Agency: FBI
Originator: FBI
From: MM
To: HQ
Document date: 09/19/1958
Document type: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

JFK Assassination System

Identification Form

Agency Information

Date:

6/2/2015

AGENCY:

FBI.

RECORD NUMBER :

124-90110-10015

RECORD SERIES :

HQ

AGENCY FILE NUMBER: CR 62-75147-29-742

Released under the John

Kennedy

Assassination Records

Collection

Aet of 1992

144 USC 2107 Note!.

Case#:NW 54027 Date:

08-25-2017

Document Information

ORIGINATOR:

FBI

FROM:

MM

TO: HQ

TITLE:

DATE:

PAGES:

SUBJECTS :

09/19/1958

6

DOCUMENT TYPE :

CLASSIFICATION:

RESTRICTIONS :

CURRENT STATUS :

DATE OF LAST REVIEW :

JOSEPH RAYMOND MEROLA

MIAMI WINTER SEASON

PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

Unclassified

4

Redact

08/06/1998

OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE

COMMENTS :

MEMO

y9.1

HH 54027

DocId: 32334022

Page 1

2

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## Page 2

STANDAYS COM

Office Memo

andum • UNITED STAS

iS GOVERNME

Mr.

• 'L'olsor

Mr.

Belmont.

TO

* DIRECTOR,

FBI (62-75147-29)

DATE:

Mr.

9/19/58

Mr. Neate

ENTRAL

INVESTIGA

Mr. Parsons

FROM

Of SAO, MIAMI (62-1273)

7022

Mr. Rosend

ATTENTION:

ASSISTANT DIRECTOF

MT: TRUSEN

i. Trotter

FILE

Mr. W.C.Sullivan

SUBERCT!

IAMI-WINTER SEASON

1958-1959

Tele. Roc

Mx. Hotdoman.

Miss. Gandy.

31

570)

ReBuairtel 8/13/58.

_copies made

2-2628

epsiph

for review at FBIHQ, by

HSCArel-20 28requeste

(See Bufile #02-117290)

GAMBLING

POTENTIAL. CRIMINAL INFORMA.T

6=

HERB RAU, PCI, advised a gambling game Involving

alge and roulette has been in operation on the second floor

a building housing George's Restaurant on Collins Avenue,

between 74th and 75th Street, Miami Beach FLAHe said the

patrons had to walk through the restaurant and at the rear

of the building they were met by a colored porter who escorted

them to a stepladder which was used to climb into a second

story window.

He commented that there was no entrance, either

front or rear,

to the second floor of this building.

He also

advised that a patron had to exhibit a key top to the porter

as identification.

RAU also advised that RUBIN ZERLIN, auditor for

Miami Beach, in endeavoring to promote

legalized In hotels which possess 300 rooms or more.

-MARTIN DARDIS, Chief of Police, North Bay Village,

advised he learned recently that the Racquet Club, an exclu-

sive private club in North Bay Village, has as one of its

members RICHARD MARVIN, a New York City gambler•

He advised

the management of the club was aware of MARVIN's New York

City address, but they knew nothing else about him except

that he apparently was a big gambler as in the past he has

had sizeable sums of money placed over night in their safe.

He related it was his understanding that MARVINs had spent

considerable time around Saratoga Springs, N.Y.,.

while the

race track was In operation in the at flameon

FBIX 695716

REG 67.

REWRON 142

MM 665-PC advised that when he

récently he spent some time visiting with CHARLE

and his wife.

stated they spent an evening at

IS 03 6M.28

DEL E25024

Bureauc

921

12 SEP

28 1958

dECRiM-BECD - L B1

008702

1958

9/25758

852/0j0

NW 54027 DooId: 32334022

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## Page 3

MM 62-1273

Hotel casino in Havana and on that occasion Mrs. TOURINE wore

various pieces of jewelry of value, In his estimation around

$800, 000.00. When in New York City during August, 1958, he

was Informed by a friend whom he has always found

reliable

and who was an acquaintance of Mrs. TOURINE for years, that

prior to her marriage to TOURINE,

she was one of the wealthiest

women in Cuba.

He said the TOURINES recently purchased a

cooperative apartment in Havana near the Malcon and their

Individual apartment had 11, 000 square feet of space.

