PG 92-226 enough money to put up his share. MESSER said he personally travelled to Chicago to arrange for the purchase of machines to be distributed by this company and had a verbal agree- ment with ART ROONEY who allowed him to place these machines throughout the East Liberty, Homewood and Garfield sections of Pittsburgh where ROONEY was not operating. According to MESSER, ROONEY, who is the present owner of the Pitts- burgh Steelers professional football club, was the only man who could get paste reels before LA ROCCA tried, and controlled the entire Pittsburgh vicinity in this regard. MESSER said that the government placed a.$100 tax stamp on each machine and the City of Pittsburgh put a $50 tax stamp on each machine. He sald that other owners of the company, in addition to himself and LA ROCCA, were FRANK AMATO, BARNEY McGINLEY, . SAMUEL MANNARINO and F. W. ZOGG, the latter from Chicago. * (a) .ELlicit Alcohol | | | cc On August 31, 1953, LA ROCCA, while testifying at.an INS hearing in his own behalf, stated that. he had been ."mixed up" in bootlegging,. numbers racket, and slot machines, and that ‘in his earller days he had worked as an Indiana County,,. Pa., coal miner. LA ROCCA stated that he was then engaged only in legitimate enterprises. . E, LEGITIMATE ENTERPRISES On October 10, 1955, JOHN LA ROCCA was interviewed at his. place of business on Craig Street by SA JOHN S. PORTELLA. LA ROCCA stated that since his trouble with the Internal Revenue. Service, and the INS, his business in the past three years had dropped so much that he had his business and property up for sale. LA ROCCA stated that he has been patient and cooperative with all government agencies and has been investigated and reinvestigated on numerous. occasions and cannot understand why the government will not leave him alone. LA ROCCA stated his true name is SEBASTIAN JOHN LA ROCCA. and that he never liked the name SEBASTIAN and- consequently has been called JOHN for many years. LA ROCCA stated that after he sells his business. on Craig Street. he will continue to operate the North Star Cement Block Company... .. L Lo . \ PW 56792 Docld:32332869 Page 11
PG 92-226 the perjury. trial in Federal Court, Pittsburgh. The subject had maintained that he had no connection with this business as of February 19, 1948, when this business was raided by the Allegheny County Detective Bureau and thirty-eight slot machines were confiscated. FRED M. THIER, 422 Miller Avenue, Duquesne, made a sworn statement on March 15, 1954, that the Duquesne Vending Company was. never sold and that LA ROCCA was still a partner at the time of the raid. . A search of the records of the Prothonotary? 8 | Office failed to reveal any record of the Bulk Beverage Company which LA ROCCA had alleged that he owns. HAROLD W. LAUVER, INS. Investigator, advised on December 16, 1957, that he had made a search of the prothonotary's records at Fayette County, Pa., and had not been able to locate any record concerning the Fayette Novelty Company nor the Rock- O-La Corporation which have been allegedly owned in the past by the subject. A news item dated November 10, 1954, appearing in the "Pitts- burgh Press" reflects that JOHN LA ROCCA testified before the Immigration Hearing Board that his net worth is $258,500 and that he has had no income from gambling or other illegal sources. in the past ten years. With regard to the North Star Cement Block Company, it is pointed out that on December 10, 1957, T-8, a representative of another government agenc advised that JFK Law ll(a Regarding the Standard Dryer Distributing Company, it is pointed out that prothonotary records, under fictitious names registration, Volume 133, page 42, Certificate No. 42387, list the United Hand Dryer Distributing Company, 500 North Craig Street, Pittsburgh. The character of this _ business was to buy, sell and distribute mechanical hand dryers, and the interested partners were JOHN S. LA ROCCA. The date the certificate was issued May 12, 1954. - 31 - 000-31 \\@) L HW 56792 N Docld: 323327889 Page 12
