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Nazi Hunter

Justice Department's Eli Rosenbaum recounts
roadblocks and successes in heroic pursuit.

HARRY KIRSBAUM

Staff Writer

In the Bloomfield Plaza
Telegraph Rd., Bloomfield Hills

(248) 855-8879

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you and your family

inmn 7Ln) =it?

•

Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital

INT

ith a list of names in the
thousands and the grip
of a pit bull, Eli
Rosenbaum serves notice
to those Nazi war criminals
who think they can enter,
live or thrive in the United
Investigated Trifa
States undetected: Once
When Rosenbaum
you're found, you're
joined the OSI in 1980,
through.
the first brief he signed
Rosenbaum, director
as an investigator was
since 1995 of the U.S.
against Valerian Trifa,
Department of Justice
discovered living in
Office of Special
Grass Lake, Mich. Since
Investigation — called the
then the OSI has prose-
world's most successful
cuted four other cases in
Nazi-hunting organization
Michigan. (See box
— spoke of the challenges
aum
Eli
Rosenb
beloth)
his office faces in the cap-
"Most Nazis came
ture and deportation of
here by lying. We can't
those war criminals.
prosecute them," he admitted. "The
From the end of the war until 1979,
best we can do is deport them."
only one Nazi persecutor had been
Many think the Nazis are caught
denaturalized, and one other had been
when
a survivor recognizes a former
deported from the United States, he
guard,
but it's not true, Rosenbaum
told the crowd of 350 on Monday
said. They are found through Nazi
night during an Anti-Defamation
records.
League, Michigan Region opening
Because the Nazis were great record
meeting at Congregation B'nai Moshe
keepers,
he said every once in a while
in West Bloomfield.
"we
hit
pay
dirt" by finding an indi-
Since then, the OSI has denatural-

c
NaziCases
Michigan

chi

Detroit Medical Center/Wayne State University

VALERIAN TRIFA
Wartime Activity: As a leader of the
Romanian fascist Iron Guard, Trifa
inspired pogroms with his virulently
anti-Semitic propaganda.
Discovered: Living in Grass Lake,
Mich., where he headed the
Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of
North America.
Action Taken: Denaturalized in
1980. He was deported to Portugal,
where he died in 1984.

To All My Foiencis

Avid Relatives

A wisk foo a year.

filled with health,

kappiness avid

pi.ospeoity.

RONNA
FELDMAN

Direct Line: 248-421-2400

9/29
2000

32

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Office: 248-644-4700

: Real Estate HILLS
Ono.

••

BLOOMFIELD

ized 64 Nazi perpetrators hiding in the
United States, and deported 53 of
them. With a staff of 35 and a budget
of more than $4 million, they are cur-
rently investigating 250 other cases.
What makes the office unique is
that it litigates and investigates almost
all of its own cases in-house.

FERDINAND HAMMER
Wartime Activity: Member of SS
Death Heads Battalion serving in
death camps., including Auschwitz.
Discovered: Living in Sterlin.g Heights.
Action Taken: Denaturalized in

1996, he was deported to Austria in
March 2000.

JOHANN LEPRICH

Wartime activity: Guard at the
Mauthausen death camp in Austria.
Discovered: Living in Mt. Clemens,
Action Taken: Denaturalized in
1987, Leprich fled to Canada and
has not been located.

QuIIV T us
Wartime Activity: member of SS /-
Death Heads Battalion at the
Maidanek death camp in PoOd.
Discovered: Living in Wast.lington,
Mich.
Action Taken: He admitted the
allegations and was denaturalized

PETER

