FRANK ANTHONY STURGIS
Agency: CIA
Originator: FBI
From: FBI, MIAMI
Document date: 08/25/1964
Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

104-10221-10189

UNITED STATES DEPANTNENT OF JUSTICE

FEDERAL BEREAU OF INVESTICATION

n Auto Hear Refer!

AU6 8 8 1964

Miami, Florida

SECRET

FRANK. ANTHONY STURGIS, also known

'Frank Florint;

Fred Frank Florini,

ille

Frank Attila,

Fred Attila,..

d0l- 210356

Frank Campbell

INTERNAL SECURITY - CUBA

NEUTRALITY MATTERS

BACKGROUND

Subject was born as FRANK FIORINI, on December

9, 1924 In. Norfolk, Virginia.

His father, ANGELO FIORINI,

and his mother MARY, divorced. When his mother remarried,

bubject became known as FRANK ANTHONY STURGIS, assuming

the last name of his step-father. He spenc his youth in

both Norfolk and Philadelphia, Pennsylvanla. He served In

the United States Marine Corps from October 5, 1942 to

October 23, 1945. He 19 commonly known as FRANK FIORINI.

In Norfolk ha worked as a cab driver, clerk und

as tavern manager.

Between 1947 and 1956, according to records of

the Identification Division, Norfolk Police Deparcment,

he was arrested on

four separate charges: On April 9, 1947

SECRET

Group I

Excluded from automatic

doingrading and

declassification

ES COPY

DBA

88236

INDEX

20i--at

---

## Page 2

FRANK ANTHONY §TURCIS

SECRET

he was fined 925 for having whiokey in his cab.

On

October 25, 1949 a charge for violation of Section 4455

Virginta State Code was dismissed.

On July 3, 1950 a

charge for aggravated

assault on his wife was dis

miased, and on May 10, 1956 he was arrested for living

as man and uife with JUANITA K. TErRELL; and was fined

$100.

He former wife, JUANITA STURGIS, of Norfolk,

Virginia, sdvised on February 11, 1959 that when FIORINI

teft Norfolk In February, 1958 for Mlani, he had worked

a check kiting scheme in order to get enough money to

go to cuba and that he would not likely return to Morfolk

because he was in trouble with the local law enforcement

officials in Norfolk.

• PIORINI subsequently divorced JUANITA STURGIS and

he is now married to the former JANET MANN, who was Ie-

portedly a former atrip-teaser. They reside at 2515 N.W.

122nd Street, Miami.

"As of May, 1964, FIORINI was manager of the

courteous Motors, 13701 N.W. 27th Avenue, Miami. He has

held a variety of temporary jobs while living in the

Miami area.

ACTIVITIES

eir likes

On July 23, 1958, Lieutenan ROBERTO VILA Of

the Cuban Army Military Intelligence

Service (SIM), ad-

vised that FIORINI was in custody of that service on

suspicion that he had acted as a courier for the 26th of

SECRET

• 2 =

---

## Page 3

FRANK ANTHONY STURGIS

SECRET

July Revolutionary Movement between Miant, Florida and

Santlago de Cuba. FIORINI had been arrested on July

18, 1958 1m Santlago de Cuba In a house known as a con-

tact point for the 26th of July Movement.

VILA reported

that FIORINI had admitted having transported guns con-

cealed in on automobile In April, 1958, while delivering

this car to Cuba on the ferry CITY OF HAVANA from Key

West, Florida.

The Cuban authorities deported FIORINI

to the United Scates on July 29, 1958.

It is to be noted that the 26ch of July Revo-

lutionary Movement was founded by FIDEL CASTRO RUZ, who,

in 1958 was attempting to overthrow the govemment of

FULGENCIO BATISTA.

On July 24, 1958, U.S. Customs Service, Miami,

raided two residences at 2498 S.W. 21gt Street and 4450

8.W. 4th Street, Minni, where they conflecated an arme

cache belonging: to Cuban revolutionary exiles in Miami.

One of these residences had been rented to FIORINI and

a considerable amount of identifylag data and personal

papers belonging to FIORINI were found during the raids.

