HW 56792 PG 92-226 A news release of the "pattepureh Post-Gazette" dated May 15, 1957, reported in part that a Federal indictment against ex-racketeer JOHN LA ROCCA was ordered reinstated by the | Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia, Pa. In.an article dated October 11, 1957, this same newspaper reported that LA ROCCA went on trial in Federal Court charged with perjury and making false statements in connection with his deportation hearing. Then on October 15, 1957, this same newspaper reported in part that Federal Judge RABE F. MARSH had ordered JOHN LA ROCCA acquitted on charges of perjury and making false statements in connection with his deporta- tion hearing. Judge MARSH ruled that the Government had failed to show clear and convincing proof to back up its charges. - HAROLD LAUVER, Investigator,. Immigration and Naturalization. Service, Pittsburgh, advised SA ROBERT A. VOEGE on March 13, 1958, that his office planned to take action concerning the - -Bétition of Naturalization filed by LA ROCCA on May 12, 1950, and which had never been acted upon. Mr. LAUVER stated that -although LA ROCCA had made no new request and had not "pushed" for action to be taken on the petition filed, his office was setting up a hearing and was gathering information regarding LA ROCCA's moral character, known recent criminal associates and identities of persons willing to testify against LA ROCCA. 3. Education oe — T-1 advised on April 20, 1958, that it was not possible to _ ascertain whether or not LA ROCCA received any formal schooling during the time that he was in Italy. On February 13, 1958, FLOYD 0..- ‘SMITH, Supervising Principal, and THOMAS J. ADDLEMAN, High School Principal, both of | Shannock Valley Joint School District, which includes Yates- boro, Pa., where LA ROCCA formerly resided, advised that the Old Yatesboro School had been abandoned and that records _ of attendance are not avallable for students who attended from thirty to forty years ago. Both advised that although they have been residents of Rural Valley-Yatesboro area for forty or more years, they could not recall the LA ROCCA family. - . p-OVWY Doclda: 32332889 Page 3
PG 92-286 1928 | x. é September 30, 1928 . Late 1928 - 1933 “oy September, 1933 - October, 1949 February 25, REVIEWED BY 1944 Bape TASK ON, 012/52 deh ELEASE IN FULL oO iN RAP TOTAL DENIAL October, 1949, to present ELEASE IN PART FORCE i \ At Seranton, Pa., looking for work, Married in Pittston, Pa., to the former MARY SMELIK (date of birth April 2, 1910, at Jessup, Pa.) . Resided with uncle, JOHN LA VALLI, at Jamestown, N. Y., where subject operated a filling station at Cassadaga, N. ¥., and during this period was transporting liquor. Resided at 6426 Apple Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa, “Subject adopted a child (HOWARD LESLIE HOFFMAN) at Greensburg, Pa., through the Westmoreland County Orphans Court. The father of this child is TONY TERRIGIO (not further identified) and the child was born in Greensburg, Pa., on October 1, 1943. The child was then named JOHN. Subject resides at 900 West Ingomar Road, Ingomar, Pa. With. regard to LA ROCCA's present residence, it is pointed out that CASIMER J, PELLEGRINI, owner, Casimer J. Pellegrini Associates, 201 South Craig Street, Pittsburgh, advised SA ROBERT A VOEGE on April 24, 1958, that he designed and directed the building of the home in which LA ROCCA now lives and which he owns. He said that to duplicate this home today would cost between $150,000 to $175,000. It is pointed out that LA ROCCA's whereabouts have not been known to individuals in his neighborhood or to other avail- able sources since about December, 1957. It is also pointed out that the U. S. Marshal's Office in Pittsburgh has had a subpoena for LA ROCCA to appear before a New York investigating committee with ‘regard to LA ROCCA's possible presence at the November 14, 1957, meeting at Apalachin, N. Y. HW 56792 DoclId: 323323869 Page 4 a “ row - 6 - OY VN vror os ra
