JFK Assassination System - Date: 4/24/201 Identification Form Agency Information Released under the John AGENCY: FBI Kennedy RECORD NUMBER: — 124-10197-10499 lssassination Records Ollection Act of 1992 RECORD SERIES: HQ (44 USC 2107 Note). ase#:NU 45737 Date: AGENCY FILENUMBER: —92-2717-371 Tt ie-2017 Document Information ORIGINATOR: FBI FROM: PEARCE, J. ROBERT TO: DIRECTOR, FBI TITLE: DATE: 10/31/1961 PAGES: 81 SUBJECTS : ABR, ASSOC, BANK RECORDS, B/F INT, CUBA, PUERTO RICO DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT CLASSIFICATION : Secret RESTRICTIONS : 1C; 4; 11(a) CURRENT STATUS: — Redact -DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 10/23/1998 OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE, APPROVAL OF IRS COMMENTS : v9.1 HW 45737 Doocld: 32267723 Page 1
PH 92-44) | Lo ‘Leads (cont'd) PHILADELPHIA | aT PHILADELPHIA, PA. 1. Will maintain contact with IRS, Philadelphia.- 2, Will concentrate investigative effort on BRUNO's lieutenant, PHILIP TESTA, noting his continued activity . in numbers operation in the Philadelphia area. 3- Will report contacts with informants who have inowleage of ANGELO BRUNO, Ao Will report results of requested investigation of (Legal Attaches, Canada and Panama (Yu) Administrative Data 3/61, IRS Agent WILLIAM LYNN advised SA J ROBERT _ SEK Law ‘L1(a Banking records of the late IRVING CAREY at the Little. River Bank in Miami are not being included in this report, : but will be analyzed by an accountant for possible assistancé in conducting the BRUNO investigation. In this regard, it should be noted that IRS has these records in their possession. By letter #eteived 10/4/61 the Bureau advised that (the Legal Attache, London, had again discussed with British Security Service M5 and Colonel CUMMING the insurance policy held on the gambling casino, Plaza Hotel, Havana, Cuba. The name JOSEPH STASSI was unknown to ’Lieyds of London, who were reinsurers in the amount of $70,000 to the American International Reassurance Corporation of New York city |(S) -D- 7RS COVER PAGE REVIEWED BY SBWJFK TASK FORCE oN “eed Cl] REE SABE FULL i LEASE IN PART HW 45737 Docld: 32267723 Page 2? ;
PH 92-H1)1) . Lucerne Corporation Panama Information. has. previously been reported showing ; ' ANGELO BRUNO in possible receipt. of payment. by insurance.: com- panies for. damage. done to the gambling casino, Plaza Hotel, Havana, Cuba, January 1, 1959. [Investigation has. established that payment was made. ain the amount. of. 185,000.00, portions _ Of which, if any, going to ANGELO BRUNO not. known Y@)It has been developed,: however, that owners: of record of thfS™¢a4sino. were FRANK. BURD. and JOSEPH STASSI; both. of New York City. -In re- gards: to prior information alleging BRUNO to have financial interests. in the gambling easino.in Havana; Cuba, it is noted ~ that information was obtained showing a business associate of BRUNO in this regard as being CARL ."PAPPY" IPPOLITO, as well as other individuals. More recent information has shown that. . ANGELO BRUNO's close business associate in the Miami,: Flas, area, IRVING CAREY, deceased, had a: financial interest in the . above-captioned concerns which has ‘been: established to have’ been located in the Plaza Hotel, Havana, Cuba. Prior investi- . gation has. also shown that KENNETH LATER had:entered into a” civil claim against "FRANK BURD for payment of moneys allegedly lost by LATER in: the business operation of captioned : corpora . tion. By letter dated September ¢ 22,°1961, the New York Di- vision furnished a pre-trial ‘examination of FRANK BURD.on. © December 1, 1959, Docket Number 26518, Municipal Court of the City. of New York, Borough of Manhattan, 9th District, which.. -pertained ‘to. civil action by KENNETH LATER against FRANK: BURD, Defendant. . This pre-trial examination was. made: available by JEROME. F.. P, TOBIN, Attorney — for Plaintiff KENNETH LATER, . to SA JAMES M, MC’ ANDREW on August - 25,.1961. This interview is being set forth in detail,.as it shows not only. the history. of organization to some “extent of the captioned companies, but. . furnishes details regarding operation of the company and, in. _ addition, lends credit to previous. information developed .show- ing BRUNO. and IPPOLITO as having connections with this gambling | casino, it being noted that they are referred to herein as: ANGIE and PAPPY, | | - tac fen Gamay HW 45737 Docld: 32267723 Page 3
