Agency: FBI
Originator: FBI
From: AMBLER, JOHN A.
To: DIRECTOR, FBI
Document date: 5/10/67
Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

JFK Assassination System

Identification Form

Agency Information

Date:

6/15/201

AGENCY :

RECORD NUMBER:

RECORD SERIES :

FBI

124-10201-10331

HQ

AGENCY FILE NUMBER: 92-2781-1194

Document Information

ORIGINATOR:

FBI

FROM: AMBLER, JOHN A.

TO :

DIRECTOR, FBI

TITLE :

DATE: 05/10/1967

PAGES: 23.

SUBJECTS :

LST, ASSOC, BKG, RES, TRA, LCN

DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION: Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS: 4

CURRENT STATUS: Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 10/21/1998

OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE

COMMENTS: INC ADMIN PAGE

v9.1

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1

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## Page 2

.FD-263 (ilev- 9-17-65)

ins:

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

REPORTING OFFICE

TAMPA

OFFICE OF ORIGIN

TAMPA :

TITLE OF CASE

SANTO TRAFFICANTE, JR., aka

DATE

5/10/67

REPORT MADE BY

SA JOHN A. AMBLER

CHARACTER OF CASE

AR

INVESTIGATIVE PERIOD

3/31 - 5/9/67

TYPED BY

88

REFERENCES:

Report of SA JOHN A. AMBLER, at Tampa, dated 4/12/67;

Albany airtel to Tampa, dated 4/11/67, (IO);

NYtels to Director, captioned "La Cosa Nostra," dated

4/13, 21, and 5/4/67;

HMairtel

to Director, dated 4/25/67;

Mhairtel to Tampa, dated 4/25/67, (I0);

Jlet to Tampa, dated 4/28/67, (IO);

pay dated a)

NOlet to Tampa, dated 4/24/67, (10);

Report of SA WENDELL W. HALL, at Miami, dated 4/28/67;

Omaha airtel to Tampa, dated 5/4/67, captioned "La

Cosa Nostra."

-p=

ENCLOSURES:

TO THE BUREAU

Case has been: Pending over one year Yes l No; Pending prosecution over six months (Yes ONO

APPROVED

PECIAL AGEN

N CHARGI

COPIES MADE:

3. - Bureau (92-278)J4

- USA,

Tampa

2

- Jacksonville (92-7) (Enc. 1)

DO NOT WRITE IN SPACES BELOW

92+2181+1194AEC22

3 - Miami (92-88)

(1 - USA, Miami) (Attention:

WALLACE JOHNSON, Departmental

9 MAY 15 1967

EX 108

Attorney)

2 - Tampa (92-1)

1..r

Tar. 1)

15÷7

Dissomination Rocord of Attached Roport

Notations

Agency

Request Recd.

Date Fwd.

How Fwd.

By

CC. 11C Criminal Disicion.

Agardinal hatre

idencleering

Soction Room 352

57 MAY 29 1967

STAT.

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## Page 3

TP 92-1

Original and one copy

used in attached report.

of LHM characterizing informants

FOR JACKSONVILLE

One color photo of SANTO TRAFFICANTE taken in

February, 1967.

ADMINISTRATIVE:

Information from records of the General Telephone

Company, Tampa, Florida, was made available by Mr. ALTON. M.

BRYANT, Security Director.

On 4/10/67, OM 148-PC, an admitted member of La

Cosa Nostra, advised

he had recently observed a card in the

possession of LEW FARRELL in Des Moines, Iowa,

and that the

card contained the name GEORGE POLERA,

President,

American

Tallow Company, Oak Hill, Florida. He related that POLERA

was a personal

FARRELL'S and believed legitimate,

however,

had an arrangement with SANTO TRAFFICANTE whereby

POLERA lists TRAFFICANTE as employed by him and indicating

payment in

salary to TRAFFICANTE of $25,000 to $30,000 per

year.

that this is done merely so that TRAFFICANTE

will have a front for the money he receives in the rackets,-

and that POLERA does pay Social Security for TRAFFICANTE.

On 4/27/67, SD 1064-C-TE advised SAS EDWARD MARI

and JOHN D. ARMSTRONG that La Cosa

Nostra member JiMMy

FRATIANNO, originally from Cleveland, had been observed in

the Los Angeles area meeting with former Cleveland hoodlums.

He stated that the hoodlums meeting with FRATIANNO included

FRANK JOHN VELOTTA (FBI No. 313999C) is attempting to get a

criminal felony charge outstanding against him in the State of

Florida dropped or "fixed" and that VELOTTA apparently

believes that TRAFFICANTE could get the State charge "fixed."

He related that FRATIANNO has indicated that TRAFFICANTE, Boss

of the Florida ICN family, is an old friend of the informant's,

and, therefore, VELOTTA hopes to obtain the informant's help

with TRAFFICANTE.