\ - (ted PG 92-226 The Buffalo Office advised that. on March 10, 1958,.Miss EVELYN. LEDERER, Clerk, City Court, Dunkirk, New York, advised that her records reflect that on December 17, 1930, .one CARL STEIN, Manager of the J. G@. PICKARD Store, Dunkirk, New York, obtained a warrant for the arrest of JOHN LA ROCCA for disposing of chattel mortgaged property. She stated that on November 5, 1931,.LA ROCCA appeared in court and paid STEIN $115 for the property originally purchased and the charge was dismissed. She advised that the J. G. PICKARD Company went out of business’ approximately fifteen years ago and that » CARL STEIN is. deceased. ee JFK Law 11 (a) on December 23, 1957, PRANK W. MAGILL, Assistant Chief, maptelstgence Division, Internal Revenue __ 7 Service gh, advised SA WALL-that c. ASSOGIATES A alachin,. ‘New york, Meeting November 14, 1957 | On February 3,.1958, Assistant United States Attorney. STEPHEN E. KAUFMAN, Southern District of New York, made avail- able to SAA JOHN J. RYAN:-photostats. of. Registration Card No. B56740. of the Arlington Hotel, Binghamton, New York, date stamped.on its reverse side. 8: :58..A.M,, November 14 1957. The registrant, JOHN S. LA ROCCA, (and friend, crossed out); Coin Machine Distributing.. Bab ak: 500 North Craig, Pittsburgh, Pa., occupied Rooms 852-54-56: at ‘what appeared to beca. 10. daily rate. Under. the Remarks section is written, . "Charge: to Onon Canada Dry.” Records at Trans-World Airlines, Wilkes-Barre Seranton Air- port, at Avoca, Pa., made available on March 5, 1958, by . RUSS..GARLAN;: Manager, to SA FREDERICK T. HOULIHAN, show that on November’ 16, 1957, two reservations were made by Medico Industries, Ine. ,» Pittston, Pa., for travel on November 16, 1957, from Avoca, Pa., to Pittsburgh, Pa., on Trans-World | 7 i3- whe ED iN HW 56792 DBocld:32332689 Page 5
PG 92-226 Airlines Flight #483, leaving at 10:11 A. Me on November 16, 1957. At the time that these two. reservations were’ made - -on November 16, 1957, the passengers identified themselves . as AMATO and LA ROCCO... The records of telephone calls charged to Pittston. OL-47111, which is listed to Medico Industries, Inc., Pittston, reflect that on November 15, 1957, a telephone call charged to this number was made to Pittsburgh, Pa., SO-45296. It is pointed out that the Pittsburgh Telephone Directory lists JOHN LA ROCCA, Brant Road, Ingomar, Pas telephone number Forest 45296. . Medico Industries; Inc., Pittston, 1s operated by y WILLIAM, | - PHILIP, ANGELO, CHARLES and SAMUEL MEDICO. WILLIAM MEDICO, 7 president of this concern, ‘is a top hoodlum of the Phidadelphia Office. . : oe . On March 12, 1958, a photograph of SEBASTIAN JOHN LA, ROCCA was displayed to EDWARD JENKINS, -ticket agent at Trans- World Airlines, Avoca, Pa., and he advised that he believed that LA ROCCA was one of the two men who had reservations on Flight #483 on November 16, 1957, and who boarded this plane at Avoca on November 16, 1957, en route to Pittsburgh. The "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette" under date May 2, 1958, . reported that JOHN LA ROCCA was named as one of three men ° 7 who eScaped the roundup of sixty visiting individuals by New York State Troopers at Apalachin, N. Y., in November, 1957. a a , a ; As mentioned previously, Assistant United States Attorney KAUFMAN, Southern District of New York, advised that JOHN LA. ROCCA had been registered at the. Arlington Hotel, Bing- hamton, N. Y., on November. 14,. 19575. the date of the meeting . of hoodlums at Apalachin, N. ¥. _ 7 On -April 16, 1958, Mr. KAUFMAN advised that attempts by the United States Marshal to obtain service. on. a subpoena for. ———_—C -/presence.before a Grand Jury in the Southern District of New York had been wnsuccessful....Mr... KAUFMAN said that he had issued a ‘subpoena for ee ~ —————— for appearance “LT Caper NASER ES on Apr 3, because . oN 4 fa ad indicated that vy_on Ape and had inferred C] Ret LEASE IM PULL : OX RELEASE ww p | | | a a ae “ TOTAL Dena ~ 14 - RAYON 4 . _ a - _ J \ 56792 Docld: 32332369 Page 6
