▁in ▁August , ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁mentioned ▁N onte , ▁and ▁all ud ed ▁to ▁him ▁running ▁guns ▁with ▁Jack ▁Ruby , ▁but ▁provided ▁no ▁conclus ive ▁evidence . ▁Re ports ▁identified ▁N onte ▁as ▁" co oper ative " ▁with ▁the ▁F BI ▁in ▁the ▁Kennedy ▁assass ination ▁investigation , ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁assist ed ▁the ▁F BI ▁with ▁information ▁about ▁a ▁ren eg ade ▁operation ▁by ▁Cub an ▁ex iles ▁that ▁planned ▁to ▁again ▁in va de ▁Cuba , ▁following ▁the ▁failed ▁Bay ▁of ▁P igs ▁invasion . ▁The ▁same ▁information ▁was ▁repeated ▁in ▁Ray ▁and ▁Mary ▁La ▁Font aine ' s ▁book ▁O sw ald ▁T alk ed , ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁ ▁N onte ▁was ▁a ▁fl am boy ant ▁character ▁who ▁in ▁later ▁life ▁wore ▁a ▁handle bar ▁must ache . ▁One ▁of ▁his ▁cars ▁was ▁a ▁Che v ro let ▁Cor v air ▁that ▁was ▁retro f itted ▁with ▁a ▁powerful ▁ ▁engine ▁taken ▁ ▁from ▁a ▁Che v ro let ▁Cor v ette . ▁ ▁N onte ▁died ▁in ▁his ▁office ▁at ▁work ▁on ▁June ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 1 9 7 8 . ▁ ▁The ▁Major ▁George ▁C . ▁N onte ▁Award ▁for ▁Ex cell ence ▁in ▁Fire ar ms ▁Journal ism ▁is ▁awarded ▁ann ually , ▁in ▁N onte ' s ▁memory , ▁by ▁American ▁Hand gun ner ▁magazine . ▁The ▁first ▁recip ient ▁of ▁the ▁award ▁was ▁Mass ad ▁A yo ob . ▁ ▁His