Originator: FBI
From: WHEELER, BRYON C.
To: DIRECTOR, FBI
Document date: 05/31/1963
Document type: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

JFK Assassination System

Identification Form

Agency Information

Date:

5/14/201

AGENCY :

RECORD NUMBER :

RECORD SERIES :

AGENCY FILE NUMBER :

FBI

124-10200-10431

HQ

92-6054-275

Document Information

ORIGINATOR:

FBI

FROM:

WHEELER, BRYON C.

TO :

DIRECTOR, FBI

TITLE:

DATE: 05/31/1963

'PAGES: 26

SUBJECTS :

LCN, MEMBERS, CRIMINAL ACT, INTV, POLIMENI,

GIUSEPPE, ORGANIZATION HISTORY AND BKG,

MEMBERSHIP CEREMONY

DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION : Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS: 4

CURRENT STATUS: Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 05/22/1998

OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE

COMMENTS :

Heleased under the John F. Kennedu

issassination Records Collection Act o

1992 (44 USC: 2107 Note). Case#:NW

58752 Date: 04-444144

v9.1

NW 68262 Docld:32289155 Page 1

2

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## Page 2

..к.ж.

FD-263 (Rev

5-1-59)

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

REPORTING OFFICE

SAN FRANCISCO

TITLE OF CASE

OFFICE OF ORIGIN

NEW YORK

LA CAUSA NOSTRA

SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION

DATE

5/31/63

REPORT MADE BY

BRYON C. WHEELER

CHARACTER OF CASE

AR - CONSPIRACY

INVESTIGATIVE PERIOD

12/17/62 to 5/24/63

TYPED BY

jes

REFERENCE: Report of SA BRYON C. WHEELER at San Francisco

dated 12/17/62.

Report of SA JAMES P. FLYNN at New York dated

1/31/63.

San

Francisco letters to New York 1/23/63 and

2/4/63.

~ P-

ENCLOSURES: TO THE BUREAU:

Two copies of the letterhead

memorandum setting' forth

characterization of Informants.

TO NEW YORK:

Two copies of the letterhead

memorandum setting forth char-

acterization of informants.

APPROVED

Сонерий

SPECIAL AGENT

IN CHARGE

COPIES MADE: 3-Bureau (9P-6054) (Encl.-2)

2-New

York

7-San

(92-2300) (Encl.-2)

Francisco

2

-

92-593

92-123

92-124

137-2571

1

1

-

137-1336

-

92-41

COPIES DEStROYED:

10 MAR 29 1965

Dissemination Record of Attached Report

• Agency

'* Request Recd.

• Date Fwd.

cope

92÷

DO NOT WRITE IN SPACES BELOW

605%=

275

REC- 72

# 'JUN

5

1963

, Not

ST

Празву

?2.1967

NW 68262 Docld:32289155 Page 2

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## Page 3

SF 92-593

BCW : es

ADMINISTRATIVE DATA

calit.

Informants have advised that members of La Causa

Nostra in San Jose

instructed by JOSEPH TERRITO

and the San Francisco Bay area have been

"Don" of the San Jose group,

to contact one another las little as possible owing to the

current investigations by the Fal

,IRs and INS of the members.

INFORMANTS:

Joeterrito

Identity of

Date

By whom

File Where Located

Informant

SF T-1 Is

SF 2550-C-TE

SF T-2 15

SF 2354-C-TE

- 11/5/62

SA HAROLD V. CATES 92-593-147

1/7/63

SA ROY L. ERICKSON

92-593-109

10/26/62 SA HAROLD V. CATES 92-593-147

12/28/62 SA ROY L. ERICKSON

92-593-97

11/19/62 SA CHARLES J.

92-41B-257

PRELSNIK

3/20 and

4/22/63

SA CHARLES J.

PRELSNIK

SF I-4 1s

SF 2405-0*

11/9/62

11/19/62

3/6/63

SF T-8 15

10/25/62 SA HERBERT K.

JAMES E. PRISIN-ZANO,

MUDD, JR.

PCI and cousin of

JAMES LANZA

SE T-9 1s

SF 2345-C-TE.

two T symbols

used to cover the

informant better)

2/4/63

SA CHARLES J.

PRELSNIK

92-41B-268

92-41B-256

92-41B-257

92-41B-266

92-593-147

92-593-131

Cover Page

• B

NW 68262 Docld:32289155 Page 3

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## Page 4

92-593

BOW: eS

SE T-1 furnished the following Information on

January 7, 1963, and on previous contacts, concerning the

Italian-Sicilian organization (La Causa Nostra) of which he

allegedly 1s a member at San Jose, California, and has been

for several years:

origin

The organization to which SE I-l belongs was ex-

plained to him as being an old organization started by people

of Sicily to protect themselves from land barons and others

of autocratic rule. When these people came to this country,

they naturally remained closely knit and continued their

specific organization in this country to make money.

Structure

SF T-1 stated that the group to which he belongs is

nationally organized.

He has received no information indicating

that 1t is controlled by or affiliated with any similar or-

ganization in sicily. He has asked JOHN MISURACA, during the

time he was being indoctrinated, whether this organization

the "Mafia"

that they do not use

and MISURACA told him it was.

He was told

this term now but use the term "Cosa

Nostra

', which means "Our Thing". The informant does not

seem to pronounce. the letter "R" In Nost(r)a and indicates that

the use of the letter "R" in pronunciation is used more among

main-land Italians than Sicilians. He stated he has not heard

this organization called La Causa Nost (r)a.

