Leon
Turrou Biography
by Bertrand Vilain
Bertrand Vilain : Les archives du FBI ont parlé 2020-2023
Leon Turrou: Biography and Chronology
Leon Turrou 1939
Introduction
This chronology draws on numerous documents: FBI files, records from various U.S. government departments, immigration and customs records, transatlantic passenger lists, articles from the American press (particularly The New York Times) and the French press, as well as several books.
The biographical information provided by Turrou himself, particularly regarding his early life, is not always reliable. It should therefore be examined cautiously, neither accepted nor rejected wholesale, and checked against other sources. His sworn statements concerning his marital status in 1920 and 1921 conflict with the date of his marriage recorded in Teresa’s passport.
For 1923, I use the designation “Charly/Turrou”: in this book, I identify Leon Turrou as the American known as “Charly” in the Cadillac affair, based on the documentary evidence presented in my book The Seznec Case: The FBI Files Have Spoken. From 1929 to 1938, Turrou worked for the Bureau of Investigation, which became the FBI in 1935. This period of his career is documented in numerous books, so I have not detailed every episode.
I have also drawn on statements made by John Maragon during a U.S. congressional investigation in 1950. Maragon, who was close to President Truman and to Truman’s military aide, Major General Harry Hawkins Vaughan, had also testified before a Senate committee investigating suspected corruption in the awarding of government contracts and the payment of commissions to intermediaries in 1949. He was subsequently convicted of perjury over his statements about his bank accounts. Each of his assertions must therefore be assessed separately, together with any corroborating evidence.
I have also considered the testimony of Davidowsky, a former friend of Turrou’s. Described as honest and charitable, he ran a bar and restaurant in New York whose patrons were sometimes noisy. The FBI agent who arrived to question him unexpectedly while he was working reported that Davidowsky had drunk several glasses of wine but considered him fit to answer questions. Some of the information he provided can be corroborated by other documents.
This chronology may change as new documentary evidence comes to light.
I understand that presenting controversial aspects of Turrou’s life may displease his descendants. Nevertheless, the focus of this research remains the Seznec case: Guillaume Seznec was convicted in 1924, and his guilt continues to be disputed. This study presents the evidence that leads me to identify Leon Turrou as the American intermediary known as “Charly” in the proposed sale of Cadillacs to Soviet Russia. That identification must be distinguished from the separate question of his possible involvement in the disappearance of Pierre Quéméneur.
1895
September 14: Leon Turovsky is born in Kobryn, in the Russian Empire (the town became part of Poland under the 1921 Treaty of Riga and was incorporated into Soviet Belarus in 1939).
Father: Morris Turovsky, also known as Moishe or Moisei, sometimes described as “Count Turovsky.”
Biological mother: Anna Kouznetsova, according to the information gathered.
Possible stepmother or adoptive mother: Rebecca Turovsky, née Skudin (also identified as Tzilya Sirkin or Rachel), born around 1875 in Minsk.
Brothers or half-brothers mentioned: Yacob Turovsky (1899–1942), Rudolf Turovsky (1900–1935), and Mendel Turovsky (1906–1976).
Turrou claimed that the Turovskys were his adoptive parents. In 1939, he told the French press that his father had been a French chimney sweep, described on different occasions as coming from Auvergne or Alsace. Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones reports that a DNA test revealed partial Jewish ancestry. According to his marriage record, Turrou was Catholic. According to one of Leon’s grandsons, he had two brothers, Rudolf and Joseph, the latter of whom never came to the United States. These accounts differ on the composition of the family.
1900
October 15: Teresa Zakrzewski, Leon Turrou’s future wife, is born in Zahacie (in the Vilna region, then part of the Russian Empire; the territory later became part of Poland).
Teresa’s parents: Anna E. Zakrzewski (1864–1956) and Joseph Zakrzewski. Brother: Józef (Joseph) Zakrzewski (October 25, 1897 – September 20, 1990), who arrived in New York on March 12, 1923.
December 25: Rudolf, believed to be Leon Turrou’s brother, is born in Alexandria, Egypt.
1900–1903
According to Turrou, he attended a Jesuit school in Cairo, possibly the Collège de la Sainte-Famille. His attendance has not been confirmed. Cited source: FBI file, file 1, section 1, p. 271.
1906–1908
Turrou is said to have lived in Berlin, Germany. Cited source: FBI file, file 1, section 1, p. 271.
1908
According to his own account, Turrou was abandoned at age thirteen. Cited source: FBI file, file 1, section 1, p. 271.
