact her for MARTINEZ if necessary. She added that MIKE was Supposed to buy a surplus army "Duck" which he was going to convert for his personal use.’ Informant said she had seen scraps of paper belonging to MARTINEZ in which notations appeared thereon concerning purchase of . B.A.R. surplus rifles. She said that she had also heard MARTINEZ mention that he was making contacts somewhere in Brooklyn, NY for the purchase of B.A.R. rifles for the Cuban Rebels. -4- HW 54027 DBocld:32332189 Page 5
ov 52-1918 a Informant indicated that MARTINEZ had mentioned that he intended getting medicinal supplies in New York for. MORALES and was going to pass MORALES off as a medical student. Informant said she presumed from the conversation that this was to involve a large shipment of supplies to be destined for the Cuban Rebels. — _ Informant stated that MARTINEZ was promoting the — building. of a Pan American Building in Cleveland, Ohio but that Cleveland officials were not interested and he later tried to . get such a building erected in Miami, Florida. MARTINEZ advised such a structure would promote better harmony among the American countries. The backing for such a building was to come from Insurance Companies in South America or the United States. MARTINEZ made frequent trips to Caracas, Venezuela, and in July or August 1958: he called from Miami and said he was going to go "across the water" which she took to mean Cuba. She said MARTINEZ has stated that he met with CASTRO, the head of the Cuban Rebels, in the. past. Informant said that al though she had no definite in- formation she would presume that any arms which were transported to Miami from New York would end up at the Trade Winds Hotel, Miami, which is where FRANCISCO BARONA ALONSO stays.while he is in Miami. It is informant's opinion that ALONSO spends most of his time in Florida. - Informant said MARTINEZ’ has an associate in West~ chester, New York by the name of TOATER (Ph). - Informant stated MARTINEZ owes her $30 which she - has loaned him over a period of time and she has been seeking repayment of this debt since she broke up with MARTINEZ. She said MARTINEZ called on September 9, 1958, and said that he was going to up-state New York and then to Miami and would be in Canton, Ohio on Monday or Tuesday, October 13 or 14 and he didn't want her to tell anyone where he was going to be. Informant stated that MARTINEZ was explicit in telling her that he was going to be in up-state New York and then Miami, then Canton, and she did not know why he made such a point of -5- ee HW 54027 Docld:323327189 Page 6
ee een ' tn Canton. | | : | | a CV 52-1918 making this clear to her. At this time MARTINEZ also asked her to obtain $20.which a friend owed him and send it by Money Order to him at the main. office of Western Union, New — York, which she did. He promised to send informant the $340 he owed her on October 11, 1958 but to date it has not been re- ceived. oo Informant said that she had no definite information that MARTINEZ was responsible for the theft of instant weapons at “the Canton Armory but when she read it in the newspaper she immediately thought that he would be the logical person to dispose of such a quantity of arms and that he possibly had done so to make up for the weapons he failed-to get when he lost the. $30,000 given him by the Cuban Rebels for this purpose. . Informant stated MARTINEZ flew everywhere he went, does not ow a car but on September 11, 1958 whenle visited her in Canton he was driving a 1957 two-tone green Cadillac, bearing Ohio license N-224-T which he had borrowed from a friend Informant said that in early September, 1958 she rer “eeived a telephone call from two individuals identifying them- selves as THOMPSON and MARDIGO and they were interested in learn- ing of MARTINEZ! whereabouts, She refused to give them any . information. On September 15, 1958, while driving to her home she was forced from the road by two men in a black Packard — bearing Ohio license, number unobserved, who again asked her about MARTINEZ' whereabouts and she refused to give them any information. She said she was offered $5,000 for this in- formation and the men stated they had seen her in MARTINEZ' © company the weekend before in New York, which informant stated was true. ‘When she refused to tell them anything they slapped her around before letting her go. When she later told - MARTINEZ of this he asked her why she didn't report it to the police, to which she replied if she had done so she would have had to tell them all she knew about him. Informant said MARTINEZ “has access to a private Plane because he flew from Miami to New York on the occasion that he went to Toronto. While tn Toronto they stayed at the . Conroy Hotel registered under the names of SALLY KRAJCIK, and: LOUIS MARTINEZ. She stated MARTINEZ has always used his. own - 6 ~ HW 54027 Docld:323327189 Page 7
ov 52-1918 name in registering at any hotel and she has always called him at various hotels under his own name. - Informant said that on the weekend of July 25, 1958 | a conference was held in Room 1313 of the Manhattan Hotel, New York, with MARTINEZ and Cuban Rebels in attendance and it was shortly after this that RUTHFORD was to go to Cuba to pull a demolition job of President BATTISTA's ammunition. She did not know any of those in attendance at the meetingsince she was not there, Informant said she once tried to’ reach MARTINEZ at the Ponce de Leon Hotel in Miami and was given the number Franklin 32988 where he could be reached in Miami and when she called this number MARTINEZ answered. On another occasion when she called this number the person answering said it was the Bel Air Corp. and MARTINEZ was unknown there, FRED L. BAILEY advised on October 16, 1958, that on October 13, 1958 on Flight 737 from Cleveland to Miami and Bileht 145 from Miami to San Juan, MARTINEZ and BONIFACIO.were passengers on this flight. On October 16, 1958, on Flight 749 “from Cleveland to Miami, and Flight 145 from Miami to San Juan, MARTINEZ and RUFINO were passengers on this flight: to arrive in San Juan at 1:00 PM on October 16, (1958. MARTINEZ is known to Canton PD as former attorney who frequently passed worthless checks and it is reported that his parents have paid off $20,000 in worthless checks which MARTINEZ has passed throughout the country. | MARTINEZ is described as male, white, born 5/30/2h, Canton, Ohio, dark complexion, 5! Th, black hair, brown eyes, enippled left arm, , LEADS MAIMI: AT MIAMI, FLORIDA: . Will make discreet inquiry at Trade Winds Hotel and ascertain if FRANCISCO BARONA ALONSO is staying there: a Docld: 323327189 Page 3