Later in 1974 STURGIS told Michael Canfield that he was watching television on the day of the assassination, possibly in Washington, rather than Miami: "Well, yeah, I love to watch television. Well, and regardless of where its at, I don't care if I'm in Washington, or anyplace, I'll watch television. But they've asked me that, like I said, they asked me where I was on that day and I told them 'Well, I've got no comment on that.' So I suspect that maybe I'll be dragged up there to Washington before one of those Congressional Committees, or the Rockefeller Commission."

As stated, STURGIS and Wilfrado Navarro testified before the Rockefeller Commission on April 3, 1975. Present were Staff Members William Schwarzer, Robert Olsen, James Roethe. During his deposition in HUNT V. ajweberman STURGIS was asked:

Q. Do you remember giving a story to anybody, especially Mr. Canfield, that you may have been in Washington, D.C. on November 22, 1963.

A. I don't recall.

ajweberman: I've got it on tape.

A. I'm sorry. Then one of us is wrong.

ajweberman: You said you didn't know where you were, but you were watching television.

A. Because I was home.

ajweberman: So you weren't working that day?

A. I was at home and I did leave the house. Supposedly Jim Buchanan came and told me that, I went with him and left the house with him.

Around this time Bernard Fensterwald and Richard Sprague circulated a story that on November 22, 1963, STURGIS was at a meeting in Washington, D.C., with Richard Helms, HUNT, and Cuban exile Enrique Williams. Sprague told a researcher: "HUNT was at a meeting of Operation 40 with Helms, Enrique Williams, Lyman Kirkpatrick. This was confirmed by Williams. Williams was a leader of the Bay of Pigs Brigade. Hanes Johnson told me Enrique Williams was at this meeting, and I confirmed it with Williams. Williams was a very honest individual, as any guy would be, who came under fire on that beach. If HUNT said he was at this meeting I would not believe him. Williams told this story long before Watergate. The meeting concerned the CIA putting more money up for another invasion of Cuba."

The notes of a Rockefeller Commission investigator indicated confusion about this meeting: "Check Bureau files on HUNT interviews in 1974. Did HUNT claim to be in the company of Agency officials on November 22, 1963? and give their names to FBI & claim they could corroborate his presence there? Check with HUNT'S lawyer regarding content of HUNT'S TV denials of Dallas matter in November 1974. Did HUNT say he was at work at Agency at 1:30 p.m.? (Taped by Kaiser.) HUNT refused to say who he was with. Contact Robert Blair Kaiser at Rolling Stone regarding whether he had recording or notes of his November 1974 interview with HUNT in New York."

STURGIS said that he might have been in Washington on November 22, 1963. The CIA planned to provide STURGIS with an alibi, and leaked it through their asset, Bernard Fensterwald. In 1978 STURGIS said he did not recall telling Michael Canfield anything about a meeting in Washington, D.C. This was because the CIA abandoned "the meeting in D.C." alibi, since it would have put HUNT and STURGIS together prior to 1971.

STURGIS told Rockefeller Commission "he was in Miami Florida throughout the day of the assassination, and his testimony was supported by the testimony of his wife, and by the testimony of his wife's nephew [James A. Hunt]. The nephew, who was then living with the STURGIS family, is now a practicing attorney in the Midwest." Rockefeller Commission investigator Pete Clapper: "I phoned James A. Hunt, attorney, Cincinnati, Ohio, 513-381-0656, before noon on April 1, 1975. I explained that the Commission seeks to ascertain the whereabouts of FRANK STURGIS on November 22, 1963. Mr. James Hunt said he wished to check with STURGIS, and then would call back. He called before noon this date and provided the following information:

"James Hunt was living with his aunt, Janet Sturgis, and her husband, FRANK, at their home at Northwest 122nd Street in Miami on November 22, 1963. James Hunt was attending Miami Day Junior College. He had enrolled there in August 1963.

"To the best of his knowledge, he recalls having an early class that day. Before leaving the house, he saw FRANK STURGIS at home about breakfast time. Hunt returned to the house in mid-morning. His grandmother was home. He took a nap. His grandmother awakened him to report there were news reports that the President had been shot in Dallas. James Hunt remembers they watched CBS correspondent Walter Cronkite.

"James Hunt reports that STURGIS returned home that afternoon and they watched T.V. He believes STURGIS was a used car salesman at the time. He is certain that it was a working day for STURGIS. Prior to STURGIS returning to the house in the afternoon, James Hunt recalls taking a drive around Miami during the afternoon alone. He recalls his aunt was upset by the T.V. reports. He recalls his cousin, Gale, a grade school student, was present in the household, and watched T.V. with them during the evening. STURGIS was at home that evening, he believes to the best of his recollection.

"James Hunt says the day stands out particularly in his mind because only five days earlier he had seen Kennedy in person. James Hunt and a friend were at the Miami airport the previous Monday. Kennedy happened to be arriving. They joined the crowd and watched him.

"Hunt agreed to draft an affidavit. I have given him my name and the Commission address to send the affidavit to." [RCD Memo Robert B. Olsen to Clapper 4.3.75]

James Hunt's affidavit for the Rockefeller Commission stated:

STATE OF OHIO

COUNTY OF HAMILTON

James A. Hunt, being duly sworn and cautioned, deposes and says that:

1. I am submitting this Affidavit to the Commission on CIA activities within the United States at the request of Peter R. Clapper, who contacted me by telephone and told me he is a staff member of the foregoing Commission.

2. The purpose of this Affidavit is to record, to the best of my knowledge, my recollection of certain events that occurred on November 22, 1963.

3. During the period August 1963 until May 1962, I was enrolled as a freshman student at Miami-Dade Junior College located near the corner of northwest 119th Street and 27th Avenue in Miami, Florida.

4. During the aforementioned period, I lived in the household of my aunt, Mrs. Janet Sturgis, and her husband, my uncle, FRANK STURGIS at 2515 Northwest 122nd Street, Miami. My grand-mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Hunt, now deceased, also lived there.

5. Taking into consideration the fact that November 22, 1963, is a single day which occurred almost 11 ½ years ago, the following is offered as my best recollection of the day.

A. As I recall, I had an early class at Miami Dade Junior College on November 22, 1963, and arose early enough to arrive at school at least before 9:00 a.m. It is my recollection that I saw FRANK STURGIS at home prior to my leaving for school that morning.

B. I returned to the STURGIS household sometime during mid-morning, probably sometime between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Since I had not eaten breakfast previously, it is my recollection that, upon returning to the STURGIS' household, I ate breakfast and retired to my room to take a short nap and do some reading prior to the late afternoon class which I had to attend on that day.

C. At some time between 12:00 noon and 1:30 p.m. I was awakened by my grandmother who told me that reports of an attempted assassination on the life of President John Kennedy were being broadcast on television.

D. I then arose and watched the news. It is my recollection that besides my grandmother, my aunt, Mrs. Janet Sturgis was also at home watching the television.

E. Later in the afternoon on that day, probably at approximately 3:00 p.m., I drove back to Miami-Dade Junior College to see if my afternoon class had been canceled.

F. Upon arriving at Miami-Dade Junior College that afternoon I discovered that the class had, in fact, been canceled; thereafter I took a drive through the city of Miami, contemplating the significance of the events of that day and trying to get some idea of their impact on other people.

G. I arrived back at the STURGIS household in the late afternoon, probably between 3:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.

H. Upon my arrival back at the STURGIS household, or shortly thereafter, I recall seeing my grandmother, my aunt, Mrs. Janet Sturgis and my uncle, FRANK STURGIS. It is further my recollection that the aforementioned persons ate dinner at the STURGIS household and remained there for the rest of the evening.

6. The foregoing represents, to the best of my recollection, a summary of certain events which occurred on November 22, 1963, the day on which President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Further Affiant Saith Naught. James A. Hunt.

STURGIS said that he was at home, watching television, when news of the assassination was flashed across the screen. He said he was with James Hunt. James Hunt had a different version of events. He said that his aunt woke him up when the news was flashed, however, FRANK STURGIS was not there at the time. James Hunt told Olsen during their phone conversation that STURGIS returned home that afternoon and they watched TV before he went for his drive. In his affidavit he stated he saw STURGIS after his drive. He believed STURGIS was a used car salesman at the time. He was certain that it was a working day for STURGIS. STURGIS never mentioned anything about working that day. He claimed he was home, watching T.V. James Hunt could also be mistaken about seeing STURGIS at breakfast because this event occurred before the assassination and was less likely to be as clear in his mind as events that followed it. James Hunt said he had a very early class to attend. Why would STURGIS be eating breakfast at so early an hour if all he had planned for that day was to stay indoors and watch T.V?

James Hunt was contacted in January 1994 and asked:

Q. Was FRANK there when you were woken up and told about the assassination?

A. No, he wasn't there when I woke up.

Q. But FRANK said he was there.

A. Not in the afternoon. I never saw FRANK'S testimony. Where did he say that? FRANK may have his times mixed-up there. I must admit that part I don't remember. I got to say as I sit here, 'It's been a long time.' - What, 30 years? - But I don't remember FRANK being there when she woke me up. I'm not quite sure whether he was there when they made the announcement of his death. I certainly stand behind the affidavit I gave to the Rockefeller Commission. My recollection is that I saw FRANK early in the morning. I came home, laid down, my grandmother woke me up and said 'He's been shot.' I went out and watched the news for awhile. I had an afternoon class that day, and somewhere around mid-afternoon I went over to see if they were going to hold class. It turned out they weren't, and I drove around for half an hour or so and I got back. That was probably when I saw FRANK again, you know what I mean. Hell, that would be 3:00 p.m., something like that, yeah. 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. sounds about right.

Q. FRANK'S alibi was 'I was watching T.V. when the news came on about the assassination. My nephew was there, with me, when it first happened.'

A. I am not trying to be unfriendly, but I don't know what the purpose of this call is?

Q. I am trying to resolve this contradiction in the testimony.

A. He could have been there, but I just don't remember he was there.

RECOLLECTION IS A STRANGE THING. SOME HUMANS ARE MORE GIFTED WITH REMEMBERING CERTAIN EVENTS THAN OTHERS. BUT I WOULD HAZARD A GUESS THAT ALMOST ALL AMERICANS (WHO WERE ABOVE THE AGE OF FIVE) CAN, WITH PERFECT CLARITY, DESCRIBE WHAT THEY WERE DOING ON NOVEMBER 22, 1963, WHEN THEY FIRST HEARD THE NEWS BULLETIN FROM DALLAS, TEXAS, STATING THAT PRESIDENT KENNEDY HAD BEEN SHOT.

ON THAT DAY IN NOVEMBER, WHICH WAS A TYPICALLY WARM SOUTH FLORIDIAN DAY, MY HUSBAND (FRANK STURGIS) AND I WERE IN OUR BEDROOM. MY MOTHER WAS IN THE FLORIDA ROOM WATCHING TELEVISION. I RECALL MY MOTHER RUNNING INTO OUR ROOM DECLARING THAT PRESIDENT KENNEDY HAD BEEN SHOT. MY MOST VIVID RECOLLECTION IS THE EMOTION I FELT: DISBELIEF AND ANNOYANCE WITH MY MOTHER: FOR SURELY SHE HAD MISUNDERSTOOD OR GOTTEN HER FACTS CONFUSED. SUCH THINGS COULDN'T HAPPEN. BUT FRANK AND I WENT IMMEDIATELY TO THE FLORIDA ROOM TO LISTEN TO THE TELEVISION. AS SOON AS WE REALIZED THIS PRONOUNCEMENT WAS TRUE, FRANK LEFT THE HOUSE. I STAYED AT HOME, GLUED TO THE T.V. UNBELIEVING (LIKE PROBABLY EVERYONE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY AT THE TIME) AND YET MESMERIZED BY WHAT WAS BEING BROADCAST.

MY NEPHEW, JAMES A. HUNT, JR. WAS LIVING WITH US WHILE ATTENDING HIS FIRST YEAR OF COLLEGE AT MIAMI DADE. I HONESTLY DO NOT REMEMBER WHAT TIME HE RETURNED HOME FROM CLASSES, ALTHOUGH IT WAS PROBABLY EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON.

I DO REMEMBER THAT MY NEPHEW AND GONE EARLIER IN THE WEEK TO MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO BE AMONG THE THOUSANDS WHO WELCOMED PRESIDENT KENNEDY ON HIS STOP-OVER IN MIAMI PRIOR TO A FLIGHT TO DALLAS, TEXAS. I ALSO REMEMBER, QUITE VIVIDLY, FANK (sic) AND MY (sic) WATCHING TELEVISION THAT SUNDAY AFTERNOON, NOVEMBER 24, 1975 (sic) WHEN LEE HARVEY OSWALD WAS BEING ESCORTED THROUGH A DALLAS POLICE STATION AND WAS SHOT AND KILLED IN VIEW OF MILLIONS OF TELEVIEWERS.

THIS MUCH I CAN ATTEST TO: AT THE MOMENT OF THE ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY MY HUSBAND - FRANK A. STURGIS - WAS WITH ME IN OUR HOME AT 2515 N.W. 122 STREET, MIAMI, FLORIDA. JANET STURGIS.

Janet Sturgis lied in order to provide an alibi for her husband. Her affidavit conflicted with that of James Hunt. The Rockefeller Commission did not mention this conflict, however the Rockefeller Commission concluded: "It cannot be determined with certainty where STURGIS actually was on the day of the assassination." This conclusion was derived from the fact that: "All witnesses directly supporting the presence of STURGIS in Miami, Florida, on the day of the assassination are family members or relatives. Less weight can be assigned to the testimony of such interested witnesses..."

During his deposition in 1978 in the course of HUNT v. ajweberman, STURGIS was asked if he was watching television at 1:30 p.m. (12:30 p.m. in Dallas)? STURGIS: "I don't remember, so many years ago, I don't recall, I think it was on all stations..."

Q. What were you doing about 12:30 p.m. on November 22, 1963?

A. On November 22, 1963, at about 12:30 p.m., I was at a party at my home in Miami, Florida, with my wife Janet Sturgis, my mother-in-law, Elizabeth Hunt, and my nephew, who was at my home at that time, James Hunt.

Q. Where was this home located?

A. 2515 N.W. 122nd Street, Miami, Florida, 33167.

Q. Is this the same home you maintain today?

A. Yes sir.

Q. Can you describe your movements on that day, to the best of your recollection?

A. Not really; it was so many years ago. I was at home, I did not go out. I have other people with the Federal Government that do have on record, that could testify or have already testified that I was in Miami on November 22, 1963...I have nothing to hide. The Federal Government knows of my activities, knows where I was at on that particular day of the assassination, and I am quite sure that the government - as far as I'm concerned - is well aware of who is behind -- if there was a conspiracy, I believe there was a conspiracy -- and they are well aware of who was behind the conspiracy.

Q. November 22, 1963, was a working day. Were you working at that time?

A. Most likely.

Q. Did you have any reason for not being at work that day?

A. Friday? No reason.

Q. What were you doing that day? You say you don't remember. Do you remember --

A. I don't recall.

Q. Do you remember talking to a Mr. Michael Canfield, the co-author of this book?

A. On that day?

Q. About the events of that day?

A. Yes.

Q. Do you remember what you told him?

A. Not really, it's been so --

Q. Could you have told him you were watching television?

A. Possibly yes, yes. As a matter of fact, I think my mother-in-law told me the President was assassinated.

Q. Were you watching television around 12:30 in the afternoon that day?

A. I don't remember; so many years ago. I don't recall.

Q. So you wouldn't remember what program was on?

A. I think it was on all stations. It was a continuation that day of the assassination.

STURGIS said that he was at home on November 22, 1963, watching T.V. and, at the same time, at work that day. He was asked: "Do you remember what you were doing for a living at the time of the assassination, what your job was or how you earned your living?" He responded: "That's quite a long spell. I would have to really wrack my mind to find out at that particular time what I was doing. Right at the present time, I don't know; but I could, you know, through records and so forth...I could look through them and tell you what I was doing that particular time...[I was] at home that day and did leave the house." STURGIS was asked:

Q. Are there any other witnesses besides your immediate relatives and Geraldine Shamma, to verify your whereabouts on November 22, 1963?

A. Yes.

Q. Who are they?

A. William Johnson, we call him Bill Johnson.

Q. Where is he?

A. He lives here in San Souci Estates in Miami, Dade County.

Q. Do you know anybody else?

A. His telephone number is 305-893-6013. Jim Buchanan, as a matter of fact, I believe Jim Buchanan came to my house on that date of November 22, 1963, him and I went off the day of the Kennedy assassination.

Q. Anybody else you remember?

A. Geraldine Shamma, Jim Buchanan, William Johnson, my nephew, Jim Hunt.

Q. What did you tell the Rockefeller Commission?

A. The same thing.

Q. But the Rockefeller Commission said your witnesses were only close relatives.

A. I'm sorry, you're right. I glad you brought that up because just recently, because of all the publicity, people did contact me and tell me, "Hey, you remember this, this, this? If you need any help, fine." Well, I told Fonzi and Fonzi supposedly , I'm not sure whether he had already been in touch with these people or not, but he is aware of these people I came across. So I turned it over - -

STURGIS said he had seen William Johnson and Geraldine Shamma that day but he was unable to recall the identity of any impartial witnesses. In June 1993 William Johnson was asked whether or not he was with STURGIS that day: "I was not there, no sir. I was not there."

Attorney Mark Friedman asked STURGIS:

Q. Were you with HOWARD HUNT on November 22, 1963?

A. I don't recall.

Q. "Yes"or "No"?

A. No. If I don't recall why should I say "Yes" or "No"? I don't recall it.

Q. Were you involved in a conspiracy to kill President Kennedy?

A. Never in my life. That is part of the polygraph. The United States Government knows where I was on November 22, 1963. They know where LEE HARVEY OSWALD was three weeks to the day of the assassination, working at the book depository. There is a witness that knew his whereabouts every day three weeks before. As far as I'm concerned I don't see how in the hell LEE HARVEY OSWALD could be in Miami riding with Marita Lorenz to Dallas, Texas, who she calls OZZIE, is the biggest fabrication of a lie she ever said in her life. I don't know how she could do it. Let her take a polygraph test.

On the morning of November 23, 1963, a FBI agent interrogated STURGIS. The Michael Canfield interview revealed:

A. Hey I can show you a clipping where they say I was involved in the assassination of President Kennedy.

Q. Who said this?

A. Newspapers, I even got investigated by that Watergate thing. They asked me where I was. I told them I knew nothing about it. I was home watching television. They felt the CIA might be behind it. So they wanted an investigation of E. HOWARD HUNT and myself on the assassination of President Kennedy. What the hell do I got to do with the assassination of President Kennedy? I may have disagreed with his policies and so forth, but that doesn't warrant killing the President of the United States. And they asked me about other attempted assassinations. I said yeah, Cuba. Some people say that if you attempt to assassinate people outside of the United States, wouldn't you be capable of the assassination of the President of the United States? I said, "Well, the thought never entered my mind." But I'm capable of doing many things. I'm that type of a man. But I see no grounds for me doing something like that. You know, he was my Commander-in-Chief.

Q. What about other people in the CIA?

A. The CIA had a lot of different factions, some of which I didn't trust.

Q. Are you convinced the Warren Commission Report was correct?

A. On what?

Q. On the Kennedy assassination.

A. Let me tell you something about the Report. Nobody knows what's in that Report. Only what they wanted to give out. And I don't believe the report is complete. I think there is a conspiracy involved in the assassination of President Kennedy and they covered it up.

Q. Who do you think did it?

A. I don't have the slightest idea. But I think its one big coverup.

Q. That's strange they would investigate you for that.

A. Well, they sure did. I had FBI agents over at my house.

Q. For the assassination?

A. Yeah.

Q. When, right after it happened?

A. Right after it happened.

Q. Why did they come to you?

A. I asked them that. They told me I was one person they felt had the capabilities to do it. Heh, heh, heh. They said: "FRANK, if there is anybody capable of killing the President of the United States, you're the guy that can do it." Heh, heh, heh that's funny I told them, "I'm not mad at you or nothing, I had nothing to do with it, but that amuses me..."

STURGIS also told Canfield: "You have to look at my past. I've done a lot of things. I've been on assassination attempts. I was involved in so many things. Skulduggery, intrigue, espionage.

Q. When you say assassination attempts?

A. Well, in foreign countries.

In 1978 STURGIS stated: "Now the FBI did make contact with me after President Kennedy's assassination, yes...I was questioned by the FBI shortly after the assassination. They did come and visit me and question me about my activities during President Kennedy's assassination." STURGIS was asked:

Q. Do you remember one of those agents indicating to you the following words: "FRANK, you are one of the few people in this country capable of pulling off something like this?"

A. No. The agent told me that I was one person in this country that could possibly do this, if I wanted to.

The notes of Rockefeller Commission investigator Robert Olsen revealed: "Whereabouts November 22, 1963: In Miami, at home, two FBI Agents came to visit him. Bob Dwyer was one. To find out his whereabouts & to get help. Witnesses: His wife Janet Sturgis (Married since 1961) wife's nephew, Jim Hunt (Cincinnati, Ohio, Attorney)."

In 1976 STURGIS told United Press International that he was requested to conduct an investigation of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy by an un-named government agency. The CIA obtained this article and commented: "The Washington Star on July 9, 1976, carries an article entitled "RUBY Met with Castro, STURGIS Says." In the article, STURGIS claims he knew that JACK RUBY met in Havana with Fidel Castro ten weeks before the assassination of President Kennedy and discussed 'the removal of the President.' STURGIS claims, according to the article, that he had been assigned to investigate possible involvement of Cuban exiles in the Miami area in the Kennedy assassination. The article also states that STURGIS refused to say for what Agency he was working, or gave him the assignment, but the article indicated that STURGIS was working for the CIA at the time. For the record, STURGIS continues to allege a CIA relationship, but no such relationship has ever existed." This information was sent to Richard Helms from (deleted). The DD/P signed under "Concur." [Allen v. DOD 7.9.76 CIA 19251-0807] The CIA's Office of the Inspector General generated an index card on July 9, 1976, that contained the words assassinations, J.F. Kennedy, S.D. Breckinridge, STURGIS, Mr. Buchen, Tom White, Jack Ruby, BERNARD BARKER, Joe Loftus, Washington Star, Bob Wall, Chris Hopkins, (Deleted) and was titled "Assassinations - JFK TAB 25 MFR by Breckinridge. Subj: White House Inquiry re FRANK STURGIS." The CIA's Office of the Inspector General generated an index card on August 17, 1976, that contained the names "George K. McConnell, STURGIS, Dennis Berend, MAG Members, UPI that was a memo for MAG Members, Subject, STURGIS' Claims, reference, Memo, undated, from George K. McConnell (ER 76-8949) from George K. McConnell, from Dennis Berend, Deputy Assistant to DCI." [CIA IG FILE #57, Tab 2] Berend was an Assistant Public Affairs Officer.

Immediately following the Kennedy assassination James Buchanan, FRANK STURGIS, JOHN MARTINO and others launched a campaign to blame the Kennedy assassination on Fidel Castro. The propaganda operation started with an article dated November 26, 1963, which appeared the in Pompano Beach Sun-Sentinel that quoted STURGIS: "OSWALD was in Miami in November 1962 [OSWALD had been in Miami in December 1962] and had contact with Miami-based supporters of Fidel Castro who were agents of the G-2. OSWALD gave out his Fair Play for Cuba Committee literature, and Jerry Buchanan, who was with my group, did tell me there was a possibility that OSWALD was in the area, and that he had a fight with OSWALD." Buchanan claimed he knew the name of the printer where OSWALD had his literature printed.

STURGIS was questioned about this during his deposition in HUNT V. ajweberman:

Q. Do you remember Mr. Buchanan giving out a news story that alleged that LEE HARVEY OSWALD was in Miami in 1963?

A. Oh yes! As a matter of fact, his brother, Jerry Buchanan, was one of the people that was with my group and Jerry did give me some information to the fact that he thought there was a possibility that one of the persons, now, you must remember that during that particular time there were hundreds of Americans in the area, plus Canadians, in this area here, trying to make contact with various Cuban groups in order to be involved against Cuba, and Jerry did tell me that there was a possibility that OSWALD was in this area and that he had a fight with OSWALD. He wasn't sure but this was what he told me.