The informant advised

that the smallest organized

unit to his understanding is a "Circle." When the informant

entered, he was Initiated with two others, ALEX CAMARATA and

PETE MISURACA. The informant and ALEX CAMARATA were assigned

to a "Circle"

having ANGELO MARINO as the head, while PETE

MISURACA was assigned to a "Circle" having MANNY FIGLIA as the

head, or Capo.

The informant advised that the basic group in the

lower organization next to a "Circle" is called the Nost (r)a

1s a "Group" headed by one

This "Group" is frequently called a

"Family," and may be the same as a "Circle."

The Nost (r)a Brigada may be comprised of several

4

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## Page 5

SE 92-593

BOW:es

Initiation and Oath

sE I-I recalled that when he was about to enter

"the organization", JOHN MISURACA called him to see him at

the home of ALEX CAMARATA. At that time, MISURACA explained

to him how he entered the

organization.

He told him that

someone would take a needle and draw blood from a finger.

He stated that anything could happen and that someone might

create an incident to see how he would react.

He recalled

someone saying that they might even throw a gun to him to see

what he would do. The informant talked over these matters

subsequently with ALEX CAMARATA and PETE MISURACA who were

also entering the organization and who seemd to know more of

what was going on than the informant.

When they were actually taken into the organization,

they went to the cheese factory in San Jose.

There were

several members from the San Jose area as well as from the

Modesto area.

The informant, ALEX CAMARATA and PETE MISURACA

remained outside and were taken in one at a time for their

initiation. This was in 1956.

The Initiation consisted of words delivered to the

Informant by two different people, to his recollection. He

stated these people were MANNY FIGLIA and CHARLIE CARBONE.

They were hard to understand. They did not explain the

organization at that time but the details came out from these

two as well as several others a little at a time over the

succeeding years.

At the instiation, he was told that whoever "pinches"

him would be his godfather. JOE CUSENZA turned out to be the

godfather of the informant. The Informant had never met this

individual before.

During the procedings, a picture of a saint was

burned. Those giving

the statements to him would read or

utter a sentence and require him to repeat it.

He recalled

the word baptised being used.

He recalled that the words

included statements to the effect that they were never to

contact law enforcement officials personally or otherwise,

that they were to have nothing to do with such a man, regardless

of consequence, that they would uphold the organization over

everythirgelse, and would do all in their power for the

organization.

6

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SF

92-593

BCW : es

He recalled them also saying that the organization

would do all possible for the "Family," and that no member

could take action against another member without the okay of

the "Council."

The proceeding was similar to the reading in a

wedding ceremony in that a sentence would be stated and the

person initiated

The climax of

the ceremony was the pricking of a finger by the godfather

using a needle or a knife.

Discipline

Immediately after entry into the organization, the

Informant learned that the person they should go to at all

times was the "Capo." They were told never to go above him

without his approval. This directive has since been changed

and they now can go to higher authority without seeing their

"Capo" first.

He did

not recall any suggestions or orders

to use other

than their true names. He himself used the name

AL COSTA on a trip to Reno but did not know the reason for

this.

He learned that a "Don" could not go back east unless

he got the permission of BONANNO, which makes him believe that

the headquarters of this organization would be in the east.

Since the original orders of never cooperating with the law

enforcement officials, a change has been instituted allowing

them to talk to law enforcement agents where practical.

have been told that

"make their own law."

than even though

They

even though this can be done, they still

When the informant was taken in, It was explained

that he may be called upon to commit crime. It was further

explained that he would be told why a crime must be committed

and assured of the complete backing of the organization.

the initiation itself is an oath, and the final thing stated

Is words to the effect that the person initiated can never

leave the organization except through death.

He has been

told that although the organization may order them to commit

crime, they cannot commit crime on their own without the

approval of the organization. Each member is often called a

"Soldato"

, meaning "Soldier"

, within the organization.

Dues

When he first came in, he learned that they were

expected to give $5 per month to the organization. This was

7

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## Page 7

92-593

BCW: es

dropped two years ago.

He himself was not reguired to give

often because no one told him to whom to give his money.

He

has been told that contributions originally depended upon the

and ROSE CAMARATA recently told him that her

meeting.

When he was told that he could even be called upon

to commit a crime but could never commit a crime without the

okay of the organization, he was also told that they should

try to do good work and that if any crimes were committed, they

were expected to pay 10 per cent of any "take" to the

organization.

Records

The informant advised that he has never heard or

seen any indication that records for this organization are

maintained.

He has never seen any written instructions

and has heard that they should never keep notes or things

such as phone numbers

or addresses on their person since

these could be picked up and used against them.

He has never seen any such thing as an insignia for

the organization. The only introduction he has heard that

would specifically mean that the person being introduced as

a member is by introducing the person as a "friend of ours"

or "amigo Nost (r)a. "

Attitude Toward United States Government

SF T-I advised he has never heard any member say

anything about service in the armed forces, holding one

country above another, or any organization above the organi-

zation in this country located elsewhere.

that he feels could refer to any such thing of this nature 1s

the statement that they would pledge themselves to uphold

y roule preten

The only thing

this organization over everything.

ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP

on October 26, 1962, SF I-l advised that the Mayor

of Palermo, Italy, had recently been a house guest at the home

OÎ SALVATORE MARINO, former "capo" of La

Causa Nostra in

San Jose, California. According to SF T-1, ANGELO MARINO 1s

reported to have made the statement to other members of

"the organization" in San Jose, California, that the Mayor of

8

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