Agency: FBI
Originator: FBI
From: SAC, MM
To: DIRECTOR, FBI
Document date: 01/24/1958
Document type: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (14 USC 2107 Note) .

DATE: 11-14-2017

JFK Assassination System

Date:

4/27/201

Identification Form

Agency Information

AGENCY:

FBI

RECORD NUMBER :

124-10300-10084

RECORD SERIES :

HQ

AGENCY FILE NUMBER: CR 62-75147-29-722

Document Information

ORIGINATOR :

FBI

FROM: SAC, MM

TO: DIRECTOR, FBI

TITLE:

DATE:

• PAGES:

SUBJECTS :

01/24/1958

8

NRO, ASSOC, HIALEAH RACE, LAW ENFORCEMENT;

GAMBLING ACT, NIGHT LIFE, HOODLUMS, MM

DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION: Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS: 4

CURRENT STATUS:

Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 05/04/1998

OPENING CRITERIA :

INDEFINITE

COMMENTS :

V9.1

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1

17

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Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992(11 USC 2107 Hotel

DATE:

11-14-2017

MAT TO SOn

REG. 32

Office Memorandum.

-cimont

• UNITED STATES GOVERNMEN

TO

• Director, BI (67-75147-290THEN bara: January

Mr. Pars

MT. Boss

2.0

Mr.

ATTENTION:

Clayon

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

SAC, Miami (62-1273)

Me. Holloman

Mis

ndy

SUBJECT:

MIAMI WINTER SEASON,

1957 - 1958,

CRENINAL SECTION,

coples made e. 1-8

INVESLIGATIVE DIVISION.

GI, Fid Rebalet 9/28/57:

2-12-78 asci

for revlew at FBIPQ by

HYALEA! RACE TRACK

HSCA re12-23-22request.

(See Bufile #68-117290)

Hialeah's opening day attendance on January 17,

1958, was 21,964 compared to 21,144 the previous season.

the patrons wagered $1,611,404.00 the opening daysof this

season as compared to $1,561,305.00 the opening day of the

1956-57 season.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

advised

MARTIN DARDIS, Chief of Police, North Bay Village,

that WILLIE HARRIS,

FBI Number 497131, a burglar

and fence, on January 19, 1958, was driving a 1950 Mercury, aut

mobile bearing Florida License IW-1l1394, and wastat the

Stork Bar, Worth Bay Village, drinking with Miami_ Chief- of.

Police WALTER HEADLEY's son who is also on the Mi mi Police

Force.

GAMBLING

47°

2-74

JOHN MADALA, in charge of security, glean™

Racks Track, advised that OLLIE HARRIS, a Miami Beach ambler

contacted him and made an effort to obtain his permission

colagain attend the race meets. MADALA Said he denied this

7 permission to HARRIS.

MADALA also advised that BERT-Y

CROBER, Wa. "Hingey"

Grober, FBI Number 2136776, part owner

Of the pal-Neva Loage, Lake Tahoe, California, contacted him

4 - Buñeau

3:04:

2 - Miami

K N

RFF : GK

(65%

43L

ALL INFORMATION CONTAINENS:

HEREIN 4 UNCLASSIFIED 2I1,326

DATE 1/n/85& BYSP6BJA

66 FEB 26 1958 COT

62-75147-29-722

12-19

JAN 28 1958

AVAI

ise

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Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (41 USC 2107 Hote) .

DATE: 11-14-2017

MM 62-1273

CONEIBENTIAL

HAND also advised that on January 17, 1958, the

following individuals were ejected from the Hialeah

Race Track:

RICHARD WILLIAM SEART, a tout residing in Miami;

EDWARD S. LYONS, a tout of Waterbury, Connecticut;

ALFRED BRISBEN, a tout of Cleveland, Ohio;

VINCENT JAMES CILENTI, a bookmaker from Cleveland; and

PHILIP KAUFMAN, a bookmaker of Miami Beach who, on

occasions is a bartender at the Luau Restaurant,

North Bay Village, which restaurant is operated

FBI Number 220267.