On November 27, 1963, STURGIS told S.A. James O'Conner that his comments in the article were guesses and speculation, and that he had no hard information. S.A. James O'Conner sent a report to Washington concluding that STURGIS was unreliable, and that his story had no basis in fact. The reports of S.A. James O'Conner in which STURGIS linked OSWALD to Fidel Castro were withheld. [FBI 62-109090-63rd NR 172 Hoover]

On April 22, 1964, the Director of the FBI sent this message to the Miami Field Office: "Bureau also desires Jim Buchanan to be interviewed in order to pin down, once and for all, wild statements concerning alleged activities of OSWALD in Florida which for the most part appear to emanate from MARTINO and Buchanan. If Buchanan uncooperative, set forth results in LHM form suitable for dissemination to President's Commission at which time consideration will then be given to suggesting Buchanan as well as MARTINO be subpoenaed before President Commission. Handle promptly and surep results." [NARA FBI 124-10035-10367]

The FBI reported: "James Buchanan, former reporter for the Pompano Beach Sun-Sentinel, stated he has no personal or first hand knowledge of OSWALD or OSWALD'S activities. He stated his newspaper stories on OSWALD were obtained from sources he regarded as reliable, whose accuracy he did not question. He declined to reveal the identity of a printer at Miami whom he alleges printed pro-Castro literature for OSWALD. Concerning the alleged fight between his brother, Jerry Buchanan, and OSWALD, he maintains this information was received from a Cuban named Sanchez, a member of the organization 'Los Pinos Nuevos,' and has never talked to his brother about this alleged fight. He says he knows no person who was a witness to the presence of OSWALD in Miami, but thought his brother, Jerry Buchanan, should be contacted in that respect. When informed that his brother had been contacted and had furnished a varying account, Buchanan said he knew only what Sanchez had told him. Efforts to identify Sanchez through anti-Castro organization Los Pinos Nuevos, or through interview of one Jesus Sanchez, resulted negatively."

A second article in the Pompano Beach Sun-Sentinel stated: "OSWALD tried to infiltrate several other major organizations in Miami, including the Anti-Communist Brigade, which is headed by Major FRANK STURGIS, a former Commander in Castro's Air Force. STURGIS said his outfit turned down OSWALD'S application, because they could not find out anything about his background. STURGIS told me, 'We have already established that he was in contact with G-2 agents while here in Miami. We are trying to get the billing record from the telephone company. He called Havana. OSWALD was known to have a bad temper while here in Miami...His other G-2 connections were in Mexico this past summer, and in New Orleans, just five weeks ago. We are in the process of checking out the leads. We already have a few names and places. Men are on the scene interviewing people who may have witnessed the meeting in Mexico City and in New Orleans...'" The Miami FBI Office responded: "The Miami Office does not contemplate interview of Jim Buchanan inasmuch as the previous concerning an article by Buchanan, reported in Miami report dated January 25, 1964, in instant caption, reflected that Buchanan deals in rumors an unverified information which he attributed to anonymous sources." [FBI Rep. of James O'Conner 4.4.64]

Allen Courtney suggested that S.A. James O'Conner interview JOHN MARTINO, but MARTINO was traveling from city to city on a lecture tour for the John Birch Society. Instead, S.A. James O'Conner interviewed JOHN MARTINO'S associate, Nathan Weyl, who told him OSWALD was a G-2 agent.

On December 2, 1963, S.A. James O'Conner interviewed MARTINO, who told him that a confidential source had told him OSWALD was in Miami in October 1962, and made several telephone calls to Cuba from the home of a suspected Castro double-agent. MARTINO said that when OSWALD distributed his Fair Play for Cuba Committee literature in Bayfront Park, Jerry Buchanan attacked him. In January 1964, MARTINO told one of his audiences that he had special knowledge of OSWALD. According to MARTINO, when OSWALD was in Mexico in October 1963, he caught a clandestine flight from the Yucatan Peninsula to Havana, Cuba. S.A. James O'Conner contacted MARTINO a few days after he made this speech. He told S.A. James O'Conner his source for OSWALD'S clandestine trip to Cuba was a high official in the Castro Government. On December 3, 1963, STURGIS supplied the CIA with information on a possible air strike over Cuba. [Index Card (Deleted)-04183]

On February 7, 1964, Helene Finan, Chief of the Office of Security, Security Research Staff, CIA, debriefed Hede Massing regarding her knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the Kennedy assassination. [CIA 3.26.64 03681; CIA 1288-1022] Hede Massing, a former Soviet spy who was once the toast of Vienna, had once been married to Gerhart Eisler, an agent of Moscow. Senator Joseph McCarthy used Massing to observe the behavior of American Government employees in Europe. Massing worked with Roy M. Cohen in this regard. [Senator Joe McCarthy - Richard Rovere, Tourchbooks, 1959] The FBI stated: "Massing worked, and might still work, for the Central Intelligence Agency." [FBI Dallas 100-10461-4075] ANGLETON'S Deputy, James Hunt, was in contact with Hede Massing. [FBI 3.31.64 Branigan to Sullivan; FBI 105-82555-2993, 2464, 2906]

Subject reported on various personalities she heard discussed while she was visiting Sylvia and Nathaniel Weyl in Florida from December 30, 1963, to January 8, 1964.

JOHN MARTINO

Mr. and Mrs. MARTINO visited the Weyls one evening when Massing was present. John Martino and Nathan Weyl are co-authors of the book, I Was Castro's Prisoner, which was published in November 1963. Massing, at this point, cautioned the writer to remember that all she was relating regarding the Weyls remarks were rumors, and or, gossip, and that source has no means of checking the truth of their statements. JOHN MARTINO is the individual who carries the stories to Nathaniel Weyl and both JOHN and Nathaniel are deeply entrenched with the Cuban anti-Castro forces. MARTINO claims to have a friend in Miami who keeps him well-informed on Cuban matters.

MARTINO and Nathaniel spoke of a trip that MARTINO had made to Cuba with an American newspaper woman, one Lapin and two CIA agents. Nathaniel Weyl did not accompany them. It is Massing's opinion that Nathaniel, who is a coward, just welshed on the trip, but that he did finance it. The purpose of the trip was to contact a Cuban who was serving as liaison for the four Russian Generals in charge of training and organizing the Cuban military. The Cuban, who met the group in the water, at the edge of a beach in Cuba, told them that the four Generals wanted to escape and seek asylum in the United States. MARTINO is going ahead with a follow-up plan whereby on a given signal, he and a group would sail to Cuba to pick up the Generals. Weyl is going on a long lecture tour and will not be able to accompany the pick-up team to Cuba.

LEE HARVEY OSWALD

The Cuban friends of the unnamed individual in Miami know that OSWALD contacted the Cuban MI-6 by telephone from a private home in Miami. They also know the man who furnished the information on OSWALD to the FBI.

From the reports given by the Cubans to this unknown individual, it seems very definite that RUBY went to Havana to make a shady deal with a creature by the name of Praskin, who works with the Cuban Communists and who is also tied up with call girls in Cuba.

A friend of Weyl, who ran for the Presidency of Cuba in 1958, shortly will testify before the Senate Internal Security Committee. Massing says this information may be confidential. Sourwine of the Committee, contacted Weyl to get in touch with this individual. [Massing Debriefing 2.7.64 Helene Finan NARA 1993.08.04.18:45:23:780037]

On February 27, 1964, a memorandum from William Branigan to William C. Sullivan was generated:

"CIA has furnished a memorandum through Liaison channels indicating that according to a confidential and reliable source, whose sources are unknown, LEE HARVEY OSWALD allegedly was telephonically in contact with MI-6 (Cuban Intelligence) from a private home in Miami, Florida. Further allegations indicate JACK RUBY, alleged assassin of OSWALD, went to Havana, Cuba, to make a shady deal with 'Praskin' who works with the Cuban Communists and was a dope pusher used by the Communists; that a friend of the source claims there is more to Marina Oswald than meets the eye; that Marguerite Oswald, mother of the Subject, is an old line communist and that OSWALD'S return to the United States was part of a Russian 'gimmick.'

"CIA has confidentially advised that source of the above data is Hede Massing, a resident of New York City known to the Bureau and CIA, and CIA has no objection to this Bureau contacting her and advising that the information furnished by her to the CIA had been furnished to the FBI.

"Bureau files reveal Massing is a former Soviet agent who defected in 1938. She has been utilized by the CIA and has been a source of information of the New York Office since 1947 concerning Soviet espionage. By letter February 4, 1964, captioned 'Foreign Political Matters -Cuba - IS - Cuba. New York' submitted information furnished by Massing concerning JOHN MARTINO and Nathaniel and Sylvia Weyl, which information was similar to that furnished by the CIA in the above-mentioned memo; however, the data concerning OSWALD and RUBY above apparently was not furnished to the New York Office by Massing.

"MARTINO has previously been interviewed by Miami, at which time he pretended greater knowledge of Cuban affairs than he actually possessed. He also indicated various statements made concerning LEE HARVEY OSWALD were based on information received from unidentified Cuban aliens, and he no firsthand knowledge or information concerning OSWALD. The unnamed individual in Miami referred to by Massing on page 2 of CIA memo could possibly be MARTINO."

"By airtel February 26, 1964, New York was instructed to immediately re-interview Massing for all the information in her possession concerning the OSWALD matter, specifically ascertain basis for all statements made by her to the CIA and immediately set forth additional leads necessary to definitely pin down these allegations." [FBI 105-82555-2464; Branigan to Sullivan 2.27.64] J. Edgar Hoover initialed and expedited this memorandum.

On March 3, 1964, Sam Papich generated a Confidential Memorandum on MARTINO which was withheld. [FBI 64-44828-8 Sam Papich to D.J. Brennan; NR 3.11.64]

S.A. James O'Conner had received orders from J. Edgar Hoover: "With regard to the information furnished by MARTINO, Bureau desires that MARTINO be pressed to force production of his source in order to pin down this allegation. If he continues to be evasive and uncooperative on this point, set forth results of recontact with him in LHM form suitable for dissemination for President's Commission. Consideration with then be given to suggesting MARTINO be subpoenaed before President's Commission." [FBI 105-82555-33199 - page 2 w/h] On March 13, 1964, S.A. O'Conner interviewed Nathaniel Weyl, who said he "was not sure of the identity of his source, with respect to the information that LEE HARVEY OSWALD had contacted the Cuban intelligence by telephone from a private home in Miami. He said that his source for this information may have been a newspaper article written by James Buchanan. He recalled that Buchanan had quoted FRANK STURGIS, described as an individual active in the Cuban situation at Miami, as stating that STURGIS knew that OSWALD had made such a call from Coral Gables, Florida, to the Cuban intelligence office in Miramar, Havana, Cuba. Mr. Weyl said his source for this information may have been JOHN MARTINO, who, in turn, may have obtained the information from either BUCHANAN or STURGIS...With respect to the information that JACK RUBY had made a trip to Havana, Cuba, to deal with an individual named PRASKIN, Mr. Weyl stated he had been informed of this by an old friend, Carlos Marquez Sterling, resident at Washington, D.C...Mr. Weyl said he did believe that OSWALD had been in Miami, Florida, in the past, and it was his recollection that Jim Buchanan, or possibly the latter's brother, Jerry Buchanan, had told him that OSWALD had attempted to infiltrate anti-Castro groups in Miami, but had been rejected by these groups because he was uncommunicative as to his background. Mr. Weyl said that it was probably Jim Buchanan who told him that his brother Jerry had been involved in a scuffle with OSWALD in downtown Miami, and that Jerry Buchanan had punched OSWALD. Mr. Weyl said this incident was supposed to have occurred when OSWALD was observed distributing some pro-Castro literature in Miami...He said he recalled that OSWALD reportedly attempted to join the anti-Castro organizations known as the Directorio Revolucionario Estudiantil (DRE) (Cuban Student Revolutionary Directorate), and Unidad Revolucionario (UR) (Revolutionary Unity). Mr. Weyl said he had no corroborative information concerning the alleged stay of OSWALD in Miami, other than the news articles by Jim Buchanan and contact with Fernando Cabada, described as a leader of UR."

S.A. O'Conner interviewed Fernando Fernandez Cabada, who said he never furnished information to the Weyls regarding OSWALD.

On March 24, 1964, S.A. James O'Conner re-interviewed MARTINO. "With respect to information that Cuban friends of MARTINO knew that OSWALD had contacted the Cuban Intelligence Service in Cuba by telephone from a private residence in Miami, Florida, MARTINO claimed this was correct information. He refused to identify the source of such information, claiming that to pinpoint the source could conceivably result in harassment, if not more serious consequences, to the source or his family in Cuba.

"MARTINO stated the information concerning such an alleged telephone call by OSWALD to Cuban intelligence did not originate with his friend, Felipe Vidal Santiago, a Cuban exile active in anti-Castro activities. He also stated the information had not originated with STURGIS, an American citizen residing in Miami, who has been engaged in anti-Fidel Castro activities, and who headed an organization called the Anti-Communist International Brigade. Mr. MARTINO stated that the information in this respect had not been received from James Buchanan, although he had discussed the information with Buchanan. MARTINO stated he would contact his confidential source as soon as the latter had returned from Tampa, Florida, to Miami, expected to be March 22, 1964, and would seek to obtain his consent to interview by the FBI.

"With respect to the other alleged information that Cubans with whom MARTINO might have contact had stated that JACK RUBY had gone to Havana, Cuba, to engage in a shady deal with one (FNU) Praskin, who was also alleged to work with Cuban communists and be tied up with call girls in Cuba, MARTINO stated as follows:

"This information came in the form of a letter from Cuba, which was shown to MARTINO by a Cuban whom MARTINO said was named Jose Madero. He said Madero, a man in his late 30's, had infiltrated back into Cuba as of December 1963, and was thus no longer available. MARTINO said he had known Madero when he was incarcerated in Cuba during the period July 1959 to October 1962. MARTINO said the letter was not directed to Madero, but to another individual not known to MARTINO. He said he had no idea where the letter might now be located. He said the letter related that Praskin had a business on Sanja Street in Havana, and that he supplied American girls to 'Girlie Shows' operated by Chinese in Havana. He said the letter made no mention of the nature of the shady deal alleged to occur between RUBY and Praskin, and did not indicate when RUBY had gone to Havana or how he had traveled...

"MARTINO stated this same source had informed him that OSWALD had stayed in the home of a pro-Castro Cuban in Miami, Florida, and had paid this pro-Castro Cuban the cost of a long distance telephone call made from the home of the pro-Castro Cuban to Cuba. MARTINO further stated that according to his source, the pro-Castro Cuban, after the assassination had occurred, made the statement, 'I didn't think it would go this far.' in referring to OSWALD.

"MARTINO said that additional information to establish that OSWALD had been in Miami was received was received by him from Jim Buchanan. He said he used to give a lot of stories on the Cuban situation to Buchanan, and during the days immediately following the assassination, Buchanan, during a telephone call, told him that Buchanan's brother, Jerry Buchanan, had a fistfight with LEE HARVEY OSWALD at Miami, Florida, about a year prior to the assassination. According to MARTINO, OSWALD at that time was attempting to get aboard a boat [Alexander Rorke's Violyn III] that was being used by Jerry Buchanan and anti-Castro exiles in connection with their anti-Castro plans. Mr. MARTINO told Jim Buchanan that he intended to use this information in his speeches if it were true, and Buchanan told him to go ahead and do so. Mr. MARTINO stated he never used the information, however, because he considered it 'confidential to the government' and he was 'Not fighting that battle.'"

MARTINO also told S.A. O'Conner that OSWALD had secretly flown from the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, to Cuba, and that his source had the name of the printer in Miami OSWALD used to run-off his Fair Play for Cuba Committee leaflets, and even had a copy of the check OSWALD used to pay the printer. The funds had been withdrawn from the account of the Miami Chapter of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee .

The FBI: "The only hearsay readily traceable to origin is alleged fight between OSWALD and Jerry Buchanan at Miami about beginning of 1963. MARTINO has in the past pretended greater knowledge of Cuban affairs than he actually possessed, and has declined to divulge his sources. Instructions previously furnished Miami to pin MARTINO down and attempt to press to force production of his source. During interview on March 26, 1964, Jerry Buchanan stated he was one of a group which fought with members of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee distributing pro-Castro literature, Bay Front Park, Miami, in October 1962. Following assassination, he recognized OSWALD as having been one of the members of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee which his group had fought. Also stated OSWALD had been in Miami in March 1963, distributing pro-Castro literature, and stated his brother, James Buchanan, a newspaper reporter, has specific information concerning OSWALD'S being in Miami during these periods. This should be pinned down and run out as above." [NARA FBI 124-10035-10367] When the FBI checked Jerry Buchanan's parole records, it found that he was released from the Florida State Penitentiary on October 16, 1962, and was in Tampa, Florida, during the period October 21, 1962, to October 30, 1962. HEMMING told this researcher: "Jerry Buchanan wasn't in the can. He's on the streets. How the fuck do they know where he is? He might have been down rolling fags in the Men's Room at Bay Front Park."

On April 7, 1964, S.A. James O'Conner questioned STURGIS again. STURGIS said he had "quit the IACB because James Buchanan had called John Kennedy a Communist." STURGIS denied hearing about a fight in Bayfront Park between OSWALD and Buchanan.

On April 27, 1963, after many visits from S.A. James O'Conner, MARTINO told him that his source was coming to Miami for a meeting of Manuel Artime's group, MRR. MARTINO agreed to approach him on behalf of the FBI. MARTINO was warned that unless this matter was resolved, he would be called before the Warren Commission. MARTINO'S response was: "What can they do, put me in jail?" The SAC of the Miami Field Office stated: "As pointed out in referenced Miami teletype, Miami considers MARTINO to be unreliable. It is further believed that MARTINO would probably welcome a subpoena before the President's Commission, as it would add to his stature, and furnish him additional notoriety on which to capitalize in his lecture engagements which he gives on Communism and Cuba. It is felt, however, he would be as equally evasive with the President's Commission as he was with the Miami Office, and there is no evidence to indicate he could furnish the Commission with anything but untraceable hearsay and speculation." [FBI 105-82555-3995] The FBI briefly considered having James Buchanan testify before the Warren Commission. [FBI 105-82555-2993]

S.A. James O'Conner conducted his final interview with MARTINO on May 11, 1964. MARTINO told him Cuban exile "Oscar Ortiz" was his source for his information on OSWALD. S.A. James O'Conner had the Immigration and Naturalization Service check its files for Oscar Ortiz; it found no such person. The Immigration and Naturalization Service informed S.A. James O'Conner that MARTINO had previously furnished it with erroneous information based on a nonexistent source.

STURGIS told S.A. James O'Conner that he personally "could not remember OSWALD." In 1975 STURGIS told this to Robert Olsen of the Rockefeller Commission: "Doesn't ever recall meeting OSWALD. Doesn't know of his (OSWALD) ever coming to Miami. Had no part, direct or indirect, with assassination of the President. Has made past investigation of Kennedy assassination. Thinks there could have been conspiracy...Has been in Dallas several times. Not at time of assassination. Never met Ruby. Feels its more than just speculation. Lots of hatred vs. Kennedy among Cubans. Very good probability that there was a conspiracy. Some kooks on Tel. have something to say about Kennedy assassination. Radical left can't stand idea that is was one of their own that shot Kennedy. CIA can't control everybody connected with Agency. Could be a question about contract agents. Warren Commission was put there to write the history as government wanted it - not to tell the whole truth. Thinks there's lots of evidence, yet, of conspiracy to be found in Miami. Never met any of the Dallas Derelicts. Miami was hotter anti-Kennedy place than Dallas. Cubans there were upper class and middle class. Stole their way to wealth in Cuba and are now engaged in Cuban crime wave on East Coast. Now have Cuban crime syndicate in U.S. This was the group recruited by Company to overthrow Castro."

When S.A. James O'Conner asked STURGIS if he had another source linking OSWALD to the G-2, STURGIS referred him to MARTINO. MARTINO'S source did not exist. On another occasion, when STURGIS was asked for the name of his source, STURGIS pointed to James Buchanan. When James Buchanan was asked for his source, he pointed to STURGIS. These guys were the Tweed Gang of disinformation.

The second James Buchanan article in the Sun-Sentinel that linked OSWALD to Fidel Castro also accused the FBI of preventing the DRE from distributing information that would have supported James Buchanan's initial article. James Buchanan claimed that certain members of the DRE knew of OSWALD'S visits to Miami, and knew of the Bayfront Park incident. S.A. James O'Conner went to the Miami office of the DRE. Everyone there had no knowledge of the FBI preventing the distribution of any of the DRE's information on OSWALD, with the exception of DRE member Eduardo Diaz Lanz, the brother of Pedro Diaz Lanz and Marcos Diaz Lanz, who said he vaguely remembered the story. Eduardo Diaz Lanz had brought STURGIS to the DRE office several times following November 22, 1963, and said he may have given him the information during one of these visits. S.A. James O'Conner again questioned STURGIS, who told him that Eduardo Diaz Lanz told him that the FBI prevented the DRE from releasing proof of OSWALD'S G-2 connections. STURGIS told S.A. James O'Conner that Jerry Buchanan had told him about OSWALD'S visit to Miami, about his fight with OSWALD in Bayfront Park, and that OSWALD had tried to infiltrate the International Anti-Communist Brigade..

On December 21, 1963, the Miami FBI Field Office received information that one Hose Antonio Juan had received a letter from his son living in Cuba wherein it was alleged that RUBY had visited a Mr. Pranski in Havana in late 1962 or early 1963. On December 24, 1963, the DRE released a letter from a woman in Havana which stated RUBY had a meeting in 1963 with Solomon Pratkins, a G-2 agent who used a gift shop for a front. The FBI reported: "The statement that RUBY visited Communist Cuba last year, as attributed to a New Orleans Cuban exile, refers to one CARLOS BRINGUIER, a New Orleans delegate to the DRE." [FBI Memo Rosen to Belmont 2.11.64 44-24016-1110, NR 3.9.64, NR 3.12.64] On December 24, 1963, the DRE affiliate in Cuba published the Solomon Pratkins story in its underground mimeographed paper, Accion Cubana, founded in May 1960. [FBI-109-609-6] This periodical was allegedly funded by Fulgencio Batista. [CIA March 1, 1962 To: C/WHD from Chief of Station WAVE] The FBI requested by memo dated January 7, 1964, that the CIA attempt to verify this rumor through sources in Cuba.

On January 9, 1964, ANGLETON received a memo from (Deleted) Chief / Special Activities Staff / EDE: "Attached is a translation of a memo sent to Carlos Marquez Sterling. Sterling gave a copy to (Deleted) and Special Activities Staff/EDE asset, who passed it on to us." The Pratkins story came next followed by "This information, received in Miami were received by Brigadier of Brigade 2506, Evidio Pereira, who is ready to verify them. New York. December 29, 1963. Pereira is probably Evidio B. Pereira Acosta [201-298242]." ANGLETON reported to the FBI on January 30, 1964, that an unevaluated and unconfirmed report of a visit by RUBY to Cuba in late 1962, or early 1963, had been received from Havana in the form of an article in Accion Cubana. [CSCI 3/779,814] ANGLETON advised that the allegation could possibly be verified through one Pereira Acosta who resided in Miami, Florida. [FBI 44-24016-1047] In March 1964, the CIA reported that it's source who furnished lists of passengers flying from Mexico to Cuba could not locate RUBY, Rubenstein, etc. [FBI 44-24016-1222] MARTINO also told the FBI the Solomon Pratkins tale. On August 2, 1976, after STURGIS revived the Pratkins tale in the media, the CIA commented: "The Agency reported to the FBI in CSCI 3/779, 814 on January 30, 1964, that an unevaluated and unconfirmed report of a visit by Ruby to Cuba in late 1962 or early 1963 had been received from Havana. This report was actually based on a two page mimeographed newsletter entitled 'Accion' which was mailed from Cuba in an envelope postmarked December 28, 1963, purportedly by an underground anti-Castro group. This newsletter, received in Miami on January 13, 1964, by the anti-Castro group known as the DRE, was widely circulated in the Cuban exile community and was the subject of a newspaper article in the January 29, 1964, edition of the Miami News under the headline 'Ruby Visited Cuba -- Exiles Say.' R. Wall DC/CI/OG."

On December 3, 1963, the CIA reported that on:

1. November 27, 1963, the CIA Station, Madrid, received the following information from Source Two: On the morning of November 22, 1963, Amparo Godinez, the owner of the Marquesa De Cuba bar located in Madrid, overheard former Cuban journalist Baston Baquero tell Rosendo Canto Hernandez, editor of Accion Cubana, that he had received a letter stating Kennedy would be killed that day.

2. Source Two received information on November 26, 1963, from Maria Manuela de Canal whose address is Plaza Del Nino Jesus No. 6, 2nd floor, Apt. D, Madrid. Maria Manuela de Canal is a close friend of Amparo Godinez. Source Two en route JMWAVE area from Madrid and unable learn further details of alleged conversation.

3. Since (deleted) program requires that any contact between Source Two and Source Five not be revealed in any follow up on this information, Madrid Station may wish to center inquiries on Baston Baquero via liaison (deleted).

4. Have not passed above to (deleted) Miami.

On December 5, 1963, C/WH 3 cabled the CIA Station in Madrid:

1. Please follow up this case. Suggest you have Source 3 question persons mentioned to see if any foundation at all to this story. Imperative that Source 1 [Baston Baquero] not be revealed as source (deleted).

2. Please slug all traffic on assassination. [CIA 321-123]

On December 5, 1963, the CIA Station in Madrid cabled the Director:

1. Cuban journalist line 3 para 1 ref (deleted). Source 2 saw him on November 26, 1963, when President's death was naturally discussed. At no time did Source 1 [Baston Baquero] give any indication he had any advance word or rumor that Kennedy would be killed. If he had received letter reported para 1 or any other information concerning killing, however, will query him directly.

