Originator: FBI
From: NY
To: HQ
Document date: 11/12/59
Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

JFK Assassination System

Identification Form

Agency Information

Date:

6/2/2015

AGENCY: FBI

RECORD NUMBER :

124-90100-10308

RECORD SERIES: HQ

AGENCY FILE NUMBER: 52-72398-227

Document Information

ORIGINATOR : FBI

FROM: NY

TO: HQ

TITLE :

DATE: 11/12/1959

PAGES:

14

SUBJECTS :

WILLIAM ROBERT PLUMLEE

JOSEPH RAYMOND MEROLA

DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION : Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS :

4

CURRENT STATUS : Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 07/29/1998

OPENING CRITERIA: APPROVAL OF ATF

COMMENTS : RPT

v9.1

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NY 52-5814

Copies Continued

5 - Pittsburgh: (52-1687) (INFO)

- USA, FAIRMONT, West Virginia)

Administrative Continuea

soon as he does so, he will be advised by his office to

contact the NYO.

beater, 2o2 pie sea Avenue

Information furnished by A & TT, New

York City, on 8/5/59, revealed that ARNOLD RAYBER, Gun

Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, an As

TT informant contacted SI RUDOLPH KALES, A & IT On 9/25/58,

and advised that he had been requested by a representative

of the Cuban Revolutionary Leader, JOSE ALEMAN to meet

with JOSEPH MEROLA. RAYBER thereafter met with MEROLA

and two Cubans in an apartment in the vicinity of 138th

Street and Riverside Drive, New York, New York, at which

time, MEROLA stated he was

associated with JOSE ALEMAN

and that he was interested in purchasing a large quantity

anticipated gambling concession in Cuba from the new gov-

ernment.

MEROLA mentioned to RAYBER that he was one of

the financiers of the vessel Harpoon, which had been seized

in Miami and was also one of the men responsible for the

Lilly Belle, a vessel allegedly engaged in illicit arms

transfers between Miami and Cuba.

on 10/6/58, RAYBER advised KALES that MEROLA

had been in Canada and Miami the previous week supposedly

in connection with.

the procurement arms.

MEROLA requested

RAYBER to accumulate arms for him but would temporarily

postpone any purchase of arms since Miami was then filled

with FBI Agents looking for stolen arms.

_ B-

ATT

COVER PAGE

REVIEWED BY SENJFK TASK FORCE

Or: 515/98 cat

LO ME CASE IN FULL

*ACLEASE IN PART

O TOTAL DENIAL /

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NY 52-5814

on 8/10/59, RAYBER advised SA ROBERT W. KENNEDY

that about one month

after MEROLA contacted him he was

contacted by CHARLES COLLE,

Gun Dealer, Millville Ordnance

Co., Union, New Jersey, who

said he knew where a lot of

M - 1 Rifles could be bought, describing the rifles as

hot stuff, part of the loot lifted from the armory in

Ohio, and

that the one who had the guns wanted to get

rid of them.

COLLE said it would be necessary to meet

the seller in Washington, DO, and from there go to where

the guns were stored.

RAYBER did not know where the

guns in question were stored.

on 8/21/59, RAYBER advised SA ROBERT W. KENNEDY

that he had been doing legitimate business with a person

whose identity he steadfastly refused to disclose, and

In the course of dealing with this person, RAYBER

told

him he was interested in obtaining M - 1 Rifles.

There-

arter, RAYBER's source said he knew where a number of

M - 1 Rifles could be purchased for about $50.00 each,

whereupon RAYBER suggested to his

these weapons were stolen property. RAYBER said that

after this was

suggested, the source seemed to lose inter-

est in the deal.

RAYBER described his source as a thoroughly

honest person whom he has found to be reliable and one

who would hesitate to become involved in anything illegal.

According to RAYBER he thereafter pressured the

source regarding the guns and learned that the guns were

Located in Pennsylvania, the actual location of which

the source would not divulge. The source advised RAYBER

that he learned that the guns were stolen Government

property and agreed that the 100t could have originated

from the armory at Canton,

Ohio.

He told RAYBER that

the person who had the guns received them from the person

who stole them.

The source told RAYBER that he had

seen about 50 or

60 Garand M - 1 Rifles, 3 Thompson

Submachine Guns, a large quantity of ammunition, ana two

flame throwers.

All the arms looked like new equipment

and were in excellent condition.

-C-

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NY 52-5814

On 8/19/59, RAYBER advised that he learned from

his source that the person in possession of the arms was

quite upset and worried because of the arrest of 2 unidenti-

fied persons who were arrested in Pennsylvania for posses-

sion of stolen Government property. According to RAYBER'S

source one of the persons arrested works in a quarry

with the person in possession of the arms.

RAYBER did

not learn any further details concerning

the arrest and

advised that with the conversation with the source, it

appeared that at least one of the arrested persons 1s

involved In possession of the arms.

Philadelphia airtel to Pittsburgh dated 9/24/59,

advised that an extensive review of the indices and files

the Philadelphia Division failed to reflect any arrests

in Philadelphia which fit the facts as furnished by RAYBER,

regarding the aforementioned arrests.

Pittsburgh airtel to Bureau dated 9/22/59,

advised that Pittsburgh had not made any recent arrests

in the GP catagory concerning possession of weapons des-

cribed by RAYBER's source of information.

on 10/3/59, GUILLERMO JORGENSEN waS arreste

0y NYCPD for possession of firearms including a 45 Auto-

matic model 1911, US Army Serial Number 274158. JORGENSON

admitted obtaining the guns from ARNOLD RAYBER, WhiCh

saLe RAYBER has denied.. The sale has been verified by

JOHN WARREN, a clerk employeed by RAYBER and RAYBER and

his business associate GEORGE DE MEO were arrested by

NYCPD for selling firearms.

The National Stolen Property

File did not contain any record concerning the 45 Automatic.

RAYBER waS

formerly a PCI of the NYO, but was

closed out in view

of the fact that he was unable to make

recovery of certain stolen bonds as he had indicated that

he would.

-D -

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NY 52-5814

SI RUDOLFH KALES has advised that RAYBER has

been a valuable source to his office but he considers

him a self-serving individual who will do or say any-

thing for his own interests.

Contact has been maintained

with RAYBER concerning the information furnished to him

by his source and RAYBER has advised that he has not

heard from the source since 8/19/59.

When interviewed on 9/25/59, JOHN MICHAEL

FRANCIS SHEA advised that he had recently heard that

STANLEY TRAUB was back in New York. SHEA stated he

met TRAUB in Havana,

Cuba after the revolution and that

TRAUB was attempting to sell some 1957 Fords, which were

on the docks. TRAUB indicated to SHEA at this time

that he had used the cars to run guns to Havana from

New York, and now wanted to dispose of them.

When Interviewed on 10/19/59, STANLEY TRAUB

admitted that he had recently been arrested by Detective

HERZ, 60th Squad, NYCPD, on a complaint made by EDITH

GROSSMAN of Brooklyn, New York, charging that TRAUB

took $2,000.00 or $3,000.00 belonging to her. TRAUB

explained that about a year ago he lived with GROSS and

he borrowed $2,000.00 from her for which he gave his

personal note payable 10/25/59. TRAUB stated he presently

is out on bail on this charge, has retained an attorney,

and feels certain that charge

will be dropped.

TRAUB

advised that he recently married a Cuban girl who will

immigrate to the US shortly.

A copy oI this report is designated for Pitts-

burgh for information purposes, because of the extensive

investigation being conducted by Pittsburgh.

LEADS:

MIAMI

At Miami, Florida

Will exhibit photograph of SAM MANNARINO* to

E

COVER

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