1911
According to Turrou, he arrived in the United States aboard the Kronprinzessin Cecilie. He made this statement during an interview with Agent Valjavec; the documents cited do not confirm it.
1912
Turrou is said to have lived in London. Cited source: FBI file, file 1, section 1, p. 271.
1913
March 12: Leon Turrou’s arrival in the United States aboard the SS Bremen from Germany is documented.
1914
October 28: According to his former roommate Mike Jacobehic (or Jacobchik), Turrou was hospitalized at Kings County Hospital under the name Leon Petrov following a suicide attempt.
November 3: The hospital register confirms the admission of a man named Leon Petrov, age 22, who worked as a wallpaper hanger. The contact listed is Michael Yazoubitchion.
1916
According to Davidowsky, Turrou left the United States to travel to Singapore, China, and Russia.
July 13: Rebecca (Leon Turrou’s adoptive mother or stepmother) and Rudolf Turovsky arrive in Seattle aboard the SS Sado Maru, following a voyage through Yokohama and Singapore. Rebecca, age 41, states that she was born in Minsk. An uncle named Skudin lives at 1016 Pitkin Avenue in Brooklyn. Rudolf is sixteen years old.
Turrou would later claim that he had enlisted in the French Foreign Legion and fought on the Eastern Front, where he was wounded twice. He said he met Teresa Zakrzewski while recovering in Paris and received the Croix de Guerre with Palm. The investigations cited, conducted by U.S. and French authorities, did not confirm this account. Moreover, the documents collected indicate that Teresa did not travel to France before 1923. Turrou appears instead to have been in the Far East during this period.
A leg injury is attested in the testimony collected; Turrou attributed it to shrapnel. His possible later service with the White Russian forces remains to be documented.
1917
Turrou works as a translator for the Chinese Eastern Railway. Cited source: FBI file, file 1, section 1, p. 271.
October 19: Leon Turrou marries Teresa Zakrzewski in Vladivostok, Russia, according to Teresa’s passport and an extract from the marriage register. Turrou is Catholic.
1918
June: The couple is staying in Taiga, Siberia, during the Russian Civil War; the region is then under anti-Bolshevik control. The address is recorded in Teresa’s passport.
November 10: Their son Edward Turrou is born in Taiga.
1919
According to the entries in Teresa’s passport, Leon and Teresa Turrou may have stayed in China in 1919–1920.
Around October: Leon Turrou returns alone to the United States from Shanghai, traveling via France.
November 8: He leaves Le Havre aboard the SS La Fayette, bound for New York.
November 17: He arrives in New York aboard the SS La Fayette.
November: Red forces retake Taiga. According to the original chronology, Teresa is there at the time.
December 9: Victor Turrou is born in Taiga, Siberia.
In a 1939 radio appearance, Turrou would recount that in 1918, while his wife remained in Russia and he was in China, the U.S. consulate informed him that everyone in the village where his family lived had been massacred; he said this news prompted his return to the United States. This account must be distinguished from the movements and births documented in the records. It should be emphasized that the account contains implausibilities.
December 13: Rebecca Turovsky, Turrou’s mother or adoptive mother, marries David Marcus in New York.
1920
April 20: In his Declaration of Intention to become a U.S. citizen, Turrou states under oath that he is single, despite the October 19, 1917 marriage recorded in Teresa’s passport.
April 29: Turrou enlists in the U.S. Marine Corps in Washington.
May: He is transferred to the Marine Corps base at Quantico, Virginia.
May 21: Departure for Europe.
June 8: Arrival in Antwerp.
July 1–31: Assignment to the Map Detachment at Saint-Étienne-à-Arnes, in the Ardennes region of France.
September 30: Assignment to Thiaucourt, in Meurthe-et-Moselle, France.
November 22: Embarkation at Antwerp aboard the Pocahontas [ship’s spelling to be checked against the transport list].
December 8: Arrival at the port of Hoboken, New Jersey.
1921
February 7: Turrou signs his naturalization petition, again declaring that he is unmarried. He requests that his name be changed from Leon Turovsky to Leon Turrou.
March 18: First application to the Bureau of Investigation (later the FBI). Reference given: FBI file, file 1, section 3, p. 40/280.
April 7: Turrou is hospitalized.
April 18: The Washington Times publishes an article about an alleged attempt to assassinate René Viviani (1863–1925), a former French prime minister. Turrou reportedly witnessed the incident and attempted to pursue the attackers. The police investigation did not corroborate his account.
