Agency: FBI
Originator: FBI
From: LEGRAND, ALEXANDER P.
To: DIRECTOR, FBI
Document date: 12/23/1963
Document type: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

JFK Assassination System

Identification Form

Date:

5/14/201

Agency Information

AGENCY:

RECORD NUMBER :

RECORD SERIES :

AGENCY FILE NUMBER :

FBI

124-10206-10420

HQ

92-6054-564

===

= ==

=aaaazrateer Recease

B32 144

==:.

FEE 220-

==-22-222

Document Information

ORIGINATOR :

FBI

FROM: LEGRAND, ALEXANDER P.

TO: DIRECTOR, FBI

TITLE :

DATE: 12/23/1963

P'AGES:

38

SUBJECTS:

LCN, NUMEROUS SUSP, BKG, CRIMINAL ACT, CONSP

DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION : Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS: 4; 11(a)

CURRENT STATUS :

Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 05/05/1999

OPENING CRITERIA: APPROVAL OF IRS, INDEFINITE

COMMENTS: RPT, TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE 2

v9.1

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MI 92-262

INFORMANTS

A careful evaluation has been given to the utilization of

I symbols in this report and they have been utilized only

when deemed necessary.

MI T-I 1S MI 602-C-TE contacted by SA JOHN H. GASSAWAY?

MI T-2 1s MI 607-C contacted by SA JOHN A. HOLIZMAN.

MI T-3. 1s

PCI, contacted by SA RICHARD Co

THOMPSON:

MI T-4 1s

LEXANDER P. LE GRAND.

PCI, to SAS RICHARD C. THOMPSON and

MI T-5 1s CG 6486-C*.

JFK Act 6 (4)

MI I-6 1S MI 639÷C to SA JOHN A. HOLTZMAN.

MI T-7 1S GREGORY SCHLEISMAN; PCI, to SA KENNETH T. BROWN, JR.

MI T-8 1S MI 636-PC to SA CHARLES AS AUSTIN.

MI TED 18 ME 637-RATO SA RICHARD GE THOMPSON and SA ALEXANDER

MI T-1O 1S ERNEST JOHANNES, SA, IRS, tO SA ALEXANDER PO LE GRAND.

MI T-11 IS MI 638-PC tO SA JOHN AS HOLTZMAN.

MI T-12 1s

JAMES WIEGHART, PCI,

to SAs RICHARD C. THOMPSON

and ALEXANDER P. LE GRAND.

MI T-13 1s

PCI,

to SAs ALBERT B. KNICKREHM and

ALEXANDER P.

LE. GRAND.

MI T-14 1S MI 623-PC to SAS RICHARD C. THOMPSON and ALEXANDER

LE GRAND.

REVIEWED BY BEM

JFK

ON FORCE

* ON

7/22/98

C

RELEASE IN FULL

I RELEASE IN PART

- c

COVER PAGE

I TOTAL DEMAL

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## Page 3

JEK Act 6 (4)

MI 92-262

MI T-15 IS MI 613-0 to SA RICHARD C. THOMPSON!

MI T-16 1s

ALEXANDER Po

FE GRAND.

to SA RICHARD CO THOMPSON and

MI T-17 1s

PCI, 11/21/63 to SA JOHN A. HOLTZMAN.

- D* -

COVER PAGE

SOf -10190

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DocId: 32291144

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MI 92-262

DETAILS:

AT MILWAUKEE

WISCONSIN

Io ExIStENce

On August 7 and 13, 1963 MI I-l advised that the Milwaukee

Outfit held a meeting on August 6, 1963 at the Rafters Motel,

which was to discuss articles appearing in the local newspapers

with regard to disclosures made by JOSEPH VALACHI to the FBI

on La Cosa Nostra.

Approximately fifteen members were present

at this meeting, including FRANK PETER BALISTRIERI, VITO: ATELLO,

AUGIE MANIAC, and a man from Chicago who seemed to have some.

authority. in the chicago organization.

