Agency: FBI
Originator: FBI
From: PG
To: HQ
Document date: 01/13/1959
Document type: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

JFK Assassination System

Identification Form

Agency Information

Date:

6/2/2015

AGENCY: FBI

RECORD NUMBER :

124-90100-10074

RECORD SERIES: HQ

AGENCY FILE NUMBER:

52-72398-95

Released under the John

issassination Recorde

Collection Act of 1992

144 USC 2107 Notel.

Case# :NU 54027 Date:

Document Information

ORIGINATOR: FBI

FROM:

PG

TO:

HQ

TITLE :

DATE: 01/13/1959

PAGES:

4

SUBJECTS :

JOSEPH RAYMOND MEROLA

THEFT OF 317 WEAPONS, 16 BLANKETS, 1 CARBINE RACK

OHIO NATIO

DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION : Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS: 4

CURRENT STATUS : Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 07/29/1998

OPENING CRITERIÁ: INDEFINITE

COMMENTS: MEMO

v9.1

HH 54027

DocId: 32331856

Page 1

2

---

## Page 2

STANDARD FORM NO. 64

Office Memorandum • UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT

TO

: DIRECTOR, FBI (52-72398)

DATE:

1/13/59

FROM

: SAC, PITTSBURGH (52-1687)

SUBJECT: STUART

SUTOR;

DANIEL HANNA,

aka-FUGITIVE

UNSUBS; Theft of 317

M. ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED

• HEREIN IS UNCLASSIFIED

DATE_6/1 DA_ BYSC 2 TAP CA

Weapons, 16 Blankets, One Carbine

Rack, from Ohio National Guard Armory,

Canton, Ohio, on 10/14/58;

IGI; IISP; FFA: NV

(00: CLEVELAND

Re Cleveland airtel to Bureau, 12/2/58 concerning

possible New Kensington,

Pa., connections of PHILIP

associate of GEORGE MIKE

Department Informant as the perpetrator of the Ohio

National Guard Armory burglary on 10/14/58.

Confidential source MIKE ZERVOS (protect) in interview

with SA RICHARD GORDON DOUCE on 1/6/59 positively identified

a photograph of MAINER and furnished the following back-

grouna information concerning him:

Approximately 18 or 20 months

ago ZERVOS received a telephone

call from HENRY ABARHAM;

operator of a cocktail

lounge in New Kensington.

ABRAHA" told ZEROS that he had a

that ZERVOS might be interested in and asked him to

come to his

place of business right away.

When ZERVOS

arrived at

"PECKY"g"

place he was introduced to two individuals.

one a Syrian man age about 40-45, name unknown, from New

Castle or Farrell, Pa., and the other MAINER, although

MAINER was not introduced to ZERVOSby name.

ABRAHAM told

ZERVOS that the Syrian man was a very good

friend of hig and:

had 1800 cartons of stolen

cigaretts in a station

parked outside that he would sell for $1.00

advised that ABRAHAM said that he wanted

ZERVOS

to.buy

entires

REC-27 22-730

95

2-Bureau

2-Cleveland (52-1918)

- Pittsburgh

(52-1687)

1-92-236

14137-68

2 01 6W

R4 0157238)9

LUAE DIA'

87

21 JAN 15 1959

is son i'

VStY

(ID).

2,864

NH 54027

DocId: 32331856

Page 2

---

## Page 3

PG 52-1687

load himself but did not have enough money to swing the

deal, and encouraged ZERVOS to put up half the money so

they

could buy the load together.

ZERVOS refused because he had only been recently released.

from the western State Penitentiary after serving 222

years after conviction for murder and suggested to ABRAHAM

For mende

that they take the cigarettes to GABRIEL MANNARINO

(Pittsburgh top hoodlum) who owned the Sas Distributing

Co., a cigarette vending machine concern.

In the presence of ZERVOS, ABRAHAM told the Syrian man ano

MAINER that if ZERVOS would not put up any money he was

not in a position to take the load himself but offered to

take them

to MANNARINO in his own car. ABRAHAM left with

the two individuals and looked up GABRIEL MANNARINO who

presumably bought the entire stolen shipment.

ZERVOS noticed the Syrian man in New Kensington, a number

of times after their initial meeting, ariving a black station

wagon, not further described, and assumes that he regularly

supplied the S&s Distributing Company with stolen

cigarettes for at least three or fourimonths since during

his first meeting with the group, the Syrian man offered

to supply cigarettes regularly.

ZERVOS has not seen the Syrian man or MAINER in New Kensington

for the past year and one-half but observed MAINER several

times after their initial meeting in the lobby of the Ken

Mar Hotel and also in the Laetus Club.

ZERVOS also speculated that MAINER and his companion could

have sold other shipments of stolen cigarettes

to JOSEPH

GIORDANO, aka,

""'RED 20

operator of the Bachelor's Club in

New Kensington, and a long-time fence. (Cleveland note

GIORDANO is a suspect in this case in connection with his

purchases of burlap bags).

ZERVOS is of the opinion that MAINER's connections in

New Kensington would be with members of the MANNARINO

mob as a result of his original introduction to MANNARINO

or GIORDANO through ABRAHAM.

-2-

20000. 10p:

54027 DocId: 32331856 Page 3

---

## Page 4

PG 52-1687

ZERVOS is extremely reluctant to make any open inquiries

concerning MAINER in New Kensington and considers it

highly inadvisable for him to do so at the risk of

disclosure as a source of information.

ZERVOS examined photographs of GEORGE VICTOR ZUGRAVE,

FBI #2878523, SAMUEL JOSEPH MESSARIS, FBI. #840808, and

FLOREA, but was unable to recognize them.

Photographs of the above were also displayed to PG-545-0

on 1/6/59 by SA RICHARD GORDON DOUCE without making an

identification.

In light of the position of the

S&S Distributing Company's

obvious involvement in this case, the foregoing information

furnished by ZERVOS could have a very definite bearing on

the solution of this case. It seems reasonable to assume that

FLOREA, MAINER and their confederates would be logical

candidates for the burglary of the armory in Canton,

especially

• In view of the alleged dealing in stolen cigarettes,

as outlined above, it would place MAINER in contact with

MANNARINO and the

sas Distributing Company.

Files of the Pittsburgh Office indicate that MAINER and

FLOYD D. VINCENTI,

FBI #843750C

were reportedly. overheard

planning a bank robbery in Gary, Indiana, presumably during

11/58.

In addition, MAINER is under investigation by the

Cleveland Office in

a TFIS matter involving the theft of

200 television sets.

Unless inadvisable in the light of current investigations

not related to this matter,

It is suggested that Cleveland

con-

sider requesting Indianapolis or Chicago to locate and inter-

View MAINER to determine his alibi for 10/14/58 and

11/4/58.

Cleveland should also consider setting out leads to have

FLOREA interviewed along the same

lines and the fingerprints

of MAINER, FLOREA; VINCENTI, Etal, mentioned in reairtel

should be examined by the Latent Fingerprint Section for

comparisons with the latents developed on the five gallon

o11 can recovered at the Allegheny Valley Airport on 11/5/58.

-3-

Joe rac

54027 DooId: 32331856 Page 4

---

## Page 5

PG 52=1687

Pittsburgh,

at New Kensington, Pa., will interview HENRY

ABRAHAM who is a PCI of bhe Pittsburgh Office to identify

the Syrian man and to develop background information concerning

the New Kensington connections

-4-

NH 54027

DooId: 32331856

Page 5

---