JFK Assassination System ; . Date: $/11/201 Identification Form “Agency Information Peleased under the John AGENCY : » FBI - Kennedy RECORD NUMBER: —124-90104-10164 _ ~Pssassination Records Ollection Act of 1992 ase#: NU 56792 Date: -11-2018 AGENCY FILENUMBER: = 92-2940-42 Document Information ORIGINATOR: FBI - FROM: PG TO: HQ TITLE: 3 DATE: 12/23/1958 “PAGES: 29 SUBJECTS : SEBASTIAN JOHN LAROCCA DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT CLASSIFICATION: — Unclassified RESTRICTIONS: 4; 10(a)2 “CURRENT STATUS: = Redact DATE OF LASTREVIEW: 05/05/1999 OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE COMMENTS : RPT < SS Sr v9.1 ; 10 HW 56792 Docld:32332866 Page 1
PG 92-226 Guard, Canton, Ohio, 10/14/58;TGP; ITSP," (PG file 52-1687) (smuggling of stolen Government weapons to Cuban Rebels); "UNSUB; Bombing of Osage Junior High School, Osage, W.Va., 11/10/58; INFO CONCERNING," (PG file 62-2451) ; "ORAN BAKER; et al; ELECTION LAWS," (PG file 56-89). CRIMINAT; INFORMANT COVERAGE The following individuals are presently being utilized by the Pittsburgh Office in the SEBASTIA OHN LA ROCCA investigation: ' PG .573-C, who is extremely friendly with the GENOVESE brothers and particularly FIORE GENOVESE, younger brother of MIKE GENOVESE, and who is presently being utilized for the general coverage of the Red Eagle Club and its visitors. JFK Act 6 (4) yew ace 2 PCI of the Pittsburgh Office, who” | is well acquainted with most of Pittsburgh's top hoodlums— and who was .formerly employed as a waitress in the Red j ‘Eagle Club, once known as the Genovese Cocktail Lounge, 412 Larimer Avenue, Pittsburgh. She still visits this establishment and comes in constant contact with MIKE | GENOVESE and other members of Pittsburgh's racketee element in her role as a medium-priced prostitute. — ‘is presently traveling with Mrs. JULIA MINTZ, widow o JAKE MINTZ, co-owner of EZZARD CHARLES, former World's heavyweight boxing champion. She is presently being utilized for the coverage of the GENOVESE-LA ROCCA-NELSON ; interests.  .” : \ GEORGE "MOON" MESSER, a PCI who is presently. very active in Pittsburgh numbers operations and who was arrested during the month of August, 1958, in connection with his operation. MESSER is intimately acquainted with many Pittsburgh top hoodlums and racketeers through association with them when they’ began their racket careers. He is presently being utilized for coverage of the GENOVESE- NELSON interests and is also contributing information regarding the VOLPE brothers, present Pittsburgh top hoodlums who are close associates of GENOVESE and LA ROCCA. GEORGE "ZIP" ZAPPA, a PCI of the Pittsburgh Office presently . te -A- COVER PAGE . AS Lod - loser A HW 56792 N \ Docld: 323327866 Page 2?
Jit cements ne - . . : coe SUEUR anmninneaaenamaaeenmeneeoeenneenennenennes “aR ! ff . * - i ‘ PG 92-226 establishments frequented by the subject when he is in the Pittsburgh vicinity. © The identity of the anonymous informant calling himself "TIGER" is still being sought so that he may be contacted personally and will no longer have to depend on the written word for the furnishing of his racket information to the Pittsburgh Office. It is anticipated that THOMAS MARTIN, Vice President of the Real Estate Department of the Potter Bank and Trust Company in Pittsburgh, will keep the Pittsburgh office advised of any new developments concerning the proposed construction of a motel financed by MIKE GENOVESE and ARTHUR D. NELSON in the Monroeville, Pa., vicinity which would undoubtedly have to have the approval and overall financial backing of SEBASTIAN JOHN LA ROCCA, It is further anticipated that former Pittsburgh top hoodlum, SAMUEL NATHANIEL LEVINE, who is now a PCI for the Pittsburgh Office and who is well acquainted with LA ROCCA, will be contacted at regular intervals so that a more complete picture of. the racketeering activities in the City of Pittsburgh may be obtained. It should be noted that contacts with LEVINE to date have achieved the latter objective to a degree but have not been productive. in furnishing information.concerning LA ROCCA, a . LEADS. BALTIMORE, JACKSONVILLE, MIAMI AND PHILADELPHIA ~ INFORMATION One copy of this report is being furnished to the’ Baltimore Office inasmuch as MAX LOUIS GOLDBERG, the personal accountant and close associate of the subject, makes his permanent residence in that city. Although the Baltimore Office has temporarily given up contacting GOLDBERG because of his critical illness, it is felt that he may be contacted at a future date. It should be noted that LA ROCCA owes GOLDBERG more than $5,000 at present and tht if his illness does prove to be fatal, it is a foregone conclusion that LA ROCCA will travel to Baltimore to see the GOLDBERG family. One copy of this report is being furnished to the Jacksonville and Miami Offices for information purposes because of allegations made by the wife of LA ROCCA and Pittsburgh informants concerning -C- COVER PAGE ke SO} Gd: forpd HW 56792 ro Docld: 3273327866 Page 4
