Rarte 00C (CATEGORY OF REPORT) LLB DOS CASE NO. #222918 ~ G.W.B.A. Inc. PERIOD OF INVESTIGATION C9 September 1960 and cue September 1960 ADDS Chk 58D Dap Chict | | 1 A fo Chief i TX 1 Clb é Ic iow B j Ch. Sen. Br, i Bors 18- AWM ad & Ty Contr DISTRIBUTION: [f/f | ow ly (7 | aro - 11 “nays, OAG vcr may Be USED. \ \ CLASS: “slow REPORT OF INVESTIGATION los Angeles {FIELD OFFICE) _ PLS DATE 13 September 1960 SPEC (43)
T. company, is engaged in the estigations ‘of all types. The. . very: ‘limited’ and he. appears a a ree at the present time, His’ office - aye ; a. four-story ‘building | located in‘a ‘commercial, low-rent ‘section of the city. '. _ Hie office ds ‘on the Firat. Lloor, ‘and is’ ‘the’ only, office ©. \ ‘Office. He left his Balter Building ~ ‘Charles: Street about eight or nine months a address on Bt. hi .. " “agos 3 He had occupied two rooms on the fourth floor of . an 2 a four-story ‘bul Lding, | “located in'a commercial section” of the’.city and across, thé street from the Masonic Temple ‘which now houses’ ‘many United States Government offices. His general business reputation is good but it appears that his business is not very sound. His business was incorporated on. 21 January 1958, He is President and owns 1:70 shares of stock and his wife is Vice-President, owning 10 shares. The Secretary-Treasurer at the time of incorporation was Joseph A. OSTER who owns 20 shares. A Dun and Bradstreet report reflected that Guy B--<= hired one investigator, Vernon GERDES, and the company was not a financial success.’ A lien has been placed. on the company and NSF (not. sufficient funds) checks have been returned. Four confidential informants were interviewed, They advised Guy B---~ was. suspended from his position as Assistant Superintendent of the New Or- leans Police Department because he was involved in a downtown bar incident. He was accused of being drunk and of pulling a gun in public. There were many con- flicting stories and favorable and derogatory newspaper articles pertaining to the incident. Guy B-----='g -~-continued== ‘det odpm + oes
74-00009 e AN wipe € edd , eed two: “former” ‘employees. - Guy ‘Boze eae “ih 4 weredlt records on Joseph OSTER °e ‘Company, ; and’ earned between ‘and a $18, c00 yearly. + ‘He had three attomey. accounts which were eventually paid. A-credit report. on Vernon GERDES reflected that he was employed for an insurance : company and had been an investigator for the SUBJECT company and other investigation firms. The Re-— tail Credit Company files contained ‘additional back- - ground information on both Joseph OSTER and Vernon GERDES. Police records were checked in the name of Guy B-=-—=, Joseph OSTER and Vernon GERDES with negative results. Herewith attached are Exhibits 1 thru @ which contain background information pertaining to Guy B-----,
7490000 * e sued for defaming the Universal Drilling Company. and one of its. - "hize ed aby Provosty x res, Superintendent . 5,-Lor the purpose of clean ic] h“had ‘been ‘accused of being’ stablished* & ‘very good reputation as an: police official who ‘had done an excellent . e department. wntil*he got himself in . the en Gras-in March. 1957. At that time he “the Police Department ¢ conducted an investigation of thia incident which received a great deal pf publicity in the news- papers. Many conflicting stories were circulated about this incident. One was thet the Police Department had framed, or railroaded, the SUBJECT in order to get rid of him because he was getting too close to the top men who were responsible for 4 the graft and corruption in the New Orleans Police Department. | The New Orleans Crime Commission defended the SUBJECT as did. many other prominent groups in the area; Newspaper articles relating to the incident carried many conflicting stories of witmesses. One story was that the SUBJECT had been drinking and had at least. been indiscreet in handling the incident which arose. ‘Since the SUBJECT was a prominent police official with a job requiring a great deal of tact and discretion, it was hard to believe that a person in his position, if he had been sober, would have caused the adverse publicity which he received. ; 1-17 stated that after SUBJECT was suspended from the Police Department he purchased a newspaper, the Herald, a weekly paper published in Gretna, Louisiana, which he ran for over a° year. When he was its owner the newspaper and the SUBJECT were
