Agency: FBI
Originator: FBI
From: KELLY, ROBERT T.
To: DIRECTOR, FBI
Document date: 05/22/1961
Document type: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

JFK Assassination System

Identification Form

Agency Information

Date:

5/28/201

AGENCY:

RECORD NUMBER :

RECORD SERIES:

FBI

124-10284-10021

HQ

AGENCY FILE NUMBER:

CR 144-224-35

Released under the John

F. Kennedy

Assassination Records

Collection

Act of 1992

144 USC 2107 Note!.

Case#:NW 45854 Date:

11-17-2017

Document Information

ORIGINATOR:

FBI

FROM: KELLY, ROBERT T.

TO:

DIRECTOR, FBI

TITLE:

DATE: 05/22/1961

PAGES:

13

SUBJECTS:

SMO, GM, REL, ASSOC, RACK AND SUBV, GAMBLING,

LOTTERY TICKETS, OC, CRIMINAL ACT

DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION : Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS: 4; 11(a)

CURRENT STATUS :

Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 01/29/1999

OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINTE, APPROVAL OF IRS

COMMENTS :

v9.1

HH 45854

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PG 1144-35

AT MIAMI, FLORIDA

Contact uM 722-0

and any other logical

sources

for intormation

relative to

subject matter.of

case and

for information

Indicating author of the anonymous letter pertinent to

Investigation.

W111 ascertain II W. KENT TOMLINSON 18 residing at 13145

Coronado Drive, North Miami, and attempt.

obtain specimens

of typewriters

available to

him therearter forwarding same to

the FBI laboratory

for comparison with the anonynous letters

pertinent to

this

case.

3.

It deemed advisable, will consider Interviewing TOMLINSON

to ascertain 1f

he has any knowledge concerning the Empire

Lottery Tickets,

their printing, distribution and possible

Interstate transportation and further It' he has any knowledge

indicating that the MaNNArInos are connected with this operation.

NEW YORK

AT. NEW YORK L

NEW YORK

In vlew of Bureau Instructions contained in referenced Bureau

letter and

get forth

under the Administrative Data

of this

reports

the New York

Office Is requested to review

case

captioned.

"BERNARD J. EZHAYA; ET AL; ITSP-NT,"

to ascertaln

any logical persons who may have authored the

anonymous letters

pertinent to this Investigation.

In this regard 1t 18 noted

that-those communications of which coples have

been directed

to the Pittsburgh Office have been reviewed. It is also

logical to assume that anyone who would have the information

In these letters would have to be associated in

some

manner with the MANNARINS, IQUIS COHEN and possibly with JOHN

VERILLA, MIKE TRAFICANTE OF JOHN CARAMADRE O1 the Altoona area

and/or would have to have a knowledge of the New Kensington

and Johnstown areas since some of the roads and other landmarks

are

named correctly in the diagran notwithstanding the

fact

that the actual sites depicted do not appear to exist.

PITTSBURGH

AT' LINCOLN TOWNSHIP, PA. (WESTMORELAND COUNTY)

Will report results o Investigation re the Cory Inn, Route 22.

-B=

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F0 144-35

AN ALTOONAL PAS ABLAZE COUNTY)

wi11 maintain contact with Po 506 for further Information

concerning

the Expire Treasury Lottery Ticket paying

particular

attention

to any Interstate transportation that

mignt existy the location ot

• the printing pressy and the

Interest of

MANARIO brothers; CAbrIeL and SANUeLy: of

New Kensington,. Par

AT NEI

NUTON PA

(NSS

CAND COUNTD

want conduct 10g cal background Investigation Fo FRANK

CURIGILANO, 1503

Leishman Avenue, and

JORN SHRACOS (EN)

dateinine whether or not these persons may be anything

than Local distributore of the Inpire Troket

PA.

CHENY COUNTY

Wi11 conduct credit and criminal investigationd re JOIN I.

