JFK Assassination System _ Date: 4/23/201 Identification Form Agency Information AGENCY: FBI RECORD NUMBER: = 124-10289-10078 RECORD SERIES: HQ AGENCY FILENUMBER: = 92-4225-43 Document Information ORIGINATOR: FBI FROM: SAC, PH TO: DIRECTOR, FBI TITLE: DATE: 06/26/1959 PAGES: 27 SUBJECTS : ‘JFC, ASSOC, BUSS, AFFIL, MAFIA, INTV, PROSPECTIVE WIT DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT CLASSIFICATION: — Unclassified RESTRICTIONS: 4 CURRENT STATUS:  Redact DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 05/16/1998 OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE COMMENTS : INC 7 LHM Docld:32305948 Page 1
u \ . Date: 6/26/59 Transmit the following in PLAIN TEXT . (Type in plain text or code) | ! S mt : ee a tee : a, . Le ett ag eo 4 4G) | ) | | | | | | (Priority or Method of Mailing) Director, FBI SAC, Philadelphia (92-746) O SUB: U.S. VS. BONANNO; et al, SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK CRIMINAL 159-35 TOP HOODLUM PROGRAM Re Bureau airtel to Albany dated 6/19/59. Enclosed hereto are original and three copies of letterhead memoranda captioned with the name and address of prospective witnesses, whose interviews are set out in requested form, It is to be noted data enclosed contains letterhead memorandum of interview with PAUL RENNARD, who was listed on enclosure to referenced communication as a prospective witness. PAUL RENNARD is identical to . Ae PH 525-C who is currently. furnishing information to this f \|, OFFICE. RENNARD had previously been instructed by his y | | employer, LOUIS PAGNOTTI, SR., to clear with him before | i furnishing any information to any law enforcement agency. | He has expressed concern in the past that he would be in danger of losi ob.as.a pilot for LOUIS PAGNOTTI, R., Should his identity as a source of information for this office become known. A review of appropriate files of the Philadelphia). Office concerning captioned case failed to locate any |. if j interviews conducted with’ prospective witnesses, FRANK“ WF eet SILVA, “JOSEPH CAPOZZI and ‘NICK BONFANTE and representatives of’Calamat Grocery or-Roma Wholesale Grocery. Identities % of persons interviewed at Hotel Cawy and Hotel Sterling i Ins leg, de? Bader Amt. fH Lf %, je rammtan ne ak PP 2—-gars V3 Ee i sty RES Hy 1 - Philadelphia Geri) REC. 15 1+ ReSatnd Cn 5 oa POE Pte ‘ ax Baio ty, POM Ete TBA. ch DCO = Oe REZ. € fog ) STL 26 HIM TS JUN 2'7 1959 Sent _ MM Docld: 32305945 Page 2?
| FD-36¢Rev. 12-13-56) - . , Transmit the following in ~ (Type in plain text or code) FBI Date: (Priority or Method of Mailing) | PH 92-746 Interview with Mr. WARREN MYERS on 3/17/58 by” SA (A) GEORGE R. JOHNSON. SANTO VOLPE, SR. Files of the Philadelphia office reflected JOSEPH LA TORRE, a former PCI of this Division, advised on 3/10/55 his father, STEVE LA TORRE, deceased, was the head of the Mafia in the Pittston, Pa., area during the first part of the 1900s, and while he was head of the Mafia, he sent money to SANTO VOLPE, SR., in Italy to finance his trip to the United States. LA TORKBE said after VOLPE's arrival in the United States, he gradually took over the Number 1 position in the Mafia which position he held until 1942 when he was eased out for putting his personal business ahead of that of the Mafia, An article in the "Times Leader, The Evening News", Wilkes-Barre, Pa., dated 12/3/58 reflected SANTO VOLPE, age 79, prominent independent coal operator, died last night in his home, 215 Wyoming Avenue, West Pittston, Pa., following a long illness, ANDRIANO LIBERATO In connection with an investigation of a case captioned "JOSEPH PROFACI, aka; AR" information was developed that family name of above listed person is LIBERTO ANDRIANO. ,, Subsequent investigation revealed ANDRIANO died in 1958 | at. the age of 53. ROMA WHOLESALE GROCERY . Interview with Miss JOAN LORSONG, Commercial Credit Association, Scranton, on 6/19/58 by SA THOMAS J. WILLIAMS. This interview revealed the identity of theowner Approved; WW —sCSeentt LM Per . Special Agent in Charge Docld: 32305945 Page 3
