Agency: FBI
Originator: FBI
From: PG
To: HQ
Document date: 10/28/1961
Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

JFK Assassination System

Identification Form

Agency Information

Date:

5/12/201

AGENCY: FBI

RECORD NUMBER :

124-90104-10143

RECORD SERIES :

AGENCY FILE NUMBER :

HQ

92-2940-275

Released under the John

*. Kennedy

issassination Records

Collection Act of 1992

144 USC 2107 Notel.

Cased:NH 56792 Date:

4-11-2018

Document Information

ORIGINATOR: FBI

FROM:

PG

TO: HQ

TITLE:

DATE: 10/28/1961

'PAGES:

25

SUBJECTS :

SEBASTIAN JOHN LAROCCA

DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION : Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS: 4; 11(a)

CURRENT STATUS:

Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 02/05/1999

OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE, APPROVAL OF IRS

COMMENTS : RPT

v9.1

HH 56792

38

DooId: 32332845

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## Page 2

PG 92-226

PG I-2 is PG 585-C who was contacted by SA ROBERT A. VOEGE

on 9/8 and 24/61 and 10/19/61.

PG T-3 IS JOSEPH RAYMOND MEROLA, a former criminal informant

of the Miami Division, who has

resided in the Pittsburgh,

Pa., area and who has

specifically requested that his

identity be concealed.

PG T-4 is JOHN FARAH, 446 East Liberty Street, Girard,

Ohio, who was contacted by a BuAgent of the Cleveland Divi-

sion on 8/25/61 and who has requested that his identity be

concealed.

PG I-5 is PG 622-C* who is contacted by SA ROBERT A. VOEGE

on a daily basis.

_. B*-

COVER PAGE

d01011-10143

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PG 92-226

Clerk of Courts and the Prothonotary's Office. The files

of the Sharon Police Department relating to arrests made in

Sharon, Pa., since 1942 in connection with the räckets in

Mercer County were reviewed and a list has been obtained

of individuals arrested by that department and the Pennsylvania

State Police who allegedly worked for JOHN SCARDINA.

Descriptions, identification records and addresses were

obtained in this regard in an effort to determine the specific

scope. of the operation of SCARDINA in that area and to

ascertain the connection, in a racket way, with SEBASTIAN JOHN

LA ROCCA..

In this connection Assistant Chief WILLIAM

LAVIN (NA), Sharon Police Department, Sharon, Pa., furnished

thenames

of-business establishments

which are known as

gambling centers at Farrell and Sharon and which are under

the direction of JOHN SCARDINA.

PG T-1 recently advised that Canton, Ohio, racketeers have

moved into Youngstown, Ohio, and have forced JOHN SCARDINA

to move his numbers bank Irom Brookville, Ohio, to farrell,

Pa.; where his current dally take has dropped to $900. He

stated that this operation is now spreading from Farrell and

Sharon to Greenville and Grove City, Pa., and will no longer

take in any Ohio area.

HELE

/MELANIK, aka

On August 29, 1961, SA ROBERT MADDEN, Intelligence Unit,

Internal Revenue Service, Pittsburgh, Pa., advised the

Pittsburgh office of the FBI that

JFK Law 11(a)

Release in port

pu IRS 2/14/98/00

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92 - 2940-775

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PG 92-226

JFK Law 11(a)

ANTONIO RIPEPI, aka

PG I-3 has advised that although RIPEPI was for many years a

friend of the MANNARINO brothers and is still a close

associate of LA ROCCA, SAMUEL MANNARINO now has a violent

He recalled that in 1958 when

he was dying, he attempted to get out of the hospital bed

because he said he wasgoing to

"kill a RIPEPI."

He has been

neard to quote this phral de other occasional t

JOSEPH and LOUIS/ VOLPE, aka

The Little Rock Office of the FBI advised on October 19, 1961,

that LA ROCCA registered at the Avanelle Motor Lodge at Hot

Springs, Arkansas, as JOHN SCOTT and Party, 19 South Avenue,

Youngstown, Ohio, on October 5, 1961, and was observed

accompanied by three unknown men taking thermal baths.

There

was no indication that he or his associates were in close

contact with any of the gambling element at Hot Springs.

When observed on October 19, 1961, LA ROCCA was driving a

bearing Pennsylvania registra-

tion 996-17C.

This registration was issued to LOUIS VOLPE,

1017 Taylor Street, East Mckeesport, Pa.

PG T-3 advised that JOSEPH and LOUIS VOLPE,

the latter

described by him as

"don," have controlled all forms of

gambling and other racketeering activities in the Turtle

Creek

Valley area,of Pennsylvania which surrounds Wilmerding,

Pa.,

for many years. Close associates of both LA ROCCA and

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PG 92-226

the MANNARINO brothers, they still maintain close social

and business contacts with GABRIEL MANNARINO:

He said that

during the fifteen month period, commencing in December,

19l, when GABRIEL MANNARINO was in hiding to avoid the

service of a subpoena before a Federal Grand Jury in New

Lock city,

he was hidden at least part of the

time by VOLPE

Lieutenant "SARGE" BOTTI.

