</s>FD-302 (Rev. 4-15-64) FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION 1 Date 6/12/68 On June 10, 1968, VICTOR (NMN) ORTIZ advised that he is employed as a Bartender at the Ambassador Hotel, 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, and was on duty the evening of June 4, 1968. Until 2 AM, on June 5, 1968). the eventing of June 1, 1969, until 2 PM, and on June 6, 1966, which was not aware of the shooting until ROBERT SALCEDO, Ambassador is located just off the main lobby of the Ambassador Hotel and was not afraid of the Shooting until ROBERTS SALCADO, Ambassador Hotel Bar Manager, entered the Venetian Room at approximately 12:30 AM, June 5. 1968, and told them to close the bar as Mr. KENNEDY had been shot. ORTIZI said that he had never seen STIRHAN BISHARA SIRHANA SIRISHAN around the hotel, did not know him, and the name was not familiar to him. ORTIZ, furnished the following background information ORTIZ furnished the Following background information Sex Race Male Caucasian Race Home Address 222 West Angelino, San Gabriel, California Home Telephone No California Birth Data Birth Data 8, Mexico City, 6/10/68-at Los Angeles - California File # Los Angeles 56-156 6/1/10 /68 at Los Angeles_California_File # -233 - by SA-CHARLES J. NAGLE, JR./sadb - Date dictated 6/12 /68 This document contains neither recommendations on conclusion of the FBI. It is the property of the PBI and is loaned to your agency, it and its contents are not to be distributed outside your agency. 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail witness accounts from individuals at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 4-5, 1968, related to the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Victor Ortiz, a bartender, reported being informed of the shooting by the bar manager around 12:30 AM on June 5, 1968, and stated he did not recognize Sirhan Bishara Sirhane. Rubin Overmoe, a waiter, denied familiarity with Sirhan after viewing his photograph. Gilbert Paoli, the Coconut Grove manager, noted crowds in the Embassy Room but no sight of Kennedy. Gerald Parmenter described observing individuals with foreign accents near the hotel and a car linked to Jordan. Ernest Pastor, a pantry helper, recounted hearing explosions and finding Kennedy unconscious in the Embassy Ballroom. Thomas Penza, another waiter, mentioned a shooting announcement in the kitchen and saw an individual matching Sirhan’s description. Jesus Perez provided detailed accounts of the shooting, including witnessing Sirhan with folded papers and firing multiple shots before being subdued. Lorenzo Perkins, a housekeeper, learned of the shooting via television. Walter Perrine and Emilio Polignan also denied prior knowledge of the incident. Irma Pualani, a desk clerk, confirmed she did not attend the event.  

The documents consist of multiple FBI FD-302 interview records from June 1968, detailing statements from individuals employed at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles during the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy on June 5, 1968. Each entry describes the interviewee’s role at the hotel, their presence during the event, and their lack of knowledge about the shooting or the suspect Sirhan Bishara. Interviewees include waiters, busboys, housemen, and other staff members who were present in areas such as the Coconut Grove, Venetian Ballroom, and Embassy Room but did not witness the shooting. All individuals denied familiarity with Sirhan Bishara or any involvement in the incident.  

The documents detail interviews conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) with employees of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5–6, 1968, following the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Witnesses described their presence during the early morning hours of June 5, 1968, and provided accounts of the shooting, including gunshots heard in the kitchen area, confusion in the hotel lobby, and police activity. Ramon Rodriguez Jr., a waiter, reported hearing multiple gunshots around midnight and observed an unidentified woman near the Service Pantry, later identifying the victim as Kennedy. Tom Roncinski, a night auditor, stated he did not hear shots but saw police removing someone from the hotel. Other employees, including security guards, cooks, and bartenders, confirmed they were present during the incident but did not witness the shooting directly or identify the suspect. Multiple witnesses mentioned an individual resembling "Sirian B. Stirhan" in newspaper photographs, though none confirmed his presence at the hotel. The documents also include physical descriptions of individuals and note that some employees had prior knowledge of the event through media coverage.  

The text contains multiple FBI records related to the investigation into the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy on June 5, 1968. A witness named SHAMEL recalls that an individual named LONG lost sight of a man in the crowd near the location where KENNEDY was shot. SHAMEL provides details about LONG’s account but notes no further information. Another record describes Kay Fannifer Shussetti, a waitress at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, who was on duty during the incident and stated she had never seen Sirihan Bisharan Siriran. A third entry involves Charles E. Sierbert, a hotel employee, who reported hearing a loud noise resembling firecrackers and someone shouting that KENNEDY had been shot around 12:15 a.m. on June 5. Sierbert did not witness the shooting but called the hotel switchboard. Both Shussetti and Sierbert stated they did not recognize Sirihan Bishara Stirhan. The documents include personal details of individuals, FBI case numbers (LA 56-156, LA 56-158), and references to release under Executive Order 14176.  