HAND further advised that on January 21, 1958,

JOE RICCIO, FBI amber 205783, owner of Riccio's Restaurant,

and ABE "SPARKY" NUSSBAUM, former east coast gambler and at

one time owner of Sparky's, a night club adjoining Riccio's

Restaurant, were in attendance at the track but were not

ejected.

He further advised that NATHAN GEWERTZ, formerly

land arrested by the Hialeah Police Department because he

returned to a Florida race track after having previously

been ejected from Tropical Race Track the season of 1957-58.

IAND also advised that he was told by GEWERTZ to contact

WILSON, operator of a large automobile garage, who

TARO RAU, PCI, advised that CHARLE TOURINE, FBI:

Number 695716, 1s trying to obtain gambling interests in

Jamaica, British West Indies. RAU also advised in strict

confidence that on June 29, 195%, he was in Havana, Cuba,

with RICHARDGERSTEIN, State's Attorney, Dade County, ana

JULIAN COLE Aánd in the absence of GERSTEIN and COLE, had

and through it hoped to gain control of what he/described

as an estate worth over five million dollars. BERNICE STii:-

DeCAStRO was described as the daughter of a former prominent

politician named LEVY in New York City, and her mother is

NES. SADIE VALEVY Of New York, and Miami Beach.

BERNICE

DeCASTRO has

Tormerly been married to JOHNNIE STRATTEN, a

-3-

CONSEANTIAL

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"Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 USC 2107 Hotel.

DATE: 11-14-2017

BRITISH

LUNHIS

NI AI

MM

62-1273

former partner of NORMAN ROTHMAN in the San Souci Naght

JESSE

Havana, and thereafter was married to GUSDeCAST I SA

INVEL and is now married to MIKE MERCADO, a Cuban, o

and now resides in Havana.

ROTHMAN, acoording to RAU, expects

the matter to end up in the State's Attorney's Office in

Miami and wanted RAU, a friend of GERSTEIN, to see that

GERSTEIN was favorable to ROTHMAN.

At the end of this con-

versation RAU also stated that ROTHMAN said that GERSTEIN

could make a $35,000.00 fee by representing the TRAFFICANTE

brothers in criminal matters in Tampa, Florida. RAU

stated he refused to listen to any further propositions from

ROTHMAN and left RAU,stated that the text of this con-

versation with ROTHMAN was reduced to writing in the form of a

"Transcript of Testimony" dated July 2, 1957, in the office

of State's Attorney GERSTEIN in Miami

SANTO TRAFFICANTO, JR., FBI Number 482531B, and

HENRY TRAFFICANTE, FBI Number 625515B, are nationally-known

racketeers at Tampa, Florida.

SANTO TRAFFICANTE also has

interests in the gambling casinos in Havana, Cuba.

RAU further advised that he observed THEODORE

BROWN, Wa. "Sugar" Brown, a gambler from Sanford, Connecti-

cut, at LOU WALTERS' Cafe de Paris, Miami Beach, on January

16, 1958,

North Bay Village.

came over to Miami Beach for the night and was returning

to Havana the following day.

RAU further advised that LOUIS "DUTCH.

SHIELDS, a

professional gambler and former owner of the Embassy

Gambling Club in Jacksonville,

Florida, is now in charge of

gambling in Montago Bay, Jamaica, British West Indies.

"He"

said BOB-SALERS, formerly operator of the Jaragua Hotel,

Dominican Republic where SHIELDS was in charge of the gambl-

casino, is now Manager of the Casa Montago Hotel,

Montago Bay, Jamaica, which 1s to open on January 31, 1958.

*RAU said he

received information that SAUERS was becoming

too well acquainted with TRUJILLO's daughter, and TRUMILIO

wanted SAUERS to leave the country.

RAU also informed that the publicity and public

relations for the Capri Hotel, as well as the casino in

Havana, Cuba, is handled by the advertising agency of NEWMAN;

STERN and MANDELL of Miami Beach:

-4-

CONDRENTIAL

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Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 USC 2107 Hote):

DATE: 11-14-2017

COINSA

SALINIAL

MM

62-1273

RAU further advised that he received information

that NORMAN ROTHMAN, previously mentioned, has a wife and

child residing in Miami,

as well as a common-law wife and

chila residing in Havana, Cuba.

