Originator: FBI
From: PG
To: HQ
Document date: 04/20/1959
Document type: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

JFK Assassination System

Identification Form

Agency Information

Date:

6/2/2015

AGENCY: FBI

RECORD NUMBER:

124-90100-10162

RECORD SERIES:

HQ

AGENCY FILE NUMBER:

52-72398-152

Document Information

ORIGINATOR: FBI

FROM:

PG

TO: HQ

TITLE:

DATE: 04/20/1959

PAGES:

124

SUBJECTS :

JOSEPH RAYMOND MEROLA

STUART SUTOR

DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION: Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS: 4; 10(a)2

CURRENT STATUS: Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 08/08/1998

OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE

COMMENTS: RPT

Released under the John F. Kennedy

Assassination Records Collection Act ol

1992 (44 USC 2107 Note). Case#:NW

69262 Date: 09-22-2022

v9.1

NW 68262 Docld:32331944 Page 1

2

---

## Page 2

aap .- 2

Pa 52-1687

that their company truck, a 1955 light grey Chevrolet

panel truck, closely resembles the S &S Distributing

Company panel truck and that since it is regularly parked

in the vicinity of their warehouse, someone might have

miscaken it for the S &S panel truck.

is adjacent to the National Cash Register Company warehouse,

National Cash Register Company Warehouse, on 3/9/59 stated

that the S & S panel truck has never been parked in thé

vicinity of the warehouse.

Both noted the similarities

between the National Cash Register Company and the S 8c S

panel truck.

Confidential source MIKE ZERVOS on 3/1/59 stated

that DANIEL HANNA recently confided to him that WILLIE

SAMs told him to stop worrying about the possibility of

being convicted for the part he played in the gun-running

operation.

HANNA told ZERVOS

government would not be able to obtain a conviction in

his case but if they did, the MANNARINo organization would

make sure that HANNA was

paid for every day he spent in

the penitentiary.

JOHN CHRISTOPHER FONTANA,

FBI #821285B

PCI FRANCES PRIAM on 2/20/59 advised SA ROBERT A.

VOEGE that she was present at the MANNARINO gambling :

establishment at New Kensington, fa.,

during late

evening hours of 11/4/58.

She said that on that afternoon

a plane

load of rifles stolen from Ohio National Guard

Army at Canton, Ohio, was forced down at Morgantown, w. Va.,

and that the MANNARINO brothers had already been mentioned

as having had something to do with the transportation of

She recalled that

large number of patrons were filtering into the gambling

rooms. She said she spoke briefly to JOHN FONTANA, a

-0, -

COVER PAGE

-2033

881582

NW 68262 Docld:32331944 Page 2

---

## Page 3

aap-3

PG 52-1687

permanent member of the MANNARINO organization and a

close associate of both MIKE GENOVESE and JOHN LA ROCCA.

She recalled that FONTANA told her that the place

be closing early and when

she asked him what was wrong,

he shrugged his shoulders and said,

"Oh, just a few little

prablems that we

can handle."

She

said FONTANA definitely

had referred to the gun-running because AL "CHIPS" RINALDO,

a croupier and dealer in the MANNARINO gambling set-up,

for many years and who had taken her to the gambling

establishment, walked. out of the gambling rooms shortly

after 1:00 AM, and advised because of some trouble "that

will be in the newspapers" the place was closing early.

PHILIP JAMES MAINER,

FBI #868314A

It is recalled that PHILIP JAMES MAINER and his associate,

GEORGE MIKE

FLOREA, FBI #2888609, were named by a Canton, Ohio,

Police Department

informant as the perpetrators of the burglary

of the Ohio National Guard Armory on 10/14/58.

Investigation to date in New Kensington has established

that MAINER was in contact with PCI HENRY ABRAHAM of this

office approximately two years ago for the purpose of selling

a load of stolen cigarets.

PCI HENRY ABRAHAM on. 2/13/59 was interviewed by

SA JOHN S. PORTELLA at his place of business, Pecky's

Bar, in New Kensington, during which interview PCI was

questioned concerning some stolen cigarets being offered

for sale by two individuals, one a Syrian man and the second

believed to be PHIL MAINER.

pcI stated that

he recalls a

Syrian man from the New Castle-Farrell, Pa., area coming to

New Kensington sometime ago offering cigarets and other

merchandise for sale at low prices.