2. No index.

On December 7. 1963, the CIA Station in Madrid sent this cable to C/WH 4:

1. Source 1, [Baston Baquero] questioned by Source Two on the night of December 6, 1963. Baston Baquero said "he and Rosendo Canto Hernandez, Alberto Salas Amaro, and Jose Chelala Lopez after attending lecture together at Syndical Palace, Madrid, entered bar 'Marquesa De Cuba' at about 8:00 p.m. on the night of November 22, 1963. They were told by bartender, who was alone at the time, that President Kennedy had been assassinated. Salas Amaro called his wife who confirmed this, and group went to UPI office nearby to read the ticker. They later returned to bar to have drinks and then the group broke up.

2. Baston Baquero said Amparo Godinez was in the bar when group returned, but refused his invitation to drink and left almost immediately. This was the only time Baston Baquero saw Amparo Godinez during that day. He did not see him on the morning of November 22, 1963.

3. Baston Baquero said he received no word, verbal or written or even rumor that President Kennedy would be killed and any allegation that he made any statement to this effect at any time to anyone is completely absurd and absolutely untrue.

4. Baston Baquero added that Rosendo Canto Hernandez, editor of Accion Cubana who is a well-known American hater, was the only person in the bar to express satisfaction at Kennedy's death. [CIA 345-139, 315-119, 277-105; Allen v. DOD CIA 12129]

In mid-January 1964 STURGIS and James Buchanan flew to Panama and Costa Rica and investigated setting up a training base. The FBI had pressured The Sun-Sentinel into firing James Buchanan, to insure that no more of his "OSWALD in Miami" stories appeared. A FBI document dated February 5, 1964, concerning Orlando Bosch read: "Synopsis: FRANK FIORINI, admitted associate of William Johnson, (deleted) Dr. Orlando Bosch gave statement to press claiming that bombs would have been dropped on crowds in Havana celebrating 5th anniversary of the revolution on January 2, 1964, had not boat been seized carrying bombs to secret base in the Caribbean." On April 28, 1964, S.A. James O'Conner interviewed James Buchanan, who was employed by Caribbean Press Service, a subsidiary of the Agencia De Informaciones Periodisticas (AIP), a CIA front exposed by The Miami Herald. James Buchanan said that he knew the name of OSWALD'S printer in Miami, but he was sworn to secrecy.

STURGIS associate Victor Panque supplied S.A. James O'Conner with a story that linked OSWALD to a G-2 agent named Fernandez. The FBI documents about this interview listed S.A. James O'Conner as Miami SAC. Richard Davis played a part in the imaginary scenario of Victor Panque.

On February 25, 1964, (FNU) Hamblett told the FBI that "(Deleted) had told him that the CIA had approached the Christian Democratic Movement to offer assistance to Christian Democratic Movement group which is in some Central American country. Hamblett had already furnished this information to Naval Intelligence Unit DIO-3ND. FBI Bufiles indicated Hamblett was Subject of an Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property investigation in 1957 in which prosecution was declined." [FBI 97-4110-102] A highly deleted document dated April 8, 1964, stated Hamblett "told (Deleted) that the CIA agent's name was (Deleted) who made this offer, but nothing has ever materialized. For info of Bureau (deleted) DIO 3ND 90 Church Street, NYC." [FBI FOIA/PA #211,326]

On March 4, 1964, the FBI disseminated a lengthy Letter Head Memorandum about the Christian Democratic Movement, 90% of which was withheld. The only released section concerned Laureano Batista Falla: "Batista stated that military operations from the United States against Cuba would probably be continued by himself and other members of the Christian Democratic Movement. They prefer to work in Miami, Florida, area, because of its closeness to Cuba, good facilities for operating boats, availability of the large number of Cubans to serves as mechanics, and to do other necessary labor." [FBI 97-4110-86] On April 7, 1964, STURGIS was interviewed by the FBI "in connection with another matter." [FBI 2-1499-129 pages withheld] On April 21, 1964, U.S. Customs Agents raided the Headquarters of the Christian Democratic Movement and arrested the leader of the Christian Democratic Movement, Laureano Batista Falla. On April 27, 1964, the FBI generated a document about the Christian Democratic Movement and the DRE that was deleted except for the words "U.S. Customs." [FBI 4110-104 (?) 4.27.64]

In 1964 an Index Card was generated by the CIA concerning STURGIS which read in part "Ref DBA-82236 September 2, 1964, FIORINI, FRANK; FIORINI, FRED; FRANK, ATTILE; CAMBELL, FRANK; ATTILA, FRANK; BONELLI, FRANK. Suspected Cuban Intelligence Service Agent. Manager of Courteous Motors, Miami, May 1964." [Corr Card. #UFG 2194120] In a deposition related to STURGIS' lawsuit against the New York Police Department he said that in the 1960's he used the name Bonelli "in an operation in Central America. It was an operation to do, the operation specifically was to make commando raids against Cuban companies." [USDC SDNY 78 Civ.5113] The results of the FBI investigation of STURGIS during the period of December 10, 1963, to May 13, 1964, was withheld except for these paragraphs: "Information set forth in this report reflecting interview of Subject by S.A. James J. O'Conner is contained in an FD-320 located in Miami 105-8342, Bufile 105-82555, captioned 'LEE HARVEY OSWALD, AKA; IS-R-CUBA.' (Deleted) Miami is not recommending the opening of any cases based on (deleted) communication. For the information of the Bureau, on May 11, 1964, (Deleted) Assistant Supervising Customs Agent, Miami, Florida, advised S.A. (Deleted) that he had conversed with the Subject on frequent occasions over the past few months. (Deleted). The extensive period of this investigation was necessitated by various expeditious technical matters assigned to reporting agent. (Deleted)." [FBI 2-1499-129]

The May 26, 1964, issue of the Pompano Beach Sun-Sentinel contained an article captioned "I Flew Mercy Mission to Cuban Guerillas." The source for this article was "Manuel Fernandez" who claimed to be a member of the 30th of November Movement and the International Anti-Communist Brigade. The article stated that a twin-engine aircraft took off from a South Florida airstrip shortly after midnight, Monday morning, May 25, 1964, carrying cargo of food, equipment, one hundred and fifty thousand propaganda leaflets and a complete field hospital. Three persons were allegedly on the plane which flew a supply mission to 30th of November forces fighting guerrilla war in Eastern Cuba.

On May 25, 1964, the International Anti-Communist Brigade announced it had conducted a bombing raid over Cuba.

The next day several Congressmen inquired how the International Anti-Communist Brigade team eluded the air defenses of the United States on its return. The FBI reported: "On May 27, 1964, (Deleted), Chief Patrol Inspector, U.S. Border Patrol, advised he received a telephone call from Paul Rogers, member U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C., on morning May 27, 1964, in which Rogers stated following: Rogers had received information that an aircraft had asked for, and been given, a checkout inspection by United States Border Patrol on May 25, 1964, at Fort Lauderdale International Airport. A twin engine Beechcraft then allegedly departed at 12:30 a.m. that date from Tamiami airport, Miami, as a substitute for the inspected plane. It allegedly returned, undetected by radar, to the Tamiami Airport at 4:15 a.m. May 25, 1964. (Deleted) said his investigation had revealed no inspection or flight plans were filed during that period, and there was no report on radar of any unknown penetration of the air defense identification zone...On May 27, 1964, Arthur Eno, head of the FAA Miami advised he has been unable to develop any information concerning the flight as alleged by Representative Rogers." [FBI Miami 2-1499 NR 180 6.15.64]

On May 26, 1964, the Pentagon told a House Committee that investigations by four government agencies showed that a reported flight on May 25, 1964, by members of the International Anti-Communist Brigade to Cuba, did not take place, and was a concocted publicity story. The Defense Department issued a press release which stated that the raid never occurred. [FBI 2-1499-131, 132] The Associated Press reported that the U.S. Defense Department had the statement of STURGIS in which he said: "To the best of my knowledge a raid on Cuba on May 25, 1964, did not take place. I declare that U.S. radar defenses were not violated while leaving or entering the U.S." On June 3. 1964, United States Customs, Miami, advised the FBI that FIORINI denied any connection with alleged flight. A CIA representative told the FBI (Deleted). [FBI 2-1499 NR 6.4.64 p.2] Gaeton Fonzi reported that on May 27, 1964: "Priority telegram regarding alleged air drop into Cuba: FYI Colonel Sam Kail received a call from General Maxwell Taylor's office on May 26, 1964, referring to an article in the Pompano Beach Sun Sentinal regarding reported air drop over Cuba...The story reported that the International Anti-Communist Brigade, and the 30th of November Movement, collaborated on the flight. Allegedly FRANK STURGIS, Craig Sheldon and James Buchanan were involved." On May 28, 1964, the FBI in Miami generated a document about STURGIS and the 30th of November Movement: "For information of the Bureau, U.S. Customs Agency, Miami, is presently endeavoring to locate and interview (Deleted) concerning the 30th of November Organization's participation in the alleged flight on May 25, 1964, over Cuba." This highly deleted report indicated that a copy of this document was filed in STURGIS' file. [FBI 12-1499 NR 6.15.64] On May 30, 1964, the CIA received a cable about James Buchanan that was entirely withheld.

In June 1964, the FBI received information from its New Orleans office that the Christian Democratic Movement planned to bomb Havana's oil refineries. [Airtel To SAC NO From Hoover (97-4110-114) mailed 6.17.64]

On July 14, 1964, STURGIS furnished the CIA with information on a raid planned by Orlando Bosch. On July 16, 1964, another Letter Head Memorandum about the FBI Christian Democratic Movement was generated. (Deleted) furnished the following information. "(Deleted) On April 21, 1964, (Deleted) the United States Customs Service raided Christian Democratic Movement headquarters, confiscated a large amount of arms and ammunition, and arrested Batista. (Deleted) Batista established the military headquarters (Deleted) to have a point where arms and ammunition could be stored and which members of the military section could use to plan infiltration and attack missions against Cuba. (Deleted) Batista returned to Miami, Florida, (Deleted) and was accompanied by Victor Panque, also known as Commandant Diego.(Deleted) The two groups (Deleted) will eventually form guerilla bands. (Deleted) They are waiting the time when Batista can supply them with adequate arms and ammunition, at which time they will form guerilla bands and go into the mountains. (Deleted)." [FBI 97-4110-123 page 3 w/h] The Christian Democratic Movement was still active from 1965 to 1968. On October 30, 1964, the FBI generated an LHM which was deleted except for this paragraph: "At MDC military headquarters, self-study courses in military training and theory are being given. (Deleted) Patria is a Spanish language paper published weekly in Miami, Florida. On September 11, 1964, Patria contained an article stating that the MDC issued a lengthy document accusing American agencies of being led by Cuban exile movements that are split up and divided. The MDC claimed the United States Government artificially creates leaders for the Cuban exile movements, persecutes independent Cuban exile organizations, and interferes in Cuban exile affairs..." [FBI 97-4110-132] In 1968 the FBI conducted a Secret study of Laureano Batista Falla, the Christian Democratic Movement and the Dominican Republic. [FBI 97-4623-180 2.27.68] Laureano Batista Falla died of cancer in 1992 at age 56.

On February 3, 1965, Bill Johnson arranged an air strike against Cuba for Orlando Bosch's MIRR. Jack Brooks Wright crashed in Freeport after similar raid on January 17, 1965.

In January 2004 I received this email: In Nodule 19, you mention a pilot killed in the Freeport by the name of Jack Brooks Wright who worked for the anti-communist organization. I am his son. For the record, the twin-engine Beechcraft flying under the radar mentioned in the paragraphs prior (the May 25th raid) was more than likely my father's plane (A twin Beech Bonanza). I have heard about my father's trips into Cuba under the radar for years from my Mother and all about the man from the anti-communist organization who was stealing from the Cubans. I have always suspected that my father's crash was not an accident, but after reading the accounts and knowing what else I know from my mother and the event around the time of his death, my suspicions now seem real. He refused to fly for the organization again and coincidently crashed several days later February 2, 1965. The day before someone else flew the raid (February 3rd, 1965). My father also flew into Mexico several times around the time of the Ruby flight and knew the Cuban route well. I was really shaken up by the article. I found it by typing in "Jack Brooks Wright" pilot and when shocked when your site appeared. I am going to do some more research into my father's crash. If you know anything else, I would appreciate it.

With Respect,
Wesley Brooks Wright

In 1966 STURGIS was employed at the Gulfstream Park Race Track as a bartender, and had been fingerprinted in conjunction with this employment on March 12, 1966. [FBI 139-4089-1435] In April 1967, STURGIS was involved in a plan to blow up a Cuban ship in a Mexican seaport. Ronnie Sturgis told the FBI: "I was present when explosives and detonators were hidden in the body of my father's car at a Miami garage. Orlando Bosch was there. The car would be placed on a ship at Vera Cruz. It was an anti-Castro action." On June 28, 1967, STURGIS was mentioned in "FBI File #45-1102, Subject: Unknown; Attempt to Bomb Freight Boat Oro Verde of Nassau Bahamas Registry, Pier Three, Miami, Florida, October 18, 1966." On September 25, 1967, the Miami News contained an article captioned "Exile Ransom Try Seeks Swiss Aid." This article indicated that STURGIS' organization, International Anti-Communist Brigade, was endeavoring to arrange ransom of 500 Cuban political prisoners in exchange for five million dollars worth of medicines and foodstuffs. Geraldine Shamma joined STURGIS in attempting to carry out the ransom plan. (Deleted).

On December 7, 1967, Mr. Henry Taylor, Office of the Coordinator of Cuban Affairs, United States Department of State, advised that the International Anti-Communist Brigade had alleged 15 million dollars was available for use in obtaining the release of Cuban political prisoners. Reportedly, Shamma has been in contact with the Czechoslovakian Embassy in Washington, and allegedly obtained permission from the Cuban Government to enter and leave Cuba. Mr. Taylor stated Shamma had not been in contact with his office since their first meeting several months previously. On December 8, 1967, Shamma declared to Replica that she would go to Cuba to negotiate the freedom of political prisoners. According to an article which appeared in this publication on December 4, 1967, Shamma was quoted as saying she was 'prepared for any eventuality.'...This article also reflected she had exhibited to a reporter of Replica a photostatic copy of an answer from the Czechoslovakian Embassy, Washington, D.C. stating the Cuban Government was studying her request. Shamma added she was ready to go to Cuba and personally talk with Fidel Castro, if that were possible, in order to help rescue the Cuban political prisoners. (Deleted)." [FBI 105-172694-2p serials 15 withheld]

In 1968 STURGIS met with SANTO TRAFFICANTE. He told the HSCA: "I met him once in a Miami restaurant in 1968."

The FBI reported: "During June 1968, information was received from various persons in the Miami area that STURGIS was attempting to organize a mercenary force to fight in Cuba. STURGIS solicited volunteers for this force through advertisements placed in South Florida newspapers. Several persons answered the ads were interviewed and verified that they had been offered varying amounts of money to become part of STURGIS' mercenary force organized to fight Castro forces in Cuba. (Deleted)"

STURGIS associate Ray Sandstrom placed a newspaper ad for adventurers. STURGIS stated: "I believe Ray flew for the CIA in Broward, Fort Lauderdale. Yeah, I received information that Ray was working for the CIA." Max Gonzalez, a close associate of STURGIS, screened the applicants. Out of 60 applicants 11 were chosen. The men were to meet in Guadalajara, Mexico, however, when they arrived, they found that the hotel they were supposed to stay at had been torn down. After two weeks of training in the mud, they went to Progresso, Mexico. In October 1968, a boat load of mercenaries commanded by STURGIS left Progresso and headed toward Cuba, but ran aground off the coast of Belize, British Honduras. The FBI reported: "On October 23, 1968, and October 24, 1968, STURGIS and 12 other individuals were arrested by British Honduras authorities on charges of illegal entry. Various weapons, ammunitions and supplies were confiscated from the group at the time of arrest. FIORINI and his group reportedly had hijacked a 24-foot yacht, Amigo, in order to transport themselves and their supplies to a remote island off British Honduras. All participants interviewed at Miami, and most admitted knowledge of participating in a military operation against Cuba. At the time of interview FIORINI indicated Col. Francisco Quesada, and at least 25 other Cuban exiles participating in the plan, were to rendezvous with the Amigo, but that the rendezvous had failed when the Amigo ran aground through the incompetency of its captain. It was through this accident that the boat was forced into the port of Belize, British Honduras, for repairs and re-fueling. No charges were lodged against FIORINI and his group by the U.S. as a result of this incident." [FBI 139-4089-394] On October 26, 1968, the Domestic Intelligence Division of the FBI prepared a "TREAT AS YELLOW" URGENT cable about STURGIS, much of which was withheld: "Previous data indicated FRANK FIORINI, (deleted) and head of anti-Castro International Anti-Communist Brigade (deleted). Department October 17, 1968, advised activities of group constitute possible violation of neutrality statutes and we are investigating. Attached data was furnished to by teletype to State, CIA and military intelligence agencies [Department of the Army, Air Force and to the Defense Intelligence Agency]. State was requested to furnish background data to Consul in Belize. Data is also being furnished to Internal Security Division, Customs, and Miami Office." The teletype was highly deleted and contained withheld pages. [FBI 105-172964-19 pages 3, 6] It indicated that the FBI had checked on STURGIS with its representative in Mexico City. The representative cabled "brief, descriptive data on the International Anti-Communist Brigade" to the U.S. Consul in Belize. [FBI 105-172694-37] The FBI noted the departure of STURGIS from Belize aboard TACA Airlines on October 31, 1968. [FBI 105-172694-30, 31] A teletype from the Director to the Miami Field Office about STURGIS dated October 31, 1968, was almost completely withheld. [FBI 105-172694-29, 31, 35 - in serial 35 enclosures were entirely withheld]

Was STURGIS involved in an attempt to hijack a Soviet freighter and ransom it for the U.S. spy ship Pueblo and its crew? STURGIS told Paul Meskil: "'The men were told it was to be a commandoe raid into Cuba to free political prisoners from Castro's concentration camps.' To lend credence to his story, STURGIS displayed a map showing the locations of Cuban prisons and prison camps. He also had a list of prisoners who supposedly were to be freed. None of the men, not even Gonzalez, were told of the real objective. 'This operation was planned months in advance. The CIA in Miami was aware of it. So were several other federal agencies, including the FBI and Customs. The objective was not to raid Cuba, but to rendezvous with another ship off the coast of Mexico and, with the assistance of this ship, seize a Russian vessel. We were to meet a Cuban vessel. I assume it was a naval vessel, commanded by Cuban navy officers who were disenchanted with Castro. The orders for completing the operation were aboard the Cuban ship. The captain also had a sailing schedule listing arrivals and departures of all Soviet and Communist bloc vessels in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. We hoped to grab a Soviet fishing trawler that was actually a spy ship. This ship was to be intercepted by the Cuban vessel. The captain of the Soviet ship probably would not be suspicious of a boarding party wearing Cuban Navy uniforms. We would then capture the ship. We were to take it off the coast of Venezuela. The orders were not to go into any port, but to stay off the coast. Certain officials in the Venezuelan Government were aware of the plan. They would participate in negotiations for the release of the captive ship and crew. A statement would be issued to the effect that we wanted to exchange the ship and crew for certain political prisoners in Cuba. But this was a ruse. Then we would go into the second phase of the operation - to dicker with the Russians and the North Koreans for the release of the U.S.S. Pueblo, its captain and crew, who were still in confinement at this time.'"

The FBI reported: "STURGIS had plans to lead his army to a rendezvous in the mountains of Mexico and from there proceed to Guatemala. STURGIS claimed the Guatemalan Government would be assisted by his organization in cleaning out Communist guerillas from the hills of Guatemala. When this accomplished, Guatemalan Government supposedly had promised to assist STURGIS in a planned invasion of Cuba."

Max Gonzalez claimed OPERATION SWORD was a mission to assassinate Fidel Castro. On July 25, 1975, an unidentified component of the CIA prepared this Memorandum For the Record on Max Gonzalez (No Security File): "One Max Gorman Gonzalez, who may be identical with the name of interest, circa early June 1975 stated publicly that he planned to sue the CIA for involving him in what he charged was a plot headed by Watergate burglar FRANK STURGIS to assassinate Fidel in 1968. Apparently Max Gorman Gonzalez is basing his suit on recent claims of FRANK STURGIS that he, STURGIS, has been a long time CIA employee. STURGIS' claim of CIA employment is not supported by security records. Gonzalez claims that he was used unwittingly, without his consent or knowledge, by the CIA. Gonzalez claimed use by this Agency vis STURGIS apparently involves the arrest in October 1968 of STURGIS, GONZALEZ and several other individuals connected with STURGIS' International Anti-Communist Brigade while they were attempting to invade Cuba in contravention of the Neutrality Act."

In November 1968 the FBI questioned Max Gonzalez (born December 29, 1929; aka Max Gorman) about this aborted operation. He told them: "It was a CIA operation. STURGIS was a CIA agent at the time, although his employment was not supported by Security records, and may still not be. He was in contact with other CIA agents in Guadalajara and Mexico City. STURGIS never told me what our real mission was, but I knew it was important to the Agency." The FBI generated a message about the International Anti-Communist Brigade dated October 26, 1968. [CIA FOIA F81-0351 D0532] Due to Senator George Smathers pulling some strings, no federal indictments were sought against STURGIS or his group, however Max Gonzalez was arrested on a outstanding warrant for bad checks. [FBI 105-172694-34]

The FBI questioned Max Gonzalez at Miami International Airport: "He has been involved actively in the IACB for about four years. He that, to his knowledge, FIORINI is the only IACB leader, although he feels for the operation which ended abortively at Belize, British Honduras, FIORINI must have been working with some other group of persons outside the IACB as FIORINI does not have the finances or organizational ability to mount such an operation. Upon reflection, however, he conceded that the cash outlay for this venture had been minimal in that the men were not paid for their services, furnished their own transportation, and, for the most part, their own food, lodging and equipment. He also indicated on reflection that the organizational work for the operation had actually been very slipshod and amateurish.

"He said that any indication by FIORINI that the true leader of the expedition was a Colonel Francisco Quesada would be, in his opinion, a falsehood. He said he believes Colonel Quesada does not exist, but is a fictitious scapegoat upon whom FIORINI would place responsibility for this operation in the event it misfired. In support of this, he read from a leaflet concerning Quesada which had been furnished several months ago by FIORINI to those persons who had answered a newspaper ad calling for volunteers to fight Communism in Latin America. This leaflet described Quesada as a Latin, born in Argentina, who had seen action in four wars, had served in all branches of the services, was a pilot, and an expert in conventional, guerilla, and counter-guerilla warfare. Quesada was further described in the leaflet as the "prime organizer of the underground in Latin America. A price of $100,000 has been placed on his head by a communist government which sent agents to kill him and his associates. He has been captured and tortured by two foreign armies...At the present time he is traveling throughout Central and South America and is raising funds to form a mercenary army to fight the communists throughout the Americas..." He said that based on these similarities in the backgrounds of FIORINI and Quesada whom, to his knowledge, no one but FIORINI has ever seen, he feels that Colonel Francisco Quesada is a fictitious and idealized FRANK FIORINI.

"He said that the IACB plan before leaving Miami was to train in Guatemala for approximately six weeks, then to proceed by boat to Cuba on November 1, 1968, and to conceal themselves in a pre-arranged Sierra Maestre Mountains, Oriente Province, hideout until next January 1, 1968, when a raid to capture political or military prisoners would be carried out, these prisoners would later be exchanged for Cuba-held political prisoners. He said the he, and all the others involved were aware of this general outline of the planned operation before departing from Florida or in small groups. He added, however, that he was not to participate in the Cuba phase of the operation. His part, he said, was to furnish his Spanish language ability during the training period in Guatemala and give Spanish lessons to those in the force who did not speak Spanish. He was to remain with the volunteer group until their departure for a sea rendezvous with a craft which would take them into Cuba. He was to return to his Florida home.

"He said that the plan to train in Guatemala had to be changed because it was learned, after the IACB arrived in Mexico, that communist guerilla activity in Guatemala was too intense at the time to permit training activity to be undertaken there, although he spent several weeks in Guatemala reconnoitering, escorted by an unknown Indian guide, who was paid for his services, and had no connection with the IACB. He added that to his knowledge, none of the other members of the IACB group entered Guatemala.

"He recalled that he departed Miami in behalf of the IACB operation alone on August 16, 1968, by Greyhound bus, to Harlingen, Texas, where an undisclosed man picked him up, by pre-arrangement in Chevrolet with Florida license plates. He and his companion, who he declined to name, entered Mexico at Matamoros, near Brownsville, Texas, on approximately August 22, 1968. He said that he entered Mexico as Max Gorman and showed the Mexican border guards a Florida drivers license in that name. He said that he had purchased the drivers license, already filled out, in Florida several weeks previously especially for this operation. He declined to furnish the name of the person who sold him the driver's license.

