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Ilya Mamantov

Ilya Mamantov was born in Russia in 1914. When he was seven years old his family moved to Latvia. He later studied geology at the University of Latvia. In 1938 he married Dorothy Gravitis and continued to live in Riga during the Second World War.

In 1944 Mamantov retreated with the German Army and was captured by the United States Army in Peissenberg in Bavaria and was confined to a displaced persons camp near Guenzburg.

Mamantov emigrated to the United States and in 1951 he found work as a production scheduler at the Lion Match Company in New York City. The following year he was employed as a seismologist by the Donnally Geophysical Company in Dallas.

Mamantov also worked in Roswell, New Mexico, Snyder, Texas and Forest, Mississippi, before being employed by the Sun Oil Company in September 1955. He now returned to Dallas where he purchased a home at 6911 East Mockingbird. Around this time he got to know Jack Alston Crichton.

Mamantov became a member of the Republican Party, according to Russ Baker, the author of Family of Secrets, he was "a vociferous anti-Communist who frequently lectured in Dallas on the dangers of the Red menace." George Michael Evica argues that "Mamantov and Crichton shared a right-wing orientation centered in the Republican Party".

On 22nd November 1963, President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated in Dallas. Jack Alston Crichton arranged for Mamantov to work for the Dallas Police Department as a translator for Russian-born Marina Oswald. He translated for Oswald during her initial questioning by the Dallas authorities in the hours immediately after her husband Lee Harvey Oswald had been arrested.

Walt Brown argues in Treachery in Dallas (1995) that Mamantov was "contracted to serve as translator by Jack Crichton of army intelligence and was then called a second time in quick order by the police, and subsequently picked up and driven to police headquarters in a Dallas police squad car, strongly suggestive of a police-intelligence linkup."

Russ Baker claims that these "were far from literal translations of her Russian words and had the effect of implicating her husband in Kennedy's death." George Michael Evica argues in A Certain Arrogance (2006) that Mamantov knew James Herbert Martin, an associate of Jack Ruby.

 


(1) The testimony of Ilya A. Mamantov was taken by Albert E. Jenner on March 23, 1964.

Mr. MAMANTOV. No; we got to Seminole--one more place I went from there. No; two more places--I went from Seminole to Snyder, Tex., and from Snyder, Tex., I went for 3 weeks to Forest, Miss., and at that time I quit the company and got my job with Sun Oil Co. here in Dallas.

Mr. JENNER With Sun?

Mr. MAMANTOV. Right; and purchased our home at 6911 East Mockingbird in October, the 1st of October 1955.

Mr. JENNER. Now, what is your facility in the command of the Russian language, with particular reference to--did you or have you done any teaching of the language?

Mr. MAMANTOV. Yes; I am teaching since 1960 here in the Dallas area. I taught scientific research to some men, of a research personnel in 1960-1961. And, I taught in the Austin College in Sherman from--it was the fall of, yes, it was fall of 1961 and 1962 No--1962 and 1963. Now, I am teaching at SMU or Dallas College, to be specific, of SMU.

Mr. JENNER. Have you done any interpreting or translating?

Mr. MAMANTOV. Yes, sir; for the American Geophysical Union, quite extensively in 1959, 1960, and 1961, and I think--yes--1961 I finished.

Mr. JENNER. And have you also done any interpreting or translating for any law enforcement agencies?

Mr. MAMANTOV. Here in the States?

Mr. JENNER. Yes.

Mr. MAMANTOV. Let me think a little--no, I don't remember. I have translated minor papers, you see, like Soviet Union's marriage certificates and birth certificates for our local courts connected with divorces, and I might be of a help to a group of Latvians, people here in town, when they received their citizenship, so much, but this is the first time for the police department.

Mr. JENNER. All right. I'll get to that. Have you ever been called upon by either any agency of the Government of the United States or of the State of Texas or the City of Dallas to do any interpreting or translating?

Mr. MAMANTOV. Yes, I was called by the police force for the City of Dallas around 5 o'clock, November 22.

Mr. JENNER. What year?

Mr. MAMANTOV. Of 1955, on 2 or 3 minutes' notice.

Mr. JENNER. It was 1955 or 1963?

Mr. MAMANTOV. Excuse me, 1963.

Mr. JENNER. I got from what you have said, then, you had no prior notice?

Mr. MAMANTOV. No; sir.

Mr. JENNER. You were called by some official of the city police department?

Mr. MAMANTOV. Yes; I was called by Lt. Lumpkin. I think he's Lieutenant--they call him Chief.

Mr. JENNER. And you repaired then to the Dallas City Police Station?

Mr. MAMANTOV. Excuse me, I was called by somebody else, a couple of minutes ahead of Lumpkin--is it important?

Mr. JENNER. I don't know--you might state what it is.

Mr. MAMANTOV. All right. I was called by Mr. Jack Chrichton, C-h-r-i-c-h-t-o-n (spelling)--I don't know how to spell his name right now, but I guess it is that, but I can find out in a day or two.

Mr. JENNER. And who is he?

Mr. MAMANTOV. He is a petroleum independent operator, and if I'm not mistaken, he is connected with the Army Reserve, Intelligence Service. And, he asked me if I would translate for the police department and then immediately Mr. Lumpkin called me.

 

Breach of Trust

Family of Secrets

 

 

 
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