At this meeting AUGIE MANIACI and VITO AIELLO were the only

Individuals who admitted having heard of La Cosa Nostra®

The

concensus of opinion of those present was that the term was

just another name for the Mafia.

They believed nothing In

the VALACHI situation would affect the Milwaukee Outfit.

statement was made to the effect that "there was no one man

who knows all there is to know about the Outfit

could completely wreck 1t by giving Information.

and no one

Additional opinions also expressed at this meeting were:

The Outfit could kill anyone in Milwaukee without consent of

the top echelon unless the killing in some way affected a member

of the Commission®

The FBI may have fed false information to

VALACHI In order to encourage informants to

supply information. Publicity of a $100,000 price tag on

VALACHI!s head was ridiculed as "headlines" on the ground that

the Outfit would not publicize such a reward, and too many

members of the Outfit would be willing to kill VALACHI for no

other reason than the admiration of other members. One person

stated:

"When we get VALACHI, It will shut up every stool

3

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MI 92-262

pigeon in the country.

'" It was speculated that persons of

political influence may attempt to locate VALACHI on behalf

of the Outfit through contact with the warden or with social

workers connected with

the federal institution in which

VALACHI was enprisoned.

It was rumored that the Outfit had

"wrecking crews"

out in Chicago and other cities in an effort

to locate relatives

of VALACHI so that pressure could be

placed on him to stop talking:

There was

3 a discussion of a

screening to be made of Outfit members as a security measure.

On October 7, 1963 MI T-I supplemented the Information given

above with the following matter:

Members of the Milwaukee

Outfit are not familiar with the term,

some think it would be more sensible to use the term,

" La Cosa Nostralia

Casa Nostra",

• meaning,

"our house."

They feel VALACHI 1s

words into his mouth, and that VALACHI 1s rather Ignorant and

stupid and is making up stories.

For security reasons members are being very cautious not to

reveal confidential information to each other, and the Outfit

has men in the Milwaukee Police Department (PD) who can

obtain information on anyone

giving information to the PD.

If the Outfit

suspects anyone of being an informant for the

police or FBI,

they will put him under surveillance and if

necessary take him for a ride and question him.

' If his

answers are not satisfactory, he probably would not return.

Immediately following VALACHI!s televised account of an

initiation ceremony into La Cosa Nostra, the Milwaukee news-

papers carried a story reporting that the Special Assignment

Squad of the Milwaukee PD had for some years possessed similar

information. MI T-I stated he doubted the PD's claim very

mụch,

that to his knowledge the Milwaukee PD has not until

recently made any inquiry into the membership of the Mafia.

He stated the ritual given by VALACHI is similar to one which

was described to him by older members of the Milwaukee Outfit

who came from Sicily, and he does not know whether it is used

In this country. He, himself, was not given any induction

ritual.

4

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MI 92-262

further investigation and wanted no prosecution.

Other

officers of Altex Aluminum were CHARLES COCO, Vice President,

and SAM COCO, Secretary®

On October 21, 1963 MI T-lO advised that

JEK Law 11(a)

In August, 1963 MI I-l reported that BALISTRIERI's "muscle

STEVE DE SALVO and FRANK STELLOH were with some Chicago

hoodlums at Arlington Race Track at Chicagon on July 30, 1963,

and were in front of the Play Boy, Rush and Walton Street, on

the evening of July 30, 1963.

On August 30, 1963 MI T-1 advised STEVE DE SALVO was to meet

BUSTER BALESTRERE from. Kansas City at the Arlington Race Track

on Labor Day.

Relationship of the

Outrit with the Kansas City Organization

NI T-1 advised July 15, 1963 that he heard that BUSTER BALESTRERE

and JOE GURERA had returned permanently to Kansas City,

but on

July 24, 198 he reported that STEVE DE SALVO on

July 17, 1963

had returned from a visit to Kansas City. Also, that FRANK

BALISTRIERI had stated that BUSTER and JOE would be brought

in Mliwaukee will appear dormant,

anybody tries to take

over he will be slapped down.

