JFK Assassination System Date: 5/28/201 Identification Form Agency Information AGENCY: FBI RECORD NUMBER : 124-10283-10059 RECORD SERIES: HQ AGENCY FILENUMBER: _92-2914-1ST NR 64, 2ND NR 64 Document Information ORIGINATOR: FBI - FROM: FORSYTH, THOMAS G. Ill TO: DIRECTOR, FBI TITLE: DATE: 09/24/1959 PAGES: 41 SUBJECTS : GM, MED/PERS HIST, BKG, RES, ASSOC, NARCOTICS, GAMBLING, RACK AND SUBV, B/F INT, TRA DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT CLASSIFICATION: — Unclassified RESTRICTIONS: 4 CURRENT STATUS: —Redact DATE OF LASTREVIEW: 05/15/1998 OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE, APPROVAL OF ATF COMMENTS : INC RPT v9.1 . 8 | HW 45852 DocId:32303047 Page 1 a
Report Form — (™ FD-263 (5-173 . oe “ . ~7 se, ne FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Reporting Office Office of Origin Date Investigative Period —— PITTSBURGH | prrrspyRgy () 9 90 ALL fy 0 TITLE OF CASE Report made b - % Typed By: TaOMAS © SehiKaaus SAMUEL MANNARINO, aka; ; CHARACTER OF GABRIEL MANNARINO, aka, ANTI-RACKETEERING Report of SA THOMAS @. FORSYTH III, Pittsburgh, 9/24/59. if -P¥ . , LEADS PITTSBURGH _ LL YN AT PITTSBURGH, PA. (ALLEGHENY COUNTY) =, 1. Will concentrate on developing individuals close some phase of the g operations of the MANNARINO organization. a 2. Will follow and report activities of SAMUEL and GABRIEL MANNARINO = ! and their subordinates and associates. if Copies made: (4/- Bureau ye ad 2-92-2918) 2 - 3p ik} we 4 - Pittsburgh 2 - 92-228 2 = 92-236 to you by the FBI, and neither it nor its contents are to be distributed outside the agency to which loaned. , | U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1988 O—344750 HW 45852 DocIdad:32303047 Page 2
PG 92-228 PG 92-236 PG T-1 is PG T-2 is PG T-3 is PG T-4 is PG T-5 is Pa.., on 9 Spor physical surveillances of the New Kensington residences of SAMUEL and GABRIEL MANNARINO were conducted on 9/28/59 7% . NU INFORMANTS perL__ Springdale, OTHER 4 Pa., who furnished information to 5A THOMAS G FORSYTH III on 12/7/59 and 12/11/59. PCL Ld, New Reneington, Pa., who furnished information to SA FORSYTH .o ah )» 10/6/59; 10/29/59 11/25/59, and 12/7/5 rperL_t—“‘*;‘sS™S*s*CYSC aka., New Kensington, Pa., -who furnished information to SA RICHARD GORDON DOUCE on 11/30/59. STANLEY KOWALSKI, New Kensington, Pa., who requested his identity be protected and who furnished infor- mation to SA FORSYTH on 9/2 8/59. PG 545-C. ADMINISTRATIVE ‘The ‘physical surveillance of LLOYD's: Limited, Pittsbureh, /21/59 was conducted by SA THOMAS G. FORSYTH, III; and another similar physical surveillance at the same place, from 12:07 PM until 3:00 PM on 2/3/59 by SA FORSYTH was unproductive. by SA FORSYTH ‘and nothing of pertinence was observed. Information set out concerning FRANK NITSCHE, aka. Ace, has been disseminated to Internal Revenue Service, Pittsburgh, ‘byonmeans of blank. memorandum. Information from CARL IRVING NOLL concerning alleged parti- cipation of narcotics and slot machine traffic by SAM MANNARINO has been disseminated by letters to the Federal . Bureau. of Narcotics and the ‘U. S, Attorney, both Pittsburgh. “fA lead has been set out by separate communication to Little ‘Rock Office to ascertain whether the MANNARINOs have any interest in gambling in Hot Springs, Arkansas, The ATTD, Brooklyn, ee New York City, informant is ARNOLD RAYBER, a New York, gun dealer. -B- COVER. PAGE. mee HW 45852 DocId:32303047 Page 3
PG 92-228 PG 92-236 DETAILS: Ay PERSONAL HISTORY AND. BACKGROUND ce * SAMNUE MANNARINO, 1. Status of Health It has been ‘reported previously that a source: - gtatea that as of September 1, 1959; SAM MANNARINO was: GAnking to excess, being drunk almost. every. day. - On December 11, 1959, PG T-1, who has furnished reliable information in the past, advised that. SAMUEL MANNARINO is not. drunk | daily but is under the influence of narcotics which he takes to minimize the pain he is suffering from his spreading abdominal malignancy. PG T-1 estimates that this, malignancy will result in SAM MANNARINO's death by the Swnmer of 1960. @, ASSOCIATES Ls JOSEPH. MEROLA It has been ‘peported previously that JOSEPH MEROLA, Miami, Plorida, formerly of Pittsburgh, Pa. s. isa MANNARENG . underling. ; On September 18; 1959, HANS G. MILTON, 845 Southwest Fourth Street, Miami , Florida, advised SA ‘GEORGE E. ‘DAVIS. as follows: In January; 1958, ENRIQUE CASADA, an exiled Cuban, opposed to the administration of Cuban President FULGENCIO BATISTA, told MILTON that. he had an opportunity to obtain a’ boat. CASADA explained that. JOE MEROLA, of Miami Beach, had. a Cuban girl friend who could arrange for the purchase of this boat. CASADA took MILTON to the Garden of Allah Motel and Apartments, Miami.Beach, where the boat."Menace" was docked, MILTON tested the engines and told CASADA that they would have to be fixed, after which CASADA told MILTON. that he might use this boat within a short time for an excursion into the Plorida Keys. CASADA then took MILTON to JOE MEROLA's apartment in the Garden of Allah Motel. MEROLA told MILTON that he owned the "Menace." CASADA then. told MILTON that some Cuban friends of his and MEROLA's were tired, needed a change and wanted to a 45852 DocId: 32303047 Page 4