April 30: Turrou is hospitalized again at the U.S. Naval Hospital.
May 31: According to the cited document, Turrou is declared unfit or disabled.
June 8: He applies for a passport on medical grounds for a trip to France (No. 62758).
July 5: Passport application for travel from New York to Le Havre aboard the SS La Savoie.
September 25: Turrou is hired in New York by the American Relief Administration (ARA).
October: Departure for Moscow with the ARA.
1922
Around April–May: Turrou is reunited with his wife and their two children.
May 6: A Russian identity card is issued to Teresa.
July 13: The U.S. consulate in Warsaw issues an emergency passport to Teresa Turrou.
December: Turrou is assistant to Major John J. Mangan in the ARA’s administrative department, with particular responsibility for staff travel and visas.
1923
Early February: Turrou resigns from the ARA, leaves Moscow, and spends time in Warsaw, among other places.
February 7 and 9: [Seznec case] L’Auto publishes an advertisement seeking ten Cadillacs.
February 20: Letter of appreciation from Colonel William N. Haskell, head of the ARA mission in Moscow.
Between March 1 and 7: A meeting takes place in Paris between Pierre Quéméneur and “Charly,” whom I identify in the book as Leon Turrou.
March 8: In a letter, Quinn of the ARA in Moscow states that he received correspondence sent by Turrou from Warsaw.
March 17: Departure from Le Havre aboard the SS Paris for New York, accompanied by Teresa and their two children.
March 24: The Turrou family arrives in New York.
March 31: The ARA summons Turrou concerning a diamond affair and a bad check issued to a Russian national in Moscow.
April 20: Copy of a letter of appreciation from Colonel Haskell addressed to Turrou. The original text describes the document as backdated.
May 4: Meeting between Turrou and Herbert Hoover.
May 15: The Berengaria departs New York for Cherbourg and Southampton.
May 21, 4:00 p.m.: The Berengaria arrives in Cherbourg. Turrou may have been aboard, but the corresponding passenger list has not been found among the documents cited.
May 21, 8:30 p.m.: [Seznec case] Guillaume Seznec calls Pierre Quéméneur about the Cadillac affair.
May 26, 8:30 a.m.: A scheduled meeting at a café on Avenue du Maine near Montparnasse station in Paris between Pierre Quéméneur and “Charly,” identified in this book as Leon Turrou. The establishment may have been Le Zeyer.
May 27: The original chronology reports testimony attributed to Guillaume Seznec’s son referring to Pierre Quéméneur as “seen dead in Morlaix.”
Early July: According to the account collected, Turrou is in Monaco, where he reportedly loses his money at the casino. His wife and Davidowsky are said to have sent him money to finance his return to the United States.
July 7: Turrou departs Cherbourg aboard the SS Berengaria, bound for New York; his name appears on the passenger list.
July 13: The Berengaria arrives in New York.
In later statements, Turrou described the business venture he undertook between May and July 1923 as a “calamity.” The nature and causes of this failure are not explained in the passage in question. It is possible that he was referring to his involvement in the Seznec case.
July 24: Turrou applies to the U.S. Department of Justice, enclosing the letter from Colonel Haskell mentioned above.
September 12: He is hired as a salesman at Macy’s.
1924
July 1: Agent Valjavec interviews Turrou at his home. Reference given: FBI file, file 1, section 3, p. 40/280.
October 21: A new passport is issued for business travel to France, Germany, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, and England. Handwritten note: “L&N Mushroom, 1253 Boynton, Bronx” (passport No. 484899).
November 1: Turrou leaves Macy’s.
December: Trip to Europe; the exact departure date is unknown.
1925
January: In a letter, Turrou states that he spent six weeks in Russia.
February 11: Departure from Le Havre for New York aboard the SS Rochambeau.
February 21: Arrival in New York.
March 7: Turrou resumes his job as a salesman at Macy’s.
April 16: Application to the Civil Service Commission. Reference given: FBI file, file 1, section 3, p. 40/280.
May 18: Letter to J. Edgar Hoover; no reply is mentioned in the documents cited.
1926
March: Turrou leaves Macy’s.
June 24: Application to the Department of Justice. Reference given: FBI file, file 1, section 3, p. 40/280.
July 26: New application to the Bureau of Investigation (later the FBI). Reference given: FBI file, file 1, section 3, p. 40/280.
September 12: Turrou submits a text entitled An Unwritten Chapter, recounting his memories of Dzerzhinsky.
October: Turrou begins working for the New York postal service, where he remains until April 1929.