EDWARD MCMAHON, Special Agent of the Thoroughbred

Racing Protective Association, Hialeah Race Track, advised

that VICTOR WILLIAMS, who formerly operated Williams'

Grocery Store in Miami and presently operates the Teddy

bear Motel, Cherokee, North carolina, and

who is also con-

nected with the bolita racket, is interested in horse racing

and is attempting to secure a license to be placed in

1 the

name of his wife, CONNIE C. WILLIAMS.

he also aavised that JAMEs C. CHRISTIAN, who ad-

mittedly, from 1951 through 1953, acted as a banker of

Cuban lottery in Dade County, 1s

associating with TILLMAN

"FOOTS" STALLING, a gambler in the Miami area, who allegedly

is a bolita operator at this time.

BEATRICE CHRISTIAN, the wife of JAMES C. CHRISTIAN, allegedly

owns two race horses and is attempting

with respect to running those race horses on the Florida

tracks.

MCMAHON further informed that he had been told

that SANIo TRAFFICANE, JR., previously mentioned, lends

money to bolita bankers with the understanding that TRAF-

FICANTE will receive six percent of the gross profit of

the operation.

NOTORIOUS PLACES OF AMUSEMENT

Potential Criminal Informant

HERB RAU, PCI, advised that the Riot Room, a night

club located in Miami Beach, allegedly is operated by one

DON RICKLES, an entertainer

+.

He, how-

noodl ossesses no knowledge as to the identities of the

HOODLUMS IN THE MIAMI AREA

MARTIN DARDIS, Chief of Police, North Bay Village,

advised that he recently observed ROBERT SILVERBERG'S 195€

-5-

CONFERENTIA!

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"Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 USC 2107

DATE: 11-14-2017

Hut e 1.

CONED

INTIAL

MM

62-1273

ANDREW MURCIA, Chief of Police, Suriside, Flor-

owns the Community Barber

shoppins center pade countth and that the shop is in the

ELdE

TONY DESPIRITO.

respect to this barber shop,

MIKE O 'BRIEN,

Deputy Sheriff, Dade County, advised that hef

received information that GABRIEL GENOVESE, Miami Beach PD

Number A27038, also has a financial interest in that shop.

MURCIA went on to relate that he was advised by the same

Number 554810. was seenat

this shop. CARBO is generally

known as the underworld czar in boxing circles and is a

close associate of LAvE

NORRIS, President of the Inter=-

national Boxing club.

New York bookmaker and

gambler.

MURCIA also related that JAMES PLUMERI, Wa.

Jimmy Doyle, FBI Number 672798, owns a Cadillac bearing

New York 1957 license 57-184367, as well as two Chevrolets.

He said the Chevrolets are kept at PLUMERI's home in Surf-

side and he assumed the Cadillac is kept in New York as

it has never been observed in the Surfside area.

WESTON COOPER,

teacher, Miami Beach High School,

advised that PLUMERI had been absent from his home for

about three weeks, but returned on January 14, 1958.

PLUMERI is prominent in the garment trucking industry in

New York, and is an uncle of JOHN, FRANK and TOM DIO GUARDIO,

Wa. Dio.

JOHNNY DIO recently was

sentenced in the state

courts at New York City on an extortion charge.

HERB RAU, PCI, advised that JIMMY DEMCHICK, FBI

Number 4862730, is presently employed at the Carnival Bar,

Tampa, Florida,

and DEMCHICKs wife is employed as a bar-

maid in the cocktail lounge of the Fleetwood Hotel, Miami

Beach.

He stated that he received information that DEMCHICK

has been issuing some local bad checks in Tampa and has been

cheating at gambling.

JOE DeMARIA, a used car dealer in Miami, advised

that Ke To 36,000 Bro, Located agency

-T-

CON/

NTIAL

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