Bia 56792 Docld:323327366 Page 5 FD-204 (Rev. 9-23-58) wen 4a, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Copy to: Report of: | SA ROBERT A. VOEGE Office. PITTSBURGH Date: — DEC a3 4 958 ; . File Number: PG 92 ~-226 , Bufile 92-2940 Tile: SEBASTIAN JOHN LA ROCCA, aka J OJEK Law 10(a)2 Character: ANTI-RACKETEERING Synopsis: Wife of LA ROCCA is confined at Mercy Hospital,” ‘Pittsburgh, Pa., following surgery on 11/21/58 which was performed” by same physician who operated on SAMUEL MANNARINO, Pittsburgh - top hoodlum, during May, 1958. Associates and informants po indicate that LA ROCCA has not returned to Pittsburgh vicinity” and has ostensibly trusted his business and personal affairs ‘ to JOHN J. CONTI, a cousin and MIKE GENOVESE, Pittsburgh and national top. hoodlum. , his partner at Automatic Carwash in Pittsburgh, received subpoenas to appear bef Inquest for nef | ion [ léo testify and give evidence regarding alleged violation of numerous sections and titles, U.S. Code. Possibility that LA ROCCA and GABRIEL MANNARINO, ‘Pittsburgh and national top hoodlums, are hiding at hunting lodge in Pennsylvania section near Maryland border being explored. Information relating to legitimate business operations of LA ROCCA set forth. IN VIEW OF THE CONVICTION OF SUBJECT FOR ASSAULT WITH INTENT ‘TO KILL AND HIS - RAREST FOR CARRYING A CONCEALED WEAPON, 7 . SH ‘BE CONSIDERED DANGEROUS. -P- . | This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of any kind. {# is the properfy of the FBI, and isa ha fo Oy Ay ) i# and/or its contents are not ¢o be distributed outside your agency. St Ly . ‘reg-74625-1 17 epo i y ‘ _—_ . . —
fs \ 4 I t age tee ee PG 92-226 Allegheny County. Records in this regard were reviewed by THOMAS MC QUAIDE and PATRICK MC CORMICK, Identification Officers for the Pittsburgh Police Department and. Allegheny County Detective Bureau, respectively. in Miss. ALYCE TAFELSKI, Clerk, Pittsburgh Credit Bureau, Tile., 635 Smithfield Street, Pittsburgh, Pa., advised on October 17, 1958, that she has a record for JAMES CEFALO and his wife, ISABELLE dated February 15, 1956, at which time he lived at 59 Cheyenne Drive, Pittsburgh 5, Pa., and was buying his own home. The report stated that he had lived at this address for: two years and had formerly resided at _829 Inwood Street and at 7139 Bleury Way, both Pittsburgh. He was listed as being from 38 to 40 years of age in 1956, and had two children - at that time. His employment was shown as that of a driver for Continental Transportation Lines at McKees Rocks, Pa., since 1935. Former employments were shown as Conte Brothers and Kramer Brothers. It was also reflected thathis credit | record was satisfactory and that he had a satisfactory checking account at the Crafton Branch of the Peoples First National Bank. we i yw The "pi ttsbureh Post-Gazette" carried an article in its ph October 23, 1958, issue which indicated that JOSEPH}OLPE, a close associate of the subject, and his friend, THOMAS HELIS, were indicted by the Allegheny County Grand Jury on October 22, 1958, at Pittsburgh, for attempting to bribe a juror in the Katz-Stupak Racket Trial.. The article. stated that both were charged with conspiring to commit. "embracery" which the paper defined as the legal term for approaching a juror and solicitation to commit embracery. The article. described: VOLPE as the owner of the Rainbow Gardens at. McKeesport, Pa., and “youngest member of the notorious Volpe. clan.” On November 26; 1958, ALBERT DIMEOLO, United’ States Marshal for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh,: advised SA ROBERT A, VOEGE that he had just received subpoenas to be ordering. them to. appear before the Grand Inques “SPK Law 10(a)2 ; HW 56792 Docld: 323327866 Page 6
PG 92-226 Lt 9:45 aM on ———,, ‘testity and Give evidence in regard to an alleged violtion of the Following sections of the United States Code : Sections 371, 1406; Title 18, unitea ‘States ‘Code Sections 174, 184A, Title 21, United States Code Section 7237 (A and B); Title 26, United States. Code He advised that the subpoenas “We stated that the subpoénas would be sewed on that date and that he would notify the Pittsburgh Office iftany problems arose. He also advised that a subpoena was being issued to be served at the same time - for his appearance before -theL_ Session of the Federal Grand Jury as requested by HUBERT I. TEITELBAUM, United States Attorneys Western District of Pennsylvania, at ‘Pittsburgh. Om October 29, 1958, the Philadelphia Office ws advised that T-4, who has furnished considerable reliable information concem- \ ing the legitimate enterprises of the MANNARINO brothers and : particularly information concerning real estate transactions — involving SAMUEL MANNARINO, had advised during February, 1958, that SAMUEL MANNARINO, during the early portion of 1957, mentioned that he had purchased a hunting lodge surrounded by 200 acres of. land. At that time the informant understood MANNARINO to say that the lodge was located in Somerset County, Pa., and: extensive investigation thereafter was conducted to identify the hunting lodge since several sources in the Pittsburgh 4 vicinity believe the lodge would be an excellent hide-out for GABRIEL MANNARINO and his close friend, SEBASTIAN JOHN LA ROCCA; who disappeared from the Pittsburgh vicinity duzing | Decenber? 