FBI Date: . . in Transmit the following t (Type in plain text or code) (Priority or Method of Mailing) i PH 92-746 of Roma Wholesale Grocery as ALDO V. NESTA, 2102 South Webster Avenue, Scranton, a MYRTHEN MACK Ari f Interview of MYRTHEN MACK, Nanticoke, Pas, on |, 1/29/58 by SA (A) GEORGE R.. JOHNSON. LOUIS PAGNOTTI . Interview of LOUIS. PAGNOTTI, Old Forge, Pa., on 7 | 1/30/58 by SAS VINCENT G. DOUGHERTY and FRANK W,. MULDERIG. Interview with LOUIS PAGNOTTI, SR., on 4/30/58 by SAS VINCENT G. DOUGHERTY and FRANK W. MULDERTG. | HOMER CORREALE 4 Enclosure to referenced airtel set out name of Vie HOMER CORREALE as prospective witness. It is believea : %? this should be PALMER CORREALE, Interview with PAIMER CORREALE, Hazleton, Pa., on 4/3/58 by SA GEORGE R, JOHNSON. PAUL RENNARD Interview with PAUL RENNARD at Moosic, Pa., ons~ 1/3/58 by SA (A) GEORGE R, JOHNSON. 4 It is to be noted with the exception of interviews of WILLIAM MEDICO dated 3/19/58 as set out above, none | of the other interviews set out in enclosed letterhead memoranda were set forth on FD-302s. Approved: CC Sent CW Per Special Agent in Charge . Docld: 32305945 Page 4
fT \. a UNi“ED STATES DEPARTMENT OF SUSTICE | Beat Fes FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION | In Reply, Please Refer to . Philadelphia, Pennsylvania File No. June 25, 1959 Person Interviewed: PAUL RENNARD Address: 1143 Springbrook Avenue - Moosic, Pa. Date of Interview: January 3, 1958 Place of Interview: Avoca, Pa, . Interviewed by: SA GEORGE R.. JOHNSON _ PAUL RENNARD advised he was employed as a pilot by the Sullivan Trail Coal Company in March 1957 after he answered a blind ad in a newspaper for a licensed conmercial pilot. He said he formerly worked for the Joy Manufacturing Company. He said he was asked by LOUIS ~PAGNOTTI to take a party of several people to Binghamton, N. Y., on June 2), 1957. He _recalled he was told a man and wife would arrive at the Avoca Airport from Detroit via Allegheny Airlines that date and that the man was too sick to travel by automobile from Avoca ; | to Binghamton. He stated he did meet the plane upon arrival from Detroit and the passenger and his wife and their baggage were transferred to the Sullivan Trail plane. He further advised other passengers on this flight included WILLIAM MEDICO and two other men, one of whom he thinks was RUSSELL BUFALINO. He did not know the third man. LOUIS PAGNOITI did not accompany these people. RENNARD stated he flew the plané to the Tri-City airport at Endicott, N. Y., and since there was no record of the flight in the Avoca airport log, he probably made the -flight on instruments after filing an IFP with the local CAA office. He said that between June 2), 1957 and the date of the next incident, September 13, 1957, he was told by ; LOUIS PAGNOTTI that the sick man he took to Endicott had died. cs Bo He stated that upon arrival at Endicott, the plane was met i by a young, stocky Italian appearing man in his early twenties Ss ia a . A G V3 oS KaTR oved | w\.dpras P ae y/ | eye 31 NPB page? a? 3 -f. a | a ye F . ENCLOSURE, os ee J Docld: 32305945 Page 5
Po ee .was going to fly them there. However, RENNARD asked him how driving a Cadillac Sedan. He said the five. passengers were driven away, but he remained at the airport with the plane. He added, MEDICO, the man whom he believes was BUFALINO, and the unkn own man returned to the airport and they flew back to Avoca the same day. RENNARD explained the reason he thinks one of the passengers on this flight was BUFALINO is that BUFALINO was definitely involved in the September 13, 1957 indident and he is positive he recognized him as having been on the June 2h, 1957 flight. He also recalled that PAGNOTTI told him .