SY . 4 PIER Law 10(a)2 PG 92-226 that he could produce a questionin .__ Subsequently, Mr. KAUFMAN advised that he had atoning auaapen appearance. in response to the subpoena on e basis that — was sincere in his statements that he did not know }whereabouts. The following individuals are considered current active  - associates of JOHN LA ROCCA as developed during investigation into the. background and operations of LA ROCCA: JOSEPH ROSA FRANK VALENTI NICK STIRONE FRANK AMATO THOMAS PECORA ‘SAMUEL MANNARINO - GABRIEL MANNARINO Fe - TONY RIPEPI _ DOMINICK ANZALONE . 7 JOE SICA — So. 7 FRED KOHL . JACK CANCELLIERI. Investigation has ‘evealed that. all of the above have been active leaders“in some type of illegal operation at one time - or another : ‘In the Pittsburgh area. Brief descriptive data relating to the criminal or hoodlum background of each of the above individuals.is as follows: According to T- -3, who requested his identity remain confidential and who stated he will not testify at any future Federal or state. proceedings, JOSEPH ROSA. was a very powerful, but Silent, figure in the gambling and racket element in Western Pennsyl- vania. ROSA has been.investigated under. the Top. Hoodlum Frosray oF the Pittsburgh Division. . FRANK’VALENTI -- According to his FBI identification record, wey FRANK VALENTI has been arrested at least thirteen times on Lee charges of murder, gambling, breaking and entering, . robbery, an etc. - VALENTI was one of the individuals present at the November u, 1997, Apalachin: meeting. a : BAW , OY) — oe HW 56792 Docld: 323328689 Page 7
HW 56792 PG 92-226 _in any illegal activities but was devoting all of his finances and time in legitimate business enterprises. DOMINICK ANZALONE -- On September 11, 1957, Chief County Detective JAMES EADIE, Fayette County, Uniontown, Pa.,. advised that DOMINICK ANZALONE was a power among gamblers and racketeers in Western Pennsylvania, partieularly in Rayeyte County. . . a JOE/SICA -- SICA is the son-in-law of JOSEPH ROSA. SICA was indicted by Federal Grand Jury in Pittsburgh, Pa. 3 on May 6, 1948, on conspiracy to violate the Selective” Service Act of 1940 but this indictment was nolle-prossed. SICA has been reported as active in the operations of a numbers "book" in the Turtle Creek Valley area of Western Pennsylvania. FRED KOHL -- Lieutenant THOMAS WEBER, Union Railroad Security Police, Homestead, Pa. advised SA JAMES I. FELSKL on March 19, 1957, that FRED KOHL, » co-owner of the Ankara, a Supper club, near Pittsburgh, Pa., was active in the. numbers. racket in Swissvale, Pa., area. - JAC 4CANCELLIERT -- Pittsburgh Police officers familiar phe with’ gambling operations in the general Pittsburgh area advised that JACK CANCELLIERI was a well-known numbers writer on the North Side section. of Pittsburgh. In addition to the abovesdescribed individuals, . others with whom LA ROCCA is closely associated are individuals such as JOHN J. SCARDINA who, according to CHARLES RAY LA CAMERA, a self-admitted numbers writer of Farrell, Pa., was the big numbers operator in the Sharon-Farrell, Pa., area. LA CAMERA ~advised on July 1, 1957, that all numbers writers work. for SCARDINA in the Sharon-Farrell area. MICHAEL GENOVESE -- On February 27> 1958, GEORGE . MESSER, self-admitted Pittsburgh numbers writer, advised SA ROBERT A. VOEGE that TONY RIPEPI and FRANK VALENTI were important racket men in Pittsburgh; however, RIPEPI was above VALENTI. He said that JOHN LA ROCCA seemed to be the key man in the Pittsburgh area and added that he would place LA ROCCA and GABRIEL MANNARINO as the two men who control the racket -17 - As YOA-\OARS Docld: 3233278689 Page 6