On July 30, 1958, upon FLORINI's retum from

Cuba, he was arrested in Mlaul by U.S. Customs for viola-

cions relating to the conspiracy to illegally ship arms.

fron the United States.

•On November 4, 1958, MM I-I, a federal agency

which conducts intelligence investigationg, reported

chat FIORINI arrived In Mexico City, Mexico, October 27,

SECRET

- 3.

---

## Page 4

14-00000

FRANK ANTHONY STURGIS

SECRET

1958 with RICARDO LÓRIE and PEDRO LUIS DIAZ LANZ, both

Cuban pilots.

The November 21, 1958 1eaue of the NOVEDADAS DE

MEXICO, a Mexico City newspaper;

reported that FRANK

FIORINI and ? Cubans were arrested whenthey landed a C-46

airplane at Apatzingan, Mexico, and were under arrest for

Instigating a plan to carpy arma by air from Mexico to

Cuban rebol Leader FIDEL CASTRO via Venezuela.

It 18 to be noted that the BATISTA govemment

collapsed on January 1, 1959 and the rebel forces of

FIDEL CASTRO assumed poser in Cuba.

The January 13, 1959 1a6ue of the MIAMI NEWS

carried a photograph ehoring "Rebel Captain FRANK FIORINI"

holding a weapon over a masa grave in Cuba.

Cn January 6, 1969, MM T-2, who 16 well acquainted

V2th PIORINI and many of h18 Cuban comrades, advised that

FIORINI vas then In Cuba with the rebel forces of FIDEL

CASTRO:

On March 2, 1959, MM T-2 reported FIORINI was

serving as a Captain

1n the Cuban Army in Cuba and was also.

serving as a gorernment inspector of gambling at the

Iropicana Night Club In Havana.

On May 26, 1959, MM I-3, a Cuban who was then

serving with the Revolutionary Air Force in Cuba, advised

that FIORINI WIS

serving as an investigator for the

Revolutionary Alr Force, which was under che command of

MajOr PEDRO LUIS DIAZ LANZ, with whom FIORINI had formerly

been associated

SECRET

• 4 =

---

## Page 5

FRANK ANTHONY STURGIS

SECRET

In Miami in amuggling gung from the United States to Cuba.

When Major DIAZ LANZ defected from the CASTRO

government after denouncing FIDEL CASTRO as a Communist

In June, 1959, FIORINI, who had already established a

temporary residence

in Miami as a representative of the

Revolucionary Air Force, remained in Miami where he con-

tinued close association with DIAZ LANZ.

On October 21, 1959, DIA% LANG, accompanied by

several companions, made an anti-CASTRO leaflet dropping

raid over Havana, Cuba, In a B-25 plane.

Immediately

after che raid, FIORINI admitced that he had participated

in the raid and had served as co-pilot of the plane.

On April 26, 1960, Immigration and Naturaliza-

tion Service (INS), Miamt, advised that expatriation hear-

ings had been held by that service, relative to FIORINI.

It was held that FIORINI had voluntarily expatriated him-

self as a citizen of the United States because of his

services in the armed forces in Cuba subsequent to January

1, 1959.

The Passport Office of U.S. State Department

also decreed that FIORINI had expatriated himself under

Section 349 (a) (3) of the INS act by accepting on March

13, 1959, an appointment by the Cuban Air Force as

liaison officer between the Cuban Air Force and the Uniter

States Air Force.

A certificate of loss of nationalit

was approved on January 29, 1960. However, on March 18,

1961 the MIAMI NEWS carried an article captioned "Cuban

Entanglement - FRANK FIORINI Citizenship Restored after

14 Monchs."

This article reflected that FIORINI's

SECRET

---

## Page 6

FRANK ANTHONY STURGIS

SECRET

citizenship

had been restored and FIORINI had been

notified by the Department of Justice on March 14, 1961.

Investigation in January, 1961, reflected that

FIORINI had formed an organization

known as the Inter-

national Brigade, and had set up a camp located 40 miles

from Mlaml, occupled by 16 individuals.

However, by

January 21, 1961, this camp had been deserted by its

occupanta..