7400000 ° "believed SUBJECT had to sell it because of financial ‘own “Snvestigatios agency which bore his name, ‘and at the - present. time it is believed he is operating this agency. | ‘principal stockholders, Lewis J. ROUSSEL, This ‘alleged #. +. defamatdon agkinst+—the SUBJECT..received_a great deal of notoriety” ‘inthe local newspapers. (See attached Exhibit ‘x Pix a newspaper article from The Times-Picayune,. New Or- Oe leans, jloulsiana, which reports the acquittal, of SUBJECT ‘oy “~ Oo we von “this: charge) - og o . ye « Je ae : rs see ~~, 3 ia “0 Se oat ROE ae Pn Se Sa ee Bre eee . After running the newspaper for over a year it was - difficulties. After selling the paper he started his ~ From newspaper articles LI-17 had the impression that this a business, 7 run. by SUBJECT. might not be completely succeful. ; 2074 In pecent years SUBJECT has associated himself with: Kent” COURTNEY, editot of the Independent American) ‘a national publication which represents States Rights and which is extremely right wing.in policy and appears to be dedicated to the proposition of preserving white supremacy . In the course of its promgation of extreme views it has used many unethical means, LI-]% stated that the people ‘who have been connected with this Independent American have criticised the Supreme Court to the point of demanding that all of the Justices resign because they were unethical. — II-17 advised that this organization, known as the Independent American Citizens' Council, is militantly against desegragation, © IL-17 stated he did not know in what capacity SUBJECT was connected with this organization. LI-17 had seen the SUBJECT at many of their meetings and for all he kmew SUBJECT might have been hired _— by them to conduct investigations for them, . See LI-17 stated ever since SUBJECT has had some connection _-with this extremely right-wing radical group people have be~ come concerned about whether sor not he would use information, | gained when he was with the Nw Orleans Police Department, to further the cause of this right-wing element. Another person SUBJECT has associated himself with is eee Leander PEREZ, District Attorney for the Plaquemine Parish. — This individual is extremely right wing in his. political thinking and has sufficient power that he can dictate whether or not a person can vote. It is a know fact that he has denied the negroes in his parish the right to vote. 2 Cee ee Sie a teeta een hare A tl a tt ek a ee ee Re Bale aw EN ee ed
14-00000 gg . ‘accomplished 6’ great deal of good) ) Police Force in New Orleans... ret isi oo When SUBJECT first took over his. ‘duties at the Police 3, Departiment he proved to be a capable administrator and he instituted many procédures which were beneficial to the Department. After SUBJECT had been in the Police Depart- - ment about a year he apparently began to believe some of — . the favorable newspaper publicity which he received and it was common. knowledge that on many occasions he failed - to follow the orders from his superior, Provosty DAYRIES. SUBJECT began to question, or take opposite sides on . bo policies set up by his superior, and to differ with the = 4 views of Mayor MORRISON. . al On many ‘occasions SUBJECT was invited to be a guest speaker at varlous organizations, such as Young Business- mens' Group and the American legion. Somg of his speeches made before these groups were critical of the city admin- istration and the Police Department. These criticisms did — not help the SUBJECT and alienated many of his former friends. 7 ie | . ‘Roe stated when SUBJECT had the difficulty at the Absinthe House Bar in March 1957 a complete investigation was conducted, | and statements were taken of over 50 wit- . present at the bar at the time of the incident.
14-0000) ‘ The majority of these witnesses stated SUBJECT had been drinking and he appeared to be intoxicated. Testimony also revealed SUBJECT grabbed the bartender by the jacket - and pushed him hard enough to. cause two buttons on the jacket to break loose. Some witnesses stated SUBJECT pulled ont his gum and some denied it. There was also sufficient testimony that SUBJECT had engaged in un« necessary altercations at the bar. ‘Any one of these allegations would be sufficient grounds for suspension from the Police Department. On March 1957 Superintendent of Police DAYRIES ~ suspended the SUBJECT, but on 1 dune 1957 SUBJECT was re-instated in the Folice Department. His administrative powers were deleted and he. was -given-the -job -of-Planning Officer and the duties of investigating Communistic act- ivities in the New Orleans area, SUBJECT kept this job for about two days and was then discharged on the grounds of insubordination, It appears that the SUBJECT had failed to take orders from his superior, Superintendent DAYRIES. Ro stated that he personally had a great deal of respect for the BUJBECT but he felt the SUBJECT had be- come egotistical and domineering, and wanted the top position in the New Orleans Folice Department and was not interested in keeping the #2 job. Ra stated that since leaving the Police Department SUBJECT had purchased and operated a newspaper in Gretna but had been forced to sell it because of financial . difficulties. SUBJECT then started his own investigating agency which he operates at the present time. When he started this agency he hired Joseph OSTER, Jr, a former New Orleans Folice Officer. Bum On 12 September 1960 Confidential Informant R-Y, in charge of. an investigative agency, was interviewed. 