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MI 92-262

persons at the table joined hands in a pyramid in the middle

of the table as if an agreement.

The significance of this

conference is not known.

Later

that day TONY SCIANO asked

MI I-9 1f he knew who the number one man was in Milwaukee,

Wisconsin, and the informant said FRANK BALISTRIERI. SCIANO

then said

that FRANK BALISTRIERI was number one in

something else but AUGIE MANIACI Is number one.

SCIANO

also

made some reference to the fact that RALPH CAPONE would be

In Milwaukee, Wisconsin sometime in the next two weeks.

the time of the meeting described above, SAs RICHARD C.

THOMPSON and ALEXANDER P LE GRAND observed

automobiles

bearing the following Illinois license plates all registered

to individuals from Rockford,

Ill1no1s:

FL 3029 registered to PAT GUCCIARDO;

FD 3026 registered to VERNON EUGENE NICHOLS;

176-757 registered to ALBERT ALLEN.

On November 5, 1963 MI T-9 met RALPH CAPONE at Tony and

Dotie's Bar in the company of TONY SCIANO and one ED BUCHI

who is owner of the si porado Supper club, 10845 West.

Bluemound Avenue, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, which 1s operated

by CLARENCE SOMMERFIELD, aka SONNY SOMERFIELD.

On November 8, 1963 Captain JOHN LAVIN, Special Assignment

Squad, Milwaukee Police Department, advised SA LE GRAND that

RALPH CAPONE has In the past been a trouble shooter for the

chicago synaicate.

man who is called on

alled on as an er

He said that TOMMY FISH 1s a dangerous

as an enforcer and so. is AUGIE MANIACI.

Captain LAVIN said that when JOSEPH GURERA was brought to

Milwaukee about two years ago JOHN AIELLOWand AUGIE MANIACI

were mad because they felt that they should have taken over

the enforcer job.

On November 12, 1963 MI T-l advised that RALPH CAPONE 1s

definitely a member of the Chicago organization and that

his only connection with Milwaukee members would be as a

trouble shooter or good will man for the Chicago Outfit.

14

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MI 92-262

On December 5, 1963 MI T-l advised that CARL DENTICE

operates a Jukebox business as a front for FRANK BALISTRIERI.

IF DENTICE Obtains a lead for new business, WALTER BROCCA or

JOE BALISTRIERI, SOn of FRANK BALISTRIERI, make the contact

to obtain the new business.

MI T-6 on October 28, 1963 reported that the preceding day

WALTER BROCCA and FRANK BALISTRIERI had a conversation at

Gallagher's Restaurant, the context of which

1s not certain,

but which may relate to the jukebox business.

BALISTRIERI

was very mad at BROCCA and told him he had given a lot of

chances

to "raise up"

on this deal.

"When I

_BALISTRIERI stated:

say push him, you know what I mean...If you can't.

do 1t, I can find somebody who can." He's alive, Isn't he?"

Shakedown

MI T-4 on November 21, 1963 advised that there may be some

• ..

shakedowns in Milwaukee, Wisconsin but they only exist where

the individuals opens the door by maintaining a relationship

with the hoodlum element and acquires from this

association

a fear of the power of the criminal organization. He stated

that generally speaking this atmosphere does not exist

among businessmen and they would not be susceptible to a

shakedown.

He believed that the atmosphere in Chicago

because in Chicago people have been raised in fear of the

force of the organization.

MI I-15 on May 10, 1963 advised that RICHARD HAAS, roofing

and siding salesman, had told him that AUGUST MANIACI and

JOHN AJELLO shook him down for $100 to $150 at a time which

they claimed for advances made to HAAS at an earlier period.

HAAS stated that no advances had actually been made

MI T-15

also advised that far Distributing Co., 3726 West Pierce St.

operated by JOSEPH P. PELLEGRINO and ROBERT PUCCIO had been

muscled by FRANK BALISTRIERI and was paying off.

•28

300-10558

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