He identified this

Syrian man as UFFIE CHARLES of New

Castle, Pa., who operated

a restaurant there and he believes that CHARLES' wife

continues to operate this restaurant.

PCI stated that UFFIE

CHARLES passed away about a year ago.

ABRAHAM stated that when CHARLES came to New Kensington

he was generally accompanied by a small man named FREDDIE and

he believed that UFFIE CHARLES' wife could identify FREDDIE.

oR.-

COVER FAGE

52-72388-952

NW 68262 Docld:32331944 Page 3

---

## Page 4

aap

PO 52-1687

PCI stated that UFFIE CHARLES was accompanied on one

or two occasions by other people whose names he could

not recall:

He stated that the names

PHIL MAINER Of

FLEAGLE mean nothing to him.

ABRAHAM further stated that at no time did he ever

refer UFFIE CHARLES and his friends to anyone else in New

Kensington who would be in a position to purchase stolen

merchandise.

NICK TRIKILIS

(Cleveland suspect)

It is recalled that on 8/31/58 (ENU) MOORE made a

collect telephone call from Pittsburgh;

i telephone number

court 1-9000, to the home of NICK TRIkiLls in canton, onio,

Howard 2-5772. CO 1-9000 is listed to the First Lutheran

Church on Grant Street in Downtown Pittsburgh.

The following investigation was conducted by SA

VOEGE to determine the significance of this call:

On 2/27/59 JAMES W. MORENTZ, Director of the

Layman's Program at the First Lutheran Church of Pittsburgh,

015 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, was contacted Dy SA VOLGI

and was advised that on 8/31/58 a person named MOORE (ENU)

telephonically contacted NICK TRIKILIS at his Canton, Ohio,

home, telephone HOward 2-5772. MORENTZ was not advised that

the aforementioned TRIKILIS is a suspect in the burglary

of the Ohio National Guard Armory at Canton.

MORENTZ advised that telephone GRant 1-4965,

any other telephone in

accessible

co any par antone venile that rate at dinos

anytime. He advised that

many calls are made without the

knowledge of the pastor or members of the church staff and

that he would have no idea who placed a call to Canton,

Ohio, on 8/31/58.

He advised that the only man named MOORE

who he knows is a FRED R. MOORE, who presently resides at

200 West Stockton Avenue, Pittsburgh, and has been coming

to the church for some time:

He stated that MOORE is a

- 18-

COVER PAGE

5272398-152

NW 68262 Docld:32331944 Page 4

---

## Page 5

aap -7

PG 52-1687

2. Wilt interview PCI HERB RAU and VICTOR H.

RAMS PUENTE, former captain of Military Intelligence,

Cuban Army, for information concerning NORMAN ROTHMAN, etal,

and the part they played in the transportation of weapons

stolen from the Ohio National Guard Armory.

3. Will obtain a photograph of DR. LOUIS C.

PESSOLANO and thereafter display it to sources and logical

residents at the Seagull Hotel, in an effort to show that

PESSOLANO was in contact with SAMUEL MANNARINO during the

period 10/24-11/8/58:

4. Will locate and interview WILLIE DENTAMARO,

FBI #394200A, äka.,

"Dee," to determine whether he was with

JOE MEROIA at the Warwick Hotel in New York, N.Y., during

September and October, 1958. If DENTAMARO admits

being

at the warwick Hotel with MEROLA, he should be interviewed

at length concerning the purpose of MEROLA's trip to

New York bearing in mind MEROLA's involvement inia case

under investigation by ATU, Newark, No dos in September,

1958, involing the seizure

of a shipment of arms and

ammunition off the New Jersey coast.

If admissions are made by DENTAMARO, he should

be also questioned concerning the identity and whereabouts

of JERRY GLICK. (for background information concerning this

phase of the investigation, refer to cover letter, pages

H through I in report of SA DUCE, Pittsburgh, 2/12/59%

Supplemental investigation concerning JERRY GLICK is reported .

herein under the heading JOSEPH MEROLA.)

