Agency: FBI
Originator: FBI
From: DIRECTOR, FBI
To: EZELL, OTHO A.
Document date: 6/9/41
Document type: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

JFK Assassination System

Identification Form

Agency Information

Date:

6/15/201

AGENCY :

RECORD NUMBER :

RECORD SERIES :

AGENCY FILE NUMBER :

FBI

124-10284-10093

HQ

100-30067-1

Released under the John

F. Kennedy

Assassination Records

Collection Aet of 1992

144 USC 2107 Note) .

case#:NW 53130 Date:

05-31-2017

Document Information

ORIGINATOR :

FROM:

TO:

TITLE :

FBI

EZELL, OTHO A.

DIRECTOR, FBI

DATE: 06/09/1941

PAGES:

SUBJECTS :

JOP, ASSOC, REL, BKG, RES, EMP, NEWSPAPER EDITOR,

PEOPLES WORLD, AFFIL, CP

DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION: Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS: 4

CURRENT STATUS : Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 01/07/1998

OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE

COMMENTS :

...

V9.1

HH 53130

DocId: 32303581

Page 1

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## Page 2

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

Form No. 1

THIS CASE ORIGINATED AT SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

REPORT MADE AT

DATE WHEN MADE

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF

6/9/41

TITLE

PERIOD FOR

WHICH MADE

3/7:5/19/41

JOHN PITTMAN

FILE NO. 100-1465

REPORT MADE BY

OTHO A. EZELI

CHARACTER OF CASE

GoCo

INTERNAL SECURITY (C)

SYNOPSIS OF FACTS:

Subject reportedly born Georgia resides 1667 Hyde St.,

San Francisco, and is employed as Foreign Editor of

Peoples World, West Coast Communist newspaper, San

Confidentil Informant SF-2 reports subject

is negro; is married to MERLE BETH PITIMAN, white, who

, is employed as stenographer for Communist law firm of

GLadstein, Grossman, Margolis & Sawyer, attorneys for

HARRY BRIDGES. Custodial detention memorandum being

submitted.

-P-

DETAILS:

The following is a summary of the information appearing :

in the files of the San Francisco Office concerning the

above named subject, whose name is being submitted to the

Bureau for consideration for custodial detention in the

event of a national emergency. A custodial detention memo-

NAME:

JOHN PITTMAN

ADDRESS:

1667 Hyde Street, San Francisco, California.

Former addresses: 1028 Montgomery Street, 1403₴

Montgomery Street, 2327 Dana Street, Berkeley.

OCCUPATION: Subject is employed as Foreign Editor for the

PEOPLES WORLD, West Coast Communist newspaper,

583 Market Street,

San Francisco, California.

M. g. L-leper

IN CHARGE

DO NOT WRITE IN THESE SPACES

100.30067+

5 - Bureau

COPIES OF THIS REPORT

2 - Washington Field

I - G-2, Presidio, San Francisco

2 - San Francisco

"UN 1? 194"

1947

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1941-0-281888

HY 53130 DocId:32303581 Page 2

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## Page 3

CITIZENSHIP:

The San Francisco Police Department reports

subject was born in Georgia. Thereiore,

ho is probably a U.S. citizen.

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA: Confidential Informant SF-296 reports

that s member of the Communist Party from September 1936 to february

1937 had occasion to view the records of the Newspaper Guild Fraction

of theConmunist Party, and among the names listed was the name of

the subject, who is identified as holding a position at the PEOPLES

WORLD newspaper, a Communist organ. According to this informant,

subject attended Communist Party meetings of the Newspaper Guild

Fraction during the time from September 1936 to February 1937 while

this informant was a member of the Party.

Confidential Informant SF-296 further advises that subject's

wife MERLE PITTMAN, is believed white, and quit her position at the

C.I.O. to eccept a

position at the state headquarters of the Communist

Party, 121 Faight Street, San Francisco.

Confidential Informant SF-2 advised that subject, a negro,

is employed as Foreign Editor of the PEOPLES WORLD newspaper, West

Coast Communist organ, and stated that he and his wife reside at 1667

Hyde Street.

This infornant reports that subject's wife, MERLE

PITIVAN, is believed to be employed as a stenographer at the offices

of Gladstein, Grossman, Margolis & Sawyer, local Communist attorneys

who are defending HARRY BRIDGES.

This informant, SF-2, further states that subject asso-

ciates with WILLIAM SCHNEIDERMANN, Secretary of the 13th District

of the Communist Party for the State of California; that subject met

with JAMES W. FORD, Vice-Presidential candidate of the Communist Farty

in Los Angeles, California in October 1940.

The 1940 register of

Voters in the general election reflects that subject's wife, Mrs.

MERLE PITTMAN, residing at 1028 Montgomery Street, is a registered

voter of the Communist Party. This lists her cocupation as a steno-

grapher.

1. San Francisco newspaper recently carried an artic

which stated that "Vanessi's" a prominent restaurant, refused t

seat a mixed party of white and black,

which party included the

singer PAUL ROBSON, and others who consisted of JOHN PITTMAN, a negro,

a white woman also named PITTVAN, as being part of the party. It is

believed that this was JOHN PITTMAN's wife,

MERLE PITTMAN, and the

Communist attorneys are now suing "Vanessi's" restauratt.

= 2

HH 53130

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