DATE: 11-14-2017 AGENCY: FBI RECORD NUMBER:  124-10287-10213 RECORD SERIES: HQ \ AGENCY FILENUMBER:  92-6054-3RD NR 652, 4TH NR 652 ' Document Information ORIGINATOR: FBI FROM: ~ SAC, PG TO: DIRECTOR, FBI TITLE: “DATE: 01/14/1964 ‘PAGES: 14 SUBJECTS : LCN, ASSOC, GAMBLING, NARCOTICS, PROSTITUTION, ‘ MURDER, MEETING, B/F INT, TEST, RACK ACT, SUR ‘DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT CLASSIFICATION: — Unclassified RESTRICTIONS: 4 CURRENT STATUS: = Redact DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 06/26/1998 -OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE COMMENTS : INC MEMO. _ Tt v9.1 Docld: 32305083 Page 1 "Released under ‘the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1999 (44 Use 2107 Hotey. JFK Assassination System ‘Adentifi cation Form Agency Information 19
DATE: 11-14-2017 - DIRECTOR, FBI 1/24/64 NE saree, SAC, NEW YORK (RUC) et al smn, (PG 694-po \ ( TOP ECHELON CRIMINAL =) INFORMANT PROGRAM = a , mae ‘Re PitéSburgh letter to Bureau, 1/14/64. The attention of the Pittsburgh Office is directed to the matter captioned¢!LA_ COSA.NOSTRA.aka; AR- it CONSPIRACY," by report of SA JAMES P, FLYNN dated 7/1/63 _ at New York, Matters pertinent to Pittsburgh's referenced inquiry are reflected on page 27. No other information is avallable to the NYO re any other stabemurder victim or any killing at @ banquet for JOE MASSERIA,; who was himself murdered in 1931. 2 peau # OF 92-6054) > f PIttsburgh (137-1593) - New York (92-2341 1 - New York {75 7-40806 ) eleased under the John F.” Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1993 (44 Use 2107 Waren “= 4 er wa R ‘LFILED IN = / AT & ‘= Saat ale Seem are ead ne Hee 6 oi Docld: 32305083 Page 2?
eleased under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act ot T992 (44 vse Ho DATE: _i1- 14-2017 ee Ce SO me , ~. , S ; y ‘ a - N27 UNITED STATES. GOVERNMENT WE MORANDUM — ete mane BO : DIRECTOR, FBL DATE: 1/14/64 Fer : SAC , PITTSBURGH (P) SUBJECT : PG 694 =Pb TOP ECHELON CRIMINAL a! eo CAVBOMB eo _ wi “| F ‘ La o . ~ The Pittsburgh Organization or Syndicate ow ! Informant is presently living at the Hotel Carlton, Room 1302, Pittsburgh, where he intends to remain until the several. cases in which he is involved are disposed of. On 1/9/64, informant and JOSEPH MEROLA contacted SA JOHN S, PORTELLA at the Pittsburgh, Pa..office, and indicated that they desired to talk to SA JOHN S. PORTELLA. They suggested that SA PORTELLA come to Room 1302. SA PORTELLA went to Room 1302, Carlton House Hotel, where JOSEPH MEROLA was busy packing to return to Miami, Florida on a 7:40 P.M. flight. They both commented that they had worked on a business deal and earned.a little money but not enough to meet all their expenses. JOSEPH MEROLA left the hotel for the airport, leaving SA PORTELLA and informant alone. ORIGINAL COPY FILED IN /<> : e SA PORTELLA noved that the informart was in an extremely good mood and appeared to be willing to talk about matters that heretofore he refused to talk about. Informant remarked that he desired to help "straighten out" certain facts that the FBI might be interested in provided he could be assured that he would not have to testify in Federal Court or before any investigative or (Pporeau (137 - 9541) . os pega ce) (1-Inspector JOSEPH A, SULLIVAN) 3-Cleveland (157- 127 ). 2-Miami _ ZC/ . 4ePittsburgh (137-1593) ~ - NOT RECORDED . a - | een -154 162 JAN 31 1964 q¢ Ft 1 92-47 ) ( =92=329) at pa ds ee tee eee pawn eo G He | eora:s2z0200: Page 3
eleased under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 WSc 710 a DATE: 11-14-2017 ‘ " * PG 137-1593 PG 157-154 | PG 92-478 | PG 92-329 administrative committees. and that his name would not be used -nor made public in any way unless he first approved it. Informant was told that any information he furnished would be treated as confidential and no attempts would be made to force him into testifying unless he first agreed to it. Informant said that with this understanding he would be willing to relate a few of his experiences. and some of his knowledge of what he termed "the outfit." Informant remarked that he has been with "the outfit" — Since he was 16 years old and has associated with this element from coast to coast for the last 41-years. ‘He claims that at age 16 in Cleveland, Ohio, he began running "booze" for the organization there, He considers himself a soldier or worker who has faithfully carried out orders given him and, as a result of this, he gained a reputation and stahure throughout the United States, He claims that there is a ciently knit "gambling syndicate" operating throughout the United States and member- ~Ship in it is not limited to Italians only. He states that the primary requisite for membership is that one be engaged in gambling, regardless of nationality. The italians have taken over the leadership