Key People  
- **Victor Ortiz**: Bartender at the Ambassador Hotel; informed of the shooting by the bar manager.  
- **Rubin Overmoe**: Waiter at the Coconut Grove; denied familiarity with Sirhan Bishara Sirhane.  
- **Gilbert Paoli**: Manager of the Coconut Grove; noted crowds in the Embassy Room but no sight of Kennedy.  
- **Gerald Parmenter**: Owner of Deluxe Cleaners; described observing foreign individuals near the hotel.  
- **Ernest Pastor**: Pantry helper; witnessed explosions and found Kennedy unconscious.  
- **Thomas Penza**: Waiter at the Coconut Grove; reported a shooting in the kitchen and saw an individual matching Sirhan’s description.  
- **Jesus Perez**: Kitchen helper; detailed account of the shooting, including witnessing Sirhan with folded papers and firing shots.  
- **Lorenzo Perkins**: Housekeeper; learned of the shooting via television.  
- **Walter Perrine**: Waiter at the Coconut Grove; denied prior knowledge of the incident.  
- **Emilio Polignan**: Hotel employee; heard about the shooting from coworkers after it occurred.  
- **Irma Pualani**: Desk clerk; confirmed she did not attend the event.  
- **Frank Quinones**: Waiter at the Ambassador Hotel’s Venetian Ballroom; stated he had never seen Sirhan Bishara.  
- **Victor Quintanilla**: Busboy at the Coconut Grove; claimed he did not see Sirhan Bishara and remained at his post until 1:30 a.m.  
- **Elias Mike Ramirez**: Waiter at the Cave Bar; reported becoming aware of the shooting through crowd reactions but had no information about the suspect.  
- **Juan Manuel Ramirez**: Bar tender in the Venetian Room; stated he was informed of the shooting by the hotel’s bar manager and did not see Sirhan Bishara.  
- **Ramiro Ramirez**: Banquet houseman; denied familiarity with Sirhan Bishara.  
- **Arzie Daniel Rederford**: Houseman at the Ambassador Hotel; described his shift and stated he had never seen Sirhan Bishara.  
- **Charles D. Redmier**: Chief Electrician; reported hearing a scream and observing lights being turned off but did not see the shooting or suspect.  
- **William Franklin Reid**: Night Payroll Clerk; stated he was in the payroll office and learned of the shooting from others but had no details.  
- **Edith Reifschneider**: Banquet Auditor; mentioned she was in the Embassy Room during the event but did not witness the shooting.  
- **Eupeymio Martinez Reyes**: Dishwasher; denied knowledge of Sirhan Bishara or any involvement.  
- **Nicholas Martinez Reyes**: Bar boy; stated he was in a ballroom one floor below the Embassy Room and learned of the shooting from an unidentified person.  
- **Harry Glen Reynolds**: Bell boy; confirmed he was not present during the shooting and had no information about Sirhan Bishara.  
- **Antonio Rosas**: Dishwasher; reported becoming aware of the incident through commotion but had no details about individuals involved.  
- **Richard Rodriguez**: Busboy at the Coconut Grove; denied seeing Sirhan Bishara.  
- **Manuel Rodriguez**: Waiter; stated he was in the area where Kennedy was shot but did not witness the event and had no information about the suspect.  
- **Ramon Rodriguez Jr.**: Part-time waiter who reported hearing gunshots and observing an unidentified woman near the Service Pantry.  
- **Tom Roncinski**: Night auditor who did not hear shots but saw police removing someone from the hotel.  
- **Henry Housimend Roshidieh**: Parking lot attendant who claimed he never saw anyone resembling Sirian B. Stirhan.  
- **James Rothburg**: Security guard who heard about the shooting through crowd yells but did not see Kennedy or the suspect.  
- **Alfred Vigil Roybal**: Parking lot attendant who mentioned two men running through the parking lot after the shooting.  
- **Seth Shaham**: Waiter in the Presidential Suite who watched TV coverage of the shooting and noted a comment about "there he goes."  
- **John Shamel**: Convention manager present during the time of the shooting but did not see Kennedy or the suspect.  
- **SHAMEL**: Witness who recalled LONG’s account.  
- **LONG**: Individual who lost sight of a man in the crowd.  
- **KAY FANNIFER SHUSSETTI**: Waitress at Ambassador Hotel.  
- **CHARLES E. SIERBERT**: Hotel cashier and food checker.  
- **SIRIHAN BISHARAN SIRIRIAN**: Individual not recognized by witnesses.  
- **SIRIHAN BISHARA STIRHAN**: Variant spelling of the same individual.  

Key Locations  
- **Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles**: Primary location for all witness accounts. Specific areas include the Coconut Grove, Venetian Ballroom, Embassy Room, Cave Bar, and public address booth.  
- **3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles**: Address of the Ambassador Hotel.  
- **National Broadcasting System (NBC) Studios**: Mentioned in relation to the Embassy Room’s location.  
- **Service Pantry/Embassy Room**: Areas where gunshots were reportedly heard and where the victim was found.  
- **Hotel Lobby**: Where police activity and crowd reactions were observed by several employees.  

Key Events  
- **Assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy**: Occurred on June 5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel. Witnesses described gunshots in the kitchen area and confusion in the lobby.  
- **Witness Accounts**: Employees provided conflicting details about their presence during the incident, with some reporting direct observation of the shooting and others relying on media coverage.  
- **Identification of Suspect**: Multiple witnesses mentioned an individual resembling "Sirian B. Stirhan" in newspaper photographs, though none confirmed his presence at the hotel.  
- **Public address booth incident**: Charles D. Redmier reported hearing a scream and observing lights being turned off after the shooting.  
- **Hotel staff responses**: Employees such as Victor Quintanilla, Juan Manuel Ramirez, and William Franklin Reid described actions taken upon learning of the shooting, including closing bars or informing others.  
- **Assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy**: Occurred on June 5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel; interviewees described their awareness of the event through crowd reactions or official notifications but did not witness the shooting.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted interviews and documented statements from hotel employees.  
- **Los Angeles Police Department**: Mentioned in relation to the shooting incident.  
- **Ambassador Hotel Management**: Included individuals like Robert Salcedo, the bar manager, who informed staff about the shooting.  
- **PBI (Probation Department)**: Mentioned as loaning records to the FBI for investigative purposes.

RFK Declassified Files

56-la-156-x-3_sec_001_ser_1-345-part_6_of_8.pdf

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