- the sick man from Detroit was a "big shot" but he did not recall the name, and when the name ANGELO POLIZZI was mentioned, he was not sure this was the name he heard. With regard to the September 13, 1957 incident, RENNARD related as follows: PAGNOTTI called him in the late afternoon of this day and told him "they". had asked him if his plane could be used for a Ragen to Detroit. PAGNOTTI did not further identify “they." RENNARD went to the airport and upon checking the weather, found numerous thunderstorms existed or were forming between Avoca and Detroit. He said RUSSEL BUFALINO was , already at the airport waiting for him, and he was accompanied by several other men, names not known since all but one remained in their car. é RENNARD was not anxious to make this flight due to the weather, and informed BUFALINO he would not make the flight. BUFALINO responded he had to be in Detrott by 8:30 p.m. that night and remarked he had a ticket on the . Allegheny Airline, but the flight had been cancéled because of engine trouble in the plane. RENNARD suggested they go to Binghamton and take a commercial flight from there. BUFALINO accepted this suggestion under the impression RENNARD , o! long it would take to drive to Binghamton and when he found out they could make it in 50 minutes, he suggested they drive since it would take him at least 50 minutes to get the plane ready to fly and since there were storms there also, he “2. | j DocId: 32305948 Page 6
» might have difficulty landing, and they might miss their commercial plane. He said BUFALINO was visibly offended that RENNARD would not fly them to either Detroit or Binghamton, and left without shaking hands. Concerning the November 1, 1957 flight, RENNARD stated he flew JAMES TEDESCO, an officer in the Sullivan Trail Company and WILLIAM MEDICO to Bridgeport, Conn., that day. He said that MEDICO owns a factory in the Bridgeport area and was trying to sell it to LOUIS PAGNOTTI. He said he flew on instrument that day, and remained at the Bridgeport airport while MBDICO and TEDESCO went about their business. He stated he did not fly to either Endicott or Binghamton on November 1), 1957. He also stated his own private log reflected the same departure and arrival times as reflected. in the CAA records. RENNARD stated he flew the Sullivan Trail plane to Wilmington, Del., on October 28, 1957, to have a 1,000 hour checkup made on the plane. He said that on October 30, 1957, MYRTHEN MACK, pilot for the Correale Construction Company, flew that company's Twin-Beech in for the same purpose. He said he knew MACK personally and that they roomed together. the night of October 30, 1957. At that time, MACK told him / about a flight he had had the previous day and remarked that if he, RENNARD, had besn home he would probably have made the trip himself. He said MACK went on to tell him that on Cetober 29, 1957, he flew one of his bosses, PALMER C.ORREALE, to Avoca where they picked up LOUIS .PAGNOITI, WILLIAM MEDICO, and @ third individual, unknown to him, and they flew on to Endicott, N. Y. MACK told RENNARD they were met at the air- port by a driver with a Cadillac sedan, and driven to a very palatial home in Apalachin, N. Y., owned by one JOSEPH BARBARA. MACK. told RENNARD they were served a very sumptous meal and the wine and scotch flowed "like water." After eating, the party was shown around the hom and the estate, after which they were driven back to the airport and returned home. RENNARD said MACK described the affair as "MEDICO's Party," and that MEDICO had invited both CORREALE and PAGNOTTI to go along. RENNARD said both PAGNOTTI and CORREALE like to fly and like to party and that they would go on a pleasure trip upon instant's notice. Docld: 32305945 Page 7 io
, Docld y- ‘ RENNARD said after both he and MACK had been inter- viewed by MC GROARTY of the Pennsylvania State Police, MACK called him to discuss the interview. He said MACK told him at the time he had lied to MC’GROARTY about the fact PALMER CORREALE was on the trip because of the publicity regarding | BARBARA since that time. At that time he had been interviewed. RENNARD said he told MACK to tell CORREALE of the interview. which he did and later MACK told RENNARD that CORREAIE instructed him to recontact MC GROARTY and tell him the full facts regarding the flight and who the passéngers were. RENNARD said he did not tell either PAGNOTTI or TEDESCO of his interview, and that when discussing it with PAGNOTTI's private secretary, she told him he should at least tell TEDESCO and that TEDESCO would in turn inform PAGNOTTI. He said she further remarked to him that since he, RENNARD, was new in the area, he did not know the background of "these people." He said she told him that she had been employed’ by