2. R-Y stated he has known of the SUBJECT about five years. When SUBJECT was Assistant Superintendent of Police he had done a very commendable job, Apparently SUBJECT was an honest person who did everything in his power to clean up the graft and corruption in the New Orleans Police Department. When his investigation came fo seen 4p tes pecans ec pee ERECTOR
ay. “ BUBJECT was getting too close to the bosses of the police ed he did not know SUBJECT “peputation-and-activities. when: he.had~be oo srintendent of the New Orleans Police De=.«- rom reading about the incident at the Absinthe “stated he was of the opinion that thisin- lown up out of proportion by the public, partment wsed this incident to suspend his position. It appeared that the® ee nistration ‘and to the graft and corruption in the de-. partment, and ‘consequently this incident was an excuse for his suspension. ) SS at New Orleans, Louisiana: _:. Q0.9 September 1960 Mrs. Betty ENGELBRACHT, secretary at the New Orleans Credit Bureau, 333 St. Charles, made | available a report, dated 1 April 1957, in the name of the SUBJECT which contained the following information: SUBJECT has been known to the files since February 1955, He was born on 7 March 1901, is married to Mary and they have one daughter. As of 15 January 1955 he was employed by the New Orleans Police Department as Assistant. Superintendent of Police and earns approximately $750a month. He resides at 6161 Canal Boulevard, New Orleans. He is well regarded as to character, habits and morals. é
idress was 7059 Argonne treet, 2 ads i. A ‘written notation, dated July 1955, repor reflected that the SUBJECT had ‘been: ‘employed | Algiers Public. Service but this statement was. not by further explained, ~ _ At ‘New Orteans, Toulstana: On ‘12 Septenber 1960 the records of the New Orleans Police ‘Department ‘were checked in the name of SUBJECT with negative ‘results The records were also negative in the names of nary We emeny Joseph A. OSTER, Vernon GERDES and Kent COURTNEY. At New Orle sa ‘Louisiana: On 9 September 1960 Mr, Ray TAYIOR, | an employee at Dun and Bradstreet, 2 Canal Street, made available a report, dated 5 February 1960, which contained the follow- ing information about the SUBJECT : Bemmmce ‘Associates » Inc., Room uh Balter Building,’ hol. St. Charles, New Orleans, is a Louisiana corporation chartered 21 January 1958. Authorized capital is 500 shares with no par value stock... oan bee ere ae ore ee
74-90000 eo: e 8 2anS oulsiana.” “He. Served in: ‘the. ‘Uni ted s from 1940 :to 195. - From 196 to lol tee The C poration ‘operates a private detective agency on.a fee basis. Operations are’ conducted from quarters . in a large brick office ‘building, located.in ‘the’ dowe- town’ commercial area. Recent attempts to contact the — officers of the Corporation have been unsuccessful, This Corporation has been in operation since January 1958 but in the opinion of authorities consulted, opera~ tions, especially in recent months, have not been con= ducted along successful lines. Altho detailed operating figures have not been available in outside quarters, the opinion of authorities consulted is that the volume at present is limited and the two officers. who reportedly own all of the outstanding stock are credited with earning " a small living, at best, from the business. The Corpora~ tion has a few huridred dollers in fixtures and equipment. Cash, if any, is limited and outside investigation reveals that during recent months some NSF’ (not sufficient funds) checks have been issued. - B check of Orleans Parish Court reveals that in 6 November 1959 the State of Louisiana filed a tax lien 7 against Guy B---~ Associates, Inc. in the amount of $393. “ The lien is still outstanding. ‘The Corporation has a ‘slow paying record. ae e. 5
