JFK Assassination System Identification Form Agency Information AGENCY: FBI 7 RECORD NUMBER: = 124-10211-10469 — RECORD SERIES: HQ : AGENCY FILE NUMBER: SEE TITLE { Document Information i ORIGINATOR: FBI i FROM: SAC, NY { TO: DIRECTOR, FBI TITLE: — [Restricted] | DATE: 02/17/1960 PAGES: 14 SUBJECTS : DLH, ASSOC, EMP, MIL SERV, MED/PERS HIST, RES PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT CLASSIFICATION: — Secret RESTRICTIONS: 1B; 1C;4 CURRENT STATUS:  Redact DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 05/14/1998 | OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE COMMENTS : INC MEMO | ! Hy DOCUMENT TYPE : } v9] NW 45808 DociId:32293693 Page 1 “ Date: 5/26/201
rn Si a i - Jo De Donahue SAC, New York (34-4214) + ~ Linton © March 2, 1960 (Y , _ REC Director, FayY | (134-8502) = G j AnMETTE SYLVIA EPSTEIN, aka. aps 4 wag. y 4-4 | er “3 uy at aStirteD by ae Reurlet 2/17/60. (R) u) DECLASSIY IFY ON pox Authority granted to recontact ana 0 further her development as an informant[or double agent for use against the Soviets/in New York. (S ) You should make certain that subject ie . Qware that her cooperation with us is @ voluntary matter on her part. She should be aware of the fact that she is not @ Bureau employee. Your contacts with her should not be conducted at any institution of learning, it being noted that she isoa public school teacker in New York City-(K)(U) involvement] with Soviets, whi have been assigned to the Unitéd Nat tons] in Wew York and the fact tha€S) subject has expresséd an interest to "clear her name;’ you should be careful to avoid disclosure a o her of any significant detail of our interest : ; in any particular Soviet.| You should endeavor to — Ns verify any information sne furnishes us, particularly : during the early steps of her development. You Should make certain that subjeet is not @ plant and your handling of her should be in accordance. with Section 107, Manual of Instructions. SLL (BEORESTION COW WESEPS LR bye ASSIFIER fateh of subject’s possible personal t's Nieto d WH fetts SHOW vayPem p 1g) Ti BRWISK a leet} 62: ‘Subject is single female teacher in public schools of: W¥C. She is a former teacher of English, » Berlitz School New York. While so employed she rateon® tought English to several Soviets assigned to the Mel Mohr’ IN: She was béing considered Besition involving Fusstns —---— “teaching English o! Sviets ae) Signed €6,.the. Amtorg Callahan Trading Corporation in 9/59. ° She has icont hued: he social acquaintance: with Soviets, from 19/59 to £760 DeLoach __ note { 5), | Maione McGuire Rosen Tamm Trotter RECA Sullivar et 24 p i ~ A rf Gam —foDuan 4 4 ELETYPE UNIT | Sf Nr ee te et . “ NW 45808 DociId:32293693 Page 2
Letter to SAC, NY ; / | i Res Annette Sylvia Epstein KY) Se _ She advised on interview 1/28/60]}:that a Sovietjwno was C5.J ‘ acquainted with|two Soviets in whom we have a substantial ’. Secretariat.] It is believed that subject has potential(s). "She is apparently unewarénof subversive information 134-8502 [ote continued? COM) : ; departing the U.S. 1/27/60, came“toher apartment, brought ner gifts and kissed her good=by.on 1/22/60. . She is current investigative interest. These are Leonid Kovalev .— and Yuri Mishukov, who are both employed at the UN. — ‘as an informant and we-should take advantage of her. .- apparent willingness to furnish information, but it is believed that NY. should be spécifically cautioned as above in view of the personal interests subject has in.endeavoring to clear her name as well as ‘her personal interestfin- _  . - Soviets, [/Subject’s uncle was the subject of a sec ity(S) of goveTriment émptoyées: investigation and. there is: ‘ derogatory information on him and somé of her ‘relatives. — “regarding her relatives. She. has applied for positions . with the State Department and -with the Department of Defense and has not received favorable consideration. She is concerned gbout thissbut there is no indication. , that she has been*denied employment because of derogatory © security informations. (K) - pole nee pe . NW 45808 DociId:32293693 Page 3
