Document date: 04/17/2018
Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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STANCARD FORM'"O. &4

Office Memorandum • UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT

TO

DIRECTOR, FBI (92-2781)

DATE: May 28, 1959

FROMA

SAC, SEATTLE (92-147)

SUBJECT:/

SANTO TRAFFICANTE, JR

ANTI- RACKETEERING

aka

Re letter 4/29/59, Legal Attache, Havana to. Bureau,

requesting background information concerning RON WARNOCK in

that he was reported as making efforts to buy the sans Souci

Gambling Casino from SANTO TRAFFICANTE in Cuba.

RON WARNOCK is the brother of TOM V. WARNOCK, who

was Sheriff of Snohomish County, Washington, 1/1/47 to 1/1/55.

Prior to TOM's election, RON was a fight promoter in the

Seattle, Washington area.

On his brother's election, he

•became

Deputy Sheriff of Snohomish County and operated in that

capacity.

Informants have advised that RON WARNOCK was, during

his brother's tenure as Sheriff, and has been since under

WITCHELL, current Sheriff, Snohomish County, the "pick-up"

and "fix"

man for that county.

A confidential source in 1948 advised that JOE

GOTTSTEIN, BILL EDRIS, JOSEPH HART and OSCAR TJERSLAND had

made arrangements with TOM WARNOCK to operate gambling in

Snohomish County.

The four above-named individuals were at

that time prominent gamblers in the Seattle, Washington area.

In May of 1956, SE-551-C advised that RON WARNOCK

had been campaign manager for ARNOLD LEMPLE, Snohomish County

Prosecutor, and as a result had ZEMPLE's permission to permit

gambling and was, in fact, the man who says whether a parti-

cular place can or cannot operate in that county.

RON WARNOCK is closely associated with EUGENE

ALBERT PETERSON,

PCI of the Seattle Office.

PETERSON IS

self-admitted active gambler in Snohomish County at the

Bureau - 1MM 6/4/59

42-2741-98

1 - Seattle

(1 - Legâl: Attacho, Havana) fen

CBH : haf

(5)

" 90% sun 2 i99

53 JUN 4

1959

DocId: 32586390

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SE 92-147

present time.

PETERSON advised on 4/8/59 that he was departing

this area for the purpose of going to the kentucky Derby, at

the conclusion of which he was going to Havana, Cuba, to

look

into gambling interests there.

PCI PETERSON advised on 5/25/59 that he had just

returned from Havana, Cuba.

He advised that while in Cuba he

was in contact with SANTO TRAFFICANTE, who was still trying

to sell the Sans Souci Casino. He advised that TRAFFICANTE was

supposed to have sold his interest in the Sans souci but that

actually he still owns the same interest as he formerly did.

PETERSON advises that originally RON WARNOCK went to

Havana, Cuba, in the hopes of putting Spanish language punch-

boards

in that area.

He advised that WARNOCK was unable to

make arrangements for the punchboard operation but that while

he was in Havana, he was in contact with the operator of the

Sans Souci Casino. PETERSON advises that his and WARNOCK's punch-

board operation in Snohomish County depends on obtaining the

boards from PAT ZURLA, Chicago, and ZURLA was to be the source

of the Spanish language punchboards.

PETERSON advises that the source of capital that was

to be used in purchasing the Sans Souci Casino was from Seattle.

He stated that actually he and WARNOCK could not raise suffi-

cient funds to purchase the Casino but at the same time, due

to the inactive gambling patrons in the form of tourists in

Cuba, caused them to have little desire to pay the amount

necessary to purchase this Casino at this time.

under the title

RUC.

he top dood un program,

-2-

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