Informant said he also found out that TOURINE 1s a

very religious individual and he seriously would have liked

to visit the Pope in Rome, Italy, when he and his wife were

on a world tour the past

considered going to Rome, Italy, but felt that some of the

individuals expelled from the U.S. would in some manner cause

them difficulty if they found that he was in Italy. TOURINE

has FBI No. 695716 and at the present time owns a piece of

the gambling casino in the Capri Hotel, Havana, Cuba.

MM 665-PC said on this occasion he did not see

TOURINE's son in Havana and when he asked where CHARLES

TOURINE ,.

JR. was, he was informed by TOURINE that his son

was presently working in a gambling establishment in Manila,

• Philippine Islands.

This informant also advised that HARRY BROOKS, a

former Cleveland and Miami Beach gambler, had been to the

FLA

west coast and Mexico recently and when he returned to

Miami, BROOKS Informed the informant that he had received

C. A.

approval from the Mexican authorities to open up a gambling

establishment along the California border.

MM 665-PC

stated that on 9/9/58 BROOKS was going to Havana, Cuba, to

discuss the matter with CHARLES TOURINE.

The Informant also advised some. Italian men,

inknown to him at this time, are endeavoring to set up an

early morning gambling game at the "O! Club, located or

Bird Road in southwest Miami. He sald this Is a private

FLAt

club which changed hands about six months ago.. As far as

he could determine, he said the dice games would start at

2:00 A.M. and last until shortly before noon the same day.

2

-

dio 100r

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MM 62-1273

PROSTITUTION

ME

HERB RAU PCI, advised that RUTH LICHTENSTEIN

FLA

BARNETT, was ROSE MILLER and Madam SHERRY, formerly a well

known madam in Miami, is now operating in havana, Cuba. he

stated a select number of cab drivers in Havana possess

address of Madam SHERRY's house.

He also stated he was told

MA"Asthat Madam SHERRY made an attempt to get in contact with

FLA BUNNY BACON at Miami and have him obtain some profitable

clientele for her.

RAU related that BACON's whereabouts are

unknown as he had moved from the Miami area after his wife,

a rom the t

EMILY BACON, had secured a divorce about a year ago.

pointed out

that BACON and his wife had been prominent in the

society columns for some years prior to a year ago.

Madam SHERRY was last convicted at Miami on

- 12/21/54 in U.S. District Court for perjury.

She was sen

tenced to a year and a day and after conviction, was re-

leased on bail pending appeal.

bond and went to Mexico where she was apprehended and returned

to the United States. She was convicted of jumping her bail

and received a 30 day sentence on that charge on 6/5/56,

which was to run consecutive to the previous perjury conviction

of one year and one day.

HOODLUM HANGOUTS

MM 665-PC, who 1s residing temporarily at the

Garden of Allah Motel, Miami Beach, advised the Italian

racketeers are endeavoring to purchase this motel. He said

the land upon which the motel 1s built is owned by FRANK A.:

KATZENTINE, an attorney who has interest in a radio station

and in the Crime Commission of Greater Miami•

that the motel is presently owned by MAURICE

and is in financial difficulty. He said that POLLOCK has

outstanding obligations over a million dollars and 1s in-

debted to him for $20, 000.

Informant related that JOE MEROLA, -a thief and a

very close friend of SAM/MANNARINO, as well as his brother

GABRIEL, both racketeers "from New Kensington, Pa., Visit

there occasionally.

MEROLA, he said, told him that he loaned

POLLOCK $30,000 but POLLOCK admitted to the informant borrow-

ing $20,000 from MEROLA.

MM 665-PC said he has learned that

MEROLA Is forcing himself to the front and has offered some

of the creditors 30d on a dollar. Informant said he was

FLA

rain

NW 54027 DooId: 32334022 Page 4

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## Page 5

MM 62-1273

advised by a close friend that MEROLA has been endeavoring

to force POLLOCK out of the motel. According to this friend,

KATZENTINE told him MEROLA said he had raised $225,000 so

far in order to get control of the motel.

MM 665-PC said POLLOCK and MEROLA were going to

New York City the past weekend for the purpose of raising

some funds but that POLLOCK changed his mind the last minute

when he, POLLOCK, found out 'MEROLA and other eastern Italians

intended to eventually force him out of the motel.

informant said POLLOCK for years has been close to the hood-

lum element and particularly those from Chicago.

He said

since MEROLA has resided there some eastern hoodlums, un-

known to him, have visited the motel and made it their hang-

out.

