Agency: FBI
Originator: FBI
From: SAC, PH
To: DIRECTOR, FBI
Document date: 06/26/1959
Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

JFK Assassination System

Identification Form

Agency Information

Date:

4/23/201

AGENCY: FBI

RECORD NUMBER :

124-10289-10078

RECORD SERIES: HQ

AGENCY FILE NUMBER: 92-4225-43

Document Information

ORIGINATOR: FBI

FROM: SAC, PH

TO: DIRECTOR, FBI

TITLE:

DATE: 06/26/1959

PAGES:

27

SUBJECTS :

JFC, ASSOC, BUSS, AFFIL, MAFIA, INTV, PROSPECTIVE WIT

DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION :

Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS : 4

CURRENT STATUS:

Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 05/16/1998

OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE

COMMENTS :

INC 7 LHM

DocId: 32305948

Page 1

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## Page 2

FD-36u(Rev. 12-13-56)

Transmit the following in

Via

AIR TEL

F BI

Date:

6/26/59

PLAIN TEXT

(Type in plain text or code)

(Priority or Method of Mailing)

7

TO:

FROM:

SUB:

Director, FBI

SAC, Philadelphia (92-746)

U.S. VS. BONANNO;

et

al,

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW. YORK

CRIMINAL 159-35

TOP HOODLUM PROGRAM

Re Bureau airtel to Albany dated 6/19/59.

Enclosed hereto are original and three copies

of letterhead memoranda captioned with the name and

address of prospective witnesses, whose interviews are

set out in requested form.

It is to be noted data enclosed contains

letterhead memorandum of interview with PAUL RENNARD, who

was listed on enclosure to referenced communication as

a prospective witness. PAUL RENNARD 1s identical to

PH 525-C who 1s currently furnishing information to this

office.

RENNARD had previously been instructed by his

employer, LOUIS PAGNOTTI, SR.,

, to clear with him before

furnishing any information to

any law enforcement agency.

He has expressed concern in the past that he would be in

aanger of losing his job as a pilot for LOUIS PAGNOTTI,

should his identity as a source of information for

this office become known.

Office concerning captioned case failed to locate any

A revlew of appropriate files of the philadelphia d

Saterviews conducted with prospective witnesses, FRANK

*JOSEPH CAPOZZI and NICK BONFANTE and representatives

of Calamat

; Grocery or Roma Wholesale Grocery.

Identities

of

persons

interviewed at Hotel Casy and Hotel Sterling

- Bureau

- Philadelphi

+92-4225-4

192-746)

REG 15

legend

T.EX-132

C. JUN 23 1950

Approved:

C. E. I

67 JUL 28 1939gial Agent

Sent

Pe

Charge

Doc1d: 32305948 Page 2

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## Page 3

: PD-369 Rev. 12-13-561

• :

i1:

Transmit the following in

Via

FBI

Date:

(Type in plain text or code)

(Priority or Method of Mailing)

PH 92-746

Interview with Mr. WARREN MYERS on 3/17/58 by

SA (A) GEORGE R. JOHNSON.

SANTO VOLPE, SR.

Files of the Philadelphia office reflected

JOSEPH LA TORRE, a former PCI of this Division, advised or

3/10/55 his father, StEVE LA TORE, deceased, was the head

of the Mafia in the Pittston, Pa., area during the first

part of the 1900s, and while he was head of the Mafia, he

sent money to SANTO VOLPE, SR., In Italy to finance his

trip to the United States.

TORSE said after VOLPE's

arrival in the United states, he gradually took over the

Number 1 position in the Mafia which position he held

until 1942 when he was eased out for putting his personal

business ahead of that of the Mafia.

An article in the "Ilmes Leader, The Evening News"

Wilkes-Barre, Pa., dated 12/3/58 reflected SANTO VOLPE,

age 79, prominent independent coal operator, died last

night in his home, 215 Wyoming Avenue, West

Pittston, Pa.,

following a long illness.

ANDRIANO LIBERATO

In connection with an investigation of a case

captioned "JOSEPH PROFACI, aka; AR" information was developed

that family name of above

listed person 1s LIBERTO ANDRIANO. V

Subsequent Investigation revealed ANDRIANO died in 1958

at the age of 53.