On 4/25/67, TP 120-C advised SA JOHN A. AMBLER that

apparently TRAFFICANTE uses names other than his own, as on'

occasion has seen different laundry marks on TRAFFICANTE'S

shirts.

He stated one mark, which has been seen and is recalled,

is "GAR." He stated that many of TRAFFICANTE's shirts are

apparently custom-made and were made in Switzerland, and that

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## Page 4

the unique watch, which TRAFFICANTE recently

gave to his wife,

was also made in

Switzerland. He related

In April to the neer one appearin easion

Tampa paper reflecting that TRAFFICANTE was in New York, a

telephone call had been received one afternoon at the TRAFFICANTE

residence, and that the call was made by. TRAFFICANTE and was a

long distance call, but that the origin of the call was not

known.

He remarked that TRAFFICANTE left instructions with

the person taking the call that his cousin would be at the

house and would leave a package. He related that later the

same afternoon a white male approximately fifty years of age,

short, stout build, balding, wearing glasses, and believed to

be either Italian or Latin, appeared at the front door of the

TRAFFICANTE residence in Tampa, and that when the door was

answered, this individual advised that he was SANTO TRAFFICANTE'S

cousin, and that he had a package for SANTO. He remarked that

this person then took a large roll of bills bound by a rubber

band out of his pocket and handed them to the person answering

the door.

He stated that apparently this individual had

parked his car some distance away from the residence, as there

was no car observed in the vicinity when the doorbell was

answered.

TP 120-C stated that later in the afternoon Mrs.

TRAFFICANTE came back to the residence and wanted to know if

someone had been by and left a package. He related that he

has no way of knowing the amount of money contained in the

roll, but from a quick glance, noticed that most of the bills

appeared to be twenties and hundreds.

TP 120-C is of the

opinion this particular individual has never been at the

TRAFFICANTE residence previously, and that, in addition, just

before SANTO TRAFFICANTE appeared in New York, both he and

Mr's,, TRAFFICANTE were in Tampa, but both were absent from the

TRAFFICANTE residence for a short period of

time.

He stated

that during this absence, it was noted that there was a sum

of money in the house in excess of $7,000.00, consisting

primarily of $100 bills. He stated he does not know how

much

more was in the pile of money, as he had stopped at

$7,000:00, due to the fact he was fearful the TRAFFICANTES

might return at any moment.

TP 120-C advised that this is

the only occasion when he observed such a sum of money in

the residence, although he knows from actions of the TRAFFICANTE

immediate family that there are large sums kept inthe house.

INFORMATION SET OUT ABOVE SHOULD BE HANDLED IN

MOST CIRCUMSPECT MANNER AND IS NOT TO BE DISCUSSED WITH ANY

INDIVIDUAL OUTSIDE THE BUREAU.

-C-

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TP 92-1

Extended investigative period occasioned by desire

include results of investigation conducted by an

auxiliary

offices.

which

information was not available at time of last

report.

INFORMANTS:

All of the following were contacted by SA JOHN A.

AlDIEr, unless otherwise indicated or where identity of

contacting agent unknown:

Identity

TP

TP 41-6

TP

I =2

is

TP 120-C

TP

T»3

is

MM

753-PC

TP T=4 is Mr.

D. C.

ARNOTT,

Villagewood Apartments,

Jacksonville,

Florida

(By Request)

TP T=5

is

TP 303 PC

TP

T-6

is

TP 97-0

TO 1-7 1S

PCI JOSEPA HAGEMAN

TP T-8

iS

OM 148--PC

TP 7-9 16

NO

1457-C-TE

Location of

Original Information

137-142-331

Contasted By

137-460-216

Instant Report

SA WENDELL W. HALL

Instant Report

SA CHARLES M. BLALOCK

137-1563-12

137-360-225,226

Instant

Report

OM 137-71

Instant Report

=D=

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## Page 6

TP 92-1

TP. T-10 is

PCI CAROL JAMES LOCKHART

TP T-ll is

TP 148-C

1371584-14

SA BARRY WILLIAM RYAN

137806-95

SA JOHN R. BRETT

LEADS:'

JACKSONVILLE DIVISION

AT DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA

Will attempt to develop a source at American Tallow

Company, who will be in a position to furnish information as

to the identity of individuals appearing on the American

Tallow Company payroll.

#AT JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA

Will report results of investigation as previouslý

requested in report of SA JOHN A. AMBLER, at Tampa,

dated

4/12/67.

MIAMI DIVISION

AT MIAMI, FLORIDA

Will continue to report results of investigation

conducted on a day to day basis concerning the activities of

TRAFFICANTE when in Miami.

TAMPA DIVISION

AT ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA

Will recontact PCI JOHN H. HOOD in an attempt to

obtain additional identifying data concerning TROTT BRYAN,

alleged gambling associate of the TRAFFICANTE operation.

AT TAMPA, FLORIDA

Will continue efforts to fully determine extent of

TRAFFICANTE's activities and his participation in ICN.

-E*-,

COVER

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