Agency: FBI
Originator: FBI
From: PG
To: HQ
Document date: 01/13/1961
Document type: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (14 USC 2T07 Hote).

DATE: 11-14-2017

JFK Assassination System

Date:

5/11/201

Identification Form

Agency Information

AGENCY:

FBI

RECORD NUMBER :

124-90104-10224

RECORD SERIES :

HQ

AGENCY FILE NUMBER :

92-2940-71

Document Information

ORIGINATOR: FBI

FROM:

PG

TO: HQ

TITLE :

DATE : 01/13/1961

' PAGES:

5

SUBJECTS :

SEBASTIAN JOHN LAROCCA

DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION: Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS: 1B

CURRENT STATUS : Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 07/31/1998

OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE

COMMENTS :

MEMO

v9.1

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

DATE: •11-14-2017

STANDARD FORM NO. 64

•FD=142

Office Memorandum • UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT

TO

SUBJECT:

DIRECTOR, FBI (92-2940).

DATE: 1/13/61

SAC, PITTSBURGH (92-226-Sub 2)

JUNE

RECOMMENDATION FOR INSTALLATION OF TECHNICAL OR MICROPHONE SURVEILLANCE

вір"

RE:

Title SEBASTIAN JOHN LA ROCCA, aka

Character of Case AR

Field Office Pittsburgh

Symbol Number To be assigned

Type of Surveillance (Technical or

Microphone)

Microphone

(MUTT Installation)

1.

Name and address of subject:

SEBASTIAN JOHN LA ROCCA

Home Address

900 West Ingomar Road, Ingomar,

Business Address

12 McCandless

Avenue,

Pa.

Pittsburgh, Pa.

2!

/Location of technical operation:

(North Star Cement Block Company) 12_McCandless Avenue, Pitts-

burgh, Pa To"be monttored" at Pittsburgh Office Central Plant.)

3. Other technical surveillances on same subject:

None

JAN 16 1961

3>

EX 114

ENCLOSURE

4. Cost and manpower involved:

REC 5772-2940-26

Leased line costs approximately $17.50 per month.

27 i

© JAN 784961

PG 148-S* presently being monitored from 1 - 9 P. M., each day

for five days by one SE, GS-9@$7425 per annum and for two days:.

by one SA, GS-12 @$9,475 per annum.

The proposed misur would

be operated between

also on Saturdays. Between

20 A.M., and 5P. N'1 - 5 P.M., there

each work day and

the hours

would be no additional cost since monitoring could be conducted

by the employees presently monitoring PG 148-S*.

Between the hours

of 10 A.M.

5.

Adequacy of security:

and 1 P. M., the monitoring would be conducted by one

SA, GS-12 @$9,215 per annum in con-

junction with his other reated duties

seLieved adequate as set

in the Top Hoodlum and- Colminal.

but in Appendix - "Details

Intelligence

Programs

INCOSU

of troposed Installation.

Bureau (Enc. 3)

1- Pittsburgh

•HLW/ JW

(2)

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

DATE: .11-14-2017

APPENDIX

Details of Proposed Installation

Pursuant to Bureau authority, dated December 27, 1960, a

survay was conducted to determine the feasibility of install-

ing a misur on top hoodlum LA ROCCA's private office at the

North Star Cement Block Company, 12 Mc Candless Avenue,

Pittsburgh, Pa.

The (survay) was

successfully completed and

provided the following information:

All known ways and means of establishing a misur were carefully

considered.

In due consideration of all aspects of the pro-

blem, it would appear that a radio-microphone technique

employing the MUTT Transmitter is feasible and is the preferred

choice under the existing conditions presented by this case.

This choice was made in view of the following factors relat-

1ng to the technical

problems, security considerations, and

investigative advantages:

(1) It is

recogrized that the use of telephone wiring disguises

are generally considered more secure than

the use of radio-

microphone techniques.

In this case, however, telephone

disguises do not appear desireable because of

the following:

(a) Subject's private office contains two "hold"

telephone instruments while one "hold" instrument

is located in the General Office.

These instruments

are serviced by three twisted-pair lines which, accord-

ing to the telephone company source, run directly from

the Central Office to the cement plant. This condition

would, therefore, preclude use of the Bureau's disguised

four-conductor parallel type wire since the appearance

of parallel-type wire in an area where twisted-pair

wire is used exclusively might arouse the curiosity

of telephone company employees and possibly would be

also noticed by the subject or his associates thereby

presenting a security hazard.

In this connection, it

is realized that a SPMT unit might be used to operate

a microphone or Mouse unit on one of the telephone

lines without additional wires.

However, it is also

realized that in using such a unit, it is necessary to

loop the telephone line through the monitoring plant

which must be located somewhere between the subject's

92-2940-11

-1 -

ENCLOSURE

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

DATE: 11-14-2017

PG 92-226-Sub 2

telephone instrument and the telephone company Central

Office.

Such an arrangement would require a local

monitoring plant and additional monitoring personnel.