(m 9 Sertember 1960 the articles ci incorporation of the Cry Beeee Associates, inc., locatec at the Sivil -is- trict Covrt, were reviewec cnc rcfleeted the Lollowinc: Gormoration Leme: ant lesa AGL ELES 4 INC» @ofects anc IUIOSES : a. Lo coe isetions into crinine and purpose of assenbline tion for others reletin: to existine or ti reatevec vron’s to vcrson, proverty, or rep= utetiors; tre ex. ister ce, identity, character levelt-, activity anc standing of indivicvais, firm or association: and the orocurement of- factuel cete rnecessery to-tre-nmreservation -and erjovment of incivicuals anc entities of their Teufel richts. 2, To esteblish erc vaintain retail dealers: rro- tection anc emrvlovee evalna ition services. 3. «9 con.cuct surveys of rhveicéi riants anc buildines for ine eatenlishrent ol protective svstens which vill cuerc eceinet trespassers end miscreacts of whetever lcind. 4 4e VO estabiis end naintain -uerd services, uniformed anc net univorred. 5S. To conduct muelic opinion polis; consumer opinion polis anc sveh other tyre end kinds of inovirlies as may ve necesserv to properly advise clients in public reletions activities. Location and post office address of its resistered office is 7059 srconne Street, vex Crle an Ls 24, Lovisiena. The fvll names end post office acdresses of its registered arvrents are: Guy Peenen=-=, 7059 srconne Street, New Crleans, la. Joseph A. OSTIE, 663° Sorian Street, " " " Authorized shares of stock: 500 Amount of paidein capitel with which the Corporation shall besin is :1000 which will be paid in cash, wom ew
14-00000 . oy ” e . . . ’ + 4 The Sirst Lirectors and oificers are: - Sheres Fresident GUY Denne ween 70 Vice-Fres. Peary (l, “ememeee 10 Secv-Lreas. Joserh A. CSELF 20 vedas Above simnee by Siliian J. tidga', Uotery Fublic, om 21 a Janvers 1958 ok ee e j~! co 3 e et oe i check of the liens filed against be----= Associates,. Inc. at the Civil “istrict Court at sev Srleans reflected the followings: Re: The State of lovisiana Parish of Orleans, City of Few Crileans, Terertzrent of jabor, Division of ermloyment security, veton ovee, Lovisiane, ereinst Cy Pewemmem issocietes, ANC. he plaintiff placed « lien on defendent's procerty for 393.07, plus interest of .19.71, urich is amount cve in principal as contribu- tions on employment covering the period be- cirnint 2 duly 1°85 end ending 30 dune 1959. Amount oved to Mivision cf Employment, Security, of the Jepartment of Labor. laien recordec 6 iiovenber 1959. - lLortgare Record Pook 1953, pase 337, at the Crleens Lerish, Civil iistrict Court, lew Urleans, Lovisiana. 4 the facilities locetec at Room 43u, Ualter FuLlidins, ho2 St. Charles. It vas learned thet =oom 43h was the former office of Cuy B----- Associates, Inc. Casual inquiries of Cn 9 Sextember 1960 this Axent concucted 2 survey of the elevator operator, en unwitting infornent, revealed that foom 43h) hed not been occuried for tle past six or eicht months. An examination of this srnace revealed that it wes unocevpied as of this date. . = Jee
14-00000 * e This space consisted of two rooms on the lth floor of a fovrestery office bvildine loceted in a soodé commercial section of the city. This otfice buildings is well maintained end is diaronally ecross tre street from the i’asonic Temple videh houses many vovernment ovfices, Gasval inoviries ir the Calter “vildins revealed that Cay Eeeeee Associates, Inc. had moved to 53] Lefevette St. £ casual survey ves conducted et 531 Lafavette Street which is located in a commercial low rent section of the city anc ig aeross the street from the United States Fost Cffice. S31 Lafayette is an ole four-story building and the first floor houses a restaurant on the corner and behind this, the offices of Cuy Ee-we- Associates, inc. The entrance to £31 lafayette is onthe first. floor and--the entrance. Goorvey opens directly onto the street. ‘rere are no signs on this boildine, nor is there any sism on the coorway to the entrance of Cuv Femee- Associates, inc. On 9 Senteriver 1960 Urs, cetty BXGELEEACHT, secretary at the Sev Orleans Credit Eureau, made available a credit report, dated 29 July 1960, in the name of Vernon G, GZFOES. Acent!s iote: 4ccorcins to ape -rercort on Uny le----- Associates, fee, this individual was listed as STSJLCT'S associate and his neme wes spelled "CURDES! Yernon.G, GERPES is merricd to vary Ann and has three Cenendents. Eis ese was shown es 36 and his occupation was listed as self-emoloved investivator at 500 International Eutlieins. & report dated 17 Movember 1959 contained the following information : - &. GERDES was employed by Guy H---- Associates, Inc., Ealter Suilcding, for the past four months as a private ine vestigator and associate. VY. CERDES is a native of lew Crleans, Lovisiana, Le formerly worked for ii¢egins as a carpenter, leter served in the United States larines from 1942 to 1545 and then opereted the Gerdes Service Station for five years, Ee then worked for Chrysler end later oper~ Tec «#lO-