5. Will make arrangements for CHARLES E. SMITH

to observe MEROLA. (Pittsburgh airtel to Bureau, 3/19/59)

6. Will review indices in an effort to identify.

the alleged

confidence man and professional card shark,

JERRY (GERALD) GLICK, who may use the aliases HENRY COHEN

and HENRY ROSEN.

7. Will, through sources. of information, on

Star Island, attempt to identify GLICK and thereafter inter-

view him along the same lines as set out above conceming

WILLIE DENTAMARO.

- Vi

COVER PAGE

52-12398-152

NW 68262 Docld:32331944 Page 5

---

## Page 6

aap- 4

PG 5'c-168%

NEW YORK

AT NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Will determine through FREDERICK NOWICKI, resident

manager,

Warwick Hotel, whether JERRY (GERALD) GLICK, HENRY

ROSEN Or HENRY COREN, probably listing a Florida address, was

registered at the warwick during the period August through

October, 1958. (for background, refer to information in

this report andcover letter under heading, JOSEPH MEROLA)

PITTSBORGH

AT LOWER BURRELL TOWNSHIP, PA. (WESTMORELAND)

will interview ALBERT SEID, FBI #574183, 2644

Paige Street, concerning long distance telephone calls to

his unpublished telephone number, EDison 5-3517, on

9/25 and 27/58 from

suite at

the warwick Hotel, New

York city, occupied by JOE MEROLA and CHESTER GRAY.

AT NEW KENSINGTON, PA. (WESTMORELAND)

1. Will attempt to obtain a recent photograph of

SAMUEL MANNARINO and forward to Miami for their use in

connection with investigation being conducted at the Seagull

Hotel.

z.Will consider interviewing SAMUEL MANNARINO

concerning the part he played in this case when and if. Miami

conti de r

is able to establish that MANNARINO was actúally staying

at the Seagull Hotel in Miami and in contact with other

co-conspirators in this case during the period 10/24 -

11/8/58.

3: Will attempt to obtain a photograph of VICTOR

CARLUCCI's black English Prefect sportscar and display same

to ALVIN FISH.

4. Will reinterview PCI HENRY ABRAHAM; display

photograph of PHILIP JAMES MAINER, FBI #868314A, and determine

-* -

COVER PAGE

52-72398-152

NW 68262 Docld:32331944 Page 6

---

## Page 7

aap

10

FG 52-1087

whether MAINER tid Identical with an individual already

identified by a confidential source as the person who

approached ABRAHAM sometime during 1956 to sell a load

of stolen cigarets.

*5 .

Will interview BOB (LNU) said

to be a new

employee of the s

& & Distributing Company, to determine

his activities on 10/26/58 and 11/4/58, and whether he

noticed any suspicious activities involving the panel

truck during that period of time.

AT RUSSELLION, FA. (WESTMORELAND)

*1. Will consider advisability of interviewing

subscribers called from the

office of

the Allegheny Valley

Airport around 10/26/58 and 13/4/58.

2. Will consi der obtaining elimination prints

from. JOHN RICHARD REMICH and HENRY H. FAHRNER. for comparison

with the latent impression on the five gallon oil can

recovered at the airport on 11/5/58.

3. W1l1, at. the 74th AAA Missile Battalion,

Battery D, attempt to identify, interview and obtain

elimination prints from the trash collector who periodically

hauls away used five gallon oil cans from the Battery D

launching site to determine whether he recalls selling or

giving such a can to someone at the Allegheny Valley Airport.

AT CLAIRTON, PA. (ALLEGHENY)

Police Department for

information concerning JERRY GLICK.

AT GIBSONIA, PA. (ALLEGHENY)

Will, at the North Pittsburgh Telephone Company,

attempt to locate information concerning a toll call to.

Pittsburgh during the last two weeks of October. 1958, from

the home of THOMAS OCCELI, near the Allegheny Valley

Airport, Russellton.

COVER PAE

52-72398-152

NW 68262 Docld:32331944 Page 7

---