Agency: FBI
Originator: FBI
From: BA
To: HQ
Document date: 04/27/1962
Document type: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

JFK Assassination System

Identification Form

Agency Information

Date:

6/15/201

AGENCY :

FBI

RECORD NUMBER:

124-10347-10032

RECORD SERIES:

HQ

AGENCY FILE NUMBER :

CR. 92-2706-87

Released under the John

F. Kennedy

Assassination Recorde

Collection Act of 1992

144 USC 2107 Notel.

Cased:NT 45920 Date:

41-17-2017

Document Information

ORIGINATOR:

FBI

FROM:

BA

TO: HQ

TITLE :

DATE: 04/27/1962

PAGES:

14

SUBJECTS :

JAMES PLUMERI

DOCUMENT TYPE:

PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION : Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS: 4; 11(a)

CURRENT STATUS: Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 08/28/1998

OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE, APPROVAL OF IRS

COMMENTS: RPT

v9.1

14 45920

DocId: 32316412

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## Page 2

BA 92-83

INFORMANTS:

The following symbol numbers were used in this report where

necessary to further protect the

identity of the informants:

BA T-4

BA 1166-C

BA T-7

PCI

BA T-50

BA 1207-0

BA T-51

PCI L

BA T-52

BA 1214-C

BA 1-54

PCI

BA T-55

BA I-56

FOR OR POL BEDDING, BOPD

Former PCI

WE T-1

WE 1069-0

JFK Act 6 (4)

LEADS:

BALTIMORE OFFICE

At Baltimore, Maryland

Will maintain contact with Internal Revenue

Agent ALEXANDER HARRISON for any additional information developed

by that Service concerning subject's financial affairs.

2. Will maintain contact with established and

reliable informants to determine subject's current interests

numbers lottery and alleged gambling activities.

→ E%-

COVER

PAGE

774 45920

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## Page 3

Md

BA 92-83

B.

CRIMINAL RECORD

No additional information has been developed con-

cerning the subject's criminal record during the period of this

report.

C.

ASSOCIATES AND ACQUAINTANCES

• Baltimore Confidential Informant T-51 advised

SA MAURICE D. du BOIS on 2/5/62 that BENNY TROTTA, ED JAFFE and

BENJAMIN (HITTYAWILDSTEIN were going to open a lunchroom in the

400 block East Baltimore St.

Informant alleged that this place

will be a headquarters for numbers lottery and bookmaking activi-

tios. It was further alleged that JAFFE had made the remark

that he must get an okay from BENNY TROTTA on any numbers bet of

$10.00 or more of play on a particular number. It has been

previously reported by this informant that JAKE JAFFE, former

owner of the trocadero, which is now owned by NICK and BENNY TROTTA

has been very closely associated with the subject.

Baltimore Confidential Informant T-57 advised

SA JOHN J. GROGAN on 2/26/62 that BENNY TROTTA was at the Dizzy

Klub in Dundalk, Maryland with three other white males on 2/24 and

2/25/62.

•. At that time he contacted JOE GIGLIOTTI, proprietor of

that club, and on both occasions he spent about three hours

talking with GIGLIOTTI. Informant said that FRANK MALVASO was

also present with the group part of the time. The Informant ala

not learn the nature of TROTTA's business with GIGLIOTTI, but one

of the men present with TROTTA had what appeared to be a booklet

or looseleaf folder and on the cover of the folder was the printed

word "Bingo"

• During the time the group was at the club one of

the men made a telephone call to the Disabled Veterans.

Informant.

further stated that FRANK MALVASO is in a pizza pie shell business

with JOE CORBI.

Baltimore Confidential Informant T-52 advised

A LOUIS S. LEAR on 3/0/02 that the previous evening he met

an at the Club Troc whom he later found out was MAL EPSTEIN.

11d

EPSTEIN noticed two other men sitting at the back bar of the

TPOC

with JOE GORBI. EPSIEIN conversed with these two men for a short

time and'then rejoined the informant. NICK TROTTA Was there at

the time also and he made the remark

that they were important

people and that they had been to the Appalaichian meeting:

Phoves: were exhibited to the informant by SA LeAr

and he identified one of the men as JAMES PLUMERI.

The other

described as a white, male, possible Italian descent,

Md

File,

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BA 92-83

age 50-55, height 5' 9", dark complexion, black and gray hair,

weight 160-165 lbs., wearing dark blue surge suit, dark tie with

a large diamond stick pin.

He was expensively dressed, in a

conservative style, and his shirt had extremely long collar tabs.