2 : : a © . ' — “, ¢ SECRED | “UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT 7 (Vv ( KR | MEMORANDUM — : By TO : DIRECTOR, FBI (134-8502) DATE: 2/17/60 | . ifoe : SAC, NEW YORK (134-4214) oO SUBJECT: ANNETTE SYLVIA EPSTEIN aka — g . IS-R _ soaminnierteomascs” 3-Q0- CLASSIFIED BY 5 ReBulet 12/28/59 AY de ECLASSIFY SIFY RLF ss JK) On 1/21/60, subject was Soe wed at he. sidénee, ee 345 West 88th Street, Apartment 7-E, New York Ci. vs “wy SAS WILLIAM V. SCHMALTZ and RICHARD W. HILL. This i:ivverview wis not pre-arranged with the subject, and after apzproximetely 30 minutes the subject stated she would have to Jeave as she . had a prior appointment .(% } u) we On 1/28/60, the interview with the subject was completed by SAS FRANKLIN B. TEETER and RICHARD W. HILL.OS Ryu ) The Bureau's jurisdiction regarding the internal ‘Security of the United States was explained to the subject and her cvoperation was solicited in that regard (B uw) y { - Bureau ( » - -New York 513781 Sub E) | ~ Néw York |(105-31308) . (GRYAZNOV) | New “York . 1, 1105-20553 FEDORCHENKO) ¢105-12456' } rvANOW) ) 105-22603 LEVYTCHKEN 105-30803) { UDOVICHENKO) New York New York New York New York}(105-27651) (KOVALEV) ; New York[(105-27649) (MISHUKOV i Cagte? WHEAE New York (105-32886) (GARRIGUE | SHEA WISE > | New York (134-4215) (Administrative) a 4 ~ New York (105-37990).-(HARBER) New eon (205 ey) eeRES VAEEBE ) ~- New Yor 105-New) (ED PYDE New York (105-37955) (BERBERI)  FREC- 54 > 3 4- ae SR A <> New York. erence Administrative) > New York (134-4214) (Investigative) RWH: cam ae / & [ As ee ee ee ee Cee ee ee en vittgettttiieutn® rs NW 45808 DociId:32293693 Page 4
a? [SECRET jee fin | 134-lers]} ag(u) She related that she is presently employed by the New York City Board of Education, teaching the Si%i: and 9th - grades at PS 135, Bronx, New York. She stated that she contemplates moving to her parents residence, 3871 Sedgwick Avenue, Bronx, New York, in a week or so since it takes too long for her to commute for her work in Manhattan where She has resided since October, 1959. “°° Subject said that she had been employe: as 22 English teacher by the Berlitz School of Languages, Hockefeller Center, New York City, from January » 1958 to March, 1959, [and that she; nad met several Soviets in the course of this employment . The Soviets are: (s) Ly JEDOSTE \SVICH GRYAZNOV S) United oot anan) ‘ent ative to the S CTvan YAKOVLEVICH FEDORCHENKO (Was First Secretary of Soviet Delegation to the United Nations) ; (A (Was Counselor of the Soviet Delegation to the |(5) Ce SEMENOVICH IVANOV United Nations and is a known agent) (Was Deputy Permanent Representative of the Sov United Nations Delegation) (a KLIMENT DANILOVICH LEVYTCHKEN ‘ : e PETR PLATONOVICH UDOVICHENKO (S) (Ukrainian Permanent Representative -to-.the United Nations) NW 45808 DociId:32293693 Page 5 ee eS —— - wwe . 7
ia} e ov. O [secRen, JA, ! ‘ py 134-21) | )(H) In addition she stated that she had taught several, of the (Soviets wives but that they were very timid and non-(S) | | déscript, and She could not recall their names . 7K) | She said that she first met{FEDORCHENKO}\in February ,(S OTHER 1B,1C,4 1958 and saw him almost daily at Berlitz thereafter. Shortly A hi stated that she, JORRIE GARRIGUE, » and occasionally. ED P¥YDE, @.i.4 Berjitz teachers, wou take coffee breaks with /¥UDOhUAEWKO an BORIS IVANOV. }] Then in May, 1958, GARRIGUE, PYDE. ari accepted an Invitation to accompany} IVANOV and FEDORCHENKO S) ; to the Russian Tea Room, West 57th reet, New York City, after classes at Berlitz.(pR) , EPSTEIN continued to see(FEDORCHENKO|frequent1¥ S) OTHER 1B,1C,4 at the Beriifiz school. She néxt saw him socially at a . gathering at the home of Madam (FNU) LEVITSKY (PH), on West 73rd Street, New York City, one night in June, 1958. She, GARRIGUE, {FEDORCHENKO, and IVANOV |attended at fr __Is) : invitation. She said the group there tonsisted of amateur ! musicians who played together for their own pleasure. She . ; said she, did not know anyone else there or had been there since. _* Also in June, 1958, [ gave a party at his OTHER 1B,1C,4 apartment at 160 Claremont Avenue, New York City, which | EPSTEIN attended. She said that[JVANOV]had been_unable taS come and had sent{/ LEONID KOVALEV]in his place. {FEDORCHENKO, S) (v) GARRIGUE and subjéct attended as well as. some of subject's friends, whom she cannot now recall. She stated that — 5 a DENNIS HARBER, a Berlitz teacher, attended this party, Hp vane Was Very friendly vith [KOVALEV, “She could not recall(s) ; anything unusual that transpired atthis party except that HARBER became very Grunk and disorderly. (& ) -3- | | SECRET Ay - | nn e - NW 45808 DociId:32293693 Page 6