"He said that he and his companion proceeded inside Mexico to Ciudad Mante for about two days, then the driver of the car went his separate way. At Oaxaca, he picked up an M-1 carbine and some ammunition from an undisclosed person, then proceeded by bus to San Christobal Las Casas. He looked over this area for a possible base camp, but did not find a suitable site. He then proceeded to Comitan, again by bus, where he met three others of the IACB group. From Comitan, he proceeded into Guatemala, accompanied by an Indian guide, as previously mentioned...Upon his return, he found an IACB base camp already set up outside Comitan, about one mile from the Guatemalan border.

"He said that the base camp near the Guatemalan-Mexico border was broken up about October 23, 1968, no real training actually having been conducted, and those, number no disclosed, encamped there had proceed to Merida. This encampment was called Camp Sand, in contrast to the mountain encampment which had been called Camp Mud.

"Around October 28, 1968, they boarded the Amigo, a Mexican charter fishing boat, at Progresso, and head to sea for a rendezvous with another craft. The others were to transfer to the second boat and proceed to Cuba, while he was to return to Progresso in the Amigo then return to Florida. He said he had no information concerning the second boat or its passengers.

"He said the captain of the Amigo was not intimidated in any way, was paid in Mexican pesos the equivalent of about $250 American money, and cooperated fully with the he IACB group in attempting to effect the sea rendezvous with the second craft. He said the problem was that FRANK FIORINI was too secretive with the Amigo Captain about their sea destination as regards the course which had to be set to reach it. He had a feeling that they were a little early and that FIORINI was directing a zig-zag course as a means of delaying their arrival at the rendezvous point. At any rate, the Amigo ran aground on the Turneffe Islands near Belize, British Honduras. He recalled that the Amigo captain had warned FIORINI that he, the captain, was unfamiliar with these waters. It was obvious to Gonzalez, from previous course settings by FIORINI, that the vessel was off course prior to the grounding, but FIORINI insisted on directing the movements of the Amigo.

"He said that the Amigo had to limp into Belize as a result of the grounding for refueling and repairs. At Belize, those aboard the Amigo were detained, after several inspections by British Honduras Customs and Immigration authorities. These and the expedition members who had been left near the site of the grounding, awaiting the return of the Amigo, were eventually charged with illegal entry into British Honduras and were jailed at Belize. Their arms and ammunition were seized and, after a hearing at Belize on November 1, 1968, all were ordered deported from British Honduras.

"He said that contrary to public reports, no automatic weapons were seized by British Honduras authorities, nor were any in the possession of the IACB group at any time, to his knowledge. He added that he carried no arms or ammunition of any description into Mexico with him and knows of no other IACB member who transported arms or ammunition from the United States into Mexico.

"He says he knows of no stolen or rented cars possibly involved in the IACB Operation and added that he had only seen one car in use in Mexico by the group. He declined to describe this car, but said that it was not new, and apparently belonged to one of the International Anti-Communist Brigade members.

"He said that he had not been issued, in connection with this IACB operation, a blank birth certificate, United States Army honorable discharge papers, or a blank Florida Motor Vehicle Certificate of Title, and knows nothing of any of the others being issued any of these documents...

"He said that he had considered the possibility that the whole operation was a hoax perpetrated by FIORINI as a means of obtaining publicity. However, he has been unable, since the British Honduras authorities arrested the group, to extract any information from FIORINI which might substantiate this theory. He continued that if the operation was a hoax, he had been completely taken in as, until the past few days, he was convinced that the expedition had a landing in Cuba as its objective and that a rendezvous with a second boat would have taken place had it not been for the Amigo running aground.

"He said that due to his participation in the IACB operation he had missed a Miami court date regarding non-payment of a long overdue bill for newspaper advertising in connection with a former business venture. He said he expected to be arrested by the Dade County Department of Public Safety in connection with this court missed date, but he felt that satisfactory arrangements could be made for a new court date without his being jailed in the interim. The following description of Gonzalez was obtained from interview and observation: Height 5'6"; Weight 130 pounds; Hair brown, receding at temples; Eyes blue; Characteristics: Broken, discolored teeth."

DAVID ATLEE PHILLIPS stated that Cuban exiles in Florida, with no connection to the CIA, planned to "slip ashore into the United States naval base at Guantanamo, Cuba, and launch their attack against Castro from there." PHILLIPS informed the CIA of the plot and when a wire service carried an account of this story, "I had a reaction from Florida. A man named Maxim Emilio Gonzalez told Associated Press in Miami that he planned a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the CIA because he had been 'thrown to the wolves' by the CIA when an assassination plot he was involved in had to be aborted...STURGIS said the scheme was very possibly OPERATION SWORD, in which he had conspired with Gonzalez." [PHILLIPS Nightwatch pp. 284, 208] HEMMING told this researcher: "OPERATION SWORD was a lot of STURGIS horseshit. Heh, heh. Bethel told PHILLIPS about it." STURGIS wrote: "1963 travel and business (operation sword) Mexico and Honduras."

STURGIS told Paul Meskill the recruits used in OPERATION SWORD "were to provide their own transportation." The men rented cars using the false identification provided by STURGIS. STURGIS' men sold these cars in Mexico. Six months after STURGIS and company ran aground, Robert Curtis, a member of STURGIS' group, was arrested for automobile theft. It took a Broward County jury 20 minutes to convict Curtis of the unauthorized use of a car, a crime for which he went to jail. According to the indictment of STURGIS and his co-defendants as prepared the U.S. A. Robert Rust in 1973, Curtis's rented car was one of at least three Florida cars the entered Mexico with STURGIS' self-styled army. Max Gonzalez drove another one. By October 7, 1968, the indictment stated, the Floridians traveling in various cars had regrouped in Guadalajara, Mexico. According to Curtis, the cars disappeared and STURGIS' Brigade hung around a Mexican motel. Then Curtis said, he and Richard Brown were told that "we had to go back to Texas and rent another car. FRANK had a typewriter with a leather case. Sewn into the case were Florida license tags, blank titles, birth certificate forms and blank registration forms. With the typewriter kit and a Gulf Oil Credit card in the name of Charles Connell, Curtis and Brown went to Brownsville, Texas, and rented another car. We put on the Florida tag and threw away the Texas tag. Then we drove the car into Mexico." Curtis also contended that the Captain and the First Mate of the Amigo were forced to sail when STURGIS wanted them to sail because they were held at gunpoint. [Miami Herald 9.7.73] Less than a week later, according to the indictment, Curtis was at it again on orders from STURGIS and Buchanan. STURGIS had issued false ID to his recruits so that they could rent cars that were to be abandoned in Mexico, not sold, however, some of STURGIS' men sold the cars in Mexico or retained them. Curtis testified: "I had a number of blank duplicate Florida titles, Registration Cards, Birth Certificates, Drivers Licenses, that I obtained from FRANK STURGIS." HEMMING told this researcher: "STURGIS was a fucking car thief."

On November 14, 1968, the Norfolk Virginia Ledger Star carried an article entitled "'EX-CASTRO FRIEND JAILED FISH HEADS, RICH SLIM DIET.' The latest chapter in the running saga of Norfolkian FRANK FIORINO'S fight with Fidel Castro includes an 11 day stay in a British Honduras jail where he lost 20 pounds while living on fish heads and rice. It happened three weeks ago while FIORINI and 12 other Americans were on their way to make a commando raid against sabotage targets on the coast of western Cuba. FIORINI stated: 'We left one of our camps on the Yucatan Peninsula in a 30-foot cabin cruiser called The Amigo. We were supposed to rendezvous at sea with another boat and transfer the stock of weapons and medical supplies for a run into the coast of Cuba. Because of bad weather, The Amigo ended up on a reef just south of Mexican territorial waters off the coast of British Honduras. We had to spend the night there. The next morning we finally got her off with the help of a couple of native boats. Unfortunately the night on the reef had opened up the seams so The Amigo had to limp into the nearest port - Belize. There, they began unloading the rifles and over $1,000 in medical supplies. Then the ship was taken over by British Army Units. We were kept in jail for four days before we had a hearing before a British Magistrate. The Chief of the Honduran intelligence section asked for a week continuance in order to investigate further. They continued to keep us in jail during that week. The jail, incidentally, was 156 years old. I was by myself in a cell four and a half feet wide, and eleven feet long. We had one meal a day of fishheads and rice. Occasionally we got chicken necks and rice. The authorities apologized they couldn't give us more, but said it was a poor country. At the end of the week I was brought to the magistrate again. I served as a spokesman and asked that we not be deported to Mexico as had been suggested. I knew it was filled with Castro sympathizers there and my life would be in great danger." CIA Agent David McLean saw this article and sent it to CIA Agent Harry T. Mahoney: November 15, 1968. "Dear Harry: Presumably anyone who has been 'making frequent raids inside Cuba' will be of interest to Dave Phillips & Co. Hence I enclosed another clipping from my favorite newspaper, The Norfolk Ledger-Star...Dave." [CIA D002224] The activities of FRANK STURGIS from 1969 to 1971 remained a mystery. In February 1969 the CIA had the FBI run a check on him.

In early 1971 STURGIS set up a tax-exempt church in Miami. During HUNT v. ajweberman STURGIS was asked:

Q. Did you start your own church?

A. Why? I had none. Well, I wanted to set up some missions in Central and South America for poor people in the Andes, and so forth; but, unfortunately, Watergate destroyed that.

That year, James Buchanan was arrested entering Mexico with a truckload of automatic weapons. In late 1971 BARKER recruited STURGIS for the White House Special Operations Group. STURGIS: "Well, BARKER again, having contact with him, socially and business-wise, and what have you, one day, I don't know when he told me, or it might have been weeks or months prior to my involvement with the Special Intelligence Unit, or my recruitment, he sat down and spoke to me and he says, 'FRANK, do you remember 'EDUARDO'? Well I spoke with 'EDUARDO,' and we are putting something together, your background and so forth. And we would like you to get involved with us again. The same people as before, the same Americans upstairs who were involved in the Bay of Pigs. And my name was given for a clearance. And naturally I was cleared."

Evidence suggested that NIXON wanted the same crew who were involved in the Kennedy assassination as part of the White House Special Operations Group. In a Motion for Discovery of Exculpatory Information, STURGIS asked for telephone conversations between White House personnel and the CIA, FBI in 1971, 1972 and 1973, relevant to his activities. STURGIS also believed that NIXON had discussed his activities, and that this discussion had been picked-up by the White House recording system during the years 1971, 1972, and 1973.

KNR 022 LA PLAIN

852 PM NITEL 1-24-73 MAN

TO ACTING DIRECTOR (139-4089)

WFO (139-166)

FROM LOS ANGELES (139-306) (P) 3P

Reference: Regarding Boston teletype to Director, January 23, 1973, and Bureau telephone call to Los Angeles January 24, 1973.

On January 24, 1973, Cheryl Kathleen Fitzgerald, 5312 Kester Avenue, Apt 2, Van Nuys, California, was interviewed by Bureau agents and advised she spoke with her husband, Allen Michael Fitzgerald on November 27, 1972, while he was in custody at Adult Correctional Institute, Howard, Rhode Island. Fitzgerald asked her if she recalled him telling her approximately three years ago of his meeting of his meeting with then CIA agent JAMES McCORD at the Century Plaza Hotel, Los Angeles, California, through an introduction by Los Angeles Police Department Detective Gene Scherrer. She advised Fitzgerald did recall his mentioning this meeting. Fitzgerald then indicated that this was the same individual indicted in the Watergate matter.

Fitzgerald advised that she and her husband resided in Mexico from September 1970, through December 1971. While in a hotel restaurant at Hermosio, Sonora, Mexico, in either October or November 1971, she recalls her husband walking to another table and engaging in a conversation with an individual she now believes to have been FRANK STURGIS. She viewed six black and white photos, one of which was a photo of STURGIS. She was unable to identify STURGIS, photo 3. Fitzgerald based her belief that this individual her husband met in Mexico was STURGIS from a photo she saw in Time Magazine.

Fitzgerald stated she did not write a letter to The New York Times, however, she believed her husband, Allen Fitzgerald, wrote the letter and she recalls having him tell her on November 27, 1972, that he had in fact written a letter to The New York Times.

Fitzgerald advised her husband, Allen, told her three years ago that he had written a letter to 'Kenneth W. Clawson,' at that time a New York Times reporter, which letter Fitzgerald alleged was used by Clawson to 'gain a position on the White House Staff.' The letter was believed to contain information regarding narcotics and political affairs. Fitzgerald stated she never saw the letter.

On January 22, 1973, she received a telephone call from Seymour Hirsch, New York Times, requesting additional information regarding her husband' connection to [Watergate]. She advised she furnished no further information on the subject matter. (Deleted) She further advised she is considering pleading under Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property to charge pending against her in Rhode Island.

Her former husband, Captain Peter Lucarelli, Los Angeles Fire Department, advised he knows Allen Fitzgerald and considers him to be a con man. Consequently he doubts Fitzgerald's reliability. Report follows: (Deleted).

The 1972 Republican and Democratic Conventions were scheduled for July and August in Miami Beach, Florida. In a "Secret, Eyes Only" memorandum prepared for USDC Judge William M. Hoeveler, HEMMING claimed that: "During January 1972 I was contacted by FBI Agent Robert Dwyer in reference to assisting Miami FBI project involving Ed Kaiser and FRANK STURGIS that motivated a 1972 meeting with Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Miami Supervisor Hale for backstop briefing. STURGIS was at the time a White House/Special Operations Group operative, and was later arrested at Watergate during June 1972." In April 1976 HEMMING told Dick Russell: "There were some plans for the convention. I talked to some of the people participating in it, who later participated in the Watergate thing. Create a shoot -out using the Yippies and the Zippies and the other 'hard core commies' they were so worried about. The people I spoke to were going to put some of this equipment in their hands, and some in law enforcement hands, and use some of the local vigilantes to start a shoot out. This would finally straighten out Washington as to where the priorities were on overcoming the 'domestic communist menace.'" HEMMING stated to this researcher in 1993: "I get a phone call from Bob Dwyer. I hadn't talked to him in months, since the NIXON compound thing. Some of Veciana's boys had a scheme to have a Cuban Comar fire a STIX missile at the compound. There was a similar plan to attack Guantanamo during the Bay of Pigs. They were gonna take out NIXON and put Agnew in power. I told Dwyer that to me it was all a provocation, and would end up in arrests, and I'm the fucking guy standing in the middle. Czukas shows up at my home to discuss this. Shanley should have been there. Czukas asks me to withdraw my license to export weapons to the Guatemalan Congress. A quarter of a million dollar deal. When I told my partner, he said, 'That lying cocksucker wanted me to give weapons to STURGIS who was over here earlier and spilled the fucking beans.' Czukas was always the domineering bad type of cop asshole who was going to put us all away. He was a company motherfucker. I told my partner, 'You know Bob Dwyer. He called me the other day with the same shit. They're trying to set us up.' Whatley shows up, I was using BERNARDO De TORRES office at the time. He shows up with his cousin - here's an ex-felon carrying a badge and a gun. His cousin was a Lieutenant in the Sheriff's Department in Jefferson City, Colorado. We meet at the Holiday Inn Motel at the airport. I said 'I'll demonstrate the weapons to you.' I call BERNIE and tell him to leave the weapon in the office I'll come over there. We fired it into a phone book behind the office. We demonstrated the silencer and the whole thing. Whatley wanted me to sell them to him under the table. I told him to get a letter from the Jefferson City Chief of Police saying he needed machine guns. We considered this a provocation. The first question that comes up in my mind is 'Why aren't they going to Powder Springs Georgia and talking to Werbell?' They wanted more than one machine gun. My guess was that they were going to give them to FRANK. They need silenced weapons so that somebody in the crowd of demonstrators, maybe Kaiser, could crank off a few rounds. The guys would be told 'Shoot some demonstrators in the back, drop your weapons, and get the fuck out of there!' Now other people with silenced weapons would be taking out direct targets. No one would hear this. The weapons dropped would be the same caliber. They didn't want 45 caliber Mac 10's, they wanted nine millimeter. The nine millimeter round was a sonic round. We had to half load the powder to keep it below supersonic so that the silencer would work effectively. A 45 round is subsonic. They wanted a nine millimeter because they were going to have thrown down pieces that were the same caliber. The 45 rounds look like it was government issued to Cubans. If the demonstrators were found with German World War II souvenirs, Lugars and P-38s, this is all pawn shop weapons, readily available. STURGIS was trying to use Kaiser as his cut out. STURGIS was famous for waving 'bye-bye' at the airport. I don't think STURGIS would be anywhere near the scene. That he got caught (laughs) in the Texas School Book Depository is...everybody said finally the motherfucker did something instead of sending others to do it and what do you know? He got caught."

HEMMING said the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms wanted him to help stop STURGIS from instigating a shoot-out at the Republican Convention, however, it sounded more like HEMMING originated the idea, or was a part of the scheme. HEMMING told this researcher: "You can't be around this shit unless all hands think you're a player. How's that? Is that the best way to put it? Will they dump a player? Will they OSWALD a player? Absolutely."

STURGIS was asked about this: "He's a liar! I'm not aware of these allegations; plus I'm saying he's a liar. If he made those statements, he's a liar."

HEMMING'S story was verifiable. During the trial of the Gainesville Eight, eight anti-war veterans charged with having planned violence at the Republican Convention, Vincent J. Hannard testified that STURGIS and BARKER tried to recruit him for an operation against the Vietnam Veterans Against the War. A Miami Herald article on June 8, 1973, by Dennis Holder was titled "Witness Says BARKER and STURGIS Asked Him to Discredit VVAW." It stated that Vincent J. Hannard, gave sworn statement, June 7, 1973, that in weeks prior to May 29, 1972, he "received four telephone calls proposing undercover convention work of the first attempt to break into Democratic National Committee Office at Watergate. Each call reportedly came from a different person and each caller tried to persuade him that it was his patriotic duty to help undermine VVAW. Hannard said one call was from STURGIS. Hannard said he was sure this caller was STURGIS, who he had known for more than 13 years. Another caller identified himself as BERNARD BARKER, but Hannard said he does not know BARKER, and could not be certain BARKER was actually calling. Another of the calls purported to be from Guy Hawkes. Hannard said Hawkes was a CIA agent in Miami several years ago. He is acquainted with Hawkes and is certain this caller actually was not Hawkes. Hannard said each caller mentioned the VVAW, and described the proposed task as covert intelligence and investigation. Hannard said he turned offers down because he was suspicious of the motives of the callers. The article pointed out that Hannard was disqualified as a witness in a 1971 Miami narcotics case because psychiatrists testified that Hannard could neither understand the witness oath, nor tell the difference between truth and lies. Article also pointed out that Hannard was convicted in 1962 of impersonating an FBI agent, but was also an informant for federal and local police agencies, and was a key witness in several cases. Hannard occasionally volunteers information to Miami FBI. (Deleted)." HEMMING claimed Vincent J. Hannard was a well-connected Bureau of Narcotics snitch and a Private Investigator, who reported to Gene Marshall, the roommate of Charles Ashmann. HEMMING said he had attempted to break into the offices of Vincent J. Hannard, and that Vincent J. Hannard worked closely with STURGIS and Bobby Willis.

When Charles Colson was questioned by Senator Lowell Weicker of Connecticut, he said he had seen a CIA file that "mentioned radical activities prior to the convention." [USDC SD FLA. 75-640-cr-PF Def. Ex. 4] In 1973 Senator Lowell Weicker was the target of a break-in. [Summers Secret Life JEH p414]

Angela Basulto was a former anti-Castro fighter who claimed expert knowledge of firearms and explosives. Her first husband was Bay of Pigs veteran Jose Basulto Leon. Jose Basulto, a devout Catholic, had left Boston College, where he majored in physics, in January 1960, to return to Havana so that he could join a Catholic underground organization. Basulto was trained in Panama as a radio operator then infiltrated into Cuba prior to the Bay of Pigs. Five of Basulto's fellow infiltrators were executed and seven received long prison sentences. Basulto, unhappy with the Kennedy Administration's lack of action against Castro, struck out on his own. On August 24, 1962, Basulto sailed into Havana with a dozen of his friends and shelled the hotel Rosita de Hornedo, which was full of Russian advisors. Basulto drove to Guantanamo and climbed a ten foot fence to safety. Basulto worked with CIA Agent Felix Rodriguez, who was linked to Bush and Oliver North's Contra arms network. The June 8, 1973, edition of The Miami Herald carried an article by Rob Elder titled "Florida Agency Admits Receiving VVAW But From Lady Spy." The FBI: "The article relates that Angelica 'Angie' Rohan, formerly known as Angie Basulto, furnished a sworn statement to United States District Judge W.O. Mehrtens, on May 23, 1973, after reading The Miami Herald story "which for the first time identified Pablo Fernandez as a police informer who spied on VVAW and offered to sell them guns." According to the article, Mrs. Rohan made another sworn statement on June 6, 1973, to Dade Country State Attorney Richard Gerstein. Article says that Florida Department of Law Enforcement confirmed on June 7, 1973, that summer Mrs. Basulto furnished Florida Department of Law Enforcement a copy of a recorded call between Scott Camil of VVAW and Pablo Fernandez. Basulto also told Florida Department of Law Enforcement that certain Miamians were involved in a 'demonstration at the Chilean Embassy in Washington.' Jack Key, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Miami, advised Miami Herald he never told the FBI or any other federal agency about the 'wiretap' or Basulto's Embassy information because the information did seem at the time to be specific evidence, 'was not worthy of dissemination' and because Basulto 'was my source and I'm going to protect my source.' Florida Department of Law Enforcement director, William Reed, according to article, said Basulto volunteered to work with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement last summer. Her expense were paid, and she worked at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement convention command post, Miami, translating Spanish language material and writing out long hand intelligence reports. Basulto has sworn that she was offered 'A copy of the ITT papers' which Fernandez told her were stolen in the Chilean Embassy burglary. Article reports Basulto once tried to convince a T.V. crew she was the 'woman in Watergate,' but now she says she was not. In sworn statement to Dade County State Attorney's Office, Basulto reportedly claimed second hand knowledge of a possible plot to assassinate the Democratic Vice Presidential candidate, who later turned out to be Thomas Eagleton. She claimed 'What they were supposed to be looking for was George McGovern's running mate.' She reportedly said at this point in her notes, she wrote the word, 'assassination' and drew a question mark beside it. State Attorney's office sources told Miami Herald Basulto said she was present when Fernandez offered to supply VVAW with Cuban weapons which 'could be turned into machine guns with a little piece of metal.' She was present when Fernandez offered weapons to VVAW member identified only as Dan. This veteran reportedly replied, 'We only want peace, man.' Jack Key, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Miami, telephonically contacted on June 8, 1973. He confirmed Basulto worked for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement during both national political conventions. She originally contacted Florida Department of Law Enforcement Director Reed at times furnished information to Reed but Key was her authorized contact. Key described Basulto as emotional, and as having furnished both reliable and unreliable information. She was only paid expenses. She never told the Florida Department of Law Enforcement about being the 'woman in Watergate.' She did furnish last summer what purported to be a tape of Fernandez-Camil telephone conversation about Chilean Embassy, Washington, break-in. She did once report that Watergate Hoover rites people had something to do with the 'demonstration' at the Chilean Embassy. This information seemed of no significance and she did not mention the break-in or burglary. Key said he had been interviewed by Elder for above mentioned article. Elder asked him several times why he was covering for FBI. He told Elder he was not covering for FBI. He recalled being contacted by (Deleted) Dade County Public Safety Department, just prior to Republican National Convention, as to possible Florida Department of Law Enforcement status of Basulto. Key said that on June 11, 1973, he will bring to Miami FBI Office complete Basulto Florida Department of Law Enforcement file for review. On June 8, 1973, Pablo Fernandez telephonically contacted. He said he met Basulto approximately July 5, 1972, and was in contact with her until the end of the Republican National Convention when she stopped calling him. She told Fernandez she was working for Florida Department of Law Enforcement and wanted to know what Cuban exiles were planning for political conventions. Fernandez said he 'took her around' during conventions, and brought her to Cuban exile meetings. He did furnish her a copy of his tape recorded conversation with Scott Camil earlier same date he furnished original of tape conversation to S.A. Deleted, Miami. He furnished her copies of no other tapes. He said he never offered her a copy of the ITT papers reportedly stolen in Chilean Embassy burglary. He said he had no knowledge of existence of such papers and has no knowledge of who perpetrated this burglary. He said his only VVAW contacts were Hialeah drugstore meetings, a Miami Police Department meeting with VVAW, other non-delegate organizations, including Cuban exile groups, and police...Basulto was not with him on any of these occasions. Basulto was with him on the second or third day of Democratic National Convention when he strolled through Flamingo Park, Miami Beach, non-delegate campsite. He did not speak to any VVAW members at that time and emphatically did not offer to supply VVAW with Cuban weapons, as alleged above. Fernandez denied furnishing Basulto any information regarding a possible plot to assassinate the Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate...Fernandez said he did tell Basulto about Hialeah drugstore meetings with VVAW, but told her about no other contact with VVAW." [Miami Herald 6.8.73; FBI 139-4089-1230]

Pablo Fernandez was an FBI informant in the case of the Gainesville Eight. HEMMING wondered if STURGIS had ever dealt with any counterculture people when "they were getting that slaughter ready for Miami Beach in 1972."