The informant learned that NEROLA' has been making

extensive renovations to his home at 2018 North Bay Road,

Miami Beach, and so far, has spent about $20, 000 for repairs.

He also said that MEROLA drives a Cadillac automobile and

owns a yacht which houses five to seven persons. Other in-

formants have advised that MEROLA Is the front man for the

MANNARINO group and that the MANNARINOS have a financial

interest in the motel.

JOE

MEROLA comes from Pittsburgh, Pa., has FBI No.

49892997 1s a Jewel thief, and has been residing at the

motel for the last nine months, at least. POLLOCK'S eX-

wife, LEE JACOBRE, a showgirl, is now married to JOF

FISCHETTI, formerly of Chicago, and presently residing at

North Bay Village, Fla., a top hoodlum of the Mtami Office.

SAM MANNARINO haS FBI NO. 115840 and GABRIEL MANNARINO has

FBI No. 854050•

The MANNARINOS allegedly control all forms

of gambling in the New Kensington, Pa. area.

They also possess

other business interests; such as an outdoor theater, a

scrap iron company, real estate and a vending and pinball dis-

tribution business

in the same area.

LABOR FUNDS

RALPH MILLS, Assistant Counsel of the United States

Senate Select Committee on Improper Activities in the Labor

or Management Field, advised

that JAMES HOFFA's Teamsters

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4

54027 DocId: 32334022 Page 5

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## Page 6

MM 62-1273

Union on 5/29/57 made a Joan of $750, 000 to the JOE HART

Properties, who own the, Castaways Motel, 163rd Street and

Collins Avenue, In Dade County. He said the owners of the

motel also took over the notes

on an old mortgage amounting

to $500,000, and on 3/15/58 made another loan from the

Teamsters Union for $5,000 which was to be used in the con-

struction of 132 new units.

(properties owe the Teamsters Union $1,750, 000.

he said the JOE HART

Informant also stated that prior to making the

last loan, the motel had to make a payment of $101,500 per

year to take care of interest, rent and principal. He said as

a result of the last loan, the present payment per year 1s

5201,500, which covers interest, rent and principal.

HOODLUMS IN THE MIAMI AREA

MM 650-C advised WILLIE HARRIS has acquired a

half interest in the cocktail lounge of the Riviera Motel,

2080 South Ocean Drive, Hallandale, Ela.

ROY LONGBOTTOM, Deputy Sheriff, Dade County, Fla.!

advised WILLIE HARRIS, FBI NO. 497131, has a financial

interest in the cocktail lounge of the Monaco and Carib

Motels in Dade County. He also advised that he has received

information that WILLIE HARRIS 1s loaning money at excessive

interest rates to small businessmen and he recently observed

HARRIS maKe a Loan to BILL CHASE,

a real estate operator at

400 East Beach Boulevard, Hallandale, Fla. In addition, he

elated that MOE ROCKFELD,

FBI NO. 291641, 1s fronting for

ARRIS in the operation of the cocktail lounge In the Blu

Bay Motel, Miami Beach.

MM 509-C stated that HARRY KIRSCHBAUM, WHITEY

_MARCUS and A. B BROW were presently working for JOE

INDELICATO, Wa. JOE SCOOTCH,

in the shylocking business.

advised that these Individuals hang out at Pumpernik's Restàu-

rant, Miami Beach.

WHITEY MARCUS Isa bookmaker and close associate

Of JOE FISCHETTI,

KIRSCHBAUM\1s a local gambler and Shylock.

INDELICATO has FBI NO. 561964 and is a Shylock and operates

the Sunshine State Transportation Company.

Miami Beach.

INDELICATO is a close associate of JOE MASSEI, FBI No. 597894,

and ALFRED GEORGE FELICE, FBI NO. 95186.

FLA

5 -

NW 54027 DocId: 32334022

Page 6

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## Page 7

MM 62-1273

MM 656-0 stated that PHIL FERRARI, formerly of

Cleveland, Ohio, and now residing at Miami Beach, is doing

some Shylocking and the funds he isusing come Irom_ toNY

SALERNO. Informant stated that FERRARI obtains $120.00

for every $100.00 he loans.

SALERNO 1s from New York City

and allegedly has an interest in the numbers racket in New

York with MIKE COPPOLA, FBI No. 677976, who is a top hoodlum

of the Miami Office.

Extra copies are being transmitted so that the

Bureau may forward the two copies to the Legat, Havana, for

Information.

6

74 54027

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