AGENCY : RECORD NUMBER : RECORD SERIES : AGENCY FILE NUMBER : ORIGINATOR : FROM: TO: TITLE: DATE: PAGES: SUBJECTS : DOCUMENT TYPE : CLASSIFICATION : RESTRICTIONS : CURRENT STATUS : DATE OF LAST REVIEW : OPENING CRITERIA : COMMENTS : v9.1 HW 54027 Docld:327334034 JFK Assassination System Identification Form Agency Information FBI 124-90110-10027 HQ CR 87-40901-40 Document Information FBI MM HQ 09/28/1960 6 ' JOSEPH RAYMOND MEROLA PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT Unclassified 4 Redact 08/06/1998 INDEFINITE MEMO Page 1 Date: 6/2/2015 Peleased under the John Kennedy Assassination Records Ollection Act of 1992 (44 USC 2107 Note). ase#: NU 54027 Date: ns—-25-2017
1 me air SEp . TO “ DIRECTOR, FBI . DATE: 2 8 1960 i” JK evox / SAG, MIAMI C87-Y309") | ( SUBJECT: CHANGED , mens / —_a G 2 - JOSEPH RAYMOND MER LA, aka.; a j WILLIAM W, RABIN; SEID, aka., 3h Al Zeid (TN) | epee (7 ITSP; IMPERSONATION - ae ‘a oe 00: Mian gor Gol 3 ht : q- a 9-404 | HW 540297 \ and Miami teletype. to ‘Bureau,  8/28/5 %. WX os The title \e ; wy XB Bs aka.; JOHN EDER, akaf, &qd JIMMY MARS ae Bi -"Vemorancha ) Re Miami teletype putea and cnieess, 8/25/60; Miami celetypatte o Bureau, 8/26/60; Pittsburgh teletype /603 to Bureau, 8/ ‘Richmond teletypes to PIB E( BECO v7? £rom: the title the n j che JOHN” CHARLES HERRMANN, subjects’ WILLIAM w RA ‘and AICAEID, ake. The title was previously, carried in referenced communications. as "JOHN CHARLESCHERRMANN, aka.; JOHN EDER, aka.; JOSEPH RAYMOND MEROLA, aka. ; siay MARTIN = ITSP" o For the information of New York and Washington MEROLA planned to leave Miami that night by plane for Field, on August 25, 1960, MM 722 PC advised he had sgh Chicago to join HERRMANN and EDER (Miami Top Jewel Thieve HSCA re igre faye (See Buti le #32—117290) B206T 4 0 1960. Docld: 32334034 Page 2? ae ‘ne/ marked changed to delete a2, Bureau wD | (1 © 87241245) 0 3. +.Chicago (1 - 87-11127) dg. ol-4. 2 © New York. (L + 87-10541) ber 5 S2- 4 OY¢O 2 = Pittsburgh (87-6706). REC J9 (L = 87-5446) 7 6 SEP 30 1960 2 - Richmond (87-5068) | 2 = WFO-(1 = 87-4785) — eee 6 = Miami (1 = 137-2065-SubA) (1 = 137¢ °1594-Sub) | __ (1 = 87-13042) (1 = 878756)... PCC :mgw ne (20) spe - UNRECORDED COPY FILED IN ¥9-Y/24bo— ~
MM 87-13024 og "on a job". On. August. 26; 1960; informant. advised ‘he | had: ‘Learned. MEROLA and .two. unknown ;associates departed | Miami early morning of. that’ date; reportedly” for Roanoke, Virginia. > Informant Learned ‘that -AL. SEID. had, taken’-these three. individuals to the Miami: International Airport, SEID remaining ‘in Miami until the afternoon of August 26, 1960, when “he flew to Pittsburgh. Informant learned. MEROLA was expecting a*$500.00 Western Union money. order after, arrival in Roanoke and ‘SEID;, before. departing. from-Miami:,, was, making efforts. to obtain money . to. -wire -to. MEROLA: “at. Roanoke. 2 er S ot ~ i eye tate : "Investigation. at Eastern. Airlines, ‘Miami, ‘on © August 26. 1960, determined. three individuals. using names J. MEADE, D. “BERMAN, and. Ls BURNS. departed. Miami. at 1:20 A. MS ‘that. ‘date on. Eastern Airlines.Flight 854 non-stop, one ‘way tickets, for Washington, D, C. An unexplained notation was on the ticket. issued..to J....MEADE- reflecting intention, to. ‘travel to. Roanoke,. Virginia. ‘No. positive identification of © Photograph of JOSEPH, MERQLA was. made o o “(Confidential ‘source, Miami, “advised on- . August. 26, 1960 that .a..$500..00 Western Union money order sent 11:10 A.M. that, day to NELLIE: ‘MEROLA,. ‘c/o. Will:Call, Roanoke, Virginia. Fisur instituted August 26, 1960 at Roanoke, Virginia reflected NELLIE MEROLA received: $500.00 money order at Roanoke from where, accompanied by MEROLA and their children,,. she drove via Camden, South Carolina, Jacksonville, Florida, to Miami Beach, arriving late - afternoon of. August 28,: .1960. No significant contacts observed, Whereabouts of two unknown. associates of MEROLA not known after the three departed Miami by plane for Washington, D. C. MM 722. PC. advised. on Nugust 26, 1960 ‘that he. had learned MEROLA and/or his two unknown associates had with \ MW 54027 Docld: 32334034 Page 3
