John Gates (his real last name was Regenstreif) was my grandfather's cousin. He was a veteran of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade who later became the editor of the Daily Worker and ultimately led the walkout from the American Communist Party in 1957 following the revelation of Stalin's history of attrocities.

I never met John Gates but have heard about him from Pete Seeger and Irwin Silber, who both know him. I also came across a reference to him in one of Woody Guthrie's writings.

Mike Regenstreif