ROMA WHOLESALE GROCERY

Interview with Miss JOAN LORSONG, Commercial

Credit Association, Scranton,

on 6/19/58 by SA THOMAS J.

WILLIAMS• This interview revealed the identity of theowner

- 4=

Approved:

Sent

_M

Per

Special Agent in Charge

DocId: 32305948 Page 3

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## Page 4

: FD-369Rev. 12-13-56)

Transmit the following in

Via

FBI

Date:

(Type in plain text or code)

(Priority or Method of Mailing)

PH 92-746

of Roma Wholesale Grocery as ALDO V. NESTA, 2102 South

Webster Avenue, Scranton.

MYRTHEN MACK

derm

!

Interview of MYRTHEN MACK, Nanticoke, Pa., on

1/29/58 by SA (A) GEORGE R. JOHNSON.

LOUIS PAGNOTTI

Interview of LOUIS. PAGNOTTI, Old Forge, Pa., on v

1/30/58 by SAS VINCENT G. DOUGHERTY and FRANK W. MULDERIG.

interview with LOUIS PAGNOTTI, SR., on 4/30/5€

Dy SAS VINCENT G. DOUGHERTY and FRANK W. MULDERIG.

HOMER CORREALE

HOMER CORREALE as prospective witness.

Enclosure to referenced airtel set out name of VoK

It is believed

this should be PALMER CORREALE.

Interview with PALMER CORREALE, Hazleton, Pa., on

4/3/58 by SA GEORGE R. JOHNSON.

PAUL RENNARD

Interview with PAUL RENNARD at Moosic, Pa., onv

1/3/58 by SA (A) GEORGE R. JOHNSON.

It 1s to be noted with the exception of interviews

of WILLIAM MEDICO dated 3/19/58 as set out above, none

of the other interviews set out in enclosed letterhead

memoranda were set forth on FD-302s.

RUC.

HENNRICH

Approved:

-5 -

Sent

_M

Per

Special Agent in Charge

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## Page 5

In Reply, Please Refer to

File No.

UNTIED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JÚSTICE

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

June 25, 1959

Person Interviewed; PAUL RENNARD

Address: 1143 Springbrook Avenue

Moosic, Pa.

Date of Interviow: January 3, 1958

Place of Interview: Avoca, Pa.

Interviewed by:' SA GEORGE R. JOHNSON

=

PAUL RENNARD advised he was employed as a pilot by

the Sullivan Trail Coal Company in March 1957 after he answered

a blind ad in a newspaper for a licensed commercial pilot.

He said he formerly worked for the Joy Manufacturing Company.

He said he was asked by LOUIS-PAGNOTTI to take a party of

several people to Binghamton, N. Y., on June 24, 1957. He

recalled he was told a man and wife would arrive at the Avoca

Airport from Detroit via

Allegheny Airlines that date and

that the man was too sick to travel by automobile from Avoca

to Binghamton.

He stated he did meet the plane upon arrival

from detroit and the passenger and his wife and their baggage

wore transferred to the Sullivan Trail plane.

He further

advised other passengers on this flight included WILLIAM

MEDICO and two other men, one of whom he thinks was RUSSELL

BUFALINO.

He did not know the third man. LOUIS PAGNOTTI

did not accompany these people.

RENNARD stated he flew the plane to the Iri-City

airport at Endicott, N. Y., and since

there was no record of

the flight in the Avoca airport log, he probably made the

flight on instruments after filing an IFP with the local

CAA office.

He said that between June 24, 1957 and the date

of the next incident, September 13, 1957,

he was told by

LOUIS PAGNOTTI that the sick man he took to Endicott had died.

He stated that upon arrival at Endicott,

the plane was mot

by a young, stocky Italian appearing man in his early twenties

OPIES DESTROYED

37 JUN '1, 1972

492543

ENCLOSURE

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driving a Cadillac Sedan. He said the five passengers were

driven

away, but he remained at the airport with the plane.

He added, MEDICO, the

man whom he believes was BUFALINO,

and the unknown man returned to the airport and they flew

back to Avoca the same day.

RENNARD explained the reason he thinks one of the

passengers on this flight was BUFALINO 1s that BUFALINO was

definitely involved in the September 13, 1957 incident

and he is positive he recognized bim as having been on the

He also recalled that PAGNOTTI told

1 him

the sick man from Dotroit was a "big shot" but he did not

recall the name, and when the name ANGELO POLIZZI was mentioned,

he was not sure

this was the name

he heard.