1937, tobe dit subpoen appear before a Federal Grand Jury in the inguiring into the significance of the The Philadelphia Office was further advised that the two afore~ mentioned top national hoodlums were also being sought by Senator: JOHN MC CLELLAN, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Select Committee ~12- GIS a =H} ¢ 43 Be | ‘, HW 56792 DBocld:32332666 Page 7
ee pn PG 92-226 . on Improper Activities in the Labor or Management Fields. In connection with the aforementioned efforts 'to identify the location of the hunting lodge,the informant originally furnishing this information, learned on October 28, 1958, © through JACK KRUPA, a New Kensington, Pa., councilman and life- long friend and hunting companion of the MANNARINO brothers, that SAMUEL MANNARINO's hunting lodge is not located in ‘Somerset County, Pa., but is actually a twenty-room farm house~ generally referred to as a hunting lodge, surrounded by approx- ‘imately 200 acres of densley wooded land in Pennsylvania near the : Pennsylvania-Maryland border, approximately a fifteen minute drive by automobile from Hagerstown, Maryland. The informant recalled that he had been in the office of SAMUEL MANNARINO during December, 1957, when the press and radio carried . the first. accounts of the fact that GABRIEL MANNARINO had been called before the Federal Grand Jury in New York. He stated that shortly thereafter SAMUEL MANNARINO received a telephone call from GABRIEL MANNARINO in his presence and hurriedly told him “they are trying to serve you with a subpoena. Take off for the brush." The informant stated that it seemed . logical to him that if SAM MANNARINO's remarks were interpreted literally his advice could have been his subtle way of telling his brother to proceed to the hunting lodge... - 1 we a ee tee The aforementioned informant said that according to his source of information, the general area surrounding the lodge is thickly populated with whiskey stills,.and that local game wardens are reluctant to enter the area because.some of them have been mistaken for Agents of the. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Unit and have been fired upon by the moonshiners. — QL The Philadelphia Office was requested, through the Recorder of Deeds for Franklin County, Pa., to attempt to identify the aforementioned lodge and to display photographs of — MANNARINO and LA ROCCA at Waynesboro, Pa., and vicinity near the Maryland border to game wardens, reliable police officers, and other sources to locate the hunting lodge and determine whether MANNARINO and LA ROCCA are hiding out in that locality or have been there in the past six to ten months. oe AO lo d= LOLen / ~, HW 56792 DBocld:32332666 Page 6
PG 92-226 The New York Office advised on November 20, 1958, in reply to a request to interview FRANK JOSEPH VALENTI, who is confined. to the New York City Civil Jail, that the New York Office believes it inadvisable to conduct stich an interview inasmuch as there is no indication that he would be willing to cooperate with the law enforcement officers at this time. It was further noted that there is no indication that he could be interviewed with full security and that his interview might be subjected to public notice. It was also advised that the activities of those confined are being very closely followed by the New York State Crime Commission, and that former Special Agent JOSEPH MILENKY, Chief Investigator for that body, is advising the New York. Office of pertinent developments. he Ba more Office advised on November 17, 1958, that mrs; | react i) B701 Clarinth Road, Baltimore, Maryland, advised she is the sister of MAX GOLDBERG, ther, personal accountant for LA ROCCA, and that she is’ employed as a secretary in his office, She advised that GOLDBERG is critically ill in the New Kensington General Hospital and is suffering from an ulcerated colon and other complications, She advised that doctors have said that this illness could be fatal and if not, will cause GOLDBERG to be incapaciteted for some time. She stated that | she was certain that LA ROCCA. had not contacted GOLDBERG or any of the members of his staff in the recent past and that if he does so, she will