RUSSO SAYS IT ACTED AS BROKER FOR SOFER
<Russo Securities Inc> said in a
statement it acted as a broker executing unsolicited orders for
an individual named in a Securities and Exchange Commission
civil suit alleging insider trading violations.
    Russo filled orders for David Sofer, an Israeli citizen,
who allegedly traded on inside information from Nahum
Vaskevitch, head of Merrill Lynch and Co's <MER> London mergers
office. Vaskevitch was suspended by Merrill, which said it was
cooperating with the probe. Russo said it "had no knowledge or
reason to believe that any of these transactions were based on
the improper use of inside information."
 Reuter