MAL EPSIEIN told the informant that he was from.

Pittsburgh, Pa.; that he wasin Baltimore to see "GUINEA REDS"

(THOMAS" LAVERSA. but AVERSA was on vacation in the Banamas

EPSTEIN told informant he had taken $8,000.00 from his home

in Pittsburgh and had to leave town until things cooled off.

While at the TRoC, EPSTEIN invited NICK PROTTA to come to his place Md

after the fight, which NICK is arranging for a middleweight in

Pittsburgh.

He

gave his address as Steenie Pool Room, 4241

liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Baltinore Confidential Informant T-54 advised

SA J. STANLEY ROTZ on 2/22/62 that he had attended an oyster

roast

of the Fourth Ward, Democratic Club, at the Alcazar, on

1/14/62.

In attendance were BENNY TROTTA and LONDOS PERRERA.

On the second floor, LONDOSyPERRERA was operating a crap game. Xid

It was announced to

those present that they stopped the crap

game because the Mayor of Baltimore had arrived, but the facts

were that the crap game was stopped because somebody discovered

the dice were crooked.

A lortune wheel was then started, but

when it ws found it could be controlled by the operator, it was

also stopped. Informant did not indicate that BENNY TROTTA

had anything

to do with the crap game or the fortune wheel.

Baltimore Confidential Informant I-52 advised

SA LOUIS S. LEAR on 2/25/62 that the previous evening he was at

the Club Troc and observed BENNY TROTTA drinking with a group

at the rear of the club. It is unusual for TROTTA to sit at

him, but wick told him that the men were down from New York to

see JAMES. RUSSO and CHARLES CLAFANI, who are in the Maryland

Penitentiary for the holdup of a jewelry store. NICK TROTTA told

the informant that the "man with the BB eyes"

would kill in a

minute. This man was described as white, male, Italian, age 28,

wearing glasses

Iwo other unknown individuals with him were only

described as white, males, Italians, ages about 35 years.

•3.

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## Page 5

BA 92-83

2. Bookmaking Operation

to SA J. STANLEY ROiZ, anonymous

On 1/27/62 AUSA J. HARDIN MARION, ICE ethbIted

letters he had

handwriting which appeared to be from the same individual. One

of these anonymous letters, postmarked 1/20/62

at Baltimore

stated that the mob has brought back JIM RUSSo's (CORONO) body

guard, WALLENSTEIN, to help TROTTA (MAGLIANO) with the collecting.

The letter described WALLENSTEIN as the one charged with PERRERAS

for the murder of CASTRANDA three years ago.

He was arrested in

Anne Arundel County in a bookmaking raid; $10,000.00 was paid to

keep the case from coming up. (It appears the anonymous writer

had in mind one BENJAMIN (HITTY) WILDSTEIN.)

Another anonymous letter, apparently from this same

source, was referred to this office on

2/7/62 by AUSA MARION, anC

It contained the following information:

"JULIUS SALSBURY and ANGELO MUNAFO are partners in

a horse book operation. MUNAFO is bank rolled by his father-in-

law, BENNY TROTTA. This book does approximately $80,000.00 worth

of business a week. This figure 1s not exaggerated.

JOSEPH RIZZO

and JAKE JAFFE do the work behind the phones

The letter

continued,

"You will have to use an expert tail. JAFFE used to

own half of the Trocadero Night Club until he was forced out of

business by FRANKIE CARBO. RIZZO served time for gambling in the

early 1950's."

On 3/8/62 Baltimore Confidential Informant T-56

advised SA FRANCIS C. O'NEIL and SA THOMAS LEACH, Jr. that

since ANGELO MUNAFO married BENNY TROTTA's daughter some years

ago, MUNAFO is actually the man who runs all of the numbers and

bookmaking activity that TROTTA formerly operated. TROTTA, in

this informants opinion is a contact man for the gambling element

and actually is not actively engaged in the numbers-bookmaking

business at this time. Allegedly MUNAFO has told the informant

he is not afraid to speak out on any type of subject concerning

TROTTA and he has actually heard MUNAFO

BENNY.

3.

Crap Games

on 3/16/62 Baltimore Confidential Informant I-55

advised SA FRANCIS C. O'NEIL that within the past year BENNY TROTTA

desired to conduct a floating crap game in Anne Arundel County.

In this regard he went to see one TOM HAGNER who allegedly is the

contact

man

for Chief of Police WILBUR WADE of AA Co. P.D. in

- 5-

1095

NH 45920

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