On September 14, 1961, WILLIAM JOHNSON, a

United States citizen and adventurer, who lives In Mlami,

advised that in January or February, 1961, FIORINI was

among a group of 5 individuals who made two unsuccesa ful.

attempts to fly into Cuba in order to discharge certain

passengers.

On July 1, 1962, a firm known as the Hampton.

Roads Salvage Corporation; 1524 N.W. 17th Avenue, Miami,

applied to U.S. Customs for approval to change the classi

fication of a veasel, the "Q O USA," from pleasure to com-

mercial use. The application was signed by FRANK STURGIS.

Newspaper reports subsequently reflected that

FIORINI in July, 1962, claimed that he had trained 20

Cuban guerrillas and had made a

successful landing by

boat in Cuba's Macänzaa Province. MM T-2 reported

on

July 17, 1962 that FIORINI had taken a group of male in-

dividuals, including several unidentified newspaper men;

to the Keys of Florida, where they made some still photo-

graphs for publicity purposes.

The individuals photo-

graphed were in combat clothing and they simulated a

combat maneuver.

SECRET

- 6 =

---

## Page 7

FRANK ANTHONY STURGIS

SECRET

On April 5, 1963. U.S. Customs Service, Miami,

seized an American motor vessel,

the VIOLYN III, on

grounds there was probable cause to believe that arms

and munitions of war had been exported or removed from

the United States in violation of law, aboard this boat.

This vessel had been purchased by ALEXANDER I. RORKE,

a United States citizen, newspaper photographer and ad-

venturer; who had been closely assoclated with FIORINI In

anti-CASTRO activities.

(RORKE disappeared in 1963 after

departing South Florida by plane on a trip to Mexico, and

is presumed to be dead.)

FRANK FIORINI and WILLIAM JOHNSON advised U.s.

Customs that due to arrangements made with RORKE, they had

committed this boat to the use of an anti-CASTRO organ-

Ization known as Los Pinos Nuevos.

They admitted that

they had loaded the vessel with three 100 pound bombs,

and proceeded to Norman Key in the Bahama Islands, where

the bonba were hidden, pursuant to a plan for a later

attack againat Cuba.

However, these plans went awry after

the VIOLYN III was seized by the British in April, 1963

In the Bahamas with 17 Cuban-bound anti-CASTRO exile

raiders aboard.

On April 7, 1964 FIORINI admitted that he was

the founder of che anti-CASTRO organization known as che

Intemational Anti-Communist Brigade (IACB).

On May 13, 1964, MM I-2 atated that the IACB is

a paper organization set up by FICRINI in order to collect

funds for his personal benefit and gain. MM I-2 said that

FIORINI is an American solider of fortune, adventurer and

SECRET

- 7 -

---

## Page 8

4-00000

FRANK ANTHONY. STURGIS

SECRET

mercenary, who has made a living out of Cuban revolutionary

activities, and deceives Cuband by attempting to sell them

arme which he does not own.

On May 25, 1964, PIORINI admitted that the LACB

consiste of only a handful of members and has no finances.

Investigation during the past several years has

reflected that FlORINI has developed the reputation among

18 Frequchtly quoted in the Miami newapapers relative to

the Cuban aituation.

At the present time he has practically no follow-

ing among the anti-CASTRO Cuban exiles in Niami.

This docurent contains neither recommendations nor con-

clusions of the FBI.

It 13 the property: of che FBI and is

loaned to your agency; it and 1ts contents sra not to be:

distributed outalde your agency.

SECRET

- 8 *

CS COPY

---

## Page 9

FEDADIRA

DEA 80036

in Repti Placao Refer co

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTICATION

Mlamt, Plorida

AUG & $ 1930

above.

FRANK ANTHONY STURGIS, also known as

11 tie

Frank Florint, Fred Frank Florini,

Frank Attila, Fred Attila, Prank

Campbell

Character

INTERNAL SECURITY CUBA

NEUTRALITY MATTERS

Reference memorandum dated and captioned as

A11 sourced (except nny listed below) whose identities

are concealed in referenced coumunication have fumiched reliable

Inromation In the past.

S COPY

Thie document coninina nather recommendatione no

al lhe FBl and la louned lo puar ugancy; ll and at

pous agency.

FBI.

14 le the proporty

---