PG 92-228 PG 92-236 the boat éncountered more serious éngine trouble. fhe Cubans went ashore in a dinghy to obtain aid. In the meantime, a storm came up and the boat began to leak, forcing MILTON to peach it-on a sand bar. Later that night. Agents of the United States Customs Service, searched the "Henace” but found no guns or other contraband. © MILTON later learned that this trip was actually. intended to have been a military expedition to Cuba and that the Agents of the. U.S..Customs Service had ‘taken into custody three of the individuals who had been- passengers on the “Menace.” MILTON later attempted to contact JOE MEROLA but could not leeate him. = os The following information relating to the. revolutionary activities of JOSEPH MEROLA was developed by the New York Office as @ result of contact with ‘the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Division, New York City. — a On August 5/1959, RONALD MOSS, Special Investigator, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Division (a2TD), New York City, advised that Special Investigator RUDOLPH KALES conducted an investigation in September, 1958, concerning an attempt by JOSEPH MEROLA to purchase’ ‘firearms from an ATTD informant in the vicinity of ‘New Yori. be Bo aes _ Let ee, Qn September 26, 1958, the ATID informant contacted Special Investigator KALES to report. that a representative of Cuban revolutionary leader JOSE ALEMAN requested the informant to meet with a leader of the Mafia named JOSEFH MEROLA. Several days later, the informant met. with MEROLA and two Cubans in ‘an apartment in the vicinity of. 136th Street and Riverside . ‘Drive; New York City. During, the meeting, HEROLA, pointed out that he was assoctated with ALEMAN and that he was interested in purehasing large quantities of firearms, including machine gens.  MEROLA told the informant that he “had. been responsible for supplying over a million.dollars worth ef arms. during the Cuban revolution and that he and his associates anticipated extensive gambling concessions in Cuba from the revolutionary government. Seb pe teats . — ys Lo! , ‘On the tasis of this information, the ATTD, New York City, temporarily leaned the informant. a number of confiscated weapons in order that he would have a representative stock to show to MEROLA. On October 6, 1958, the informant reported to Special Investigator KALES that NERGLA had been to Canada and Miami. the previous week reportediy.in connection with some arms deal | . ~~ S| HW 45852 DocIdad:32303047 Page 5
PG 92-236 and hed requested the informant to accumulate a large pile of American “stuff” for him. MEROLA also told the informant at that time that he would have to postpone any purchase of arms since the Miami area was swarming with PBL Agents looking for stolen weapons. On August 10, 1959, the ATTD: informant. was interviewed by Special Agents of the FBI in New York city. During this * interview, the informant’ confirmed the foregoing information and positively identified a photograph of JOSEPH MEROLA, although he could not identify a photograph of Pittsburgh “national top hoodlum. SAM MANNARINO. — ST ‘on September 21, 1959, PG T-2, ‘whe has furnished reliable | information in the past; advised as follows: . Although, MIKE MAZIDAKIS is back in his native Greece, he still receives a "cut" of the proceeds from the gambling casino on | Barnes Street, New Kensington, Pa., known as Triangle Billiards. When HAZIDAKIS was in Greece the time before this, JOHN VOZ0S, proprietor of a beer distributorship at the intersection of. Gnird Avenue and Ninth Street, New Kensington, received | HAZIDARIS' share of the casino's proceeds and turned it. over to him when he returned to the United States. The amount was. in the neighborhood of $5,000. VOZ0S is not holding HAZIDAKIS' Share this time and PG T-2 does not know who is. holding it.. a rs oo, oO It is noted-that it has been reported previously that MIKE GEORGE HAZIDAKIS, a trusted cashier at the Triangle Billiards gambling casino in New Kensington, returned to Greece in the early part of 1999. a : 3. JOM CHRISTOPHER FowpaNA _ Tt 19 noted that'tt has been reported previously that JOHN : CHRISTOPHER FONTANA is the number one lieutenant in the ; MARNSRING organization, — oh — Qn Cctober 6, 1959, PG T-2 advised that on September 30, 1959, 7 @ 1959 eream colored Lincoln Sedan, bearing Iilinols license | 28-55545, was in New Kensington, Fa.. for approximately two | hours, commencing at 7:45 PM. He said that the driver, about. | 6* tall, well dressed, with dark complexion and dark wavy hair, was in the Kenmar Hotel and was observed to converse » with JOHN FONTANA, oe : : | | HW 45852 DocId:32303047 Page 6