NA 4q , ~ { PG 92-226 T-O said that in the LA ROCCA residence seven murders were committed within: the period of a few years and that no one was ever prosecuted for any. of these murders. Informant said that in 1922 JOHN LA ROCCA attempted to kill TERESA. TRONZO' and then after this attack the families of TRONZO and LA ROCCA were constantly at odds‘and that they all carried firearms. T-6 said that the LA ROCCA family had threatened to kidnap TERESA TRONZO and place her ina - house of prostitution unless the charges against LA ROCCA were dropped. (This offense has been previously reported under the caption "Criminal Record. MY In October, 1942, Captain W. I. ‘ENGLISH, U. S. Engineers’ Office, Pittsburgh, advised SA ‘DANTE DE LILLO that he had — information that JOHN LA ROCCA's- liaison with. the. Superin- tendent of Police in Pittsburgh was through one GEORGE MESSER. (MESSER admittedly has been a partner to LA ROCCA in the numbers business in the East Liberty section of - Pittaburgh. ) On August 21,. 1946, MESSER advised that he felt that an attempt. on his life was brought about by JOHN LA ROCCA and | ‘that LA ROCCA's attempt to squeeze him out of business was | the purpose for this attempt. MESSER said that LA ROCCA had exclusive numbers rights in the Eighth Ward and also rights in part of the Thirteenth Ward of Pittsburgh. On. December 13, 1957, T-7, a representative of another Government agency, advised that one MIKE GABLE and FRANK VALENTI arid AL LADISH, now deceased, illegally entered the residence of an individual and stole from the premises a .45 caliber automatic pistol.. T-7 stated that this allegedly occurred in 1942, 1943 or 1944. This source said that FRANK VALENTI left this gun with JOHN LA ROCCA for safekeeping and that:at a later date this same gun was used to kill one GUS ‘GIANNI. T-7 said that his source claimed that FRANK VALENTI had told many times that no act could be committed without the permission of JOHN LA ROCCA and that because of this the source felt that LA ROCCA had knowledge of, and coneurred with, the murder of GUS GIANNI. Ta 7 further advised that CARLA FERRARI, who was: a paramour _Of FRANK VALENTI at the time of the FREDDIE GARROW da ~ REVIEWED BY CeyAFK TASK FORCE REVIEWED BY SS¥JFK TASK FORCE ‘ on te los- dle on haley der _ i RELEASE IN FULL 2 RELEASE IN FULL [] S8LEASE IN PART -19- — PELE SIN PART [) YUTAL DENIAL 0 TOTAL ENA fags | E 56792 Docld: 323323869 Page 9
PG 92-226 exist any longer because they have all been confiscated by the Pennsylvania State Police during their various raids. On February 27, 1958, GEORGE MESSER advised SA VOEGE that he had been in the numbers writing activity since about 1928 and is still active in this regard. He said that most. of Pittsburgh's present day ‘big racket men" once depended on him solely for protection purposes since he knew local and state police figures and recalled that JOHN LA ROCCA was one of these racketeers. MESSER stated that LA ROCCA pecame acquainted with him in about 1941 or 1942 when LA ROCCA was. handling all the numbers activity in the East Liberty section of Pittsburgh and had set himself up as a "little God." When LA ROCCA became dissatisfied with his financlal gains, he left Pittsburgh on a trip to Chicago to see friends about paste reel machines with which he felt he could make more money. MESSER said a paste reel was similar to a "one-armed bandit" with the exception that a small paper-wrapped