In 1952 Ed Kaiser joined the Marines, but received a bad conduct dishonorable discharge before his basic training ended. Ed Kaiser became a heroin addict (Sonia Kaiser insisted that her husband was never an addict) and amassed a long criminal record, including aggravated assault, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary and larceny. In 1957 Ed Kaiser joined the French Foreign Legion and lost his American citizenship. On January 29, 1959, his citizenship was revoked. He left the Foreign Legion on a medical discharge, and returned to the United States in 1959 as a landed immigrant. In 1961 Ed Kaiser moved to Alaska, where he was convicted of theft of Government property and assault. On May 30, 1964, and on May 31, 1964, the CIA showed an interest in Ed Kaiser, and two outgoing cables about him were generated which were denied in their entirely. [Ltr. Harry E. Fitzwater, Chairman, CIA Information Review Committee 1.4.82]

In 1969 Ed Kaiser moved to Miami where the FBI took note of him due to his affiliation with Cubanos Unidos, an anti-Castro group made up of former members of Alpha-66. Ed Kaiser claimed Cubanos Unidos was involved in the distribution of anti-Castro cartoons; in fact the goal of Cubanos Unidos was to form a Cuban government-in-exile in Haiti. Ed Kaiser was in contact with numerous Haitian exiles, and while Ed Kaiser was head of the military section of Cubana Unida, he was suspected of plotting the assassination of "Papa Doc" Duvalier.

Sonia Kaiser reported that at one Cubanos Unidos meeting her husband was introduced to STURGIS by a Cuban exile named "William Navarro." HEMMING told this researcher: "She meant Wilfrado Navarro. Wilfrado and Antonio Navarro were Cuban right wing assholes that were with STURGIS in 1960."

When the FBI questioned the CIA about Ed Kaiser on JULY 22, 1969, ANGLETON prepared a memorandum titled "Ed Kaiser and (deleted)." When the CIA released this document, it contained three pages of deletions. The only information in it were the words "On the basis of the limited data available, this Agency's files contain no identifiable information on Ed Kaiser. For The Deputy Director Of Plans: JAMES ANGLETON, CSCI 316/02475-69, cc: Customs Commissioner." The FBI reported: "Ed Kaiser has been the Subject of a criminal type investigation by the FBI Miami since late 1971. Earlier in 1971 Kaiser allegedly wore the uniform of the U.S. Army and used fraudulent military identification to enter the premises of the U.S. Coast Guard Station, Opa Locka, Florida, where he fraudulently obtained office and medical supplies. Kaiser is reported to have entered the premises of other military bases at Homestead, Florida, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he allegedly represented himself as a military officer and used military facilities. Investigation of this matter is continuing and, as yet, no Federal criminal charges against Kaiser have been initiated." [FBI 139-4089-2469 7.9.73] Kaiser was convicted of stealing Coast Guard office and medical supplies while wearing a false uniform. HEMMING told this researcher: "You make him sound like a junkie. He was stealing classified documents." An FBI document stated: "(Deleted) One such person contacted is an unidentified Negro male who sells Kaiser stolen watches, rings and other jewelry which Kaiser resells to employees at Maule Industry and other factories in the area and the Opa Locka area." [FBI 47-55225-2 p 18] In late 1971 Kaiser was suspected of plotting to hijack a Cuban or Russian freighter. Sonia Kaiser reported that around this time her husband had a closet full of ammunition and grenades, which were removed shortly before the FBI searched the apartment.

A few days after STURGIS was arrested at Watergate, Ed Kaiser went to Haiti - where, according to HEMMING, he visited Mike McLaney. HEMMING told this researcher: "He was delivering an ultimatum to McLaney. A hit was going to go down. Out of professional courtesy, Kaiser asked him to take sides."

In May 1973 Ed Kaiser contacted a Miami FBI agent and advised that "he was a long time friend of FRANK STURGIS, also known as FRANK FIORINI, one of the convicted Watergate defendants and prior to the 1972 Republican Convention in August 1972 STURGIS invited Kaiser to participate in a planned convention riot at the convention. STURGIS later told him the riot was off, and something bigger was being planned. At this time STURGIS mentioned to Kaiser the name of a nationally known figure, a businessman and not a politician, who was in charge of planning the financing and direction of this new operation. According to Kaiser, this individual was at the time unknown in the Watergate investigation. Kaiser at the time of the above contact stated he would furnish this information in exchange by the Government of:

1. The safety of his family.

2. For employment security at his present employment, a service attendant at the (deleted) service station, Florida.

3. For an opportunity to apply for State and Federal pardons.

"Numerous attempts were made to interview Kaiser to further develop this information both at his residence and his place of employment. During the period Kaiser was also hospitalized for leg surgery. In response to these efforts, Kaiser contacted the Miami office and agreed to an interview on June 26, 1973. At that date Kaiser appeared at the Miami Office accompanied by Attorney Edward N. Claughton, and advised that he had changed his mind about furnishing information to the FBI. He stated that he had already furnished the above information to a member of the Watergate Committee, and was awaiting action from that source. The individual mentioned by Kaiser above was subsequently identified by Kaiser as Jack Anderson, newspaper columnist. In view of Kaiser's reputation, and pending criminal investigation, no commitments were made in any way to Kaiser during the above contacts, and the information furnished by him was accepted without comment. Sonia Kaiser remembered waiting outside while he discussed this with STURGIS. Ed Kaiser asked the FBI for protection for himself and his family in return for this information. [FBI 139-3089-2469,2413] In August 1973 Ed Kaiser gave the CIA similar information. This CIA report was withheld. [CIA Memo 8.20.73] An index card was generated by the CIA's Office of the Inspector General:

Gray, Patrick August 20, 1973. Flannery, J.E.

Scott, Ed

Casey (Scott alias)

Casio (Scott alias)

Kaiser (Scott alias)

Doyle, Irving R.

Scott, Eduardo T.

STURGIS, FRANK

(Illegible) Gorgon

(Illegible) Howard

Letter to C/FBI from (illegible) Ed Scott alias Casey, Casio and Kaiser.

James E. Flannery was a CIA agent stationed in Bolivia from 1961 to 1964, Mexico from 1964 to 1965, and the Dominican Republic from 1965 to 1969. Kaiser also gave the Senate Select Committee on Campaign Activities this information. STURGIS refuted Ed Kaiser in Executive Session testimony: "STURGIS stated he was never approached by anyone concerning demonstrations against the VVAW at the Republican Convention. He recalls no such conversation with Ed Kaiser. He admitted knowing Kaiser for a number of years, and said he considered Kaiser to be a good source of information for Cuban-related activities but had reason, nonetheless, to suspect Kaiser's credibility." [STURGIS Exec. Sess. Test. 7.27-28.73 as cited in SSCIA Minority Staff Report] On August 20, 1973, the Miami Field Office of the FBI sent the Director a highly deleted teletype. The only words released were "CHANGED" and "CONSPIRACY - RING CASE, OO: Miami." [FBI 26-425217-36 2 pages] In August 1975 Ed Kaiser arranged for an illegal arms shipment to a Nicaraguan anti-Castro training base, and frequently talked of uniting the White Russian refugees for military operations against Cuba.

On January 9, 1976, Ed Kaiser successfully entered Israel bearing a passport issued in the name of Jermone Schneider. On March 2, 1976, Ed Kaiser was arrested for use of a false passport while trying to re-enter Israel. A CIA report on Kaiser was generated on June 25, 1976. This was withheld in its entirety. Kaiser was released in July 1976, and when he returned to the United States, he was indicted on identical charges. Ed Kaiser told the FBI that he entered Israel by pretending to be a Jew who wished to volunteer his services to the Israeli military. Ed Kaiser claimed he was acting on behalf of the United States Government. The passport he used to enter Israel was a crude forgery. Ed Kaiser had obtained the passport of Jerome Schneider, removed his photograph, and put his picture in its place. This did not indicate sophisticated trade craft. The CIA was interested in Ed Kaiser around this time and a Memorandum dated June 25, 1976, about him, was withheld in its entirety. Sonia Kaiser: "He was in Israel and he was arrested for tapping wires. Don't ask me whose wires, because I don't know. It's in some arrest report that I have. He was not arrested entering Israel with a false passport. He had a false passport, that's true. He was in Israel for quite a while. I got letters from him. He sent letters to me and he sent letters to my children, his children. He was there on a kibbutz for a while. He was already living there. I had a lot of papers, I had them. They were stolen. All the papers are gone."

HEMMING claimed Ed Kaiser was doing a hit for a colonel in the Israeli Defense Force in Nablus: "I flew the guy he went with around the Bahamas in 1981, until he turned himself into the U.S. Marshals. We use their people, they use ours. Ed Kaiser was arrested as he was leaving." HEMMING was asked why he was arrested if the Israelis had used him?

In 1976 STURGIS convinced Ed Kaiser that Gaeton Fonzi could find a way to get him out of his legal troubles. Ed Kaiser spoke with Gaeton Fonzi several times. Ed Kaiser did not know it, but his legal problems had ended: the U.S. Attorney in Miami could not prosecute him since it was unknown whether Ed Kaiser had departed the United States from the Southern District of Florida or from elsewhere. Sonia Kaiser disagreed: "He took a plane from Miami to Israel on El Al. They certainly could prove it. They are hiding something there. They know something that they're not saying." [FBI 21-2005-21 4.19.76]

On February 8, 1977, Ed Kaiser fell off some wooden planking while working aboard a ship, and died due to multiple injuries and blunt trauma; he was 44 years old. Sonia Kaiser stated: "He carried a lot of papers in an attache case. It was missing right after he died. I saw him with it before he was killed. I know he had it. But the day he died I never saw it again after that, never." In 1978 HEMMING was asked about the death of Ed Kaiser: "He fell on the job. The FBI don't know. STURGIS don't know. I saw STURGIS at the funeral that night. Nobody else was there. Hey, he could have just 'up and died?' He had to get out from under this shit. All he needed was a phony death certificate. He was under investigation for a phony passport thing in Israel, he may have contracted to do a Middle East hit and gotten into trouble. He may be in Shangrila!" Sonia Kaiser had no doubt that her husband was murdered: "Somebody pushed him into the manhole. I wasn't there, of course. He told all his men that were working for him on that shift, not to walk across the manhole, because the boards were not safe for weight. The next thing they do is they call me at work and tell me he's dead. Then they tell me that he walked across there and the boards broke and he fell in. And I said 'Why would he be so stupid if he's telling everybody not to walk across there, why would he be so stupid to do that?' They didn't know of course. Then I got a lot of strange visits from a lot of strange people and a lot of strange phone calls, like yours for instance, asking me questions." HEMMING told this researcher: "It ain't a matter of pushing him into the manhole. I went to check on all that kind of bullshit. I went to the medical examiner's office. Dwyer was there. He ain't supposed to be dicking around in that territory, it ain't his case. Dwyer wants to know from me, 'Did he fucking die? Was that him?' What he stepped on collapsed. He wasn't supposed to step on it. It happened to one of my other guys about the same time, only he flew through the roof of the shithouse. Later on he O.D.ed on dope. People don't listen. STURGIS wasn't worried about being snitched out. Somebody else would know Kaiser was talking out of school. A criminal investigation was going on. They didn't want him testifying before a Federal Grand jury. They took care of the situation. The guy had 'OSWALD' stamped on his forehead."

Sonia Kaiser was asked about her husband's relationship with STURGIS: "Before Watergate FRANK STURGIS was at our house constantly. But I never knew what they talked about, because they never talked in front of me. We used to go to FRANK'S house too."

In the Spring of 1972 STURGIS took part in several burglaries in Washington, D.C. STURGIS told Andrew St. George that the White House/Special Operations Group had entered the offices of Senator Jacob Javits (Rep.-NY.), Sol Linowitz and Dan Rather. St. George quoted STURGIS as saying "The liberals have twisted everything. There is no use in trying to explain. If I had my way, just one chance, I'd kill every one of them." [True 8.74]One of these burglaries involved the Chilean Embassy in Washington, D.C. During a telephone conversation between John Dean and CIA Director James Schlesinger on February 9, 1975, Schlesinger noted: "In this connection he mentioned that there is a news story being passed about in the press, primarily instigated by Seymour Hirsch of the New York Times. The story suggests that STURGIS was the individual responsible for the burglarizing of the Chilean Embassy in Washington. He also indicated he expects Senator Fulbright to request the Justice Department to produce STURGIS for the Senate hearings."

The CIA's Inspector General's Office generated an index card titled March 19, 1973, March 6, 1973, Contacts w/ITT Tab #1 which contained the names Hal Hendrix, ITT, R. Berrellez, Jack Anderson, E. HOWARD HUNT, FRANK STURGIS, Chilean Embassy, P. Gilbert, (Deleted), J. Levinson, Lawrence Houston, Aible, J. Shafer, E. Gerrity, Harold Gennen, William Broe, Matte and H. Heckscher. This was a contact report from (Deleted) C/WH/CA. "Subject: Conversations with Hal Hendrix on March 6, 1973, (Broe - Gennen mtg July 1970) relations with Heckscher and Matte -- Anderson's column regarding Chilean Embassy break-in." According to an article in the Washington Post dated October 23, 1978, Ted Shackley, Jacob Esterline and Tom Polgar were also involved in the CIA's effort to overthrow Allende.

On April 15, 1961, Hal Hendrix, the Latin American correspondent for the Miami Daily News wrote: "There will be no mass invasion against Cuba by the anti-Castro forces gathered at bases in Central American and this country. The News has stated this for several months." Gaeton Fonzi reported: "In 1961, when PHILLIPS was handling the propaganda desk for the Bay of Pigs operation and, as such, was in constant contact with friendly media types, there was a reporter on the Miami News named Hal Hendrix, whose coverage of the invasion seemed to be deeper and more detailed than any other journalist, local or national. In 1962 Hendrix's coverage of the Cuban Missile Crisis was so penetrating and insightful it garnered his paper a Pulitzer Prize. The next year Hendrix got himself promoted to a more prestigious job, covering Latin America for the Scripps-Howard News Service. Still based in Miami, Hendrix's sources remained quite extraordinary. In a piece for Scripps-Howard dated September 23, 1963, Hendrix wrote a colorful and detailed description of the coup that toppled Juan Bosch, the leftist President of the Dominican Republic. If Hendrix report didn't come from inside sources, it was an amazing display of clairvoyance - the coup didn't take place until the following day." Author Tony Summers reported: "Seth Kantor's [a Dallas-based journalist who was acquainted with JACK RUBY] notes revealed that one of the calls that Kantor made from City Hall was to the Florida number, Coral Gables MO 5-6473 [at about 6:00 p.m.] This was the [home] number of Hal Hendrix, a Miami journalist also working for Kantor's newspaper group, (Scripps-Howard) who was offering information on OSWALD. Hendrix, on the afternoon of the assassination, was able to give Kantor details of OSWALD'S past, his defection to Russia, and his pro-Castro activities on his return." Kantor reported: "The information he gave me, according to my notes, contained details of OSWALD'S past, particulary OSWALD'S time span in Russia and his latter connection with the Fair Play for Cuba Committee in New Orleans. Hendrix gave me a bunch of knowledgeable background on OSWALD'S appearance on New Orleans radio station WDSU, the previous August. In a show moderated by William Kirk Stuckey, OSWALD had debated CARLOS BRINGUIER, an anti-Castro activist and Cuban refugee." [The Ruby Coverup, Seth Kantor page 376]

Hendrix left Scripps-Howard in 1967 to work for ITT. In July 1970, following a meeting between Harold Hendrix and a CIA officer in Santiago, Chile, John McCone contacted Richard Helms, who arranged a meeting in Washington between William Broe, chief of the Western Hemisphere Division in the DDP, and Harold Geneen, the head of ITT. Geneen offered Broe and the CIA $1 million in ITT funds for an anti-Allende campaign. [The Man Who Kept the Secrets, Powers, p290] On October 16, 1970, Hal Hendrix cabled his intelligence estimate to his home office: "Unless there is a move by dissident Chilean military elements by this time next mid-week, the consensus in Santiago is that Salvador Allende will win the October 24, 1970, Congressional run-off easily and be inaugurated as President November 4, 1970. The chance of a military coup is slim but it continues to exist - at least to this date. A key figure in this possibility is former Brigadier General Roberto Viaux..." On November 5, 1976, Hendrix was charged in federal court with a misdemeanor for refusing to testify accurately before the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee about ITT's connection with the CIA in Chile.

Hendrix was acquainted with JERRY HEMMING through OPERATION CRYPT. He worked with DAVID PHILLIPS, who was stationed in Brazil, on the overthrow of the Allende regime in Chile. John Crewdson of The New York Times reported: "One journalist who is said by a senior CIA official to have accepted travel money [from the CIA], was Hal Hendrix, who as a reporter for the Miami News, won a Pulitzer Prize for his stories on the 1962 Cuban missile crisis...Mr. Hendrix, the official said, was considered an asset by the Agency...' [NYT 12.27.77]

HOWARD HUNT was involved in generating propaganda relevant to the Bay of Pigs invasion. HUNT may have also known Hal Hendrix. Hendrix's premature knowledge of OSWALD'S activities may have come from HUNT or PHILLIPS. It also might have come from HEMMING, who claimed he was in touch with Hendrix on November 22, 1963.

Benjamin Matte was in Chile from 1971 to 1974. He was President of the National Society of Agriculture and the head of the right-wing party Fatherland and Liberty which advocated the mass murder of all communists. Matte was an associate of Roberto Viaux.

German-born Henry D. Heckscher was in Germany in 1953, where he was East Berlin Chief of Station. When laborers in East Berlin rioted in June 1953, Heckscher cabled Washington for permission to arm the rioters. Heckscher was in Guatemala in 1954. In Guatemala he worked with DAVID PHILLIPS and Birch O'Neal. [Hersh, Old Boys, page 344] He was in Laos from 1957 to 1960, Venezuela from 1964 to 1967, and Chile from 1967 to 1970. In Chile, Heckscher funneled money to Jorge Alessandri, the opponent of Salvadore Allende for the presidency of Chile. Heckscher was in touch with Hal Hendricks. When Allende was elected, Heckscher lost his post in Chile. The team that replaced him included Gordon Jorgenson. Heckscher died on March 29, 1990.

Jerome I. Levinson worked for Senator Church's Senate Sub-Committee on Multinationals of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. When Jerome Levinson began an investigation of Adan Khashoggi, a prostitute was sent to his hotel room by, Eugene R. Warner, a Khashoggi aide. The 45 year old Levinson was forced to leave the committee due to an almost near fatal heart attack.

Edward J. Gerrity Jr. was a Vice President of ITT who received a memorandum from Hal Hendricks and Mexican journalist R. Berrellez on September 17, 1970, speculating on which segment of the military had the capability to overthrow Allende. This eight page document said that the American Ambassador in Chile had received "the green light to move in the name of President NIXON...[with] maximum authority to do all possible - short of a Dominican Republic type action - to keep Allende from taking power." [Marchetti, CIA and the Cult of Intelligence page 330] William Broe worked with Gerrity on a plan to destabilize the Cuban economy. All over these men were involved with General Viaux.

Robert Berrellez was an AP correspondent in Cuba from 1959 to 1961. He was expelled after the Bay of Pigs. Berrellez became a P.R. man for ITT in Chile. Robert Berrellez was accused of perjuring himself during his 1973 testimony on Chile before the U.S. Senate. Berrellez helped Gerrity prepare his (Garrity's) testimony. Berrellez indictment noted that he had met a CIA official in 1972 and pledged that he and Hendricks would deny ever having contact with the Agency in Latin America.

Researcher Don Freed reported that Berrellez was acquainted with DAVID PHILLIPS. The NACLA reported that Berrellez suggested that a relocation center be set up in Buenos Aires for the families of those involved in the coup. [NACLA 10.73] The NACLA also reported that after the assassination of General Schneider, Juan Luis Bulnes, who later proved to be responsible for Schneider's death, immediately went to the airport and picked up a ticket for Buenos Aires which earlier had been reserved for him in the name of Robert Berrellez. [NACLA 8.74]

The FBI reported: " Re Miami teletype July 14, 1972, concerning unsub, aka photographer, described by witness (Deleted) as third man with BERNARD BARKER and FRANK STURGIS when they picked-up processed film at Rich Photo Shop, Miami, Florida, on June 10, 1972. On April 6, 1973, (Deleted) advised his contact agent that he has had regular contact for a period of several years with one Richard Whatley, a used car salesman, and that Whatley has made several casual remarks about the Watergate incident and about knowing the Watergate defendants. Source indicated on April 5, 1973, Whatley commented that if someone talked, his attorney indicated he was facing a federal indictment.

"A review of Miami files reflects that Richard Whatley, (Deleted) Florida, date of birth (Deleted) New York City, 5'6" 135 pounds, brown hair, blue eyes was one of 13 International Anti-Communist Brigade members arrested by United States Customs authorities on December 4, 1962, at No Name Key, Florida. Watergate Subject FRANK STURGIS was one of the leaders of this group which was alleged to be a military operation against Cuba. Details are set out in Miami report of S.A. (Deleted) dated November 9, 1968, Bufile (Deleted).

"Subsequently, on April 6, 1973, source observed artist conception of unsub, aka photographer, and stated that this drawing was an excellent likeness of Richard Whatley. He stated that all the facial features of the drawing were extremely similar with the exception of Whatley's hair which is fuller than in the drawing. The physical description of (Deleted) compares favorably with the of unsub, aka photographer, with the exception of age. Efforts continue to secure recent photograph of (Deleted) FBI number 4145899 for appropriate display to witness (Deleted). Investigation continuing." [FBI 139-4089-1978 4.11.73]

On June 17, 1972, STURGIS was arrested at the Watergate Hotel along with McCORD, BARKER, Rolando Martinez and CIA contract agent Virgilio Gonzalez. Virgilio Gonzalez entered the United States as a permanent resident on July 21, 1954. The FBI: "Subject known to have left the United States in January 1959 to work for Felipe Vidal Santiago, Chief of Maritime Police, Cuba. Subject returned to the United States in August 1959. He worked for Felipe Vidal Santiago as an assistant and a driver." [FBI 139-4081-188 6.24.72] On the same day as STURGIS' arrest, the CIA advised the FBI that "BERNARD L. BARKER and JAMES WALTER McCORD had been CIA employees and that security checks were negative concerning FRANK FRED FIORINI..." [FBI Bufile 4679-10 W/G - FBI Reading Room]

Robert Olsen of the Rockefeller Commission asked STURGIS: "Ever act for CIA, get paid by CIA, participate in CIA project, etc. ? Yes, extensively. Not a Cuban-American. Ancestry is Italian. FIORINI. Working for American Embassy, infiltrated Castro's 26th of July Movement. Several assassination attempts on Castro, including in New York in 1959 & 1960. Knew gambling interests in Cuba. Connected with 'Company' but never 'employed' by CIA. Was paid in cash by CIA as contract agent. Was a spy for United States Government. Highest official - Case Officer - equivalent to Station Chief. Prefers not to give names by phone. New Orleans - May have met some of the Cubans who traveled to New Orleans and elsewhere. Manuel Artime - in Miami. Civil leader of the brigade." In July 1972 the CIA disclaimed any connection with STURGIS.

In February 1975 then-acting CIA Director James Schlesinger [February 1973 to May 1973] told John Dean that "shortly thereafter I discussed these matters with Bill Colby, who indicated that STURGIS has not been on the payroll for a number of years and that whatever the allegations about the Chilean Embassy, the Agency has no connections at all." [JRS MFR re tel. con. with John Dean 2.9.75]

Jerry G. Brown, Deputy Chief, Security Analysis Group generated this MFR dated July 20, 1976: "On July 20, 1976, SAG delivered certain materials to the Office of the General Counsel relative to a request from the Department of Justice for original materials relating to ITT/Chile. Among the materials given to the OGC was the number attached which was received from a Watergate file captioned, '7th Floor Material.' At the time of delivery to OGC, and with the concurrence of the Director of Security, it was pointed out that the document is unclassified and contains a statement by the originator, James R. Schlesinger, former DCI, that in his discussion with William Colby, Colby stated that 'STURGIS has not been on the payroll for a number of years.' It was pointed out to OGC that this statement is in direct conflict with prior Agency public releases concerning STURGIS to the effect that he has never been connected to the Agency in any way."

