Originator: FBI
From: MELLOTT, FRANK L.
To: DIRECTOR, FBI
Document date: 10/17/1958
Document type: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

JFK Assassination System

Identification Form

Agency Information

Date:

5/7/2015

AGENCY:

FBI

RECORD NUMBER :

124-10292-10008

RECORD SERIES: HQ

AGENCY FILE NUMBER: 92-3171-25, 26

Document Information

ORIGINATOR:

FROM:

TO :

TITLE :

FBI

MELLOTT, FRANK L.

DIRECTOR, FBI

DATE: 10/17/1958

'PAGES:

26

SUBJECTS :

SGI, ASSOC, CRIMINAL ACT, GAMBLING, EXTORTION, B/F

INT, TRA, WHEREABOUTS, REL, FISUR

DOCUMENT TYPE :

PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION : Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS: 4

CURRENT STATUS :

Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW:

01/08/1998

OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE

COMMENTS :

INC MEMO

Released under the John F. Kennedy

Assassination Records Collection Act of

992 (44 USC 2107 Note]. Case#:NW

58252 Date: 09.22-2022

v9.1

* NW 68262 Docld:32307305 Page 1

426

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## Page 2

Report Form

FD -763 (5-12-55)

Report1ng Office

CHICAGO

TITLE OF CASE

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

orsice of Origin

CHICAGO

6/40, 3.12,14,17-01

Dato

10/17/58

Ropore nado by

FRANK L. MELLOTT

CHARACTER OF CASE

Investigative Perlod g/2-0

:.-26, 29,00110/110

3-11

,9.10

Typed

fe:

SANUEL M. GIANCANA, WaS.

ANTI - RACKETEERING

Synopsis:

Information set out regarding following associates of subject:

FRANK CULO, ROCCO BULO, CHARLES NICOLETTI, ROCKY PRANO,

MIKE SABATINO and PASQUALE STSLLA.

Subject identified

probably identical with gambling "boss' who told Kane

County, Illinois, jukebox operator he and associates were

bringing books and

slots into county and expressed view

to jukebox operator he should 'go along' with them. When

operator did not acquiesce, he was first pressured

gambling boss'

suboriinates to get out of business and

then threatened with fatal or crippling beating with

baseball bat.

No action taken by local officials. No

interstate character.

Subject identified in 1954, by

ABRAHAM TEITELBAUM,

former CAPONE family tax attorney, as

being 'boss" of corrapt union officials. Information

developed that subject owns Americana Motel, Stone Park,

Illinois, and Villa Venice, large restaurant and lounge

northwest of Chicago. Subject reportedly was in Cuba

hearings of S nate Solect Committee and returned

to calebrate conclusion of heariogs at Villa Venice with

other leaders of crime syndicate.

Informant aavised that

Approved

Coples nade

fineston

2 - Bureau (91-0171)

Special Agent

1n Charge

Do not urite in spaces belon

92-3171-25

3 - Chicago (92-349)

4/20/84 SPSA59/Buy

N). SECT.

Property of FBI - This report 19 loaned to you by

the agency to which loaned.

FBI, and neither it nor its contents

are to be distributed outside

# U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1958 O- 385319

NW 68262 Docld:32307305 Page 2

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## Page 3

CG 92-349

ANDREW AITKEN, then Chief of Detectives, Chicago

Police Department, advised in 1952, that the PAUL ROSS

gang, formerly very active in armed robberies, was again

active in local robberies, burglaries and hijackings.

Detective AITKEN furnished a list of associates of PAUL

ROSS.

Included in this list is the name PASQUALE STELLA,

1234

South 50th Court, Cicero:

CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES

Gambling and Extortion

Mr. BERNARD POSS, 503 South Fourth Street, Aurora,

operator of the Valley Music Company, 164 North Farnsworth,

Aurora, advised SAs PAUL B. FRANKFURT and HOWARD A.

CARLSON on August 12, 1958, that he has been in the jukebox

business for approximately twenty years.

He commented that

he operates about 250 jukéboxes at the present time.

MI.

POSS furnished the following information regarding efforts

by the crime syndicate to "muscle" into Kane. County:

Shortly before Labor Day, 1956, ROCKY PRANO

called on him in person at his office, and said that

his "boss"' wanted to see him at his office. PRANO did

not say who his boss was or why he wanted to see him.

Thereafter on the Thursday before Labor Day, 1956, he

drove to the Moose Lodge in Naperville (where he has a

jukebox), and met ROCKY PRANO and drove in PRANO's car

to the Lilac Lodge on Wolf and Cermak Roads.

He said they went into the Lilac Lodge and had

a drink but noted there were scarcely any customers at

the bar, and the parking lot was empty. POSS said that

PRANO felt sure his boss would be along shortly; however,

POSS stated he became uneasy because this did not appear

to be an office to him, and after their drink went out

and sat in PRANO's car.

POSS stated that suddenly three men appeared

alongside the car, two obviously bodyguards for the third

individual, who was a little man wearing dark glasses,

smooth face, and in the middle forties or early fifties.

POSS stated

he did not hear any order to drive, but PRANO

started to drive the car away and when POSS asked about

driving away he said that was an order from the boss.

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S05-NE9R

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## Page 4

CG 92-349

POSS stated they drove around various roads

including York Road where he had heard gangsters had been

"taken for a ride".

POSS stated this made him still more

uneasy, and he decided to give the appearance of "going

along"

with any suggestions they would make. He said the

"boss" asked him how many jukeboxes he had, and POSS told

him and then was

told by the boss, "We're going to make

you a lot of money with books and

slots."

He said in

order to stall them off he told them he could not give

them a definite answer then as he was going to the lakes

for three days and for them to see

him upon his return

next Tuesday to discuss the matter further. He said that

he was not harmed on the ride and was returned to his

automobile.