POMO 129

2706 Toledo Street, Pittsburgh, to ascertain of he

be associated-with

the subject of the Epire lottery

2. Will conduct credlt Investigation and contact 10g1941

sOurCeS re JAMES POMOzZI and wife, MARTHA, 1085 Last 14351

street,

cleveland, Ohio, a former resident

of Fitsaburgh,

Pa., to deterine his relationship with HOwARd N. HAYs

ascertain whether

or not he 1s Involved In the distribution

of Lottery

tIckets

ADMINISTRATIVE

For the information of all offices, an anonymous letter

postmarked January 6, 1961, Miami, Florida, was received by

the office of the usA, Middle District of Pennsylvania.:

This

was

a two page typewritten unsigned letter which alleged

that Empire lottery tickets produced by the IoUIS COHEN

syndicate are printed In the New Kensington, Pa., area and

and packant nated that a MIRA (undoubtedly

HOPKO and JACK

. (JOHN MY

RILLA o Altoona,

the Western Pennsylvania area.

The

Informant also

alleged that these lottery tickets are shipped

fron Johnstow, Pa. all over the east coast of the united

States.

This

Intormant

also alluded

to the fact that the MANNARINO

brothers- (SAMUEL and GABRIEl

MANNARINO, NatIonal Top Hoodlums)

are in

charge of New Kensing

ton, Pa., but did not make any specifie

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DO'J-

criminal

REVIEWED BY FBIJFK TASK. FORCE

ON 8-13-98 cens

PO 144-35

AS RELEASE IN FULL

L

RELEASE IN PART

By letter dated 4/18/61 the burenu advised tHatOlAW. been

furnishing copies of all reporta in

the instent came to the

Hepartment in

view of the interest of the Organised

1 Crimo

and Racketeering

Seetion, Orimined Division,

in the

aotivities

o1 the subject:

It requested that the reports submitted include

two copies

for

the bureau in order that this dissomination can

be made in the futu

The Dureau also advined In this lettor as followe.

on 4/a1/61 the Department, in referring to the

ourrent

Investigation of ConT

racalla, that 1t has been suggested

ARTIN, presently ot Mini, Corida,

be constered as sno possible author or souroe or the

sPoration contained

. In the anonymous letter.

Departent noted that the informtion contained in chese

settors indioate a possible tle in between the LoUIs @OkIN

Treasury Islance Lottery operations and the operations of

SAMUEL, and GABRIEL MANNARINO In the Now'Kenslagton, ?8.,

The bepartment noted that a report ambnitted on sAMurr

and SABRIEL MANNARINO (Pittaburgh fIles 92+228 and

92-836)

Inducates the possibility that persons Involved In this ase

might be supplying infomation to Federal authorities concerning

SAN LANNARIN®'g activities, specifically, the report of sA

THOMAS & FORSYTH, III, dated 2/27/61, pages 3 and 4. 11

view of this information the Department requested that an

Investigation be conducted to ascertain whether any of the

persons involved in the MANNARINO investigation, either as

principals or witnesses, is the author of the anonymous

letter or the source of

the Information contained therein

In reviewing the reference mentioned in the paragraph above

it was determined that this information referred to information

furnished by MM 722-0 on 11/1, 10:12/20/60 concerning the

disposal of WILLIAM RABIN and

reported originally in the

administrative section of report of 3A JOHN P. LENIHAN

captioned,

"BERNARDS.

• EZHAYA, ET AL, ITSP-MY; PERJURY"

(00: New York), dated 2/1/61 at Miami, Florida.

A review of the Pittsburgh files on this subject matter

reflected that

the W. KENT TOMLINSON, an Important figure

in this

case might possibly

have been In possession of sufficient

information to have authored these letters. Other persons

mentioned through this case in the Pittsburgh files did not

appear to have the Information

or the inclination to furnish

such information to Federal authorities or it would logicall

have been furnished in another more direct marner.

-E-

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FO 144-35

In the same Bureau

letter dated 4/18/61 the Bureau requested

that aid offices cive

this case

priority attention

in order

the

following two points can be

promptly resolved

that

Is there a violation

of

Irlt on the part of subject

COREN?

Can

the Identity of

the

writer of the anonymous

letters

in the coreN

case be determined?

Our

primary responsibility 13

to develop a violation

concerning

COHEN 1r he 18 1n fact operating in violation

of the Trut

Statute,

It 18

noted that investigative

commences

period of this

report

on. 2/6/61. This 18

due to

• the fact that a

memo to

all, RA'S

was

issued

on that date concerning this matter and

autriclent

returns concerning this memo had not been

received at the time of the dictation of the last report

this matter.