STURGIS told Robert Olsen of the Rockefeller Commission: "John Dean called Schlesinger regarding STURGIS and Chilean break-in. STURGIS says he talked to Colby and Colby said that STURGIS hadn't worked for CIA in last several years and a had nothing to do with CIA. CIA lost or destroyed his file. Has lied about his having no connection with the CIA. Helms also told Senate Watergate Committee STURGIS had worked for the CIA. Gonzalez had not worked for CIA. Willing to testify under oath. Willing to name names of CIA officials in contact with him. (Uses 'Hey' frequently in conversation. Talks with no Cuban accent.)"

During STURGIS' Watergate trial, STURGIS asked for all FBI records concerning:

"1. Activities in Cuba during the 1950's, his association with Fidel Castro, his contacts with personnel of the United States Embassy in Cuba, his contacts with FBI agents, personnel or information on other U.S. officers, or agents, either in Cuba, or in this country, and information received by the FBI directly or indirectly, from him relating to Cuba, Fidel Castro or Castro's Government.

2. His activities from 1959 to 1970 pertaining or relating to the country of Cuba while he resided in Florida including boat and plane operations, or incursion directed at the country of Cuba, the source of funding for said operations, the awareness and/or approval of said operations by other U.S. Government agencies and contacts he had with FBI agents, employees or informants during said period of time." [Oliver v. CREEP Civil Action 1207 - Daniel E. Schultz] On January 29, 1974, the CIA generated a document that contained the names Matt MacVane, Luis Desa-Soto and J. Horton (Domestic Contacts Division/Miami). It concerned STURGIS' connection to the CIA. On January 31, 1974, the CIA's Office of the Inspector General generated this index card: "Internal Review, IG File #16, Tab #55, Internal Review, M/R by Harold G. Tittsler. Subject: (re STURGIS wanting to meet with Agency representative. STURGIS, FRANK, Harold Tittsler, Art Brew, Joe Joyner."

In 1975 STURGIS told the Rockefeller Commission that his CIA contact in 1959 in Miami was Jose Joachim Sajennes Pardomo. STURGIS: "Naturally I had contact with BARKER. BARKER didn't realize what I was doing, but I knew he was working as an administrative assistant to 'EDUARDO,' which I did not know as E. HOWARD HUNT...E. HOWARD HUNT gave X amount of thousands of dollars to, or at least okayed this money for the B-25 bomber to be repaired. Pedro Diaz Lanz was one source of money...I was in constant touch with Joachim Sajennes. At the same time BARKER did not know I was in touch with Joachim Sajennes, and BARKER asked me to assist him in some of the work --- some of the investigations he was doing. And I agreed only after I got in touch with Joachim Sajennes and Joachim Sajennes says, go ahead, no problem. Everybody was working for the same people." In a Motion for Favorable Evidence, Ellis Rubin asked for "CIA Station records for 1967 and 1968 from Mexico City, Merida, Belize, Caracas and Miami," to show STURGIS' "past connections and working agreements with and employment by the CIA."

STURGIS told the Rockefeller Commission that he was paid in cash. After Watergate, the FBI was unable to locate a bank account for STURGIS. When they reviewed the canceled checks issued to STURGIS by his employer, the Pan American Aluminum Corporation, Miami, it found that all the checks had been cashed in local supermarkets. [FBI 139-4089-394] In a CIA Task Force Report cited by the HSCA, it was asserted that "STURGIS was in contact with some CIA Cuban employees in the Miami area, but had no direct Agency relationship."

When Richard Helms appeared before the Foreign Relations Committee on February 7, 1973, in connection with his appointment as Ambassador to Iran, the following exchange took place: "The Chairman: 'Was FRANK STURGIS an employee?'" Richard Helms: "Never, I am sure of that." In 1984, during the second HUNT v. SPOTLIGHT libel trial, Richard Helms said in a deposition that "to the best of my recollection" STURGIS once was "an agent, an outside agent, a contract agent, of the Agency. He was not a staff member of the Agency." [HSCA Staff Rep: The Evolution and Implications of the CIA-Sponsored Ass. Conspiracies Against Fidel Castro 3.79 Miami Herald 1.31.85]

A few days after the Rockefeller Commission Report was released, Jerrold G. Brown, Deputy Chief of Security Analysis Group, prepared a Eyes Only Memorandum regarding STURGIS' CIA connection.

June 10, 1975

MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Security

VIA: Chief, Security Analysis Group

SUBJECTS: STURGIS, FRANK ANTHONY #353 459, HUNT, EVERETTE HOWARD #25 500

1. The attached memorandum, dated and captioned as above, resulted from a review of Office of Security material concerning FRANK ANTHONY STURGIS, aka; FRANK FIORINI, to further substantiate the Agency's recent public statement to the effect that STURGIS was never connected with the Agency. The writer found no information in the material reviewed which would contradict the Agency's public statement; however, it is apparent that an unknown group has backed some of STURGIS' activities.

2. The attachment is designed as a lead paper only - it should not be considered definitive - to show a line of investigation that can be pursued. The writer will attempt no further research into this matter without approval from higher authority.

Jerry G. Brown,

Deputy Chief, Security Analysis Group.

[CIA 1351-1059-B CIA FOIA #40340]

HEMMING told this researcher: "That covers him for stirring up some shit."

MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD

SUBJECTS: FRANK STURGIS AND HOWARD HUNT

1. In his book, Give Us This Day ("The Inside Story of the CIA and the Bay of Pigs Invasion...) on pages 98 to 103, HUNT gives an account of some of the activities of Pedro Diaz Lanz, who defected from Castro Cuba in mid-1959 as the first chief of Castro's air force. HUNT points out that in October 1959 Diaz Lanz piloted a small plane dumping hundreds of anti- Castro leaflets over Havana. Diaz Lanz's copilot on the flight is identified as FRANK FIORINI. HUNT goes on to describe what would be personal contacts with Pedro Diaz Lanz in the Miami area, utilizing the services of BERNARD BARKER in his contacts with Diaz Lanz and other Cubans. HUNT further describes his attempts to involve Diaz Lanz with the Agency in the invasion, but HUNT'S overtures were not accepted by Headquarters. The concluding paragraph of this account states:

"After the invasion the Kennedy Administration could not do enough for Manuel Ray. A cozy post was secured for him in Puerto Rico as Chief of Munoz Marin's housing projects. I am sure that no equal effort was made in behalf of Pedro Diaz Lanz, for our national tradition has become one of shabby discrimination against known anti-Communists."

NOTE: HUNT'S contacts with Diaz Lanz occurred during the period circa October 1960 to circa November 1961 while HUNT was assigned to JMWAVE, Miami.

2. Office or Security files #202 792 and 351 502 concern Pedro Luis Diaz Lanz, but reveal no use of Diaz Lanz in the Cuban invasion or other Agency operational matters. File # 202 923 concerns Marcos Diaz Lanz, the brother of Pedro Diaz Lanz. The file reflects that Marcos Diaz Lanz was Deputy Chief of Castro's air force until his defection in July 1959, effected by this Agency by his exfiltration from Cuba clandestinely. For the purposes of instant memorandum, it is of note that his file contains an Agency Information Report stating, "According to Colonel Oscar Morales Lopez, Chief of Aviateca -- the Guatemalan Government-owned airline -- Commandante Pedro Diaz Lanz, former inspector of the Cuban rebel air force, Captain Sergio Diaz, and Captain FRANK FIORINI, also formerly with the rebel air force, arrived in Guatemala on December 30, 1959, and immediately contacted him. They had a card from the Guatemalan Ambassador in Washington, and said that they had been in the United States in the first part of December and had talked with important officials of the government. The three wanted to talk with President Miguel Ydigoras Fuentes to obtain moral support for their anti-Castro activities." There is no information showing the mutual involvement of STURGIS with the Diaz Lanz brothers in anti-Castro activities until at least the Summer of 1963.

3. Information in the file of FRANK ANTHONY STURGIS reflects that from circa May 1960 to at least January 1961, STURGIS was living in the Miami area training a group of Cuban and American volunteers for a military invasion of Cuba. By October 1960, the FBI had determined that STURGIS' only activities in anti-Castro matters were in conjunction with the activities of Pedro Diaz Lanz, who was one of the leaders of the anti-Castro group, "Liberation Alliance." reportedly, STURGIS' invasion group, in January 1961 was calling itself, "Brigada Internacionale," with variations of "International Anti-Communist Brigade." One of the sub-units of the Brigade was identified in the press in July 1961 as being a paratroop unit called "Intercontinental Penetration Force" or INTERPEN. The commander of INTERPEN was identified as GERALD PATRICK HEMMING, Jr. (#429 229) The Office of Security file of STURGIS contains nothing further until October 1968, when his arrest was announced in October 1968- while still heading the "International Anti-Communist Brigade" -- for his involvement in a group attempting to enter Guatemala to "clean out anti-Guatemalan guerrillas." At that time FIORINI claimed that two men who were sponsoring his operation were Bob Howell, allegedly a friend of the Kennedy family, and a General Biddle, member of the John Birch Society.

4. To return to the events of the early 1960's, in July 1962 an article appeared in The New Orleans States Item by Bill Stuckey, concerning an anti-Castro training base established on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain. This unit was identified as INTERPEN, headed by GERALD PATRICK HEMMING Jr. The article inferred that INTERPEN was still part of STURGIS' International Anti-Communist Brigade. This particular unit received nationwide publicity when District Attorney Jim Garrison alleged that INTERPEN was involved in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and that INTERPEN members were connected with the CIA.

5. The above noted Bill Stuckey who wrote the July 1962 press article about INTERPEN and HEMMING is identical with the William Stuckey who interviewed LEE HARVEY OSWALD during a public broadcast in New Orleans in August 1963. According to testimony in the Warren Commission Hearings by William Stuckey and CARLOS BRINGUIER, (Cuban Student Directorate Delegate in New Orleans) in early August 1963, LEE HARVEY OSWALD came to BRINGUIER'S New Orleans clothing store announcing that he, OSWALD, was a former Marine trained in guerrilla warfare who wanted to join an anti-Castro guerrilla group in New Orleans. (NOTE: Many of the INTERPEN group were ex-Marines, as was FRANK STURGIS.) BRINGUIER claims he stalled OSWALD and several days later encountered OSWALD on the streets of New Orleans passing out "Fair Play For Cuba" leaflets. The encounter led to a disturbance, and OSWALD and BRINGUIER were arrested. BRINGUIER subsequently alerted STUCKEY to OSWALD, which resulted in the broadcast interview. It is of note that BRINGUIER inferred he was knowledgeable of the anti-Castro guerrilla group training on the North shore of Lake Pontchartrain, and even collected funds for the travel of two of the members to Miami when the group was disbanded.

6. The individual in INTERPEN of most interest to Garrison was Loran Eugene Hall (OS #348 627), who ostensibly arrived in Dallas, Texas, in October 1963, remaining until after President Kennedy was shot. Garrison also alleged that Hall was involved with the Minutemen. The Hall file reflects that in August 1963 Hall was in Southern California, where he spoke before numerous meetings of the John Birch Society attempting to raise funds for anti-Castro planned invasion of Cuba scheduled for mid-September 1963.

7. In June 1972 FRANK STURGIS, E. HOWARD HUNT, BERNARD BARKER and others were arrested while burglarizing the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate, Washington, D.C.

Jerry Brown had his suspicions that HUNT, BARKER and HEMMING were mixed up with OSWALD, or at least moved in the same circles. Why was this document classified Eyes Only, and why was Jerrold G. Brown wary about pursuing his investigation in this direction? The Rockefeller investigation could have gone in this direction. The final verdict of the Rockefeller Commission: "Numerous allegations have been made that the CIA participated in the assassination of President Kennedy...On the basis of the staff's investigation, the Commission concluded there was no credible evidence of any CIA involvement."

The Office of the Inspector General of the CIA generated this index card:

STURGIS, FRANK

MacVane, Matt

Desa-Soto, Luis

DCD/Miami to DCD/ Washington, Cable 12480

Subj: FRANK STURGIS, Convicted Watergate Burglar (Agency relations with STURGIS)

Matt MacVane was listed as a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers. A John Ryder Horton was a CIA agent who was in the Philippines from 1950 to 1953, Hong Kong from 1958 to 1961, Uruguay from 1965 to 1968, and Mexico from 1968 to 1971.

In 1973 the Justice Department decided to prosecute STURGIS for Interstate Transportation of Stolen Motor Vehicles stemming from his abortive attempt to hijack a Soviet freighter. STURGIS' codefendants were Max Gonzalez, Jerry Buchanan and two unindicted coconspirators, Richard G. Brown and Robert Curtis. In Texas, Buchanan claimed the whole car theft case was merely a government ploy to force STURGIS to talk about Watergate.

MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD November 21, 1973

SUBJECTS: FRANK STURGIS and William Johnson.

1. On November 16, 1973, Sidney Stembridge AC/OPS/PSI referred a request to the undersigned from Mr. Gary Breneman, Office of General Counsel. Mr. Breneman requested the source of information previously given in a June 20, 1972, memorandum concerning the activities of Mr. FRANK STURGIS with anti-Castro emigre groups during 1960. With the concurrence of Stembridge, the undersigned provided Mr. Breneman with Xeroxed copies of FBI reports contained in Mr. STURGIS' file which provided the basis for the information in the June 1972 memorandum.

2. On November 19, 1973, Mr. Gary Breneman, Office of General Counsel, contacted Mr. Leo J. Dunn's office requesting traces and information on a William J. Johnson, Jr. This request was forwarded to the undersigned. It was further developed from Mr. Breneman that his request had been prompted by a query from the United States Attorney, Miami, Florida, who is prosecuting the case against Mr. STURGIS on charges stemming from indictment on transporting stolen automobiles across the Mexican border in 1968. According to information relayed by Mr.Breneman, an individual by the name of William J. Johnson (DPOD: February 11, 1931, New York City) was prepared to come forward at STURGIS trial and claim that he was a CIA employee and that he recruited STURGIS to take part in an alleged CIA operations against Cuba in 1968.

3. With concurrence from Sidney Stembridge, AC/OPS/PS, a Xerox copy of a Western Hemisphere Division, Task Force W memorandum of 1962 was provided Mr. Breneman on November 19, 1973. This memo was located in file # 348 309 and concerned a commentary on an article written by Edith Roosevelt. This reference connected a William J. Johnson with FRANK STURGIS in a 1961 indictment for smuggling. This incident involved STURGIS and one William J. Johnson in an overflight and anti-Castro leaflet drop mission in Cuba unrelated to any Agency program. This was the only trace developed on a William J. Johnson. No employment relationship could be established and Mr. Breneman was so informed.

4. Further research into security file January 1961 (Deleted). On the strength that Tony could possible be a nickname used by William Johnson, this information was relayed to Mr. Breneman on November 20, 1973. Mr. Brememan's office was also reminded of the 'Third Agency Rule' which precluded the passage of Bureau reports to other parties. His office was also advised in response to his request, that the Miami Field Office was believed to have already forwarded all information on hand concerning STURGIS to Headquarters. It was further deemed inadvisable to involve the Miami Field Office in local investigation of individuals connected with the STURGIS court case out of concern for prejudicing the proceedings.

Lawrence Howe.

In STURGIS' Motion for Discovery he wrote: "The Defendant has been indicted at Bar for alleged activities in the United States and Mexico in the year 1968; it is essential to the Defendant's defense to show his past connections and working agreements with and employment by the CIA." Many FBI documents about this arrest were highly deleted. [FBI 26-425217-36] In early 1974 STURGIS was incarcerated for his Watergate activities. On January 31, 1974, STURGIS asked to meet with an Agency representative. [CIA MFR Harold G. Tittsler] On September 12, 1974, the U.S. Court of Appeals in New Orleans upheld STURGIS' ITSMV conviction. [St. Pierre Memo 10.25.74] STURGIS was released on appeal bond.

On October 18, 1974, this FBI memo was generated:

TO: SAC, Miami (89-35)

FROM: ASAC Frederick F. Fox

SUBJECT: Assassination of John Kennedy, Dallas, Texas, AFO

At approximately 5:15 p.m., October 17, 1974, I discussed with S.A. W. Douglas Gow, Supervisor, Division G, Bureau, above captioned matter. I told Supervisor Gow that FRANK STURGIS was in Miami and presently out on bond. He was convicted in an ITSMV case and appealed this conviction. The conviction was upheld, but STURGIS, being represented by an attorney, has asked the court for a reduction in sentence. The judge has taken this under advisement for 90 days. It was pointed out to Supervisor Gow that FRANK STURGIS has been for many years a source of information for columnist Jack Anderson in Washington, D.C. It was explained to Supervisor Gow that contact with STURGIS could not be discreet and undoubtedly Jack Anderson would learn of the contact, as well as STURGIS' attorney. In addition, STURGIS might use the contact by FBI Agents as a bargaining point with the court that he was cooperating with the FBI. Supervisor Gow called back and advised this lead should be held in abeyance until after the interview with E. HOWARD HUNT. [FBI Miami 89-35-410 10.18.74]

On December 3, 1974, this FBI document was generated:

United States Government Memorandum

TO: SAC Miami

FROM: SA J. St. Pierre

SUBJECT: Assassination of John F. Kennedy, Dallas, Texas.

Re ASAG Memo October 18, 1974, and Miami Memo SA St. Pierre, October 25, 1974. In as much as Bureau has requested no further inquiry in this matter is suggested this case be closed. Destroy on December 3, 1979. [FBI 89-35-413; NARA 124-10265-10136; NARA 124-10265-10135]

STURGIS was willing to supply the FBI with information on the Kennedy assassination if the FBI got him a lighter sentence in his ITSMV case. The FBI, however, was not dealing. STURGIS received a nine month sentence, probably lighter than he expected.

When STURGIS was released later that year, he worked for Carlos Prio Soccarras and organized a "Cuban Exile Unity Party" that sent a delegation to an Organization of American States meeting at which peaceful coexistence with Cuba was debated. Carlos Prio Soccarras attended this meeting.

In 1975 Orlando Bosch convinced the Chilean Junta to sponsor the assassination of a relative of Salvador Allende who was living in Costa Rica. This plot was the cover for a plan to assassinate Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. STURGIS learned of the plot and informed Miami Police Department Detective Danny Benitez, who passed the information to Lt. Lyons of the Dade County Public Safety Office, who gave it to the United States Secret Service. STURGIS was question in the course of HUNT v. ajweberman in 1978:

Q. Did you inform the United States Government about a plot against Henry Kissinger in Latin America; specifically, in Costa Rica, that involved Orlando Bosch?

A. Let me say this. I notified the American Government of an international plot to kill Mr. Kissinger. Let me say this, change that a little bit around -- not around, I'm sorry. I notified the American Government that there was a plot to disrupt, and possibly to do harm to Mr. Kissinger and, also, the president of a foreign country when he would arrive to this country. Yes, I advised the Government of this plot.

At the end of a CIA list of FBI documents on STURGIS, the following entry appeared in faint type: "ac to Assassinate Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and the..." [Allen v. DOD CIA #04490] The notes of an unnamed Rockefeller Commission investigator read: "April 22, 1975. Has information regarding Miami people, possibly including some Cuban Americans & possibly including some people of past CIA contact, are planning to go to Venezuela to assassinate Henry Kissinger and the President of Venezuela on Henry Kissinger's forthcoming trip there. Dr. de Cardenas, Latin American Anti-Communist League may be involved. Called John Mintz at FBI and gave him above information...called STURGIS back, told him the FBI will be contacting him."When the State Department received this information, it arranged for Orlando Bosch's arrest on February 19, 1976, for entering Venezuela on a fraudulent passport. Orlando Bosch: "The reports that I was going to kill Henry Kissinger are stupid and grotesque. They said I was held because I intended to assassinate the American Secretary of State, but I was in Costa Rica long before Kissinger arrived, and in fact, I did not even know he was coming." The Interior Minister of Costa Rica told the press that Orlando Bosch intended to kill Henry Kissinger for being a Castro collaborationist, since Henry Kissinger advocated restoring diplomatic relations with Cuba. In March 1976 Manuel Artime arranged for Orlando Bosch's release, explaining: "I don't agree with his politics, but he is a friend."

CONTACT REPORT DATE: June 30, 1972

AGENT: (Deleted) CASE OFFICER: (Deleted)

1. Contact was initiated with (Deleted) to discuss Roberto de Cardenas. Cardenas was previously described by (Deleted) as an individual who one worked for the Agency both in Miami and the Congo. He is a friend of BARKER of the Washington break-in scandal. Cardenas was unemployed until 1972 but now, suddenly, he is traveling to South America and has become affluent. (Deleted) speculated that Cardenas may be dealing in narcotics.

a. Cardenas was born about 1919. In 1954 he was a captain with Cubana airlines. In 1954 - 1955 he was arrested in Havana by Major Ochos for smuggling cocaine. Due to political pull, Cardenas was not prosecuted, but was fired from his position. He retired to his farm in Cuba from 1954 to 1959.

b. From 1959 to 1960 he was in the Castro air force. There he met FIORINI, also involved in the Washington break-in scandal. In 1960, in Miami, (Deleted) in the FIORINI home (Deleted) Cardenas dropped in. Also present was Diaz Lanz, former Chief of the Castro air force. Cardenas was then working closely with BARKER in Cuba exile (unity) activity on behalf of Artime. (Deleted) Cardenas (Deleted) told (Deleted) to go to a house on Brickell Avenue. (Deleted) did and there he met Artime for the first time.

c. (At this time a Case Officer named "Jimmy" was handling both BARKER and Cardenas. "Jimmy" spoke excellent Cuban Spanish.)

d. From 1962 to 1965 Cardenas worked with the Agency (Deleted) (Cardenas case officer during this period was (Deleted).

e. In 1965 the Agency sent Cardenas to (Deleted) the Congo. In the Congo Cardenas claimed to have a heart attack and was hospitalized. He was later proven medically sound and released from his Congo assignment.

f. During 1967 to 1968 Cardenas drove a truck in the Miami area. Between 1969 and 1970 to 1971 Cardenas sold mutual funds in South America. (GRAMCO and others) This ended when the funds went bankrupt.

g. In 1971 Cardenas was economically down. In early 1972 he started traveling again and became affluent. (Deleted) believes Cardenas is involved in drugs.

In March 1975 STURGIS and Jerry Buchanan received letters of commendation from the Miami Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration. The letter read: "Dear Judge Clyde Atkins: I would like to call to your attention the fact that Mr. FRANK STURGIS has assisted the DEA by lending support and guidance to Mr. Jerry Buchanan during the investigation (case development) into the activities of Ken Burnstine. Mr. STURGIS directed Mr. Buchanan to the DEA at the outset of this investigation and provided aid to Mr. Buchanan during the six month investigation prior to Grand Jury indictment. This information is furnished for your consideration. David Costa, Acting Regional Director, DEA." The CIA's Office of the Inspector General generated this index card: "Assassination, Homicides, Cuban Operations Tab 3, MFR from Joseph Seltzer, Reference: MFR dated March 21, 1975, from Mr. Cates, NPIC. Subject: Assassination Plans Against Castro (Review of C. Jenkins folder, request for info on (Deleted)." Another IG Index card read: "Anti-Castro Counter-Revolutionary Force, Cuban Operations, Homicides, Cuban Operations Tab 1, FBI Report, Seattle, Washington, (2-41). Subject: FRANK ANTHONY STURGIS Neutrality Matters (re: Letter from Bob Rostallon to W.C. Bean concerning Anti-Castro Counterrevolutionary Force - plans to go into mountains in Cuba as a guerrilla force.)"

On August 10, 1976, STURGIS gave the FBI in Washington, D.C., a memorandum by former Miami Metro Police Intelligence Chief and anti-Castro Cuban, Alphonso Tarabouchia. Al Tarabouchia, an associate of STURGIS, worked for James Sourwine, Chief Counsel to Senator James O. Eastland's Senate Internal Security Subcommittee. James Sourwine was involved in financing the Bayo-Pawley raid known as Operation Crypt. [HSCA V12 p65] In 1964 Al Tarabouchia had told the Warren Commission that he had a source in the Cuban Embassy, Mexico City, who would tell the Commission what really happened during OSWALD'S visit to Mexico City. When the Commission asked him to reveal the name of his source, he refused. [HSCA V12 p176] Tarabouchia would later work for the Anacapa Consulting Corporation whose other employees included James B. Howlett and Ben Wood, formerly of the Law Enforcement Intelligence Unit. [Inquiry 7.79] The Al Tarabouchia memo stated that the Jose Antonio Lanusa of the DRE had information that OSWALD met with G-2 agent Solomon Pratkins before the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. STURGIS told the FBI that S.A. James O'Conner had seen the document in 1964, and "advised people not to talk about it because it might jeopardize their lives." STURGIS advised the FBI that he would be willing to submit to an interview about his allegations while being polygraphed. The FBI gave him an FD-328, "Consent to Interview with Polygraph Release Form." STURGIS looked it over, but never signed it or took the test. In September 1976 The National Star featured an article by Steve Dunleavy about the Al Tarabouchia Memorandum. In 1977 Malcolm Abrams did an article for the Midnight/Globe: "Castro Lied to Barbara Walters. Hard Evidence Links OSWALD" based on STURGIS' charges.