+ | | a ° | stg In August or September, 1958, EPSTEIN said that she OTHER 1B,1c,4 gave a party when she had an apartment at 128 West.73rd Street. She said that she called[ KOVALEV at the United Nations|andS ‘ invited him, requesting to bring some of the other /Sovi ts16) ould be an attraction at the party. She stated that GARRIGUE, HARBER, and his roommate AMERICO SALEBE were there._/ KOVALEV came and brought YURI I, MIESHUKOV and i BORIS (UNU) .J~ She said that her roommate, then GEMMA BERPERI { S) .“ i was away at~the time. There were approximately 50 people there, some of her friends from college and later acyuaintances. ‘She stated that she had noticed /{MISHUKOV\listening to S) heated discussion in Spanish by two Latin Americans wit particular interest but does not now recall who these people were or who invited them. She explained that she had asked her friends to bring people: to the party so that she doubts whether she met‘all of her guests. Toward the.end of the party she said that one of the Soviets [suggested ‘that they, >) play a [Russian party game. The game turned out to be "Spin S) the Bottie", dnd the Soviets \showed surprise when told its) was an old American game. e said that the Soviets |then Ss rather self-consciously acknowledged that it Rad been a joke. She could recall no other details of this party.(K) She stated that she had gone to Europe for a vacation in ‘June and July, 1958 and had visited her uncle, NELSON CHIPCHIN in Nuremberg, Germany, where he is employed ‘ by the USIA, and her,aunt, LISA ROSENBERG, Howard Hotel, London, England. (SK (u) She saw(FEDORCHENKO |sometime in the Fall of 1958 (S and he inquired what she had” been doing; she said that she told him of her trip to Europe and of her visits to her aunt and uncle, ee See an —————————— See. = SS , Nw 45808 DocIiId:32293693 Page 7
a, Cc [sere } 6 © [x 13tons 1) Y | EPSTEIN does not recall having seen/{ FEDORCHENKO rs) OTHER 1B,1C,4 or any (Sovietsljagain until July, 1959, when she and went to the({Russian Sbstival of Music and Dance at Madison Square Garden, New York City, and saw/FEDORCHENKO d EV) there. Later in July, she and visited the [Russiarl _ rade Fair at the Coliseum] New Yor y, where they met (S) KOVALEV and MISHUKOV] and spoke. to them briefly. (Ss) In September, 1959, EPSTEIN said that she sosntassed (FEDORC oHENKO Nat the United Nations|to enlist his help in nS) setting up a business teaching English[to the various United Nations delegates and employees] EPSTEIN said that she intended to hire former ployee} nstructors to do the teaching and she asked {FEDORCHENK! nico t assist her in- lining up progpective clients, DORCHE. palteus her that he could S) not help her as he was too busy. October, 1959, EPSTEIN said that she and OTHER 1B,1C,4 contacted{KOVALEV at the United Nations|for the same purpo 34 S) and that/KOVALEV/also was unable to help. he stated tha She had no further contact_with(the Soviets{ntil December,(.s S) 1959, when she telephoned! FEDORCHENKO at the Soviet Unit | Nations Detegation [to giv im her new (present) address S) | and to invite him™to a party at her apartment on 12/20/59. He accepted the invitation but did not come or call. (SK) j It is noted that subject ‘stated that she moved to her present address in October, 1959 and that she had previously resided ae her mother at 3871 Sedgwick Avenue, Bronx, New York. ‘R a ae Jou | NW 45808 Docid:32293693 Page 8
[ie vcten Tw On 12/14/59, fix 536- qQeoortea that om unkno woman had sontacsed [ped ‘-CHENKO{ and had invited him to a S) party at her address, 345 West 88th Street, Apartment 7-E} New York City, telephone EN 2-2014. (PK) . — She said that [FEDORCHENKO/M#a called her at her residence on 1/18/60, had told her that fhe was isn ving | the country on 1/27 eof nd that he would like to visit her at her apartment 1/22/60, in order to give her a present. She said that he told her that{he would not. return to the United States again for at least two years .\9She said that he had come to the apartment and had given he? a bottle of eorgian wine, imported from Russia. She stated that S\EEDORCHENKO walked about the apartment opening doors and Ne rawers, asked how much rent she paid, and generally "snosped" around. He told her that she was too much of a gad about. and said that she should settle down and get married. { . oO EPSTEIN stated that when she first began getting (GJSovietsjas English students at Berlitz she enthusiastically began to tell them about the United States. and gave (9 ORCHENKQ] a books on English literature in the belief hat {the Soviets] uld be interested in learning about the country to which they were assigned. After doi this for about two weeks she said that she realized that[the Soviets] (5) were not interested and that they “heard only what they anted to hear", She recalled during the interview that ( S)EEDORCHENKG had not returned her book nor had he ever mentioned it after she gave it to him. (Ry) - 6 - ccren | (4) NW 45808 DociId:32293693 Page 9