All offices should note that philadelphia has advised

.. that

AUSA WILLIAND MORGAND

Middle Distriet of Pennsylvania, has

advised that in view or

the fact that the following persons

are under indietment they should not

be Interviewed:

IQUIS COHEN,

FRANK

COHEN, aka., Fran

Cole, and MURRAY COHEN,

aka . 9

Murray Bake

Information

copies of this report are being placed In Pittsburgh

files 92-228

and 92-236 captioned

"SAMUEL MANNARINO,

aka;

GABRIEL MANNARINO, aka, ANTI-RACKETEERING," In VIeW

o1 Lact: that

the

Empire Lottery Tickets are being distributed in New

Kensington, Pa..

and Inquiries are being made to determine what

Interest, IT anys

the

MANNARINOS have In the lottery operations

Of LOUIS COHEN.

INFORMANTS

On 3/14/01 SEYMORE RABINOWITZ, POI, advised SA

JOHN S. HUGHES

that he has been well

acquainted with GLOROD

BONDY of Johnstown,

ra., who operates the

tavern on Main Street

in Johnstown and

has been for more

than twenty years. the #1 distributor for

Empire reasury Tickets In the Johnstown area.

The informant

stated that BONDY

gets these tickets from Altoona, Pa., which 18

the headquarters for western Pennsylvania and sells them

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PO: 144-35

throughout the

entire

ares of Cambria

county

He stated

that

BONDY

recently inforned him that the

tacket' busincas

1e not nearly

an 100g

has been n years past inasnuch

as gamblers now soon to want to bot more on sporting.

events

and on other things where the cotion in quioker than with

Treasury

• riokets,

BONDY pointed

out that 1t

takes a gambler

woek to determine whether or not he has

won or logt on

Troasury rickets and this seems to he

a deterrent partieularly

wich

the

younger gamblers in

the Johnstown area.

It Is noted that

contact nad

maintained by SA THOMAS

FORAYTH,

Irr with Po 612-0 and po 615=0 on a regular basis

and '18

reported

under case captioned,

• "OABRICI MANNARINO, aka;

MANNARING,

ANYT-RACKETHERING,"

In report of

SA PORKY dAted 5/9/61. No Inforation has been developed

Indiosting that the Empire tIcket has been traneported interstate.

on 3/20/61 PO 645-0 advised SA FORSYTH that the man who delivers

Treasury Lottery riokets' in the Now Kensington area

2A One JOHN

SHRIOS (ph), whose car bears Permarivanta License

711979

formerly worked at the Cary CLue. New

Kensington,

and also worked in the MANNARINO numbers headquarters atrice:

supposed to on. half of the

gambling

gard games at the

Garibaldi Club, New Kensington, but due to

a high blood pressure

aliniction, his brother, name not know, is handling the action...

In this latter place.

Thursday is the day new weekly Lottery

tickets come out. and

1s' the day for dellveries to outlete.

On 4/6/61 PG 506-C advised SA JOHN S. HUGHES that LOUIS

COKEN Is now In Miaml, Florida, where he 18 Ilving with his

wile, who Is approximately 30 years his junior He stated

that

LOUTS COMEN 1s in such poor physical condition that he is

forced to use a walker when going from place to place.

Indicated that LOUIS COHEN had been in Altoona, Pa., approximately

six months prior to the date of the interview when a party

was had for him and that he was forced to use this walker when

attending the party. He stated that his wife is forced

to care

for him most of the

time

and indicated that he doubted that COHEN

would be active in the lottery business in the future.

He Lurther

stated that COHEN's son, MURRAY COHEN, who 18 also

known as MURRAY BAKER,

is the alleged head of the Empire

Lottery Ticket Syndicate at this time; however, the Informant

somewhat belittled the ability of MURRAY COHEN and the writer

drew the inference that possibly there has been a change in the

-G-

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PO 144-35

leadership of the Empire Ticket business:

The Informant

further'

stated that when NURRAY COHEN

comes

to Altoona, Pa., which ts

normally about

once each month, he lives In a rooming house on

the outskirts a the eLty.

the

address of which the Informant

did not readily have available.

He stated that he would obtain

this

address and furnish it to SA HUGHES when he is next

contacted.