y oo HW 56792 PG 92-226 LA ROCCA advised at the time of his deportation hearing that after the termination of the Standard Dryer Distributing Companys prothonorary records, fictitious name registration, Volume -120, page 19, Certificate No. 38182, he formed the United Hand: Dryer Distributing Company. Heretofore these records could not be found in the Allegheny County Pro~ thonotary' 8 Office. It is noted that the- registration card No. | Bes67H0 of the Arlington Hotel, Binghamton, N. Y., dated November 14, 1957, listed JOHN S. LA ROCCA, Coin Machine Distributing Company, 300 North Craig Street, Pittsburgh. On March 4, 1958, T-9, whose records are available through the issuance of a subpoena duces tecum, advised that his records show that on November 9, 1956, his records show that $45,000 was loaned to JOHN LA ROCCA and his wife, MARY S. LA ROCCA. It'was noted that $1, 000 was paid on this loan on January 7, 1957, and that ‘$500 payments were made each month thereafter until January 30, 1958, with the exception of September, when two $500 payments were made ‘during that month. It was noted that there was still a $37,500 balance re=- maining on this loan as of March 4, 1958, and that this was apparently the second loan made to LA ROCTCA. No notation was noted which would indicate ‘the purpose of. ‘this $45,000 loan. JFK Law 11 (a) T-10. advised that ~ 32 - C< of | 3S S _ & S Docld: 323327889 Page 13
PG 92-226 JFK Law 11 (a) F,. TRAVEL on January 27, 1958, Mrs. CLOVER GIBSON, Secretary, and Miss LORENA SANDERS, Clerk, Velda Rose Motel, Hot Springs, made records available to SA ROBERT E. HICKMAN, which revealed that JOHN S. LA ROCCA, 500 North Craig Street, Pittsburgh, registered in the Velda Rose Motel on October 22, 1957, with one JOHN SCARDINO (address not given) and departed on November 8, 1957. The records revealed that the subject and SCARDINO resided in Rooms 118 and 99. According to Miss SANDERS, the subject seemingly. was in Hot Springs to take the baths and to her recollection had no visitors in his room. Miss SANDERS advised that she did not know what places the subject frequented while visiting in Hot Springs nor did she know any individuals he contacted while in Hot Springs. Miss SANDERS pointed out that the motel did not maintain telephone numbers of local calls their guests make. On January 21, 1958, Mr. AUSTIN PITTMAN, Assistant Manager’ Arlington Hotel, Hot Springs, advised that a review of his records from 1954 to present revealed no information regarding | the subject. on February 3, 1958, Assistant U. S. Attorney STEPHEN E. KAUFMAN, Southern District of New York, New York, made avail- able to SAA JOHN J. RYAN a photostat: ‘of registration card No. B56740 of the Arlington Hotel, Binghamton, N. Y., stamped on its reverse side 8:58 a.m., November 14, 1957. The registrant JOHN S. LA ROCCA (and friend crossed out Coin Distributing Company, 500 N. Craig, Pittsburgh, Pa., ’ . | | | . IAB HW kA , : oe see 7 33 - GIANG) TO) ne anes HW 56792 DBocld:32332689 Page 14
Py! WAS PG 92+226 . occupied Rooms 852, 854, and 856, at what appears to be a $10 rate. Under the remarks section is written "charged to Onon Canada Dry." The initials of the clerk on duty appear to be "CB," Mr. KAUFMAN volunteered that Inspector DENMAN, New York State Police, Sidney, New York, had turned over the photostat to him on a recent trip KAUFMAN had made to. that area. G. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION © ‘SE EB Bastia dl Through observation, interview, and “investigation; ; JOHN we F ROCCA is described as follows: ns SAA MAB Race White sex . Male Date of birth _omancnecember 19, 1901 Place” of” birth ~~” Villa_Rosa,—Caltanesetta, a ee Sicily, baly Height Brio" iad Weight . 200 lbs. Hair - Black, graying \/ Complexion _ Dark Me. Eyes Brown ee Present ! Address, - 900 ..West. Ingomar, Road co “Ingomar, _ Pa. Past Address : 6426 Apple Stréet Pittsburgh, Pa. _ Marital Status Married Wife -MARY S. LA ROCCA Date of birth April 2, 1910 Place of birth Jessup, Pa. Date of wt marriage September 30, 1928, Pittston, Pa. son ; JOHN LA ROCCA Date of birth October 1, 1943 Adopted TN HOWEARD LESLIE HOFFMAN February 25, 1944 at Greensburg, Pa., through Westmoreland Orphans Court - 34 - HW 56792 Docld: 323327889 Page 15 “ ¥ reyaArt