Nicola Napoli
Encyclopedia
Nicola Napoli was the President of Artkino Pictures, Inc., the primary distributor of Soviet films in the United States, Canada, Central America and South America from 1940 to 1982. Napoli passed information from the Communist Party of the United States (CPUSA) to Soviet intelligence
during World War II
.
Napoli was born 16 November 1905 in New York of Italian parentage and was taken to Italy at an early age by his parents. He returned to the United States in 1924, and up to 1928 edited Il Lavoratore, an Italian Communist publication in New York. In the mid-1930s, he became an employee of Amkino Corp., at that tiime the US distributor of Soviet films. In 1936 Napoli travelled to Russia and other European countries. At one time Napoli was an officer of Intourist
, Inc., the parent company of World Tourist, which was operated by Jacob Golos
, high level operative in the CPUSA's secret apparatus. Shortly before Golos' death of a heart attack in November 1943, Golos told Soviet defector Elizabeth Bentley
that he was turning Napoli over to another Russian contact to continue the covert relationship.
In 1940, following the collapse of Amkino Corp., Napoli found, with Rosa Madell, Artkino Pictures to continue Amkino's mission. During World War II, with the Soviet Union as part of the Allies, Napoli saw the firm's imports being accepted by a far wider number of cinemas that during the 1930s, with its Red Scare
. With the collapse of Soviet-American alliance following the War, Artkino was back on the "side of the enemy" and was registered with the U.S. Department of State under the Foreign Agents registration Act (FARA) as an agent of the Soviet Government. However, both the U.S. Department of Justice and the War Department
had difficulty and no cooperation in gaining Artkino's full compliance with the FARA Act, an investigation under the Internal Security Act revealed. Following the death of Stalin and attendant changes within the Soviet film industry, allowing for production of non-political, artistic films, a wider market for Soviet film product resumed and Artkino found itself in increasing competition with other foreign film distributors in the United States. Nonetheless, the company held its own until Napoli's death, continuing under Madell's guidance until, nearing retirement age, she affiliated Artkino with International Film Exchange and allowed that company to take over Artkino's role in Soviet film importation and distribution by the late 1970s.
A Venona cable of decrypted Soviet intelligence traffic which lists the names of scientists engaged on the problem of atomic energy, has Saville Sax
contacting Napoli, who then directed him to Sergey Kurnakov.
decrypt:
1699 KGB New York to Moscow, 2 December 1944.
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Napoli was born 16 November 1905 in New York of Italian parentage and was taken to Italy at an early age by his parents. He returned to the United States in 1924, and up to 1928 edited Il Lavoratore, an Italian Communist publication in New York. In the mid-1930s, he became an employee of Amkino Corp., at that tiime the US distributor of Soviet films. In 1936 Napoli travelled to Russia and other European countries. At one time Napoli was an officer of Intourist
Intourist
Intourist is a Russian travel agency, 66%-owned by Moscow-based holding company Sistema.Before privatisation in 1992, Intourist was renowned as the official state travel agency of the Soviet Union. It was founded in 1929 by Joseph Stalin and was staffed by NKVD and later KGB officials...
, Inc., the parent company of World Tourist, which was operated by Jacob Golos
Jacob Golos
Jacob Golos, , was a Ukrainian-born Bolshevik revolutionary of ethnic Jewish heritage who became a secret police operative on behalf of the USSR in the United States...
, high level operative in the CPUSA's secret apparatus. Shortly before Golos' death of a heart attack in November 1943, Golos told Soviet defector Elizabeth Bentley
Elizabeth Bentley
Elizabeth Terrill Bentley was an American spy for the Soviet Union from 1938 until 1945. In 1945 she defected from the Communist Party and Soviet intelligence and became an informer for the U.S. She exposed two networks of spies, ultimately naming over 80 Americans who had engaged in espionage for...
that he was turning Napoli over to another Russian contact to continue the covert relationship.
In 1940, following the collapse of Amkino Corp., Napoli found, with Rosa Madell, Artkino Pictures to continue Amkino's mission. During World War II, with the Soviet Union as part of the Allies, Napoli saw the firm's imports being accepted by a far wider number of cinemas that during the 1930s, with its Red Scare
Red Scare
Durrell Blackwell Durrell Blackwell The term Red Scare denotes two distinct periods of strong Anti-Communism in the United States: the First Red Scare, from 1919 to 1920, and the Second Red Scare, from 1947 to 1957. The First Red Scare was about worker revolution and...
. With the collapse of Soviet-American alliance following the War, Artkino was back on the "side of the enemy" and was registered with the U.S. Department of State under the Foreign Agents registration Act (FARA) as an agent of the Soviet Government. However, both the U.S. Department of Justice and the War Department
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
had difficulty and no cooperation in gaining Artkino's full compliance with the FARA Act, an investigation under the Internal Security Act revealed. Following the death of Stalin and attendant changes within the Soviet film industry, allowing for production of non-political, artistic films, a wider market for Soviet film product resumed and Artkino found itself in increasing competition with other foreign film distributors in the United States. Nonetheless, the company held its own until Napoli's death, continuing under Madell's guidance until, nearing retirement age, she affiliated Artkino with International Film Exchange and allowed that company to take over Artkino's role in Soviet film importation and distribution by the late 1970s.
A Venona cable of decrypted Soviet intelligence traffic which lists the names of scientists engaged on the problem of atomic energy, has Saville Sax
Saville Sax
Saville Sax was the Harvard University roommate of Theodore Hall who recruited Hall for the Soviets and acted as a courier to move the atomic secrets from Los Alamos to the Soviets.-Biography:...
contacting Napoli, who then directed him to Sergey Kurnakov.
Venona
Nicola Napoli is referenced in the following Venona projectVenona project
The VENONA project was a long-running secret collaboration of the United States and United Kingdom intelligence agencies involving cryptanalysis of messages sent by intelligence agencies of the Soviet Union, the majority during World War II...
decrypt:
1699 KGB New York to Moscow, 2 December 1944.