14-00000 e ated the Comercial Investigation Service from 1955 to 1°57. be ves then an Agent for the |.essachusetts Fro- tective Acsccietion from 1957 to 1959 and later was the owner of the CLRLLS Conoco Service Station. For one year Le ves an investigator for Guy u----- Associates, inc. he is presently self-enploved and does special work for Tuy Be=-=-«. and the SouthemFesearch Company. His addresses were shown as 1207 Constantinople, 1439 Lesire anc 1790 Fosario,. On 12 Septemver 19°60 Ir. L. ©. JU 2S, of the Retail -Crecit company, made available a report, cated 1 dune 1960, in the neme of Vernon %. GERLES, 1207 Constantinople, which listed his employment as "self--insurance, United é4rerican' since 1960, we esraduatecé-from kiehols Fish School, “eu Crleens, lovisiana. He is connected with an insurance firm but the name was not lmown bv anv of the informants contacted, Fe urea nveviovel emrlored as the omer and or«retor of the Standard Business Bureau, e collection aceney onereted from his home. He has hed this job for over a vear and still devotes rart time to this business. Re had neen the owner of a Conoco Lervice Station, docated at 101 St. fernard, for almost two years, but closed the business because it wes unsuccessful. he is married for the second time. His first marriare ended in divorce, but there is no criticisn, He has one child by his present wife, ke is reported to be in rood health and he is well recarded personaily in the community. fnother report in the Netail Credit Bureau's files was dated. 1 March 1960 end reflected the following: Yernon G,. GEEDES wes norn on 7 Mecenber 1923, From 2 July 195) he was self-exployed as the Conrercial In- vestization Service. Ee had mmerous previous employments and is revarded es becoming Giscovrased very quickly. Ee worked as.a clerk for Chrysler for two years. He worked for uary LOD Special Investigation Service es an investi- gator for tuo years end was released es being unsuited for the jok. He was erploved by the ix-Marine etective Arency (sic) for a short time, He sold real estate for the WARNER Real rstate Commany. Fe operated the CLRDES Service Stetion, mn ouned by his father, Lor five to six vears, we
yn - his present position. wi iS ‘present {caployment is with a: Le rm having 10. or 12 emp ar He has a “good : eas record: and. appears to be financially | stable, He received $1000 a year from rental income. His main duties are in the administrative and investigative . lines. He lives with his wife and children in an average, : ; middle class section of the city and his associates are ; respectable. ah Mr. OSTER was in the (Armed Forces shortly after World War II. He was born on 18 November 1928 at New Orleans, louisiana, and is a graduate of Nichols High School. He was in the New Orleans Police Department as a detective for 6 years and left to work for Pendleton Detective Agency for a short time and then joined Guy B----- Associates, Inc. where he remained for a year and a half. At the present time Mr, OSTER is Vice-President end Manager of the Southern Research, Ine., whose home office is in Shreveport, Iovisiana, He earns $15,000 yearly from a On 9 September 1960 Mrs. Betty ENGELBRACHT, secretary i in the Credit Bureau, made available a credit report in‘the — | name of Joseph A. OSTER, Jr. of 7135 Dorian, New Orleans, louisiana. The report, dated 3 August 1960, contained the following information:
74-90000 * e Joseph #,, OSTER was about 31 vears old, was married and had four dependents, ke was emrloyed es Vice-Fresi- cent of the Southern hNesearch.Corpany, Inc. His. earnings were estimated between “12,000 and 15,000 vearlvy. Ee is a native of lew Orleans and hes lived at the above address since Merch 1959, +e was forreriv emmloved by the City of 'ew Urleans, vas in the armed forces and was honorably cis» clarpec, te ettended lovola Universitv as a GI student and worked parttime for the frorressive tenl:. In Tecerber 1°20 he entered the emrlov of the Fendleton Detective acency as an investigator. Frior to this he. vorkec for Guy Lemene issociates, inc. as the secretary and Treasurer. The report reflected that Lr. O3TLK “had thrée attorney accounts for collection and all were peid. Jt hac been re ported that he owed 5130.9) to Godchaux, a New CVrleans Ue- partment Store, as cf 23 Fav 1959, Carl LEDEETTER had. sued for :+33.65 as the result of an automobile accident. Lr, OSTFRIS credit wes rated "slow", Mr. OSTEFIS addresses iere listed as 7135 Loriar 6638 Por an 228 Bay - 3025 Spain 1200 Common All of ew Orleans, Lovisiana Attached to this report are Exhibits 1 thru 7 which contain background information pertaining to Guy Bew-=«, EOD:efd Attach: Ex, 1-) -13~