Agency: FBI
Originator: FBI
From: SAC, PG
To: DIRECTOR, FBI
Document date: 1/3/62
Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

JFK Assassination System

Identification Form

Agency Information

Date:

5/28/201

AGENCY: FBI

RECORD NUMBER:

124-10278-10026

RECORD SERIES: HQ

AGENCY FILE NUMBER: 92-2914-247

Document Information

ORIGINATOR: FBI

FROM: SAC, PG

TO: DIRECTOR, FBI

TITLE:

DATE:

PAGES:

SUBJECTS:

01/03/1962

6

DOCUMENT TYPE :

CLASSIFICATION:

RESTRICTIONS:

CURRENT STATUS :

DATE OF LAST REVIEW :

GM, SMO, ASSOC, RAID, GAMBLING ACT, RACK ACT

PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

Unclassified

4

Redact

08/10/1998

OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE

COMMENTS:

v9.1

DocId: 32301191

Page 1

13

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## Page 2

OPTIONAL FORM NO, 10

5010=104-01

UNITED STATE! GOVERNMENT

Memorandum

TO

DIRECTOR, FBI (92-2914) (92-2918) DATE:

1P/37625

SAC, PITTSBURGH (92-236) (92-228)

SUBJECT:

GABRIEL

"MANNARINO, aka

AR

SAMUEL MANNARINO, aka

AR

on 12/18/61, PG 615-0 advised SA THOMAS G. FORSYTH, III

as follows:

For two years, PG 615-C has been attempting to obtain increasingi

better information about the Mannarinos, their illegal..

activities, their associates and their future plans.

has done this without any thought of,

or desire for monetary

compensation,

simply because of his firm conviction that

the MANNARINO "strangle-hold" on all phases of life and

activity in the New Kensington area had to be broken.

In spite of the obvious dangers to his professional reputation

and personal safety, he commenced a process of infiltration

due to his belief that such things cannot be left to

"'somebody else."

By frequenting gambling establishments, PG 615-C met many

of the MANNARIN employees, and by performing small favors

for them, professional and otherwise, he became friendly

with most of them and the confidant of some of them.

They furnished considerable information,

some more valuable

than others, but a compendium of their bits of information

was forming

a gradually clearing picture of the entire

MANNARINO operation.:

DIA ZIOH

BureaucrAt

- Pittsburgh

1- 137-941

10M 151

137-1139

EX 100

1 / 13741264

137-1017

TGE/RIG

(10)

91-2914-247

tO JAN - 1962

51

JAN 2 2 1962)

DocId: 32301191 Page 2

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## Page 3

PG 92-236 PG-92-228

Through political and business

friends and acquaintances,

PG 615-C was able to meet the MANNARINOS. Being careful

to make his personal contacts with them casual and seemingly

innocuous, PG 615-C was slowly accomplishing his plan to

have the

MANNARINOS, after doing their normal check on

him, accept him into

that group of prominent, local business

and

proiessional people with whom they associate on a

social basis.

PG 615-C had

reached the point where he could

visit SAM MANNARINO's restaurant, the Bonfire, near

Leechburg, Pa., and talk with MANNARINO rather openly about

such things as MANNARINO's use of narcotics. He had also

reached the point where he had been invited to sit in on

small friendly card games at GABRIEL MANNARINO'S

new'

cottage near Leechburg.

From this so far limited proximity to the MANNARINOS and.

their employees, it became apparent to PG 615-C that

the

obtaining of a complete understanding of their operations

was going to be painfully but necessarily slow.

the August 24, 1961 raid occurred, the result was that

the MANNARINOS ordered a moratorium on all illegal activities

and ordered that their associates and employees should,

insofar as was practicable, leave no contact with them

these people are under instructions not to "talk" if called

before the FGJ in Pittsburgh, and PG 615-C is convincea none

of them will assist the Federal Government because of fears

of physical and economic

Because of the

Peprisals.

raid and the ensuing instructions from

contact Rent neton pen that he get on 1 openine:

information that he can obtain and furnish to the Pittsburgh

Office.