STURGIS did not believe Castro was behind the Kennedy assassination. This was merely anti-Castro propaganda. STURGIS told Robert Olsen of the Rockefeller Commission: "Knew a Cuban woman who was with Castro brothers when Kennedy assassinated. They were alarmed. Feared reprisal. Indicates Castro didn't plan the assassination. She wanted to talk to someone at the top, has forgotten her name."

In 1972 the name of Carlos Prio Soccarras surfaced in the Watergate affair. Besides his association with STURGIS, Carlos Prio Soccarras was associated with Humberto Lopez, another member of the White House/Special Operations Group. Humberto Lopez was the Secretary of the Authentico Party of Carlos Prio Soccarras. The Authentico Party had offices located next to those of BERNARD BARKER. Humberto Lopez told the FBI that he went to Washington, D.C., in early May 1972 as BARKER'S guest. While in Washington, he stayed with STURGIS. Rolando Martinez and Virgilio Gonzalez, who were members of the White House/Special Operations Group, were also members of the Authentico Party. [FBI 139-4089-346] Manuel Artime told the FBI that Carlos Prio Soccarras had "lent some money out" to Watergate figures. The FBI questioned the son-in-law of Carlos Prio Soccarras, Alfredo Duran, about his relationship with HUNT. He said that he had "heard of HOWARD HUNT since the ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion, but has known him personally for approximately two years. He stated that he (illegible) HUNT as a representative of a public relations firm in Washington, D.C., in connection with the Haitian real estate holdings in which he is involved." [FBI Document poor copy from carbon 2.23.73 Miami Florida 139-323 S.A. deleted p16] Alfredo Duran's stepfather was Anselmo Alliegro.

At approximately 8:00 a.m. on April 5, 1977, Carlos Prio Soccarras, 74, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest with a Colt 2" .38 caliber weapon. Two gardeners, Griner and Clarke, heard "what they thought was a gunshot and immediately stood up and looked into the garage of 5070 Alton Road where they seen a man sitting upright in a chaise lounge chair that was in a semi upright position. They observed this man who they described in what they thought was a pink bathrobe slumped backwards in the chaise lounge chair. Both Griner and Clarke observed what appeared to be blood coming from the front chest area of the man. Both Griner and Clarke then ran out onto Alton Road where they observed, and flagged down, a uniformed police car who was occupied by Officer Chandler. Prio was found lying on a lounge chair with a wound in the left side of his chest. Dade County Medical Examiner Ron Wright discovered "soot depositation with the wound" which indicated that the fatal shot was fired at point blank range. Cause of death: Contact gunshot wound of chest. [Ron Wright Office of Miami Med. Exam. Case No. 77-892] Miami Beach Policeman Ed Avila, who arrived on the scene at approximately 8:17 a.m. Fire Rescue and their attending physician, Dr. Jorge Vasquez, was already on the scene. Avila:: "I talked to him and he nodded yes and no. I asked him if he was hurting, if he was in pain, and he nodded no. I asked him if anybody shot him and he nodded no. I asked him if he shot himself and he nodded yes." Ed Avila, had met Carlos Prio Soccarras in Cuba in the early 1950's. [HSCA Memo Fonzi to Tannenbaum 4.24.77]

When Carlos Prio Soccarras died, he was bankrupt and had recently testified that he owed Puerto Rican banks more than $2 million. Prio had redrawn his will eight days before he died. [Miami Herald 5.24.77] His death was clearly a suicide. [NARA HSCA 180-10092-10075] Gaeton Fonzi agreed. [Memo 4.24.77 Fonzi to Tannenbaum 014581]

Upon his death, the former head of the Cuban Revolutionary Council, Tony Varona, took over the leadership of the Authentico Party. On June 14, 1964, the FBI SAC in Miami sent this message to the FBI Director: "Subject (Deleted) FAG (00:Miami) ReBulet to Miami May 13, 1964. Antonio Varona aka Tony (deleted -probably 'Pancho') is probably identical with Manuel Antonio Varona (deleted). By memo to the Director, FBI June 10, 1960 (deleted)." [FBI 46-50437-2] On November 26, 1968, Diario De Las Americas published Tony Varona's statement that Castro agents were responsible for a November 22, 1968, assassination attempt against Julio Aton Constanzo Falau. On December 6, 1968, the CIA received a report from Julio Aton Constanzo Falau, and his brother Avelino, that Francisco Varona Alonzo had visited Julio Aton Constanzo Falau at Jackson Memorial Hospital: "Varona and Constanzo talked about the possible authors of this assassination attempt, and Varona assured Constanzo that the persons who had masterminded the assassination attempt were Joaquin Pedromo Sanjenis, Vincent Zorrilla and Manuel Villafana. Varona told Constanzo that the persons who had actually executed the assassination attempt were Richardo Morales Navarrette, Francisco Rodriguez Tamayo, aka 'El Mejicano' and a man known as 'El Gaalego...According to Varona, Joaquin Pedromo Sanjenis, Zorrilla and Villafana planned the assassination attempt following instructions from 'the American named Enrique, the Argentine.' Constanzo then told Varona that this was very strange, as he could not understand why those men would want to assassinate him. Varona replied that they wanted to eliminate him (Constanzo) for the simple reason that the latest infiltration operations which had been carried out against Cuba, using Teofilo Babun's ships, were exposing and ridiculing Joaquin Pedromo Sanjenis, who was the action Chief of the CIA. Varona said that all the operations which had been carried out under the direction of Joaquin Pedromo Sanjenis and his contact had cost a great deal of money, with the cheapest one costing at least $80,000, and all of them had been a failure, while the operation which Constanzo had carried out had been successful and their cost insignificant. When Constanzo asked Varona whether he (Varona) did not also belong to the CIA group in Miami, Varona said it was true that he worked for the CIA, but that he acted as a Political Chief with a regard to Cuban affairs, and that he had directed dealings with Washington. Varona said that as Political Chief, he was obliged to report this matter, and that he had already reported it also to the police and the FBI. With regard to the FBI, Varona said he had reported the matter to a man named O'Brien. Varona also told Constanzo that the attempts to burn down his house and to shoot up his automobile had also been ordered by Zorrilla...Higinio Diaz aka Nino Diaz had also been spreading a story among Cuban exiles, saying that (Deleted) knows that identity of the authors of the attempt to assassinate Constanzo, trying to involved (Deleted) in this happening. On December 2, 1968, and December 3, 1968, (Deleted) reported to (Deleted) that Varona was saying that now he was going to destroy (Deleted) completely because he had trapped (Deleted) in something and (Deleted) would not be able to get out of this trap. Varona said this to (Deleted) with so much emphasis, and so sure of himself, that when (Deleted) and (Deleted) reported this to (Deleted) they took it as fact...Avelino Constanzo believes that Varona is using his brother for propaganda purposes." Tony Varona claimed to have access to "high circles surrounding NIXON." [CIA From (Deleted) To (Deleted) 12.6.68 533022] Tony Varona died on October 31, 1992, of cancer, at age 83.

On January 19, 1977, the CIA Plans Division sent a three-page attachment to the Office of Security: "Official Routing Slip To (Deleted) For your retention or passage to anyone in the Office of Security who might have interest in attachment. From (Deleted)." The attachments, three Office of Security documents, were withheld "as they are not germane. STURGIS' name did not appear in this material." In May 1977 STURGIS told an FBI source he is now associated with "Afro-Cuban Committee" to train men in Angola and Zaire. In June 1977 STURGIS flew to England and conferred with individuals interested in overthrowing the pro-Castro Government of Angola. In August 1977 source of Miami Field Office of Domestic Collection Division met with STURGIS on June 5, 1977, regarding plans to establish Cuban Government in exile on Angolan soil "with the help of Holden Roberto (FNLA)." [STURGIS Chronology assembled by Fonzi]

When STURGIS returned to the United States in 1978, he resurrected the story of "OSWALD'S secret flight to Cuba from the Yucatan peninsula," and he claimed to have obtained a Secret FBI document that quoted nine CIA and FBI sources as having had knowledge of the visit. STURGIS refused to name these sources, "for their own protection." The FBI determined that the secret document was a March 24, 1964, interview of JOHN MARTINO, by James O'Conner, at Miami. [FBI 105-8342 3.24.64] The FBI: "The document referred to in the article appears to be the MARTINO FD-302 since points of information appearing in the article do appear in the FD-302. The article alleges nine names appear in the FD-302, but any nine of these do not readily lend themselves to the definition of a 'contact' as suggested in the article. The article quotes purported excerpts from the document which agree, in part, with information contained in the FD-302, but which are not comparable on a word for word basis. In the article, STURGIS is alleged to have told the FBI, in a past interview, that LEE HARVEY OSWALD was in Miami, Florida, prior to the assassination of President Kennedy and did attempt to infiltrate anti-Castro organizations. While the alleged infiltration is not mentioned in the MARTINO FD-302, STURGIS was interviewed by a Bureau Agent on January 14, 1964, concerning that specific point and he labeled the information as false. The article and FD-302 mentioned a fight OSWALD is alleged to have had in Miami, Florida, and Bureau Agents interviewed the allegedly combatant on March 26, 1964. While this person denied being personally involved with OSWALD, he claimed OSWALD had been in a fight, but could provide no details. His recognition of OSWALD was based on publicity following the John F. Kennedy assassination. The article and FD-302 refer to a trip OSWALD is alleged to have made from Mexico to Cuba during September 1963. The FD-302 points out that this information supposedly originated with a 'girlfriend' of OSWALD'S who resided in Mexico." [FBI ltr. To USAG from Director, FBI 7.19.77]

On October 4, 1978, a document was generated from David R. Wiser of the Drug Enforcement Administration to Peter F. Gruden of the FBI, the Subject of which was "JFK, Conspiracy Theory, Assassination, STURGIS, FRANK." The document was referred to the Drug Enforcement Administration for release. [FBI 62-109060-7991, NARA FBI 124-10145-10233] On May 25, 1990, it was revealed that Peter Gruden had offered a group of Mexicans $50,000 to kidnap a doctor who had been involved in the death of a DEA agent in Mexico. [Wash. Post 5.26.90] On November 9, 1978, the Miami FBI telexed its Congressional Inquiry Unit regarding the JFK assassination: "For the information of the Bureau and Dallas, by letter dated October 20, 1978, the United States Secret Service Miami furnished to this office a copy of a letter sent to the Agency by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Miami, dated October 13, 1978. The Drug Enforcement Administration letter advised that (deleted). On November 3, 1978, attempts to contact Peter F. Gruden, Inspector-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Miami, who had furnished above information to United States Secret Service, determined that he was not available. On November 7, 1978, Peter F. Gruden was contacted, and he advised that (deleted-referred to Drug Enforcement Administration). A review of the Miami files indicates that (deleted) date of birth (deleted) white male, was a source of the Miami Office for a short period of time under Miami file (deleted) Bureau file (deleted) FBI number (deleted) also arrested by FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration Agents, July 26, 1976, at Miami International Airport for UFAP murder charges. Bufile (deleted) additional contained in Miami file (deleted) in which (deleted). Subject along with (deleted) and Subject (deleted) involving crime on the high seas - possible murder. (Deleted) victim all suspected drug dealers. Reports in this matter have been furnished to the Bureau, but Bufile number unknown to Miami. Miami maintaining contact with Drug Enforcement Administration Miami and contemplates interview of (deleted) and (deleted)." On October 4, 1978, Peter F. Gruden, Inspector-in-Charge received a Memo from (Deleted) Inspector that was referred in it's entirety to the Drug Enforcement Administration. [FBI 62-109060-10232, 7791 enc. page 3,4 NARA FBI 124-10145-10232; NARA FBI 124-10145-10234 John C. Keeney: Blakey]

John C. Keeney was the author of a letter which stated that the burglary of dissident Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist was illegal only because it was unauthorized by the Attorney General or by the President. He was part of the Justice Department team that successfully prosecuted Lyndon LaRouche. On November 10, 1993, Keeney, Acting Assistant Attorney General, announced that the Justice Department's Criminal Division would handle the investigation in the affairs of Madison Guaranty and Capital Management which played a major of the "Whitewater" affair. [Wall Street Journal] On December 11, 1978, the Miami FBI drafted a Letter Head Memorandum most of which was referred to the Drug Enforcement Administration for release. The archivists at the National Archives described this document "JFK, Allegations of Assassination Plot, STURGIS, FRANK." The document stated: "Enclosed for the Bureau are five copies of an LHM dated December 11, 1978, as captioned above. Enclosed for Dallas is one copy of same LHM and original interview notes for (Deleted). For information of the Bureau and Dallas, in the opinion of the interviewing agents, (Deleted) and (Deleted). No further investigation is being conducted by the Miami Office, and this matter is being considered RUC." The LHM stated: "By letter dated October 20, 1978, the United States Secret Service, Miami, Florida, furnished the FBI Miami a copy of a letter sent to that agency by the DEA, Miami, Florida, dated October 13, 1978. The DEA letter advised that (Deleted)." [FBI 62-109060-7991 also 62-109060, 7990, 7990X, 7990X1 have been changed to 190 -709-98X3, 8805-15, 8805-16 this was announced in NARA 124-10145-10235; NARA FBI 124-10145-10231] These documents dealt with Thomas Holt.

In 1979 Ray Sandstrom represented Thomas Holt in a first-degree murder case. During these proceedings, Thomas Holt stated: "First of all, I released Mr. Sandstrom because of lack of money, no other reason. Second of all, Your Honor, at the hearing before Judge Glickstein the statement that I made about FRANK STURGIS telling me that he ordered John F. Kennedy's assassination, and upon that statement I made, he ordered a psychiatric examination. I believe that needn't to bring out the fact that Mr. FRANK STURGIS told me he murdered John F. Kennedy. There was another person in Miami he said he murdered. He told me E. HOWARD HUNT, Gordon Liddy and Mr. Colby, head of CIA, were all personally involved in the assassination of John F. Kennedy and Gerald Ford was on the Warren Commission to cover up the assassination of John Kennedy. But if you want to talk assassinations, going through the history of this country, Republicans have murdered Democrats and Democrats have murdered Republicans.

"I am not a radical., I am not psychotic and I am not a bigot. Most important of all, I am not ignorant...I gave Ray Sandstrom my last $10,000. I have no moneys. If Your Honor wants me to see two more psychiatrists, very well. But I notice the Court did not bring out the fact that the psychiatrist said to me it is very possible that FRANK STURGIS murdered the President of the United States. It is possible that FRANK STURGIS murdered President Allende, and it is very possible that Mr. Holt is not paranoid or crazy. This is in the psychiatric report, Your Honor.

"Your Honor, I excuse myself for raising my voice, but I have watched Ray Sandstrom raise his voice on many occasions. I am not an attorney, I am not a prosecutor. I am not an assassin for the government. I am a man indicted for first degree murder, and I want every piece of representation that this Court can give me - nothing more and nothing less." [Circuit Court of 17th Judicial Circuit Criminal Action No. 79-8855 CF "J" Moe 11.2.79 Hearing]

Thomas Holt signed this statement: "I Thomas Holt, was told the first or second week in May a year ago today, with Billy Johnson by Bob's Pizza Place on Biscayne and 135th in February there was a meeting with customs when I told them that those prior times FRANK STURGIS told me he killed John F. Kennedy, I told this to the assassination committee and an oath was taken on these statements last week in Broward County in my court hearing before judge Glickstein. (Blanche Gloetzner took this depo of Record Reporting Services. Thomas Holt." HEMMING told this researcher: "I did time with Holt. He's a fucking bug. To be in the business you got to be a goddamn bug. He deteriorated fairly rapidly. The Drug Enforcement Administration was trying to keep him on the street, but he's out there blowing people away. Where would guys become intimate? Are they on a fucking mission to kill somebody and some things slip out?"

In February 1969 MARTINO was investigated for misrepresenting himself as a representative of the General Development Corporation in Guatemala. MARTINO ran an organization known as ONCA. [FBI 163-34977-2 2.25.69] In April 1973 JOHN MARTINO was involved with associates of the brother of Guatemalan President Carlos Arana Orsorio in narcotics smuggling: "(Deleted) efforts obtain Russo's long distance telephone tolls revealed he often used telephone of a friend (Deleted). Latter is old acquaintance of (Deleted) who agreed to cooperate investigation Russo activities. (Deleted) said he had helped Russo move what he thought was contraband but now believe narcotics also involved. Russo had two sets false documentation: one citing birth Belize (British Honduras) the other Spain. In addition, hold Brazilian diplomatic passport which (Deleted) claims Maria Paula Soura Freitas obtained for him. Latter also has been Russo contraband collaborator according to (Deleted). (Deleted) said he recently has been asked by Russo to carry undisclosed package to Miami for $5,000. (Deleted) said he could arrange (Deleted) protection (Deleted) as collaborator if he would agree carry package to make possible detection Miami contact. (Deleted) reluctant because he claims 'years ago' he tried to cooperate with Interpol and almost landed in Miami jail as Interpol failed him. (Deleted) feels, however, he can persuade (Deleted).

"(Deleted) queried by (Deleted) on other Russo contacts: said latter was to travel to Honduran border (Aguascalientes Checkpoint) April 20, 1973, to contact person who helps him bring in contraband from Honduras. This person turned out to be local immigration chief (also in charge of Customs) Jose 'Chepe' Duatre Jr. (Deleted) said Duarte from Chiquimula, son of former close friend of President Arana, Jose 'Chepe' Duarte Senior, who killed by terrorist 1972. Duarte Jr. has reputation involvement shady deals, but (deleted) immigration officer Aguascalientes on Presidential orders. (Deleted) said he advised President Arana alleged Duarte connection with suspected trafficker Russo. President gave (Deleted) green light investigative and 'take necessary action.' (Deleted) sent (Deleted) team Aguascalientes April 28, 1973, to verify Russo-Duarte contact, which as of April 30, 1973, has not taken place.

"(Deleted) also reported a frequent contact of Russo in Miami is resident JOHN MARTINO, U.S. passport K-169259, who currently staying at hotel Maya Excelsior Guatemala City. Personal check by (Deleted) revealed MARTINO close friend of Arturo Arana, President's brother, and has taken Arturo on all expense paid pleasure trips to Miami. (Deleted) commented President Arana fuller aware brother Arturo is influence peddler who had to be retired from Guatemalan telecommunications job due to excessive graft.

"(Deleted) not to arrest anyone until members Russo network uncovered and sufficient evidence obtained to establish bona fides (deleted). He observed (Deleted) are only arm available to him to conduct investigation which he must do via acting (Deleted) Chief, and that (Deleted) lack narcotics training and experience." [CIA FOIA D001213]

MARTINO, 64, died on August 3, 1976, of a heart attack: "Acute Rupture Abdominal Aneuryth, due to Shock and Exsanguination due to arteriosclerosis, generalized." [Dade County Death Cert. 9564] MARTINO was never questioned by HSCA.

In November 1976 the FBI began an investigation of MARTINO and the Sud-Import-Export Company located in Mexico City. "(Deleted) Bureau requested to authorize Miami to conduct appropriate inquiries regarding Sud Import and Export and to determine if the Alton Road address is valid." Another FBI document stated: "Through previous investigation it has been determined that 2326 Alton Road, Miami Beach, Florida, is an existing address. Contact (Deleted) Miami, Florida, re SUD Import and Export this company is a valid company, located at 2323 Alton Road. (Deleted)" [FBI163-24877-5,6,7,8]

The HSCA reported that on October 4, 1977, "an anonymous informant named Fred [Fred Claasen ] called the HSCA several times and indicated a close relationship with the late JOHN V. MARTINO. Fred said that MARTINO told him he 'worked for the CIA,' and that President Kennedy was killed by anti-Castro Cubans. MARTINO said the assassins knew the motorcade route before they went to Dallas." [HSCA Memo Fonzi to Fenton 10.4.77] Author Tony Summers quoted Fred Claasen as having said: "MARTINO said OSWALD wasn't the hit man. He told me 'The anti-Castro types put OSWALD together...OSWALD didn't know who he was working for...He was there to meet his contact at the Texas Theater [the movie house where he was arrested]...They were to meet OSWALD in the theater and get him out of the country then eliminate him. OSWALD made a mistake. There was no way we could get to him. They had Ruby kill him."

When Tony Summers interviewed JOHN MARTINO'S wife, Florence Martino, she told him that JOHN MARTINO had told her on the day of the assassination "'Flo, they're going to kill him. They are going to kill him when he goes to Texas.' Florence questioned her husband briefly, got no meaningful response, and went out for a while. She was home again by the time Edward, 17, heard the news of the assassination on television. 'When I called them in' he remembered, my father went as white as a sheet. But it wasn't like 'Gee whiz' it was more like confirmation.' 'Then JOHN was on the phone...' Florence remembered: 'He got I don't know how many calls from Texas, I don't know who called him, but he was on the phone, on the phone, on the phone...'"[Vanity Fair 12.94]

MARTINO told his wife after the assassination: "When they went to the theater and got OSWALD they blew it...There was a Cuban in there. They let him come out. They let the guy go, the other trigger." Some two months before the assassination, Florence Martino said, "a man from Washington, tall and large...in a dark suit, like from the State Department" had brought a young Cuban to the house. Later her husband would ask her, 'Flo, do you remember that good looking kid that was sitting on the couch? He was involved. He was one of them.' A month after we taped Florence Martino's interview she died." John Cummings, a reporter who worked closely with HEMMING, reported: "It came out of the blue. MARTINO told me he had himself met OSWALD several weeks before the assassination, in Miami. He said an FBI agent named Conners asked him to come to a boat docked in Biscayne Bay, and introduced him to OSWALD by name. The impression MARTINO got was that OSWALD didn't know his ass from his elbow, didn't know what he was involved in. He thought the agent wanted him to meet OSWALD because MARTINO was involved in anti-Communist activity, and OSWALD was someone this agent was running." S.A. James J. O'Conner denied having met OSWALD. [Tony Summers Vanity Fair 12.94 p112] In December 1977 STURGIS Juan Orta died of a heart attack at age 71. Several months later, Allen Courtney became seriously ill; he died on September 17, 1978, of natural causes.

On May 11, 1977, a source reported to the FBI that STURGIS says he's been asked to organize and train 200 Panamanian dissidents in Costa Rica which is part of a larger anti-Torrijos effort. [Fonzi- STURGIS Chronology] The December 11, 1977, issue of the Panamanian daily, Excelsior, reported that STURGIS was involved in a plot to assassinate Trujillo: "Carlos Manuel Pereira De Oliveira Cabral, who is being detained on drug trafficking charges, confessed to the National Intelligence Service of Panama that Arnulfo Arias, the ex-President of Panama now living in exile in Miami, and a group of anti-Castro Cubans also in Miami, planned to assassinate Torrijos. Segun Pereira, the Cuban Jose Celso Garcia, and expert on arms and explosives, was offered a million dollars to assassinate Torrijos. FRANK FIORINI was to help Garcia enter Panama through Costa Rica and then help him escape."

When Gaeton Fonzi met with STURGIS in Miami, STURGIS offered to introduce him to former Castro prisoner named "Paul." Paul was an American who had spent seven years in Castro's prison. He was charged with plotting to blow up a building housing Russian agents. Paul had operated a small bar in Havana as a front, was married to a Cuban who worked for the CIA, and was deeply involved in Miami's anti-Castro Cuban activity. STURGIS told Fonzi: "He don't know you're going to be there, so when we get there I'll put him on." When the three men met, STURGIS pretended he couldn't remember where he knew Gaeton Fonzi from, then said: 'I really know who he is. Fonzi is a friend of mine who is with the government committee that's looking into the John F. Kennedy assassination.' 'Oh,' Paul said, 'you mean the guy you killed?' STURGIS' face froze. The smile was gone. Then he shook his head and smiled again. 'Oh yeah, sure' he said. Paul laughed at catching STURGIS off-guard. I started laughing too. He was right. Paul was a funny guy."