Upon returning to

Aurora, he immediately called

Sheriff HOWARD KELLETT and told him of his recent ride,

and asked advice as to how to cope with the situation.

Between them it was decided to tell the "musclemen" that

he had

a silent partner who would not go for their deal

and that, therefore, it was all off.

At this point, Mr.

POSS was shown several photographs and he picked

out the

photograph of SAM GIANCANA as closely resembling

the

"boss" when he was taken on a ride.

He said PRANO

did return to his office and was advised as stated above.

He stated that after this he was visited by RALPH KELLY

of Elgin, Illinois, who told him he hated to 'do this but

was an orace that he,

it was an order that he, POSS, get out of business.

Shortly thereafter CLARENCE LAMBERT, 75 South

chestnut, Aurora, came to his home with a similar type

message.

POSS stated he had made no effort to go out

of business and had no further trouble until several

weeks later when he began receiving anonymous phone calls.

POSS stated that although he could not prove who the

his voice.

found out

that he did not have a silent partner,

and that

if he did not go out of business

they would break both of

his legs with a baseball bat, and if he lived he would be

a cripple for life. One of

these threatening calls was

received by his wife after which she became hysterical

and it was necassary for him to send her to Florida for

three or four weeks to recuperate.

И

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So 1ORVA

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## Page 5

CG 92-349

Mr. POSS stated that he continued in business

despite these threats.

The next step against him was

the destruction of some of his equipment at the following

locations:

Half Moon Tavern, Route 64, second tavern

west of city limits of St. Charles;

Club Moderne, Alternate 30, two miles

east of Geneva;

Peter De King, JI., Route 25, Aurora Avenue,

North of Aurora.

At these locations two men entered with one

wielding a gun and one an ax.

While the location owners

were menaced with the gun their equipment was demolished

with an ax, resulting in a total loss of one pool game,

one shuifle

alley, and three pin ballmachines. He

said at the Half

Moon Tavern

this incident was witnessed

by the wife of BERNARD BAILEY, who owned the tavern at

that time, and by BAILEY's partner, HARRY, last name

unknown, and his wife.. At the Club Moderne only the

wife of STANLEY PATEK was a witness to the axing. At

Peter De King's tavern, he was not certain as to the

witnesses.. He was of the opinion that the damage

done to these machines was over a period of about ten

days during early 1957.

He specifically recalled that

the damage to PETER DE KING was done on a Sunday night.

POSS stated he knew PRANO under the name of

ROCKY MARTEL until the time of his arrest, when he used

the name of PRANO. He stated he had also

used the

name of ROCKY BARTEL.

PoSS further added that at the time of his

ride,

frequent references were made to the fact that

"they" had invested heavily in the county and he has

told this to the State's Attorney, the local judge,

and

the Kane County Grand Jury, but no

action has been

taken.

POSS stated that he has been subpoenaed by

the Senate Select Committee, and while he is not happy

about appearing before it, especially on television,

he will testify reluctantly to the events as related

above.

POSS further stated that he does not purchase

any of his jukeboxes or records from out of the state.

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## Page 6

CG 92-349

CRIMINAL INFORMANT COVERAGE

The following criminal informants

areccurrently in

a position to furnish information relative to the subject:

CG 6132-C

CG 5951-C

CG 6215-C

PCI JOYCE LANE

PCI HENDERSON L. WILLIAMS

PCI MICHAEL J. GALLAGHER

PCI IRENE TOEROSS

PCI PAUL TIMRECH

The above criminal informants

and potential criminal

informants are being contacted on a regular basis with the

objective of securing information of value relative to the

Top Hoodlum Program.

Attention is being directed to

securing additional informant coverage through the above

informants as well as through file reviews to ascertain

whether informants furnishing information in the past will

be of assistance under this program to furnish accurate

information concerning GIANCANA's movements, associates,

and activities. In addition, background and current

data regarding thos persons contacting the subject

is being obtained, with a view of interviewing them for

the purpose of developing

them as PCIS.

INFORMANTS

T-1 is PCI DOMINICK A. SCALZETTI, who furnished

information to SA JOHN R. PHILLIPS, Jr. on 5/11/56.

T-2 is Records of Central Investigation Bureau, New

York City Police Department, a New York City investigative agency.

T-3 is NY 169-C.

T-4 is CG 6215-C who furnished information

L. BAKER on 9/11/58.

tO SA ROBERT

The "prominent Chicago gambler" referred to

by this informant is JOE EPSTEIN, well-known and powerful Chicago

gambler.

ADMINISTRATIVE PAGE

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TE=.

+4033D

CG 92-349

INFORMANTS (cont.)

T-5 is IRVING HORNSTEIN, who was contacted by SAs

BENJAMIN G. HELSEL, JI. and BRADNER C. RIGGS On 814/58.

Bank,

I-T IS STANLEY FLETCHER, Vice-President and Secretary

Chicago National Bank, contacted by SA FRANK L. MELLOTT on 10/9/58.

I-8 is REUBEN D. BECKETT, Attorney,

Chicago National

Bank, contacted by SA FRANK L. MELLOTT on 10/9/58

T-6,

7, and & were interviewed jointly, at their

request,

due

to the sensitive nature of trust agreements.

by SA FRANK . IN FCO WICHAEL J. GALLAGHER, contacted 9/30/58,

T-10 is CG 6231-C contacted 8/17,19, and 20/58, by

SA RAYMOND A. CONNOLLY.

T-11 is RICHARD SINCLAIR, Investigator, Senate

Select Committee.

T-12 is NELSON A. LOCKE,

who was contacted by SA FRANK

L. MELLOTT on 9/10, 22 and 10/6/58.

ADMINISTRATIVE PAGE

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