With regard to the September 13, 1957 incident,

RENNARD related as follows:

PAGNOTTI called him in the late afternoon of this

day and told him "they". had asked him if his plane could be

used for a flight to Detroit. PAGNOTTI did not further

identify "they.

RENNARD went to the airport and upon checking the

weather, found numerous

thunderstorms existed or were forming

betweon Avoca and Detroit.

He said RUSSEL BUFALINO Was

, already at the airport waiting for him, and he was accompanied

by several other men, names not known

since all but one

remained in their car.

RENNARD was not anxious to make this flight due

to the weather, and informed BUFALINO he would not make the

flight. BUFALINO responded he had to be in Detroit by

8:30 p.m. that night and remarked he had a ticket on the

Allegheny Airline, but the flight had been canceled because

RENNARD suggested they go

to Binghamton and take a commercial flight from there.

BUFALINO accepted this suggestion under the impression RENNARD

was going to fly them there. However, RENNARD asked him how

long it would take to drive to Binghamton and when he found

out they could make it in 50 minutes, he suggested they drive

since it would take him at least 50 minutes to get the plane

ready to fly and since there were storms there also, he

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## Page 7

might have difficulty landing, and they might miss their

commercial plane.

He said BUFALINO was visibly offended

that RENARD would not fly them to either Detroit or

Binghamton, and left without shaking hands.

Concerning the November 14, 1957 flight, RENNARD

stated he flew JAMES TEDESCO, an officer in the Sullivan Trail

Company and WILLIAM MEDICO to Bridgeport, Conn., that day.

He

said that MEDICO owns a factory in the Bridgeport area and

trying to sell it to LoUIs PaGNortI.

on instrument that day, and remained at

the Bridgeport

airport while MEDICO and TEDESCO went about their business.

Ho

stated he did not fly to either Endicott or Binghamton

on November 14, 1957. He also stated his own private 10g

reflected the same departure and arrival times as reflected.

in the CAA records.

RENNARD stated he flew the Sullivan Trail plane

to Wilmington, Del., on October 28, 1957, to have a 1,000

hour checkup made on the plane.

He said that on October 30,.

1957, MYRTHEN MACK, pilot for the Correale Construction

Company, flew that company's Iwin-Beech in for the same purpose.

He said

he know MACK personally and that they roomed together.

the night of October 30, 1957.

At that time, MACK told him

• about a flight he had had the previous day and remarked that

RENNARD, had been home he would probably have made the

He said MACK went on to tell him that on

October 29, 1957, he flow one of his bosses, PALMER CORREAL,

to Avoca where they picked up LoUIs. PAGNOrTI, WILLIAM MEDICO,

and a third individual, unknown to him, and they flew on to

Endicott, N. Y. MACK told RENNARD they were met at the air-

port by a driver with a Cadillac sedan, and driven to a very

palatial home in Apalachin, N. Y.,

owned by one JOSEPH BARBARA.

MACK told RENARD they were

served. a very gumptous meal and

the wine and scotch flowed "like water."

After eating, the

party was shown around the home and the estate, after which

they were driven back to the airport and returned home.

RENNARD said MACK described the affair as "MEDICO'g

Party," and that MEDICO had invited both CORREALE and PAGNOITI

to go along.

RENNARD said both PAGNOTTI and CORREALE like

to fly and like to party and that they would go on a pleasure

trip upon instant's notico.

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RENNARD gaid after both he and MACK had been inter-

Viewed by MC GROARTY of the Pennsylvania State Police, MACK

called him to discuss the interview.

He said MACK told him

at the time he had lied to MC GROARTY about the fact PALMER

CORREALE was on the trip because of the publicity regarding

BARBARA since that time.

At that time he had been interviewed.

RENNARD said he told MACK to tell CORREALE of the interview.

which he did and later MACK told RENNARD that CORREALE

instructed him to recontact MC GROARTY and tell him the full

facts regarding the flight and who the passengers were.

RENNARD said he did not tell either PAGNOTTI or

Tabasco of his interview, and that when discussing it with

PAGNOTTI's private secretary, she told him he should at least

toll TEDESCO and that TEDESCO would in turn inform PAGNOTTI •

He said she further remarked to him that since he, RENNARD,

was new

In the area, he did not know the background of "these

people."