immediately contact the Baltimore Office of the FBI. C. CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES T-5, who has furnished reliable information in the past, advised that he has been unable to develop any information concerning the present whereabouts of LA ROCGA., He stated that LA ROCCA'ts associates have been very secretive of late, but that he has an idea that LA ROCCA and GABRIEL MANNARINO may again be in Warren, Ohio, He agdin surmised that they had been hidden in the past by CHARLIE MURGIE of Warren, Ohio, and that MURGIE had taken them to Florida. He stated that he had reason to believe that they were staying close to home as he had learned that the wife of LA ROCCA is going to have an operation soon, Me = = N HW 56792 DBocld:32332666 Page 9
yo _3EK Law 10(a)2 PG 92-226 service tol] He advised that the first is a subpoena for the appearance of before.the Federal Grand Jury for the to testify and give evidence in regard to an alleged vioktion of and that the second is a subpoena for the appearance of LA ROCCA before the U.S. - Senate Select Committee on Improper Activities in the Labor or Management Field. He again stated that the dates for these appearances have still not been set and that he cannot do anything further regarding them until LA ROCCA returns to Pittsburgh or is located in some other jurisdiction, He advised that he will notify the Pittsburgh Office in the event he should learn anything regarding LA ROCCA in this ‘ regard. survetLiances Conducted Relating to this Investigation - Other than those surveillances conducted at Mercy Hospital, Pittsburgh, which have already been set forth, spot surveillances were made.on October 24; November 3, 7; 24, 23; and December 10, 1958, at 900 West Ingomar Road, Ingomar, and at 12 McCandless Street, Pittsburgh. Nothing of interest to this investigation was observed during these spot surveillances. Other Matters of a Miscellaneous Nature "he Pittsburgh Press" carried a_ front page article in its October 28; 1958, issue entitled, "Probe Spotlight on Chauffeur of Mannarino." The article stated that a new Ken- sington, Pa., man named THOMAS "SONNY" CIANCUTTI spent sometime on October 28, 1958, with the Federal Grand Jury at Pittsburgh. The article stated that there was speculation that the Grand Jury was asking CIANCUTTI, reputed. to be the chauffeur of racket boss GABRIEL "KELLY" MANNARINO, where MANNARINO is presently hiding. It said. "KELLY" MANNARIN y, had been ducking process servers with amazing success for several months since New York authorities started investigating the "orime convention" which MANNARINO attended at Apalachin. The paper said that ‘another man testifying before the Federal Grand Jury on October 28, 1958; was JOHN FONTANA, convicted of vote fraud in 1954 and the reputed operator of New Kensington's Barbout game. It should be noted that FONTANA is a close associate of MIKE -20- Qe GD-FROHE\WQQO2 HW 56792 DBocld:32332666 Page 10
PG 92-226 INFORMANT -PAGE - T=) T-2 T-3 7-4 T-5 is LOUIS J. REIZENSTEIN, Manager, Washington Trust Office of the Western Pennsylvania National Bank, who was contacted on 11/25/58 by SA ROBERT A. VOEGE and requested that his identity be concealed. . is H. W. GLENN, Postal Inspector, U.S. Post Office, Pitts- burgh, who was contacted on 11/24/58 by SA ROBERT A. VOEGE and who has requested that his identity be concealed, is WILLIAM MEREDITH, Special Agent, Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania, who was contacted by SA HAROLD L. STEVENS on 11/29/58 and who has requested that his identity be concealed. - is PG-545-C who was contacted on: 10/28/58 by SA RICHARD GORDON DOUCE. . is an anonymous informant who on 6/16/58 contacted Assistant Attorney General D. MALCOLM ANDERSON at the U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DsC., by letter, offering to furnish information to him regarding the activities of - Pittsburgh top hoodlums and racketeers. On that date he suggested that an insert be placed in the personal column A of the "Pittsburgh Press" referring to him as "TIGER" and furnishing an address where he could write to Mr. ANDERSON personally. A post office box has been rented by the Pittsburgh FBI Office and numerous letters regarding the activities of Pittsburgh top hoodlums and racketeers have been received to date. No positive jidentification of "“TTGER" has ever been made. is GEORGE "MOON" MESSER, a Potential Criminal Informant of the Pittburgh Office, who was contacted on 11/25/58 by SA ROBERT A. VOEGE. . is Miss AGNES ULICNY, Clerk, Dun and Bradstreet, Center Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pal, who was contacted on 10/16/58 by IC GEORGE DIPPOLD and who requcsted that her identity be concealed. . the Pittsburgh Office who was contacted on 11/7/58 by SA ROBERT A. VOEGE. - ‘\ -23- { AW 56792 sy Docld: 323327866 Page i1