MANNARINO had just returned from

JOE SICA own a substantial but silent interest in the

Monroeville, Pa.

JOSEPH REGINO, aka

PG I-2 advised that he noticed that on or about October 12,

1961, JOSEPH REGINO was missing from the Johnstown, Pa.,

area and that there was a good possibility he had

accompanied

SEBASTIAN JOHN LA ROCCA to the southern portion of the United

•States for a brief vacation.

SA ROBERT MADDEN, Intelligence Unit, Internal Revenue Service,

Pittsburgh, Pa., advised that/

JFK Law 11(a)

J. C. TOPOLINO, 196] Southeast 15th Court, Bel Aire, Florida,

advised that he

has been living at the afore-mentioned address

as a guest of JOSEPH/REGINO of Johnstown, Pa.,

and that his

telephone number is. WH 1-7325, assigned to the Pompano Beach,

Florida, exchange. Although he denied that he has ever heard

the name LA ROCCA, it has been determined that LA ROCCA

1 me seen devourin

visited Florida during the early portion of 1961.

9302940+2733

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PG 92-226

Company, 12 Mccandless Street, Pittsburgh, Pa.,

owned by

SEBASTIAN JOHN LA

ROCCA, that

an emergency meeting of the

Association would be held at 12 PM on Thursday, September 7,

1961: Although the purpose and place of the meeting was

unknown, the informant conjectured

that the meeting would

be held

at the Pittsburgher Hotel in Downtown,

Pittsburgh,

and would concern price increases.

He indicated that

although ALMO PRUNER, sales manager for the North Star

Cement Block Company, was scheduled to be in attendance,

his presence at the meeting was discouraged by other

officials at North Star who felt that LA ROCCA did not want

to have anything to do with such representation.

D. LEGITIMATE ENTERPRISES

North Star Cement Block Company,

Pittsburgh, Pa

(SEBASTIAN JOHN LA ROCCA, President)

PG T-5 has advised that the management of the North Star

Cement Block Company at 12 McCandless Street, Pittsburgh,

Pa., is extremely concerned about the financial phase of

the

operation and are seriously considering working during

their vacation periods without pay.

He said they have also

given consideration to working for a period of one month

for a total salary of $100 each.

SA ROBERT MADDEN, Intelligence Unit, Internal Revenue

Service, Pittsburgh, Pa., has advised that

JEK Law 11(a)

Other Information Pertaining to Legitimate

Enterprises

SA ROBERT MADDEN, Intelligence Unit,

Internal Revenue Service,

Pittsburgh, Pa., advised on September 22, 1961, that

JEK Law 11(a)

- 19.

39-5940-33513

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PG. 92-226

JFK Law

11(a)

E. TRAVEL

PG I-1 and PO I-Z advised that on October 19, 1967, LA ROCCA

was definitely at Hot Springs, Arkansas, enjoying

week vacation and mineral baths. They conjectured that

he had departed from Pittsburgh during the initial portion

of October with JOHN SCARDINA of Farrell, Pa., who is his

closest personal associate.

The Little Rock Office advised on October 19, 1961, that

SEBASTIAN JOHN LA ROCCA had been observed at Hot Springs,

Arkansas, on October 10, 1901, and that immediate investiga-

tion had

reflected that he had repistered at the Avanelle

Motor Lodge as JOHN scorT and Party, 19 south Avenue,

roungstown, Onio, on October 5, 1961. His departure date

was unknown. Ttewaswfurther determined that LA ROCCA was

accompanied by three unknown individuals and that all had

been observed taking thermal baths.

There was no indication

that the group had been in close contact with any of the

gambling element at Hot Springs, Arkansas.

LA ROCCA was

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9018940-33373

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CHARACTERIZATION OF INFORMANTS

PG I-1 is an individual who is extremely familiar with the

gambling activities of individuals controling racket

operations in the Farrell-Sharon area of Pennsylvania.

PG I-2 is an individual who is extremely familiar with

prostitution-type activities in the Pittsburgh area and

has a speaking acquaintance with members of both the

LA ROCCA - GENOVESE and MANNARINO organizations.

PG T-3 is an individual who is familiar with racket

operations in the Cities of Miami, Florida, and Pittsburgh,

Pa., and who is in a position to furnish continuing informa-

tion relating to the activities of both the LA ROCCA -

GENOVESE and MANNARINO organizations.

PG T-4 is an individual who lives and works in the State

of Ohio and who knows the members of the FARAH family.

PG I-5 is a source in a position to furnish information on.

a continuing basis concerning the legitimate business

operations of SEBASTIAN JOHN LA ROCCA and his associates.

NH 56792

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