He said she told him that she had been employed

by PAGNOTTI for many years, and that

she knew positively he

had no connection with "those people"

meaning BARBARA and

others.

She told RENNARD it was true that PAGNOTTI had

loaned

money to BARBARA, but it was not true that BARBARA

had at one time been PAGNOTTI's chauffeur.

RENNARD said that MEDICO hasmade numerous flights

in the Sullivan Trail Company plane. He

said many of the

trips were

on business for Sullivan

Trail but there were

times when it appeared MEDICO had arranged the trip for his

own convenience. He said recently he flew MEDICO and LoUIS

PAGNOTTI, JR.; to Saginaw, Mich., to buy some machinery.

PAGNOTTI bought two lathes, after which MEDICO tried to got

him to sell one of them to him.

RENNA RD said he misrepresented

to PAGNOTTI that one of the lathes was not complete and when

he, RENNARD, pointed out it was complete, MEDICO dropped the

subject in a huff.

RENNARD further related another incident which

occurred recently.

This time he flew TEDESCo, PAGNOTTI, JR.,

and MEDIco to Baltimore to look at machinery.

En route they

pickea up a man at reading,

ra., and aftor looking at the

nachinery in Baltimore, flew or

to washington, D. C., where

MEDICO had an appointment. While waiting for MEDICO to

return to the National Airport, RENNARD received a call from

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## Page 9

PAGNOTTI, SR., inquiring when he expected to return to Avoca.

When RENNARD informed him of MEDICO's appointment, PAGNOTTI,

SR:, appeared to be somewhat angry and he told RENNARD he

had

some people he wanted flown from Avoca to Philadelphia

and then on to washington the same day., RENNARD said when

MEDICO finally returned to the airport, he mentioned his call

from PAGNOTTI, SR., and MEDICO immediately inquired who the

people were.

His question was overheard by PAGNOITI, JR.

RENARD said he knew who his passengers were to be, but he

did not

tell MEDICO, and the following day when he

spoke to

PAGNOTTI about it,

the latter said he was right in not

disclosing the identities of the passengers to MEDICO, and

went on to say

• that he should not tell MEDICO anything under

any circumstances concerning business of the sullivan Trail

Coal Company.

This document contains neither recommendations nor

conclusions.

It is the property of the FBI, and is a loan

to your agency; it and/or its contents are

not to be

distributed outside your agency•

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## Page 10

In Reply, Please Refer to

File No.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

Philadelphia, Fennsylvania

June 25, 1959

Person Interviewed: PAUL RENNARD

Address:

1143 Springbrook Avanua

Moosic, Pa.

Date of Interview: January 3, 1958

Place of Interview: Avoca, Pa.

Interviewed by: SA GEORGE R. JOHNSON

PAUL RENNARD advised he was employed as a pilot by

the Sullivan Trail Coal Company in March 1957 after he answered

a blind

ad in a newspaper for a licensed commercial pilot.

He said he formerly worked for the Joy Manufacturing Company.

He said he was asked by LOUIS PAGNOTTI to take a party of

several people to Binghamton, N. Yo, on June 24, 1957.

rocalled he was told a man and wifo would arrive at the Avoca

Airport from Detroit via Allogheny Airlines that date and

that the man was too sick to travel by automobile from Avoca

to Binghamton.

He stated he did meet the plane upon arrival

from Detroit and the passenger and his wife and their baggage

ware transferred to the Sullivan Trail plane. He furtber

advised other passengers on this flight included WILLIAM

MEDICO and two other men, one of whom he thinks was RUSSELL

BUFALINO. He did not know the third man. LOUIS FAGNOTTI

did not accompany these people.

RENNARD stated ho flow the planè to the Tri-city

airport at endicott, N. l, and since

there was no record of

the flight in the Avoca airport log, ba probably made the

flight on instruments after filing

an IFF with the local

CAA office. He said that betweon June 24, 1957 and the date

of the next incident, September 13, 1957, he was told by

LOUIS FAGNOrTI that

the sick man he took

to Endioott had died.

He stated that upon arrival at Endicott, the plane was met

by a young, stocky Italian appearing man in his early twenties

DocId: 32305948 Page 10

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