The incorant again Insisted that

the Empire Treasury Ticket

busines8

does not cross

state. Iines and stated that he could

possibly arrange to exhibit

to SA HUGHES the

printing presses

and stapling machines which are used exclusively by the

organization In printing tickets in the state of Pensylyania.

It should be noted that 11 this could be

done, the possibility

exists that samples of the printing from the press and from

the stapling nachine could be obtained and forwarded

to the

FRI Laboratory for examination of all Treasury Tickets which

have previously been submitted in

this case.

On 4/12/61 PG 630- furIshed SA VILLIANI. MYERS with one

ImpIre resury Ticket for the week 3/24-30/61, together with

= win ship for that week headed No.

Intorant said

that he had arranged to purchase this Expire Ticket at the smoke

Shop operated by JOM Da FrAVIO, wich is located on Railroad

stroot, a short distance fron Ligonter Street In Latrobe, Ra..

Informant said

that DE FLAVO engaged in all kinds or gaulling

operations at the smoke shop, that he sells nubers as vell as

treasury and other lottery tiekets, has pinball machines er their

substitute,

the electronie devices

on location in his shop and

that he writes numbers and handles bets on sporting events.

On 4/11/61,

Pa/ 579-0 advised SA MYERS

that he has made contact

WIth BRONT

Schoonmaker Avenue,

ACHOWICh, proprietor of Brownie's Hobby Shop, 1400

the

•Monessen, Pa.

the 1s know to engage. In

sale of various lottery tickets as

well as writing numbers

and carrying on a tip board and punchboard operation without.

results.

He said InCHOwIC told him he no longer carried

Enpire Treasury

tickets or any

other

• kind of treasury

tickets

because they are not In demand

In Monessen

Informant said he

also contacted CARL MONACK, Monack's Smoke Shop,

464 Donner

Avenue, Monessen, and HAROLD VEIDAN, tho operates a horse

room at 1168 Schoonmaker Avenue,

In an effort to acquire treasury

tickets such as impire or some other brand but

without results.

These persons informed him that treasury Ilckets were not in

demand in Monessen and

that

they do not handle this type of

device.

-Ha

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1200r

144-35

on 5/2/61.

former PG bogad

tolophonie.ily contacted

SA JOIN S.

PORTALIA from

Florides

connection with

another matter.

He advised

acqueinted with HYMAN MARTIN™

and le

thoroughly

familing with the

notivities

*I HYMAN MARTIN:

dvised nat, HIMAN MARTIN WAB

forerly

associated with HARdY

Sons LOUIS GONEN ANO HYMAN'S

brothet's NAtHAN pArtIN. In

the

Lottery

ticket bueinese:

He did nou

name or the lottery

ticket

NATHAN

MANLIN

handled the

dictribution

of these

tlokets

ratusburgh,, Pa

intormant could

not epeety

HYMAN MARTIN

and LouIs

MARTIN had

dicagreement whick led to

HIMAN disassociating himsel

frou

the lotter

Intormant

certain that

MIMAN In not

connected with

the Lottery ticket businees at thie time sinde he,

the

Interpant

would

mcessarily be aware of this. Intornt

Further

advaged

that

he

certain

Inet NATHAN MARTIN

10 no

longer

associated with the

Lottery tickets

since he vould have heard

HIMAN

speak

this 1t 1t were 8o.

In generad

terme the

informant was

questioned as to whether or

not. any bitterness exteted between

and HYMAN MARTIN

nature so as

to cause MARTIN to tike action which

would be directed

causing Louts COHN trouble

of a financial

and legal nature.

This questioning we sled at ascertaining

whether or not HYMAN MARTIN might be the author or the anorynous

lettere pertinent to this investigation.

The intormant

emphatically answered that there is no such bitterest between

two men

he has never had

I any indication that MARTIN

would cause harm

COHEN In any

manner whatsoever.

Numerous

other contacts have

been made throughout the Fittsburgh

Division with In orants and sources familiar with gambling

activities

Interstate

with negative results as to the distribution

or

transportation of the Empire Ticket with negative

résults.

In the Interest

of brevity.

contacts

the names of. these

being

set forth

will be mintained in

Plotsburgh files.

- I*

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