Originator: FBI
From: CV
To: HQ
Document date: 01/15/1959
Document type: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

JFK Assassination System

Identification Form

Agency Information

Date:

6/2/2015

AGENCY: FBI

RECORD NUMBER: 124-90100-10076

RECORD SERIES :

HQ

AGENCY FILE NUMBER :

52-72398-96

E4578 Date: 12.14-2022

Document Information

ORIGINATOR: FBI

FROM:

CV

TO: HQ

TITLE :

DATE: 01/15/1959

PAGES:

48

SUBJECTS :

JOSEPH RAYMOND MEROLA

THEFT OF 317 WEAPONS, 16 BLANKETS, I CARBINE RACK

OHIO NATIO

DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION: Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS: 4

CURRENT STATUS : Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 07/29/1998

OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE

COMMENTS: RPT

v9.1

NW 64578 Docld:32331858 Page 1

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CV 52-1918

Will contact GUY DANIEL, RD 1, regarding telephone

call to 221F2 from the Ohio National Guard Armory, Canton,

on August 14, 1958.

AT WOOSTER, OHIO

Will report the results of interview with HARRY

ROBERT WELCH.

Will recontact SALLY KRAJCIK, 1515 Lincolnway West,

telephone HOward 22138, for recent information she has

regarding MARTINEZ's implication in instant theft.

Information copies of this report were designated

for Cincinnati, Chicago,

Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York,

and Pittsburgh

in view of pending investigation

in those

divisions.

ADMINISTRATIVE

The period covered in this report overlaps the

period in the previous report of SA HAROLD E. WEIDA dated

November 28, 1958, at Cleveland, inasmuch as investigation

results were not available at the time of the dictation of

the previous report.

The Canton, Ohio, Telephone Directory reflects that

the Varsity Restaurant located at 525 North Market Street

has a pay telephone with a listed GLendale 4-0532. In an

effort to ascertain if any long distance calls were placed

from this number to LOUIS MARTINEZ, Mr. BARRY A. STEPHENS,

Commercial Manager, Ohio Bell Telephone Company, was contacted

on December 29, 1958. Toll calls placed from GLendale 4-0532

were checked for the period of August through November, 1950,

but no toll calls could be located which appeared significant

to this investigation.

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## Page 3

CV 52-1918

weapons from the Canton, Ohio, Armory and further he had no

specific knowledge indicating

that LOUIS MARTINEZ was involved

in this theft.

SA FRANK G. DOUDS made a check of the current

Youngstown and Niles, Ohio, Directories which show the following

phone listings:

RI 4-3820, listed to Battery C, 135th Field

Artillery Battalion,

325 West Rayen Avenue,

Youngstown, Ohio

OL 2-9951, listed to the Mallory Sharon Titanium

Plant, 980 Warren Road,

Niles, Ohio

This company is an affiliate of the

Sharon Steel Corporation and hires

between 1,000 and 2,000 men.

It is noted that CV-411-C has been extradited to

Pennsylvania for a burglary charge and is not available for

interview at the present time.

On November 12, 1958, MARIO GUERRIERI, Youngstown,

Ohio, (Protect identity)

advised SA DOUDS that he considered

PHIL

MAINER, Youngstown hoodlum, a suspect in instant case.

He stated he has been hanging around Canton, Ohio, with a man

mown only to him as FLUFFlE, FLOOF (ph), and has

been driving

a 1958 Cadillac, light tan in color; as

well as a light grey

He later identified

this person on December 2, 1958, as GEORGE M. FLOREA. He

stated that he and RONNIE CARABBIA, Youngstown and Struthers

hoodlum, had been hanging out at the Ritz Bar, Canton, Ohio,

which is run by a man called "SUITCASE SAM."

It is to be noted

that the Indianapolis Office advised recently that MAINER

had been driving a 1958 Cadillac, light tan, Ohio license

N 1058G, listed to GEORGE M. FLOREA, 204 Broad Avenue, N.W.,

Canton, Ohio, and in addition, he has a 1956 red and white

Oldsmobile, Indiana license CJ 7827.

-G-

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CV. 52-1918

On December 5, 1958, GUERRIERI advised he is certain

that MAINER was in Canton, Ohio, at the time of instant theft

and he approached him for some of the guns and from his

behavior, he is certain that he had a part in the theft.

New York airtel to the Bureau, November 10, 1958,

advised that LOUIS MARTINEZ had made a telephone call from

the

Manhattan Hotel, New York, on September 19, 1958, to

Canton, Ohio, GLendale 4-0532, which is listed to the Varsity

Restaurant, a hangout for GEORGE MIKE FLOREA, a local hoodlum.:

PCI JOHN APOSTOLOS advised SA JAMES E, GILLEY ON

November 17, 1958, that he had seen GEORGE FLOREA and LOUIS

MARTINEZ together several times in Canton during the past few

months although he could not recall the exact dates. - Be

never heard either of them discuss the theft of weapons at the

Ohio National Guard Amory in Canton. PCI could not recall

MARTINEZ having called the Varsity Restaurant In September,

1958, from New York, however, a couple of days before MARTINEZ,

was arrested in New York for kidnapping, MARTINEZ telephoned

the Varsity Restaurant and asked to talk to ALEX KARRAS,

the bartender, who tales messages for FLOREA and SAM MESSARIS

when they are not there.

According to PCI, KARRAS 1s a loyal

member of the gang and

cannot be trusted.

KARRAS later mentioned

tnat MARTINEZ wanted money when he called and it was PCI's

opinion that the money was requested of FLOREA.

PCI stated that FLOREA had not been around for several

weeks and was working with PHIL MAINER at Calumet City, Illinois.

FLOREA gave a telephone number of TO 2-9628 where he could be

reached, which is probably the "Rip Tide Bar" in that city.

on December 1, 1958, the Newark Office advised that on

November 18, 1958, IC D. LOUIS BARRA, JR., was advised by

NK-1741-CS that a record did not exist for telephone number

TE 6-8786.

SA J. CALVIN RICE determined that telephone number

SW 1-4899 does

not exist and su 1-2700 is listed to TWA,

Union Commerce Building; SW 5-5800 is listed to the Ohio

National Guard Group Headquarters, 135 Field Artillery Battalion,

Central Armory,Cleveland; and AC 6-4943 is listed to the Ohio

National Guard, 1437 Wayne Avenue, Cleveland.

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CV 52-1918

On November 20, 1950, CV-251-C Was contacted by

SA HARRY S. MILLER, Informant was unable to furnish any

Information of value concerning instant theft.

He stated he

does not know the MANNARINO family of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,

personally although he has heard of them.

He stated GEORGE

MIKE FLOPEA of Canton is a good friend of KELLY MANNARING.

Informant also stated that SAM MESSARIS is acquainted with

people who in turn know the MANNARINO family well.

Informant advised he has not seen FLOREA for over a

month and inasmuch as the MANNARINO name was mentioned in the

newspaper, he will make inquiry of FLOREA the next time he

sees him concerning this matter.

The following informants and PCIsof the Cleveland

Office were contacted as indicated:

CONTACTING AGENT

DATE OF CONTACT

IDENTITY OF

SOURCE

CV-387-0

SA PHILIP A. MC NIFF

PCI ROBERT MILLER SA JAMES E. GILLEY

CV-375-0

SA ROBERT H. WILSON

PCI WARREN ARDEL

SA JOHN J. KLISE

WHITE

12/4/58

12/3/58

11/21/58

11/4/58

The above informants and PCIs were unable to furnish

any information of value to this investigation.

J

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