mL [on ) PH 92-AAy . Business Interest » Dominican. Republic Information previously developed showed ANGELO BRUNO . in receipt.of money originating in the Dominican Republic.  — ANGELO BRUNO's possible association in this. regard. is with BEN GOLOB, JOSEPH MANGONE, and BERNARD. "BUCKY" ALLEN... The follew-. . ing.investigation was . conducted in an effort to further develop ANGELO. BRUNO's association with this business. venture. in the ‘Dominican Republic. .In this regard, it is noted that BERNARD. ALLEN, who currently operates in the Dominican. Republic, and . ALLEN's former business. partners, JOSEPH MANGONE and BEN @OLOB,. previously employed NORMAN FROMKIN, and ALLEN currently has , FROMKIN. as a business partner. dn: the Dominican: Republic. ho -- . . * iets HW 45737 Docld: 32267723 Page 4
PH 92-444 By communique dated October 11, 1961, the San Juan Division advised that on October 11, 1961, NORMAN FROMKIN and. . JOSEPH "SHEFFER" had arrived in San Juan aboard Pan American Air- ways Flight 431 from Cuidad Trujillo. It was said that FROMKIN © claimed that the purpose of the trip to Puerto Rico was. to meet with one VICTOR JORGE, who arrived in Puerto Rico from St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, on the same date, and who obtained $2,000 ‘in coin to operate a surplus property business in the Dominican Republic, inasmuch as hard money was disappearing in the Dominican ‘Republic. In this regard, it should be noted that JOSEPH VINCENT SHESSER is an employee of FROMKIN and BERNARD ALLEN in the Dominican Republic. The following investigation was conducted to ascertain. additional information regarding BRUNO's association and business interests in the Dominican Republic: By letter dated October 5, 1961, the New York Division ; advised of interview of RONALD RUDLIN. Instant letter stated that the records of the Credit Bureau of Greater New York, furnished September 27, 1961, by PAULINE DE FIORE, to IC JOHN F, GOOD, contained no record of RONALD RUDLIN.: By communique, October 18, 1961, the Newark Division furnished results of interviews of MARVIN FROMKIN, and Mrs. IDA FROMKIN MILLER, other relatives of NORMAN FROMKIN, - AL - HW 45737 Docld: 32267723 Page 5
aan PH 92-4 _ELLEOAL ACTIVITIES . On. October 6, 1961: ‘Tdeutenant. WILLIAM: STEIGER, Commanding Officer; Special Investigative Squad of ‘the. Chief. Inspector,. Philadelphia Police Department; stated. that. PRYLIP. FESTA: Philadelphia . Police, Department Number. 2226515 yesidence | - 169: ‘South 8th. Street, was a large numbers: operater. - Tt. should | be. noted ‘that: TESTA. is. a tieutenant of: ARGELO. ‘ERONO . By “POLICE PROTECTION AND. POLITICAL TIES © ‘No. additional information has been. . developed - since. date of last report: an regard. to. BRUNO 's: ‘pelitical- CLES g. Fe. PENDING | PROSECUTIVE ACTION. —6On October. 23,. 1961, WILLIAM: TENN, ‘Internal Beve~ nue Service, Intelligence Division, Philadelphia, advised that. JER Law-ttta}. ~ on October . 18, 1961, Departmental attorney. TxoMAS MC. ‘BRIDE advised: that in the near future, . upon. completion. ef : ternal ‘Revenue. Service” ‘inguiry. in the Miami, -Fla., area, results. of ‘both the FBI and. Imternal Revenue Service would. be reviewed © for the possibility. of ascertaining. the possible. avenue of: prose- cution. of ANGELO BRUNO or his associates for. tax wiolation. — , After the: ‘pertinent: intérview; MC BRIDE advised that he would” ‘probably ,comvene Federal Grand. Jury in Philadelphia: or: kaha Miami s Fla., to hear. witnesses. An: this regard. —s 69 - HW 45737 Docld: 32267723 Page 6