mint was dispensed after the coin was © placed in the slot and the play was registered. The Chicago manufacturer of this machine circumvented the "strictly for gambling purposes" phraseology in the law in this manner. . a While LA ROCCA was in Chicago, MESSER said he moved into the East Liberty section and took over the entire numbers | operation. He turned in his numbers returns to one GEORGE CHRISTY (now deceased) in Pittsburgh. When LA ROCCA returned to Pittsburgh he became angry with MESSER and his move and had someone drive a car over MESSER one night as he was crossing a street. MESSER said when he was discharged from the hospital he found out that his automobile had numerous bullet holes in it. MESSER said that because he thought , he would make money in the East Liberty section he stayed in the business of writing numbers and actually forced LA ROCCA out of the numbers business. MESSER advised that in about 1943 he and LA ROCCA became friendly and LA ROCCA invited him to share equally in the I ownership of the Coin Machine Distributing Company which later set up offices at 5746 Baum Boulevard in Pittsburgh. MESSER recalled that LA ROCCA was completely bankrupt at that time because of numbers setbacks but managed to raise - 2h . 7 a tog. wt a HW 56792 Docld: 32332889 Page 10
es Bo c a ° wy reg . PG 92-226 Name Page Gleason, Al ---------------------- n-ne ene nnn enee= 9 Hoffman, Howard Leslie ----------------------+------ ue Jenkins, Edward ---<------------ enn eer e en een nnnnn= Kaufman, Stephen E, ----------- meeen--- 13,14,15, 33, 34 Knight, John (Judge) ------------------------------ Kohl, Fred -------------=------------ ++ ee . 18,17 L and G Amusement Co, -------------- ween n ene e- = 26,29 La Camera, Charles Ray -<--=---- weer eer ee ne eene= -- 17 »~ -Ladish, Al -------------- ----- eon nnnnnnnnnnnnn----- 19 La Rocca, John (son) won oe nn nn ne ee ene 6 La Rocea, John LL, ----------- ewe ne ene nen meenn-- 30 La Rocca, Mary S. --------------- ene emma eennnnn= 32 La Rocca Real Estate Co. ----- See ee een 27 Lauver, Harold W. ------~- meee nen nee een nnnn- o----4,, 31 La Valli, John ---------------- ----- -------- won---- 6 _ Lederer, Evelyn -------------<------- awe ene ence -- 13 Lisanti, George -------- ewww e mene enn enn cnn nemens= 12 Long, Morris Benjamin ----------------------------- 29 Machine Novelty Co, --------<----- een ne eee een 23 Mack, James W,. ---------------------- eee enn nnn eee - 8 Mafia ------------------------------------- wan= 20,26 Magill, Frank W. -------------- eee nee nnn nena ---- 13 Mazza, Jack -------------------- ----- ---------- wa-- 2) McGinley, Barney ---------- Tle eatenlentantenaatenlenteatr cm re edetetated 25 Mannarino,. Gabriel --~------- were nen nn nnn nnn 1516,17 Mannarino, Samuel ----------- - 15,16, 18, 23325, 27,28, 32 Margiotti, Charles J, ----------------------- 3, 8°23 Markus, Fred 0. -w---- tener nner ener enn nn meen ene .30 Marsh, Rabe F, -------------------------+--+--------- 4 Marshall, ‘Thomas.H, ------------------------------- 9 -MeGinley; Barney L. ----------------- wnnen-n------- 28 Medico, Angelo ------------------------------------ 14 Medico, Charles --------- ene nee en nee nnnnnnn------ 14 Medico,Industries, Ine, ----- oe 13,14 Medico, Samuel ------------- enone n nnn n-ne 14 Médico, William ----------------------------------- 14 Messer, George. ------------------------ 17,19, 24,25, 28 Micale, John -----------------~--------------+=- 22,23 Mills Distributing Co. --------------------------- 28 North Star Cement Block Co. .----=---. 25. 26,27, 31, 325 33 Oliver, A. M.. (Attorney). -------------------------- Onon Canada Dry .---------- nnn nner errr s ner c ran nn- 3) Pasco, | Alfred Kg meee ree eee ee er een nnn 5 - 38 - WWW 56792 Docld:32337889 Page 16