MM 87-13024 “BERNIE” had gone as far as Washington, D. C., ultimate destination not learned, involved a swindle or theft of a substantial amount of money, all in $10,000 bills. — - He Learned these bills were reportedly stolen in Japan by a representative of the United States Government shortly after World War II. Such bills were reportedly brought into the United States and since then one or two of the™ $10,000 bills was sold at a discount, which sale resulted in inquiry by the U. S. Treasury Department. As a result of the inquiry the unidentified person in possession of ‘these’ $10,000 bills has been afraid to sell, spend, or otherwise dispose of same. Informant learned this person is reportedly still in the U. S. Government service, possibly connected with the United Nations or the U. S. State Department, and from conversation overheard informant — gathered these bills are now or have in the recent past been stored in a safe deposit box of an unknown branch of the Manufacturers Trust Company, New York City. Subjects feel that victim of proposed score, inasmuch as he is not in legal possession of the $10,000 bills, would make no complaint of the loss of this money if the score successful. MM 722 PC advised on September 19, 1960 that he learned RABIN was expected in Miami over the week-end of September 17 - 19, 1960 where, acting on instructions | of GABE (KELLY) MANNARINO, New Kensington, Pennsylvania racketeer, RABIN was to obtain the fictitious credentials (mentioned herein above) from someone unknown to informant, for subsequent use in pulling above-described score. He learned nothing of the date or time for this proposed score. On September 14, 1960, MM 660-C advised she learned on JOE MEROLA's recent trip to Roanoke, Virginia, on August 26, 1960, when MEROLA left Miami he was accompanied o & « \ HW 54027 Docld: 323340354 Page 4
C\ ( MM 87213024 MM 722 PC learned that WILLIAM W. RABIN reportedly is in possession of a passport, which he carries with him at all-times; that RABIN has stated his intentions’to leave the country in the event he is successful in attempting the score described herein above, thereby avoiding a split-of the loot obtained with GABE MANNARINO and others. Informant mentioned the possibility that in the event RABIN is successful in attempting this score, MANNARINO, NORMAN ROTHMAN, and others may take necessary steps to "get rid' of RABIN prior to their forthcoming trial on ITSP = - CONSPIRACY charges, in view of their feeling that without RABIN, MANNARINO and ROTHMAN cannot be successfully prosecuted. q i - MM 722 PC previously advised in July, 1960, that he had learned GABE MANNARINO, WILLIAM W. RABIN, and NORMAN ROTHMAN (latter a Miami Beach racketeer) were concerned over. their indictment in Chicago on conspiracy charges involving - gtohen bonds; that MANNARINO and ROTHMAN felt that “with , RABIN out of the way" they could not be convicted on the- conspiracy charge; and MANNARINO and ROTHMAN had reportedly made known their intentions to "get rid" of RABIN. New York Office is origin in case involving MANNARINO, RABIN, ROTHMAN, et al, who were initially ‘indicted in Jume, 1959, on ITSP - Conpisracy, later reindicted during the summer of 1960 at Chicago on the same charges to include other subjects - Bufile 87241245; New York file 87-10541;.Chicago File 87211127; Pittsburgh File 87-5446, and WFO file 87-4785. The above is furnished to the Bureau and offices receiving copies of this letter for information purposes. No dissemination of this information should be made and same should not be discussed outside the Bureau without specific Bureau authority. The Miami Office recommends no dissemination or discussion outside the Bureau as same would likely reveal the identity and status of the informants herein, seriously jeopardizing the. | confidential relationship of these informants, and/or °. endangering the lives of these informants. . = 6 @- ween vere ~ fee a ee 7 j fl HW 54027 Docld:32334034 Page 5