of the gambling world and while they maké | the big decisions in it, others such as.Jews, Irish, Polish ° | and so forth are part of the operation. The Italians have gone a step further than the others, in that members of their respective families intermarried and this made the bond much tighter. Informant said that it is better to say that there is a " gambling organization or syndicate" in which the Italians are the leaders rather than to'say that the Italians have a criminal syndicate .known:as LA COSA NOSTRA or the MAFIA:with the menfeship:!. ' being exclusively Italian. He-said' that -he knows from first hand knowledge “that the gambling syndicate looks down on crimes of violence and crimes involving narcotics and prostitution. Only in a few isolated cases would the organization approve such actions. For example, he stated that JOHN LA ROCCA of Pittsburgh, is one of the most peacful leaders in the country. If someone in} his group steps out of bounds, LA ROCCA will go out of his way to check the circumstances ae aN | | -2- DoclId: 32305083 Page 4
/VReleased under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 19927 (44 USC 27107 DATE: a Jii- ba - (2017 PG 137-1593 PG 157-154 PG 92-478 PG 92-329 and on more than one occasion has stopped hasty drastic action that the others wanted to take, and the matter was settled peacefully. Informant stated that the gambling syndicate or organization in Pittsburgh is set up as follows; JOHN LA ROCA and FRANK AMATO are the leaders or bosses, TONY RIPEPPI was a leader but he is retired and has little or no voice. The next leader or sub-boss is GABRIEL MANNARINO who is married to the daughter of FRANK AMATO. Below MANNARINO are the following who might be called lieutenants: JOR SICA. LOUIS VOLPE. JOE ROSA’ MICHAEL GENQVESE Below the eutenants are the soldiers or workers namely, AL ROSS, FRANK VALENTI, JOHN FONTANA, ‘PHIL GENOVESE and LOU MILANO (deceased). CHARLES FREDERICK TEEMER, who operated the Jockey Club and now the Red Dog in Chester, W. Va., accounts only to JOHN LA ROCCA who gets 50 per cent of everything that TEEMER has in operation no matter where he is. . JOE ROSA exerts control of YEE TERLESKI of Pittsburgh's South Side, and he obtains the lion's share of everything that TERLISKI has operating for him anywhere. .ROSA in turn contributes to JOHN LA ROCCA and accepts orders from LA ROCCA. JIMMY HOFFA, President of the Teamsters Union, is acquainted with both JOHN LA ROMA and GABRIEL MANNARINO and whenever HOFFA really wants something in Pittsburgh _he calls on one of these two... JACK ARMAND, also known as. ARMANDO CARLOMAGNO; President of the Taxi Cab Union of Pittsburgh, is flashy and loud and gives everyone in Pittsburgh the impression that he is HOFFA's contact in _ Pittsburgh but actually this is not true. -~ 3-0 ~* DoclId: 32305083 Page 5
| DATE: 11-14-2017 — Co PG 137-1593 PG 157154 PG 92-478 PG 92-329 By way of history of the setup in Pittsburgh, iviformant related the following: LA ROCCA succeeded JOHN BAZZANO, SR., who was with his importance, ordered the killing of the three VOLPE brothers of Pittsburgh. MIKE SPAMQLI (Phonetic) carried out the execution of the VOLPE boys. ‘SPAMOLI is allegedly in prison in Italy where he is serving a life sentence for murder. Informant said this crime was not sanctioned by the organization and the killing of moge ‘than one member of a particular family is . always looked upon with disfavor. The only two additional ‘ items that cause trouble in the organization are stealing another member's wife and/or his money. After the VOLPE killings, JOHN BAZZANO went’ _to New York to attend a banquet given in honor of JOE MASSERIA (Phonetic), a big boss of the organization. ' BAZZANO knew he was in trouble with everyone over the VOLPE killings and when it came to his turn to make a toast he asked those present what they were waiting , for and why they did not get his killing over with. ' As soon as BAZZANO completed his comments each of the 32 men present stabbed him with an ice pick and his dead body was shipped on to Pittsburgh. According to the informant, this gave JOHN LA ROCCA his chance and inspite of the informants opposition and the opposition of FRANK VAIENTI, LA ROCCA gained solid control’ in Fitvtsburgh. As a result of their opposition, informant and . VAIENTT were branded as "outlaw soldiers." Since that time, they have had to live by > their wits and.do not enjoy the wealth that the others who. are "in" enjoy. Informant said that he first met FRANK VALENTI in Cleveland, Ohio, many years ago and it was VALENTI who brought him %Q,.Pittsburgh and later introduced him to the MANNARINGs of: ‘Mew Kensington. a» Ya the undisputed. leader of Pittsburgh. BAZZANO, overwhelmed Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 19927 (44 WS 2107 [<== EEE Docld: 32305083 Page 6