</s>FD-302 (Rev. 4:15-64) FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION 1 5/1/68 Date GIL MARTIN, Owner, Sultan Room, St. Francis Hotel, 5555 Hollywood Boulevard, was interviewed and furnished the following information: MARTIN stated that RAY PERNANDELLI is unknown to him. He stated that he does not employ anyone by that name he stated that his house was not employed anyone by employ any fry the cookin. He advised that there were no fry cooks employed at the St. Francisco Hotel. 4/27/68 Los Angeles, California Los Angeles 44-1574 On at File # SA THEODORE J. A'HEARN: jmk 5//1-68 by Date dictated This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of the FBI. It is the property of the FBI and is loaned to your agency; it and its contents are not to be distributed outside your agency. 45 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
The documents consist of FBI investigative reports from May 1968 detailing an inquiry into "The Local Swinger," a correspondence club in Los Angeles operated by Ann L. Meyers and James O’Dowd via a P.O. Box in Downey, California. The club sent mailing lists to swingers for $1.00, with additional fees for letters. Eric S. Galt (possibly linked to James Earl Ray) allegedly requested swinger lists and sent coded letters, including one reported as obscene by Patricia Anderson. The FBI investigated potential obscenity violations and mail fraud. Separate reports mention James Earl Ray’s residence at 1535 North Serrano Avenue in Los Angeles from November 1967 to January 1968, his association with the St. Francis Hotel, and interviews with witnesses who reviewed composite drawings of him. A FD-302 form notes John Robert Guerín moving into Apartment 6 at 1555 Serrano Avenue in July 1967 and vacating it October 1967, leaving personal items. The text also references an investigation into James Barl Ray (possibly Eric Starvo Galt) staying at the Hotel Rio and Tropicana in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, from October to November 1967, with discrepancies noted in check-out dates.  

Key People:  
- Ann L. Meyers (operator of "The Local Swinger")  
- James O’Dowd (co-operator of "The Local Swinger")  
- Eric S. Galt (suspect linked to James Earl Ray)  
- James Earl Ray (later accused of assassinating MLK)  
- John Robert Guerín (security officer at 1555 Serrano Avenue)  
- Patricia Anderson (recipient of an obscene letter from Galt)  
- Florence Thompson, Vince Scaduro, Murray Rosman (witnesses at St. Francis Hotel)  
- Diane DiGenova, George Snelling (residents of 1535 Serrano Avenue)  

Key Locations:  
- Downey, California (P.O. Box for "The Local Swinger")  
- Los Angeles, California (1535 North Serrano Avenue, St. Francis Hotel)  
- Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico (Hotel Rio, Tropicana)  
- 1555 Serrano Avenue, Los Angeles, California  

Key Events:  
- Investigation into "The Local Swinger" for obscenity and mail fraud (May 1968)  
- FBI interviews with witnesses at St. Francis Hotel regarding James Earl Ray’s presence  
- John Robert Guerín’s residency at 1555 Serrano Avenue (July–October 1967)  
- Inquiry into James Barl Ray’s hotel stays in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (October–November 1967)  
- Composite drawing identifications and witness interviews for James Earl Ray  

Key Organizations:  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Cort Ford Company (car dealership providing address records for James Earl Ray)

MLK Declassified Files

44-la-1574_742142_004-01-part_2_of_4.pdf

Document Summary

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