PAGNOTTI for many years, and that she knew positively he. had no connection with "those people” meaning BARBARA and others. She told RENNARD it was true that PAGNOTTI haa loaned money to BARBARA, but it was not true that BARBARA had at one tim been PAGNOITI's chauffeur. ' RENNARD said that MEDICO hasmade numerous flights in the Sullivan Trail Company plane. He said many of the trips were on business for Sullivan Trail but there were times when it appeared MEDICO had arranged the trip for his Own convenience. He said recently he flew MEDICO and LOUIS PAGNOTTI, JR.; to Saginaw, Mich., to buy some machinery. PAGNOITI bought two lathes, after which MEDICO tried to get him to sell one of them to him. RENNARD said he misrepresented to FAGNOTTI that one of the lathes was not complete and when he, RENNARD, pointed out it was complete, MEDICO dropped the sub ject in a huff. RENNARD further related another incident which occurred recently. This time he flew TEDESCO, PAGNOTTI, JIRey and MEDICO to Baltimore to look at machinery. En route they picked up a man at Reading, Pa., and after looking at the machinery in Baltimore, flew on to Washington, D. C., where MEDICO had an appointment. While waiting for MEDICO to return to the National Airport, RENNARD received a call from :32305946 Page 6
\ ‘ PAGNOITI, SR., inquiring when he expected to return to Avoca. When RENNARD informed him of MEDICO's appointment, PAGNOTTI, SR., appeared to be somewhat angry and he told RE:NNARD he had some people he wanted flown from Avoca to Philadelphia and then on to Washington the same day., RENNARD said when MEDICO finally returned to the airport, he mentioned his call © from PAGNOTTI, SR., and MEDICO immediately inquired who the people were. His question was overheard by PAGNOITI, JR. RENNARD said he knew who his passengers were to be, but he did not tell MEDICO, and the following day when he spoke to PAGNOTTI about it, the latter said he was right in not disclosing the identities of the passengers to MEDICO, and went on to say that he should not tell MEDICO anything under any circumstances concerning business of the Sullivan Trail Coal Company. — . ~ This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions. It is the property of the FBI, and is a loan to your agency; it and/or its contents are not to be distributed outside your agency. ‘ Docld: 32305945 Page 9 Lo
5 _ \ . UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Philadelphia, Pennsylvania In Reply, Please Refer to File No. June 25, 1959 Person Interviewsd: PAUL RERNARD Address: 1143 Springbrook Avanus Moosic, Fa. ; Date of Interview: January 3, 1958 Place of Interview: Avoca, Pa, Interviewed by: SA GEORGE R. JOHNSON PAUL RENNARD advised he was employed as a pilot by the Sullivan Trail Coal Company in March 1957 after he answered a blind ad im a newspaper for a licensed commercial pilot. He said he formerly worked for the Joy Manufacturing Company. He said he was asked by LOUIS PAGNOTTI to take a party of several people to Binghamton, N. ¥., on June 2, 1957. He recalled he was told a mén and wife would arrive st the Avoca Airport from Detroit via Allegheny Airlines that date and that the man was too sick to travel by automobile from Avoca to Binghamton. He stated he did meet the plane upon arrival from Detroit and ths passenger and his wife and their baggage were transferred to the Sullivan Trail plano. He further advised other passengers on this flight included WILLIAM MEDICO and two other men, one of whom he thinks was RUSSELL BUPALINO. He did not know the third man. LOUIS PAGNOTTI did not accompany these people. RENNARD stated he flew the plané to the Tri-City airport at Endicott, N. ¥., and since there was no resord of the flight in the Avoca airport log, he probably made tha flight on instruments after filing an IFP with the local CAA office. He said that between June 2), 1957 and the date of the next incident, September 13, 1957, he was told by LOUIS FAGNOTTI that the sick man he took to Endicott had died. ‘He stated that upon arrival at EKndicott, the plane was met by a young, stocky Italian appearing man in his early twenties & oo NAYS. ‘ YUP De REA ¥ Cc MS Docld: 32305945 Page 10