C. [secren |e y) O \ [iw cen 0) She stated that/the soviet the has met ‘have been very awkward with the social niceties and were given to expressing sentimentsfsuch as a toast "peace loving people of the United Std€es and Russia" she also said that they were reticent and made her job of teaching ‘English very difficult as she could not get them to t a)" about themselves. She stated that[FEDORCHENKQ]was a(S exception, perhats ‘because he prided himself on his ab ity to. speak English. GQ} . . She stated that unlike most pupils, [FEDORCHENKO{©) Spoke English better than he underétook it, perhaps due to is showoff attitude concerning English. (SQ) } ring the course of her acquaintanceship with ¢){FEDORCHENKO she stated that he had learned of her background. C € said that he would insist that she was @ Ruesian Jat heart(S) as well as by parentage while she would intain that she was an American. She related that she once had a copy of "Dr. Zhivago" at Berlitz and that FEDORCHENKO|\ picked it up 6) and threw. it on the floor and asked her why she read such trash. one said that she became angry and told. him that that was no.way to treat her property and that she considered it a great literary work. She said that there had been Several incidents like that with FEDORCHENKO|but that it(s) had never marted their friendship. } She_said that_occasionally [Fxonoumno fara speak to her|in RussianJand then, wher EPSTEIN did not (9 respond, he would look Surprised and then said he had forgotten (that She did not speak Russians } - 7- | | sECRET [ow NW 45808 DocId:32293693 Page i0
GC — [SecRET eR O \Y) [re rations eu) EPSTEIN said that her only interest in. [the soviets{S) t that her relationship with[FEDORCHENKO ‘as a perscml one as they really had no uld not be Seseribed ing in comijz, and = “ero ae. |. since she had only been touched once by [FEDORCHENKO em Ns ~ po he kissed her goodbye on 22/60. She said that thsre really was no basis for their Soviet except a desires on hes: 2 was to learn their viewpoint and out of suricity.~ Sie said y) Mi Beem ay | part to understand [the Soviet otivated by her ‘jixtersst in international affairs. Sh aid that she felt thay "he | had "exploited" them by asking them to parties: Wirere vney would be the main attraction. A) Concerning/BORIS S. rvanov YesnemN « stated that he apparently was [FE [FEDOR NKO'S superior inasmuch as. FEDORCHENKO T=) deferred to him constantly. She described /IVANOV\as being (2) quite reticent and explsinxil that she once compli? ented ness on a new suit he was wearing and asked him where he had bought it. He replied “in Landorf' and then proceeded to praise [the merits of- Russian made clothingy(S\ A hes Concerning ONID KOVALEV, EPSTEIN Stated that he was a wolf and that She did not 1ike him.(&). . EPSTEIN gave ‘the following information Yegarding her former associates ae Periite: ae oy JORRIB) eARRIOUE, a former English teacher at Berlitz and an acdéomplished violinist. EPSCUTN said that she at one time considered going to Moscow co. study music at the Moscow Sonservatory. - EPSTEIN said that she had heard Ku ) recently that GARRIGUE had been married. i NW 45808 DocId:32293693 Page ii a a 4 ——— ee > = a eS TO roror——
© [secreD /ay7 m . - fire 1st-t2n eu) ! OTHER 4 teacher at Berlitz and 18 now an instructor of the FAVANESS | language at Columbia University. EPSTEIN stated that naa lived in Japan for a. number of years es that _ up until recently he had been an English instructer for we the employees of[the Amtorg Trading Corporation,] wew York(S OTHER 1B,1C,4 City. Rc ii stated thatf] 4s a very cldse friend | of hers io JR) . os AABERBERI, - former Italian teacher at Berlitz, was EPSTEIN'S rooémmate at [28 West 73rd Street, from approximately June through September, 1958. EPSTEIN said that BERBERI.could bearly speak English and at to her knowledge BERBERI had Rae Bebe e with [the Soviets.fs ! ty sho a WW OMe SY West JEVP ST. NEE Ge oI 17 _ pens Nuun R-was a good™deal of interest "7, by BORIS S, IVANOV and” FEDORCHENKO fwhile at Berlitz. HARBER Cy ji never finished nigh sehool. He S in the Army .in World Z } War II and suffered a severe emotional shock which now U) upsets him from time to time and causes him to get ; intoxicated in order to get relief. She stated that he had received treatment for this condition at Veterans Administration hospitals. She said that he is very intelligent and perceptive but appears to have no ' confidence in himself. She said that he once told her that | — he wanted to go to Puerto Rico to live,where he would be ° near a Veterans Administration hospital so that he could ‘ take treatments if necessary. EPSTEIN noted that HARBER Speaks Spanish fluently. She said that the last address She had for him was 454 West 22nd Street, New York City, telephone CH 3+7208. She voge" ARESIGOY Ad HARBER had had OTHER 1B,1¢,4 4 ~ a roommate at that address, oné AMERICONSALEBE, a Venezuelan whom, to the best of her recollection, /Was”émployed at Idlewild Airport \ WCW FB FE I secret) (CX \) | NW 45808 DocId:32293693 Page 12