1928
December 8: Agent McKean of the Bureau of Investigation interviews Turrou about his application.
1929
April 1: Turrou leaves his job with the New York postal service.
1929: He joins the Bureau of Investigation (later the FBI), which he will leave on June 20, 1938.
April 23: He registers with the Municipal Civil Service Commission as a Yiddish and Russian interpreter.
1930
April 11: Census entry for Leon, Teresa, Edward, and Victor Turrou.
1932
October 27: Fire in Davidowsky’s building, where Turrou’s apartment is located. A falling-out occurs between the two men.
1935
October 19: Death of Rudolf Turovsky, believed to be Leon’s brother or half-brother.
1938
June 15: Passport application for Europe.
June 20: Turrou resigns from the FBI.
October 14: The Nazi spy trial begins.
November 29: Turrou submits another application to the FBI. Reference given: FBI file, file 1, section 3, p. 40/280.
December 2: The trial concludes.
1939
June 5: Leon Turrou arrives in Southampton from New York aboard the SS Normandie.
June 30: The French Sûreté investigates a possible plot against Turrou’s life attributed to foreign nationals. The case is closed without further action.
July 4: Turrou attends the Paris premiere of the film Les Aveux d’un espion nazi (Confessions of a Nazi Spy).
July 15: Departure from Le Havre for New York aboard the SS Île-de-France.
1940
U.S. census of the Turrou family. The original document is dated June 1, but the official reference date for the 1940 census was April 1;
1941
December 8: Reference to an attempt to volunteer for military service. The addresses recorded are: Teresa, 15 Garden Turn, Manhasset, New York; Leon, 28 East 92nd Street, New York; telephone, Manhasset 2782; business address, 420 Lexington Avenue, New York.
1942
May 1: Sudden death of Teresa Turrou, née Zakrzewski.
1943
April 2: Turrou enlists as a private in the military police in Cameron, Texas.
August 16: Victor Turrou is killed when his plane crashes over Italy.
1945
May 24: Marriage to Anna B. McLester in Tucson, Arizona.
1947
June 15: Flight from Paris to the United States.
1948
Major Leon Turrou heads the Compliance Division of the Office of the Foreign Liquidation Commissioner, located at 41 Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré in Paris.
His name appears in an investigation into irregularities in the liquidation of U.S. surplus property in France. The State Department is informed of the matter.
1949
April: Publication of Where My Shadow Falls in English.
June 13: Turrou leaves the Army and settles in Paris.
He works in security for billionaire J. Paul Getty.
July 9: Air France flight from Paris to New York. Paris address given: 82 Boulevard Flandrin.
1950
Publication of J’étais un G-Man, the French translation of Where My Shadow Falls.
1951
A U.S. congressional report on the liquidation of surplus property mentions Leon Turrou several times and discusses his ties to businessman George Dawson.
1954
October 14: A matter involving Turrou and shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis.
1960
1960–1962: Lieutenant Colonel Turrou serves as president of the Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers.
March: Publication of the novel Bonheur en sursis, a French adaptation by Nicole Le Lec (Baucilhon). The book is set among cosmopolitan exiles in Paris and features, among others, the self-styled Russian prince Boris Ivanovich Kutuzov, a taxi driver and former dancer. He is said to have studied with Fokine before a leg injury ended his career.
1961
February 2: According to the original chronology, Turrou presented the Maltese Cross to Georges Pompidou at the Hôtel Matignon.
1963
January 28: A letter from the U.S. Embassy discusses Turrou’s approaches to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs concerning a U.S. government building at 49 Rue Pierre-Charron in Paris, occupied by the American Legion. Turrou reportedly complained that the building was frequented by people engaged in prostitution. According to the interpretation in the original text, he sought to take over the premises for his own organization.
1969
March 12: Turrou appears on the French television program Les Dossiers de l’écran, in an episode about organized crime (INA archives).
1970
Turrou maintains cordial relations with Maurice Grimaud, the Paris police prefect.
1972
Turrou is commander of Benjamin Franklin Post 605 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
October: Benjamin Franklin Post 605 publishes a book commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Allied landings in North Africa (1942–1972). Turrou is mentioned several times.
1976
June 6: J. Paul Getty dies. Turrou travels to Sutton Place in Surrey, England, and learns that he has received no inheritance, including the $1 million he says had been promised to him.
1986
December 10: Leon Turrou dies. He is buried at Neuilly-sur-Seine Cemetery in the American Legion mausoleum.
Leon Turrou’s grave at Neuilly-sur-Seine Cemetery.