(b) The possibility of using underground wires for

microphone egress in this case does not appear to be

feasible inasmuch as it would be necessary to route

the underground cable for a distance of approximately

3/10's mile to a point where connection could be

made to telephone wires leading to a plant. Further,

the extent of the wire laying operations,

terrain

conditions, and the factor of the industrial area

could possibly present security problems.

It would appear that the recently developed MUTT Trans-

mitter, a transistorized AC powered mintature unit, together

with appropriate receiving equipment would be feasible

this installation whereas previousy older battery powered

equipment was suitable only for short-term installations

where operation for a few days would generally provide the

desired coverage. It would be expected that the MUTT unit

over an extended

period of operation might result in failure

However, due

power supply, either the transmitter or power

supply could

be readily replaced by a smelter unit held in stand-by

reserve in the event of a failure.

It is believed that such

an infrequent replacement could be made without constituting

undue security risks.

The North Star Cement Block Plant is located approximately

135 feet south-west of McCandless Avenue and fronts south-

east on an un-named alley (see sketch 1) "extending from

McCandless Avenue south-west to 5lst Street. This un-named

alley terminates at both Mc Candless

Avenue and 51st Street.

The distance from the intersection of this unknown alley

and McCandless Avenue to the intersection of Harrison Street

McCandless Avenue is approximately 265 feet.

Subject's private office is located in the rear north-west

section of the general office of the plant as illustratec

and marked in sketch No. 2.

addition of the plant proper.

exterior walls of the

general office, the plant and the common wall between the

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

DATE: °11-14-2017

PG 92-226-Sub 2

general office and the plant are of cement block construction

The roof of the general office is of corrugated galvanized

metal.

There is no crawl space beneath the general office

or plant.

The floor is solid cement and is not covered with

any carpeting. The roof and interior ceiling are separated

by a distance of 4 inches at the northeast end and diverge

slightlyat a point where the general office connects with the

plant proper. The ceiling rafters run in a northeast--south-

east direction.

The interior cement block walls are not

panelled but are painted. Partitions in the general office

are constructed of frame and finished with a type of composition

panelling.

This composition panelling, each piece of which

is approximately 3 x 5 feet, is also used on the ceiling

and a Is inch molding covers the joints.

It is proposed that one variable reluctance microphone, a MUTT

Transmitter and

an AC power supply be installed between

the ceiling and roof at the point designated "X" on sketch 3.

Ingress to this

point can be made by removing the ceiling

exhaust fan.

It is not known how extensively this ceiling

exhaust fan

• is used, but inasmuch as this office is air-

conditioned, it is surmised that use of the exhaust fan is

limited.

This unit

would be energized by running a pair of

wires from point

"X" southeast between the rafters to the

southeast wall of subject's private office and thence drop-

ping the wires down the wall making the connection to the

wall box of the designated electrical wall outlet.

believed

that the amount of power consumption of the MUTT

Transmitter

is not critical.

It is also believed that one

transmitter maintained in the ceiling will afford effective

coverage.

Investigation and observation reflects that

it is practical and

secure to mount the remote receiving

equipment in the second floor office of the Westinghouse

Plant, designated by a star in sketch No. 1.

The Westinghouse

Electric Plant is not in use and is devoid of equipment.

It is

maintained by a small staff of maintenance employees plus

three guards who alternate shifts.

Contact under pretext

with the manager of real estate for the Westinghouse Corpora-

tion has assured authority and security in this respect.

It is proposed that a box capable of being locked be used

to house the remote receiving equipment.

This box will be

fastened in the afore-mentioned office near other unused

telephone boxes in the immediate vicinity of a window for

disguise and will be energized through the plant's 117 volt

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

DATE: 11-14-2017

PG 92-226-Sub 2

fred

AC system.

The receiver's output will be fitted into one

of several available telephone lines, one of which will be

leased and conducted to the Pittsburgh Office Control Plant.

The receiving antenna can, if necessary, be extended outside

the window and will not be obvious in view of other wires

connected to and handing from this building.

It is believed that this radio-microphone technique is

technically feasible for the following reasons:

1. There is an unobstructed aerial passage between

the North Star Cement Block Company and the second

floor of the Westinghouse Plant; the distance between

these two locations is approximately 475 feet (see

sketch No. 1) whereas it is believed that under ideal

conditions,

the range of the MUTT might be as high as

one-half mile.

2.

The receiving equipment to be located in the

office on the second floor of the Westinghouse Plant

would not be subject to temperature fluctuations since

temperature is maintained at a constant 40 degrees.

It is anticipated that the installation personnel would enter

the North Star Cement Block Company surreptitiously.

Prior

to this, all logical employees, associates, and relatives

of the subject as well as the subject himself

who might

come

to the plant will be placed under surveillance.

They

will be surveilled

during the entire operation. SA personnel

who are acquainted with subject and key employees of the

plant will be placed in strategic positions to provide

utmost security throughout the entire operation.

Sufficient

personnel will be utilized to insure advance warning of any

possible approach by the afore-mentioned persons.

It is

realized that trespassswill occur but every precaution will

be taken to prevent any possibility of compromise.

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