1960s Top Echelon Informant targets

[B.]

In the 1960s the Top Echelon Informant program identified the following individuals as potential sources they could cultivate, by FBI office:

Chicago:
- Louis Kanne
- Henry Susk

Detroit:
- Richard Zalmanowski
- John J. White

Kansas City:
- Alex Presta
- Phillip Simone

Las Vegas:
- George Gordon
- Eugene Richard Warner
- Lou Ledderer

Los Angeles:
- John Battaglia
- Alfonso Rocco Pizzichino

Miami:
- Norman Rothman

Newark:
- Pasquale Massi
- Salvatore Paci

New York:
- Mike Scandifia
- Max Courtney

Philadelphia:
- Felix DeTullio
- Antonino Pollina

Pittsburgh:
- Arthur G. Nelson
- Frank Valente

San Francisco:
- Aladena T. Fratianno

I'm not sure who the guys are in some of these cities, but some of the guys I know were targeted for obvious reasons, like Massi and Pollina. Not sure why DeTullio would be included, though. I have to assume some of these may be based on info we're not familiar with -- maybe some of them were in situations we're not aware of or may have showed a willingness to give bits of information in the past.

Interesting Fratianno is included, too, as he did become a witness.

[Villain]

Louis Lederer was one of Chicago's guys in Vegas.

[tmarotta]

Thanks for posting this B. The fact that Frank Valenti is on this list is surprising in one sense but not so much in another. Although he did do some time, he did not do nearly as much as some of the other guys in Rochester. Maybe he was an informant? Food for thought.

[Dwalin2014]

Thanks for posting this B. The fact that Frank Valenti is on this list is surprising in one sense but not so much in another. Although he did do some time, he did not do nearly as much as some of the other guys in Rochester. Maybe he was an informant? Food for thought.

Frank did time for extortion, although not much, but Stanley Valenti on the other hand didn't do any time at all I think; he was an active participant in those so-called A-team vs B-team wars, and was the only one who never went to jail, continuing to say for many years "I am ill" and the delay of the trial was always granted. That's even more suspicious than Frank, but then he was his brother, maybe they were both in it?

[UTC]

I'd love to know how Frattiano got a name which is the feminine singular of the Basque word for bordering or adjoining.

[Pogo The Clown]

In his book he said he didn't like his name because it sounded like a "broads name".


Pogo

[B.]

Anyone have any thoughts for why some of these guys may have been targeted?

Like I said above, I'm drawing a blank with DeTullio. I know that despite his reputation as a killer, I've read in FBI reports that he was a gentleman to LE so maybe that was a factor. Also, because of his reputation as a killer he might seem like an unlikely target in this, but from what we know it tends to be some of the more violent guys who end up informing/becoming witnesses. DeTullio could also have given some kind of info in the past or otherwise had some other potential incentive to cooperate that was never disclosed.

Pollina was nearly killed and lost his status in the organization. Pretty obvious.

Pasquale Massi didn't have the "encounter" with the boy in Hot Springs until a few years later, so not sure why he was targeted at this point. He was having some legal issues and was spending time in Italy, in turn having legal issues in Italy, so maybe that was a factor.

I believe by this time they had recorded Mike Scandifia discussing the Santantonio hit (though it was not admissible) and had a lot of other information on him, so that could be why he was included.

John Battaglia was Bonanno member Charles Battaglia's brother, right? If Magaddino is to be interpreted right, it sounds like there was an affair between Charles' wife and his brother. There were also all kinds of other issues with Charles Battaglia a short time after that. Maybe someone more knowledgeable with LA has more info on issues involving the Battaglias.

[Snakes]

Kanne and Susk were semi-legitimate guys that associated with some of the Outfit's leadership. Kanne worked in real estate and beer sales while Susk had one or more automobile dealerships. Considering the Outfit has always been notoriously difficult to gather inside information on, it was probably the best they could do at that point.

[Villain]

Susk had one or more automobile dealerships.

Susk was very close with Gus Alex, including business relations. In fact, Susk's son was married with the daughter of Louie Arger, Alex's right-hand man, and their wedding was a real Mob gathering. So my point is that Susk might've been a good bet for the feds since Alex was considered a top echelon criminal at the time.

[Stroccos]

George Gordon was the bagman for the las vegas skim from the desert inn , he give the cash to Giancona and scalish . He also was A gobwteen for chicago/cleveland with detroit.

Lou Ledderer was one of the original of the sands casino when it opened in the early 50's I believe he worked with GIancona on opening casinos in the carribeaon or some other country.

[sdeitche]

Norman Rothman was very well connected in Miami and pre-Castro Cuba. He had ties to the Mannarinos, Trafficante, Peanuts Tronolone and a host of low level wiseguys in North Bay Village and Miami Beach.

[tmarotta]

Philip Simone owned a trucking company and had close ties with Teamsters President Roy Williams, Allen Dorfman, and Kansas City Boss Nick Civella.

Alex Presta was a politician in the north end of Kansas City with ties to Nick Civella.

[Adam]

Detroit:
- Richard Zalmanowski
- John J. White

Very interesting. I'm assuming John J. White was the owner of the Gotham Hotel which was pretty famous in Detroit. He was a big numbers guy but died in 1964. Zalmanowski was also a numbers guy. He got busted with Vito Giacalone and Elias Rip Koury and others in the 1970s in a big numbers operation. Vito got acquitted but they were convicted. I believe he was listed as the person who was suspected taking over the Detroit mob's numbers operations for the older Koury. But I don't have anything on Zalmanowski after he was convicted in that case in 1977.

Adam R.

[B.]

Thanks for the added info, everyone.

In my opinion the FBI's choice of targets does say something about the organizations they were associated with. They may have been focusing on member sources in Philly for example because they already had successfully flipped three members of that family... whereas they may have gone after non-Italian associates in cities where they had more difficulty penetrating the family.