mT . 45808 DocId:32293693 Page 13 - [secren | ce C) { | i i} } ee : OTHER 1B,1C zp\p B,-stis stated, had not ed with/:the | Russians fas much a8 she, GARRIGUE, and a ani That ©) PYDE waS-at Berlitz as an English teacher only a short time. She said: that he was married to a German natisnni in Germany and that he now lives in New Jersey, and has 3 children. @ [Subsectts Desire to Clear Her Name 1k u) During the interview EPSTEIN stated that she had twice applied for jobs with the United States Government and was sure that she had been accepted both times only to be refused employment at the last moment. She feels that since she was qualified for both positionshernay.ecceptance could only be due to,sqme allegation of disloyalty of which she is not aware. (% | U) . She has ‘always been interested in international ! affairs and so she applied to the United States Department of State for the position of foreign service officer. She passed the written and then the oral examination and felt that she | would be appointed. She then had an interview with a security ; official at the Department of State when she submitted her Personal History Form, at which time she was asked if there . ‘ was anything in her background which would reflect unfavorably | on her and she said no. Approximately two months later she said that she received a letter from the State Department informing her that she was not being employed. She then wrote to the State Department protesting her loyalty to the United States stating that her noarecceptance could only be due to the belief that she might be disloyal. ‘The State | Department then replied that its ‘actions should not be construed as go refleotion-on her character or. loyalty. & (u ) seit | oly ~
fm 134-Hers | 4 0) . In the Winter of 1958 she stated that she arziliec for a position with the United States Army to teash set: in a school for the children of United States Milit.o. Personnel stationed in Germany. She said that she nad even received the necessary innoculations from the Army when she was again refused employment. GK) uj EPSTEIN stated that she feels she was penalized for something of which she was not aware, not for any actions of her own and she, therefore, desired and felt it necessary to "clear her name". She stated that she is sure that she has never done anything detrimental to the best interests of the United States and tha y allegation of her disloyalty must be due to mistsze. 4 Yu She stated that she knew her uncle LSON CHIPCHIN had been investigated at one time but that he had been cleared and he is still employed by USIA. She stated that she visited CHIPCHIN:in Germany after being turned down by the State Department and he suggested that she had not been employed because young women are likely,to marry and married woien are not allowed in the service. 0 > u) : EPSTEIN stated that her mother, while sympat "etic ‘because of these two rejections, was very happy that she would be staying in this country. (ul) X. EPSTEIN is apparently unaware of the subversive information regarding her melatives . (¢ u) [Recommendataons |(K (uv) EPSTEIN was very cooperative during the interview u) and she appears. to be an intelligent straight-forward individual. (7 | ww 45808 DocId:32293693 Page 14
a ‘ id [SECRET Jo v — From what she relates of her association with [FEDORCHZNKO, it would appear that FEDORCHENKO would have made an #stenh to recruit her had she not been so tspoken in insi¢sing — that she was not a Russian. EPSTEIN has met several Soviets )\ C54 who are still in the country and would_be able to maintain (Ss ) contact with them in a natural manner It is felt_that she has good potential as an informant (ox ouble agent | iE ) subject for the purpose of developing her as an informant fez a double agent ‘ie ) | | Bureau authority is requested to contact the see [RY NW 45808 DocId:32293693 Page i5