PG 615-C. is certain, in his own mind, that the "big guys"

will once again escape indictment and that the most that

can be expected is that more "little fish" will be prosecuted

If this happens, the MANNARINOS will maintain their

self-created, self-serving reputations as being "untouchable"

by prosecutive action,.

and the populace of New Kensington.

will sink back into despair.

2

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## Page 4

PG 92-236 PG 92-228

In view of the above, PCI HERBERT LEE RAY; RD#3, Leechburg

Pa., GABRIEL MANNARINO's neighbor, was contacted on 12/18/61,

by SA FORSYTH, and PCI RAY was asked why he had furnished

so little.

information in recent months. PCI RAY advised:

Prior to the "Federal raid on the MANNARINO gambling joint

in New Kensington towards the end of summer,

1961, he

observed some activity around GABRIEL MANNARINO's cottage

near Leechburg.

While there were never any groups of visitors,

except for one

family-type outdoor picnic, occasionally

individuals would visit the

cottage. ALSo, GABRIEI

VIANNARINO was observed to leave the house almost daily at

varying hours. Since "the raid," GABRIEL MANNARINO

has developed what amounts almost to a predictable pattern.

He leaves the cottage on most days shortly before noon,

always alone, and he returns to stay at about eight o'clock

in the evening.

Visitors are extremely rare and never stay

more than a few minutes.

PCI has not been able to obtain

any information of recognizable pertinence and, therefore,

has not contacted SA FORSYTH.

on 12/18/61, PCI ANTHONY JOHN WISE, JR., Pittsburgh, Pa.,

employed as

Steel Co:, New Kensington, was asked by SA FORSYTH why he

has not been furnishing and pertinent information during

the recent past, and he advised:

Even before the "Government raid" in New Kensington in

August 1961, he was not taken into the confidence of the

MANNARINOS as regards anything but their scrap metals and

gas well businesses.

They put him in charge of these two

ventures

because of his education and prior experience.

However, on occasion he overheard conversations involving

some of

their other interests and observed them meet some

of their associates and/or employees.

Since the raid, he

than three times and

understands that GABRIEL MANNARINO is spending most of his

time at his cottage near Leechburg, Pa., while SAM MANNARINO

spends the largest portion of each day at his restaurant,

"jocated a few miles from Leechburg."

From

what he has been able to observe and learn, SAM MANNARINO

and GABRIEL MANNARINO see very little of each other or of

their erstwhile associates..

PCI does not feel that he can

suspicions,

and listen but not to ask questions.

3

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## Page 5

PA 92-236 PG. 92-228

on 12/19/61, PG. 612-C, who is an experienced numbers writer

in the MANNARINO operationIn New

Kensington, was asked

about

the dearth of pertinent information being received, and

informant advised:

The town (New Kensington) has been closed down almost

completely,

as regards gambling, since the "Federal raid

last summer" and since the commencement of the FGJ inquiry.

Besides the numbers racket, which is down in volume by at

least half, there are only three card games in the city,

only one of which is operating on any given night. Horse

bets, sports bets and dice games have been eliminated,

allegedly by orders of the MANNARINOS. ! Men who have been

Given minate been

for years employed in one phase or another of the MANNARINO

gambling set-ups are now loafing about town, and their

principal topics of discussion concern the

FGJ hearings,

their belief that the newly-elected reform administration

in New Kensington will not allow resumption of

open gambling,

and their "fears"

concerning their own futures.

With

regard to the numbers racket, elaborate security measures

have been put into effect, and only those possessing the

Federal Wagering Tax Stampare permitted to participate.

In view of these facts, pertinent information has been scarce

and unreliable.

spot surveillances at residences, legitimate business sites

and at known hangouts during the past four months have been

wholly unproductive and tend to substantiate the comments of

the

above mentioned informants.

Due to the situation created by the IRs raid on August 24,

1961, and the resultant FGJ probe, as it affects receipt

by the Pittsburgh Office of positive information concerning

the MANNARINOS and their activities, the Pittsburgh office

has found it impossible to comply fully with Bureau instructions

concerning submission of a daily teletype summary of pertinent

developments.

As matters now stand, the only readily discernible method

of collecting current positive information concerning

either

MANNARINO is by establishing highly. confidential sources.

4

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