In December 1980 STURGIS opened a video tape store in Miami. A Miami News reporter asked him about the tramps: "No, I was not one of the tramps in Dallas. No fucking way in the world they were going to say I looked like one of those old tramps. I don't know who they were, but I wasn't one of them." In September 1981 STURGIS was connected with an ill-fated invasion of the American Naval base in Guantanamo, Cuba. The strategy: Send boatloads of unarmed men under an American flag into a canal adjacent to the base. The goal: Stay long enough so that sympathetic nations will recognize a Cuban government-in-exile. Wilferdo Navarro and Raphael Torres, a Bay of Pigs vet, were involved in this action. STURGIS and his crew ran aground in the Turks and Caicos Islands. STURGIS had to slip out the these islands in a small powerboat. [Miami Herald 9.10.81] In February 1982 STURGIS was in Angola, where he led a Brigade of anti-Castro Cubans, according to Wilferdo Navarro. [Miami Herald 2.10.82]

In June 1986 STURGIS was arrested after he promised Metro Miami detective, Kennedy Rosario, who was posing as a drug dealer, that he could get the drug ring's chemist out of jail in return for a large amount of money. The Organized Crime Bureau first found out about STURGIS' scam in May 1986 when an informant told OCB detective Carlos Ortiz that he knew of "individuals engaged in reducing inmates sentences" using "high-level" connections. STURGIS told them he wanted $150,000 in cash. Since it was no crime to con drug dealers, and since STURGIS never followed through on his promise to contact high level people, OCB went another route. They offered STURGIS a down payment of four stolen Rolex watches and $75,000. The police delivered four watches to FRANK, then arrested him and his partner, Spanish national Emilio Cotonat, for possession of stolen property. When the case came to court, STURGIS claimed he was working for Customs Officer John McCutcheon, and had informed McCutcheon before his arrest about the approach. John McCutcheon, who spent 20 years with the Drug Enforcement Administration, testified that STURGIS had told him about this episode, but he could not remember if it was before or after his arrest. The jurors could not convict STURGIS because his guilt was not longer beyond reasonable doubt. Ellis Rubin represented STURGIS and he was acquitted. [Miami Herald 11.7.86]

In 1992 STURGIS was mentioned in Double Cross, which purported to be the memoirs of Sam Giancana. STURGIS was described as:

1. JACK RUBY'S partner in narcotics smuggling operations which sometimes included David Ferrie.

2. The mob's inside man when he was Castro's Minister of Games of Chance

3. Being present in Dealey Plaza on November 22, 1963, with Charles Harrelson, Jack Lawrence, two of TRAFFICANTE'S Cuban friends, Richard Cain, Milwaukee Phil, Chuckie Nicoletti, Roscoe White, Officer TIPPIT and OSWALD.

In 1993 the Government of Cuba named these men as conspirators: NIXON, Richard Helms, STURGIS, HUNT, PHILLIPS and Banister. They also named Johnny Rosselli, Gary Yen, George Bush, General Charles Cabell, Allen Dulles, Tony Varona, Richard Bissell, Sam Giancana, TRAFFICANTE, Clyde Chow, (Clyde Snow?) Carlos Prio Soccarras, Robert Maheu, JACK RUBY, Jose Berman, the Novos, Pedro Diaz Lanz, Lenny Patrick, David Yaras, Eladio Del Valle and Herminio Diaz Garcia.

HEMMING stated that STURGIS, to his dying day, still had schemes going in the Dominican Republic. HEMMING told this researcher: "You know why I was always annoyed by STURGIS. He didn't have telephone directories from all over the country cluttering up his fucking bedroom. He didn't sit in the library and read all the newspapers there are. He didn't do research. Now, did I stumble on to OSWALD doing research, and know he was defector and all the bullshit? You're goddamn right. Did I have him in my files. You're goddamn right. But that's not the story that's gonna be told, right now. Could FRANK, without any help at all, have stumbled across the newspaper article about this kid coming back from the Soviet Union, then read in the Dallas or Fort Worth newspaper about such and such. No. No fucking way. And HUNT and PHILLIPS couldn't slip away from their desk for too long." In 1993 STURGIS began training men in the Everglades for another Cuban invasion. William Johnson reported: "They had a shooting out there. Gun went off accidentally. Someone got killed. I think he's the eyes and the ears for Uncle Sam. He's working with some FBI Agent, with the camp, so he's feeding information on everyone that's there. He's a cutie." FRANK STURGIS died of lung cancer on December 4, 1993.

Marita Lorenz stated: "I left Dallas about two hours [after RUBY threw me out]; FRANK took me to the airport and I went back to Miami...On November 22, 1963, I was in an Eastern Airlines plane on the way to New York City when the pilot announced the President had been shot. When OSWALD was picked up and shot by RUBY certain events began to fall into place. I was frightened. In New York she claimed was questioned about Marcos Jimenez Perez by the FBI although no such document has been released. She claimed she was asked: "Did they know the names of the people you took the car trip with from Miami to Dallas?" Marita Lorenz claimed she said, "Yes."

Marita: "I didn't come forward with my story to the Warren Commission, but I did disassociate myself from FRANK. I lost complete contact with him until 1972. In 1970 I got married to Louis John Yurasits, the superintendent of a building filled with Eastern bloc diplomats. I would go through their trash, I called it 'compactor work,' Mr. ajweberman would call it 'garbology.' I would report my findings to S.A. Al Chestone. I received a letter of commendation from the New York FBI..." On October 29, 1971, Lorenz received a letter of commendation from John F. Malone, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York City FBI Office. The CIA reported "Lorenz collected wastebasket trash from the Soviet apartments which was offered and refused by FR Division in New York. She was met several times by the Domestic Contacts Division C/S. Domestic Contacts Division did not carry this information under Subject's name but under Yurasits." The information supplied by Marita Lorenz triggered one report titled "Illness of Mrs. Ivan E. Kartashov. Method of Collection: Interview. Directed to OSS Case Officer Kuehn. Field Comments: Per (Deleted) Watts telcon Copy of this information to be passed directly to (Deleted). Please coordinate with (Deleted)." [CIA FR Maurice A. Sovern 11.7.77; NARA 1993.07.13..17:59:24:750270] In January 1976 Lorenz and Yurasits were divorced. The FBI reported: "During the period of her marriage, 1970 to 1975 Lorenz voluntarily furnished information of both security and criminal nature. She was advised on numerous occasions that she was not an informant of the FBI." [FBI 105-83564 NR 4.7.77]

Marita Lorenz: "In 1973 I visited FRANK in Federal Prison in Connecticut. When FRANK was in Washington testifying, he called me from a pay phone. A few months later, we met. During this meeting I asked him about the Kennedy assassination. He boasted and bragged about it. But he said, 'They haven't got shit.' He said 'They can't prove it' and he said he was questioned several times but that his alibi would stick. He said his alibi was that he 'watched the whole damn thing on television, in his house in Miami.'"

In January, February, and March 1975, Lorenz logged 100 hours of auxiliary police work for the New York City Police Department. On April 24, 1975, Marita Lorenz surfaced in the press in a series of articles about STURGIS by Paul Meskil. The article was titled "Secrets of the CIA: The American Mata Hari Who Duped Castro." The article concerned the alleged theft of documents from Castro by Lorenz which later allegedly turned out to be the locations of Soviet missile sites: "I unlocked the door to Suite 2408, went inside and double locked the door behind me...as usual the suite was littered with papers and the filing cabinet was open. I couldn't grab everything. I took as much as I could, and stuffed papers and maps into my uniform pockets and inside my jacket. Then I left the Hilton and went back to the other hotel, changed into a dress, and caught the next flight to Miami. FRANK met me at airport and I gave him all the papers. I never knew exactly what information they contained. I was told the stuff was good, it was fantastic and the United States Government was very happy. Among the papers were topographical maps of Cuba on which several sections of undeveloped land, miles away from any population center, had been marked with handwritten circles...Three years later another intelligence agent told her the original groundwork plans for Soviet missile sites."

If Castro's papers had disappeared the same time Marita did, she would have been a suspect in the theft and arrested when she re-entered Cuba.

On April 24, 1975, the CIA's Office of Security searched under "Lorenz, Ilona Marita and Lorenz Marie," but no Office of Security file was found. [CIA OS Memo for the Record 4.25.75] The CIA commented on this article: "In the first article Marie [sic] Lorenz alleges that E. HOWARD HUNT was the paymaster for STURGIS and Alexander Rorke. HUNT has publicly claimed not knowing STURGIS until at least the late 1960's...Relative to Marie Lorenz, initial Office of Security traces in this name were negative in April 1975." The April 25, 1975, article was noted by the CIA: "[The article stated] one Marie [sic] Lorenz was involved with FRANK STURGIS and Alex Rorke in 1959 to 1960, in anti-Castro activities on behalf of this Agency."

The FBI reported that in "approximately February 1976 Marita Lorenz, against the advise of the New York FBI office, began an affair with one Giuseppe Faggiano, who was, by reputation, a hit man and an arsonist. Throughout the duration of the affair she continued to furnish criminal information obtained through her relationship with Faggiano. She advised that during the course of that relationship, she had come in a position of information concerning gambling, shylocking, and IFIS matters, together with background information concerning LCN bars and restaurants." [FBI 137-44613-1] On August 23, 1976, STURGIS reported he was with Marita Lorenz on the weekend of August 21, 1976, to August 22, 1976. She allegedly gave him cryptographic Albanian code. On August 27, 1976, the FBI in New York City generated this document: "In April 1976 instant case was opened to determine Marita Lorenz' potential as an informant. However, due to the fact that Lorenz was the subject of extensive publicity in June 1976, regarding recruitment by CIA during 1960 to kill Fidel Castro, instant case was closed. At the time the source had indicated her relationship with Faggiano was terminated. Subsequently, Lorenz contacted the New York FBI office and advised she had renewed her relationship with him. In July 1976 Lorenz advised she had been pistol whipped and beaten by Faggiano. She subsequently filed a complaint of first degree assault against him with the NYPD. Faggiano was arrested on August 11, 1976, and released on his own recognizance. Lorenz alleged that subsequent to his release, anonymous telephone calls were made to her unlisted number threatening her life. Lorenz, at her request, was contacted on August 19, 1976, by an S.A. of the NYO and (deleted) of N.Y.P.D. At that time she accused Faggiano of burglarizing her home and stealing several tape recordings of telephone conversations she had with Faggiano; Ed Levy, a long time boyfriend and allegedly father of her son. Lorenz claimed she feared for her life, and requested FBI or police protection."

On June 13, 1976, another article about Lorenz appeared in the New York Daily News written by Paul Meskil. It was titled "CIA SENT BEDMATE TO KILL CASTRO IN 1960." In the article Marita related that she met with Alex Rorke, two FBI agents and a CIA agent at the office of the FBI in New York City. Lorenz said they suggested that she should poison Castro. Gaeton Fonzi reported: "Meskil said he first met Marita Lorenz when he was researching a series of articles for the News entitled 'Secrets of the CIA.'The series was published beginning on April 20, 1975. The series dealt with the CIA's anti-Castro activities. Meskil said that while interviewing FRANK STURGIS for the series, STURGIS told him he had helped Castro's former mistress escape from Cuba. At that time, STURGIS told Meskil he couldn't remember her name. Meskil later remembered there had been an article in the defunct Confidential Magazine entitled 'Castro Raped My Daughter.' That article had appeared in the early 1960's, and Meskil said it is fortuitous that he is one of the few people in the world with a complete collection of old Confidential magazines. Upon checking, Meskil discovered that the article was written by one Alex Rorke (an anti-Castro associate of STURGIS whose plane disappeared in September 1963) and that its subject was Marita Lorenz. Meskil subsequently found Lorenz and included her in his series...Regarding his recent article about Lorenz, Meskil said he first became aware of the information when Lorenz, with whom he had developed regular contact, called him and told him she had just returned from Miami and a period of voluntary confinement under protective custody in a United States Customs Service safe house. She said she had been working as an undercover informant for Customs Agent Steve Czukas. While in protective custody, she told Meskil, she wrote a detailed account of her knowledge concerning the Kennedy assassination. Meskil said he decided to publish the revelation in the News only because he confirmed the existence of her written account with Czukas. Meskil said Czukas confirmed he had custody of that written account." [HSCA To Blakey from Fonzi & Gonzales 10.31.77] On June 18, 1976, the CIA noted Paul Meskil's article, and provided a six page memo on Lorenz for the Chief, (Deleted). The FBI: "General Investigative Division, in attached letter to Assistant Attorney General Thornburgh dated September 8, 1976, for information from our files. The September 8, 1976, response, based on an indices search using the spelling of Lorenz's name as furnished by Senator Schweiker to the Justice Department, resulted in no record being located...Additional research relative to the June 1976 article has revealed a positive identification...Relative to Lorenz's claim in the attached article that she and Alex Rorke visited New York FBI offices and had a 'conference with two agents who had questioned her previously and a CIA official,' (deleted)." [FBI 62-109060-7572x NR 4.7.77]

In February 1977 Lorenz was in Madrid, searching for Marcos Perez Jimenez, in order to obtain child support. She told the Legal Attache at the American Embassy there that she had been "followed by strange men and on one occasion her food had been drugged."

Marita Lorenz stated: "In June 1977 Secret Service agents and Customs men knocked on my door and said, 'We know you went on a trip to Dallas.' This was Steve Czukas, a United States Customs intelligence agent. I was cooking and I said, 'Yes, I did take a trip to Dallas, but I didn't stay, I went back.' They questioned me and we talked only of this one trip. I confessed in writing while I was in their protective custody in July 1977. They put me up at Miami Springs Villa and gave me a new identity, Cathy Webster."

Miami TV newsman Victor Walters checked Marita Lorenz's story with a source in the United States Customs Service, and confirmed that she had been in protective custody due to the information on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy she had disclosed. [Depo. Vic Walters 76-1252-Civ. SMA Miami 2.3.78]

To verify Victor Walters' story, Philip Bowen, Regional Head of U.S. Customs, and Steve Czukas were deposed during the course of HUNT v. ajweberman. Philip Bowen agreed to a deposition if his testimony was "confined to matters discussed with TV reporter Vic Walters...we have been directed to decline to testify to any matter which would reveal investigatory techniques, confidential informants, the credibility of a source's information." Steve Czukas and Philip Bowen both said nothing of value. A notarized Privacy Waiver was obtained from Lorenz so that her story could be verified, and a Privacy Act request was made for her "written confession." The Assistant Regional Counsel who had represented Philip Bowen at his deposition replied: "A check of our records indicates that we do not have in Region IV any reports, memos or documents on Marita Lorenz that were authored or co-authored or bear the signature of U.S. Customs agents Steve Czukas or Howard Weintraub."

Marita Lorenz: "FRANK wanted me to fly to Angola in 1977 to take part in anti-Castro activity there. The Novo brothers were supposed to drive me to the airport. Had I not refused FRANK'S offer I would have never returned." On July 21, 1977, Marita Lorenz called the listed number for the CIA in New York City and said STURGIS wanted her to travel to Angola, in hopes of obtaining first-hand information about the Cuban military presence there. Marita Lorenz offered to spy on STURGIS for the CIA, if the CIA lifted the exclusionary stamp on her passport that prohibited travel to Angola. The CIA reaction to Marita Lorenz's offer was emphatically negative: "There is no interest in encouraging Subject to travel or do anything else for this Agency." [CIA (deleted) 28990 7.22.77. 6.18.76, 4.25.75, 7.21.77; FBI 137-44613-1, 137-43954-4, 105-83564-8,9, 105-83564 NR 4.7.77, 6.23.76]

In September 1977 Marita Lorenz told her "car trip story" to Paul Meskil who checked it with STURGIS. STURGIS repeated his denial and again implied that he was unaware of the Novo brothers, but did tell Paul Meskil he had been in Dallas several times before November 22, 1963. In late September 1977, The New York Daily News published Paul Meskil's story. A few days later, STURGIS had a meeting with SANTO TRAFFICANTE in a Miami Beach supermarket. [TRAFFICANTE HSCA Testimony 10.77]

In 1977 this researcher needed a witness in HUNT v. ajweberman, and the testimony of Marita Lorenz was not subjected to intensive examination. Gaeton Fonzi believed that Marita Lorenz had concocted the car trip story to discredit the tramp photographs, and was still in league with STURGIS. Gaeton Fonzi had contacted Marita Lorenz in 1976 shortly after the first Paul Meskil story was published. She asked him to provide protection for her; because he did not believe she was a credible witness he declined to do so. This researcher visited Lorenz at her apartment on 1725 York Avenue in Manhattan. Marita showed me the bullet hole in a mirror in her bedroom that was a result on an encounter with Faggiano. Marita would go into another room with an unidentified while male then come out a few minutes later and ask for change of a $100 bill. She gave me a copy of her address book for 1963 that contained the listing "E. HOWARD HUNT 544 CAMP ST." This was obviously a contrivance. At Marita's apartment I encountered a grandfatherly man named David Aldrich, who claimed to be related to the Rockefeller family. David Aldrich was determined that Lorenz should not allow me to visit her. As I recollect, one day Aldrich and this researcher had a confrontation in the elevator of Lorenz's apartment building. Aldrich threatened to have me killed, so I left the premises and waited outside until I observed Aldrich leave, then I went up and visited Marita. Eventually Aldrich and I made up and went to a Greek restaurant, along with one of my female colleagues, Gabrial Schang. Aldrich's role was unclear.

In late October 1977 Marita Lorenz called Gaeton Fonzi and told him that one of her mafia friends had told her STURGIS planned to have her killed. Gaeton Fonzi agreed to call STURGIS. When he did, he told STURGIS that Marita Lorenz had called him, and that perhaps STURGIS should give Marita Lorenz a call to find out why she was making these accusations. Gaeton Fonzi was attempting to find out if STURGIS and Marita Lorenz were still working together. According to STURGIS, Gaeton Fonzi called him and said: "'FRANK, I got a call from Washington to check out Marita Lorenz's allegations. So he did ask me, 'Have you been in touch with Marita'? I said, 'No I haven't.' He said, 'I think it might be a good idea, speak with her and ask her about these accusations.' I said, 'Fine.' So, on his advice, I did contact Marita. When I called Marita, Marita was surprised that I spoke with her. I said, 'Marita, this is FRANK.' She says 'How are you?' I says 'Fine.' She says, 'Are you mad at me?' I says 'No.' Why should I be mad at you? We've been friends for years.'"

During the course of HUNT v. ajweberman STURGIS was asked:

Q. Isn't it true that you were more than friends with her at various times and places?

A. Well, you've gotta understand that there has been a period of years I haven't seen Marita, so I never knew what she's done, what she has been involved in. As a matter of fact, she did have some problems in New York. I found out that she was working undercover for, you know, the police department; that one of her boyfriends, whom she was involved with, was trying to blackmail her and she shot him.

Q. Dead?

A. No, she shot him, and she's got a mirror in her bedroom with a bullet hole there. And because one time when I was up there I says, "How come you don't take care of the bullet hole?" and she says "Well, I like to keep it as a memento," you know; and she shot the guy! Naturally the guy isn't going to go ahead and turn her over to the police. Now, she was telling me about his threats, about how he threatened to kill her, to do harm to her kids -- So she asked me, she says, "FRANK, I need your help. What can I do? I have to work for these people" and she named the people which I don't think I should go ahead and mention, I prefer that she name them, "and this other group of people, and this other group of people, and it seems that they can't do anything to help me protect myself against this party, and I'm afraid." I says, "Well, tell you what I'll do." So I went to New York -- now this was before Marita had made these accusations in the paper, I'm going back to when she had all these problems -- I went to New York at one time to do something on business, and I naturally stopped in to see her and I took a taped conversation of Marita Lorenz, between her and myself, at the hotel where I was staying at, and I turned this tape over to the Central Intelligence Committee. This is Senator Baker's, Central Intelligence Committee. I turned it over to him, which they may have it, they have it documented, and I, also, asked him -- now, when I was with Marita that day she told me the story, and I taped this conversation about the problems that she was having by this man here, this man that was threatening her, because she had some documents in her possession which she turned over to me, and I immediately flew to Washington, D.C. and turned them over to the Secret Service Intelligence Committee. These are documents of a foreign intelligence matter. Now I told her, I called from her telephone -- which there should be a record of -- I called Senator Baker's office and spoke to Howard Liebengood and explained to him how come this girl here had worked for these, you know, federal organizations and, because of what's happening, pertaining to what documents I had that I was going to turn over to them, why they wouldn't give her protection? "Fine" he says, "FRANK, are you coming down this way?" "Yes, I'm leaving, I'm coming down to see you." Well, I turned over all this stuff to Howard Liebengood with the hope that the Senate Intelligence Committee would help put a guard on her to protect her against the threats she was getting, against this man whom she shot -- not that she missed -- that she shot...Now, what happened after that, between the Senate Intelligence Committee, by trying to obtain protection, you know, for Marita Lorenz, is between them because I immediately disassociated myself, because I naturally felt it pertained to national security business that she, you know, was involved in...Now here we go over a period of time -- well, I haven't been up in New York or anything like that -- then this thing comes out in the paper and I spoke to Marita and told her why and so forth, and what happened, and she maintained to me, and she did mention to me in conversation, that ajweberman was one of the persons that was behind the pressure that she had after she put all the stuff in the paper. And I said, "Well, who are the other people?" She says, "I can't tell you at the present time, but get back with me." Fine. I immediately -- now, when I called her, remember, Gaeton Fonzi knew of every phone call that I had made with Marita, because I would not talk to Marita unless Fonzi knew that I was speaking to Marita. Then a series of calls again, another call, and I tried to go ahead and again ask Marita, "Marita, how come, you know, why don't you tell me, you know, because the people have been..." She says, "Well, I'm scared I'm going to be subpoenaed." So I says, "You don't have to be scared, because Fonzi told me you're not going to be subpoenaed any place, so don't be worried about any subpoena," you know. She says, "Well, you know the people on the book" and I'm not sure whether she meant Coup D'Etat or not; but she says, "You know the people in the book were behind me, and I'm getting a lot of pressure." Well, I'm sure a lot of the pressure is, from what she said -- well, I don't know, I can't put that in her lines, so I can't go into that. Anyway, this is the things that she had told me about part of the pressures, and she wanted me to come to New York and she says, "If you don't have the funds to come up here, I can come there or meet you halfway, or I'll tell you what I'll do: I'll send you a prepaid ticket and you come up here to New York and I'll tell you the whole story. I'll tell you everything, who the pressure, the people, who are the people behind me in putting all this stuff in the newspapers."

Q. That was the 31st of what?

A. October. I went over to a friend of mine's house, Frank Nelson, and I called Marita and in talking with Marita she says, "Well, I'm going to be busy, call me later." Fine. [STURGIS stated he told Fonzi, Jack Anderson, Paul Meskil, Malcomn Abrams of the Midnight Globe and Steve Dunleavy that he was going to contact Marita.] So, anyway, I believe I spoke to Marita again that afternoon and that night she told me to come over. So when I went over there that evening, I got there around 11:00 p.m. I knocked on the door, the door opened and here are two men with drawn guns pointed at me and said, "Who are you?" Well, I got a little scared you know. I was concerned. I thought possibly these two people were part of the people who had been harassing Marita. I says, "My name is FRANK STURGIS." They said, "Are you carrying a piece?" I says, "No, I don't carry a weapon." He says, "Well, come in." I came in and immediately they shook me down as best they could, with guns pointing at me. They says, "We're detectives from the New York City Police Department. You're under arrest." I said, "Under Arrest! For what?" They said, "We'll tell you about it. Come on in." So they took me in and I didn't see nobody there but the two detectives...Up to there I didn't know that my life was in jeopardy. Now I will tell you what the police officers told me. I came in. I had to take everything out of my pockets. They looked through my briefcase, so forth. Sat down. I asked, if I'm arrested, what the charges were? "Well will go ahead and tell you when we get down to the police station." "Now FRANK, you're going to have to thank us, because we saved your life." "You saved my life, why?" "Do you know Marita's daughter was outside this place with a shotgun ready to kill you?" I says, "I don't believe it." They says, "Well yes, because Marita called us" -- listen to this now -- "and told us that her daughter was downstairs with a shotgun waiting to kill you, FRANK STURGIS, when you walked in here. So when we got this call from Marita Lorenz, we went down and arrested her daughter." Now the story changes around as we go along, from the police officers...later on it was supposedly that the kid was arrested with a .22 caliber pistol on her.

The information STURGIS and LORENZ furnished to Liebengood: "She told me at one period of time, in Miami, Florida, while she was living with the ex-dictator, Perez Jimenez, he was the ex-president of Venezuela, she had been supported by him, in a swanky apartment, I believe it was in Bell Harbor, where her apartment was at; she had a little girl, a child by Perez Jimenez; and she overheard a discussion by the ex-president, Perez Jimenez, which she told me that Perez Jimenez was talking with two Latin type men and the discussion was for them to go ahead and kill Kennedy, but it was Robert Kennedy." [STURGIS v NYPD Depo]

Marita Lorenz said that her daughter was going to protect her from STURGIS "since she had received two threats. One from Frank Nelson, and one from a Cuban who said I was dead. I taped it. Monday morning. Monica told me, 'Mommy I am not going to leave you alone with FRANK. If you don't answer the phone I'll get him when he comes down.' I told her, 'FRANK wouldn't hurt me, he is just going to try and convince me not to say anything to the committee.' I had to meet with FRANK...when he called at 11:00 a.m. I stalled him. I had to get Monica off the street. I was working with the New York City Police Department investigating child prostitution and I called them. I said, 'My daughter is 15, and she is out on the street with a gun. She wants to kill somebody to stop him from hurting me. Pick her up!'"

HEMMING told this researcher: "I don't discount anything. You helped her fuckin' manufacture the story. After all you helped her do that shit, okay, I'm not fucking stupid or something?"

This researcher did not pressure Marita Lorenz, or feed her this story, as STURGIS said. STURGIS knew this to be the truth. The reason he said this was because it explained why two independent sources had put him in Dallas - the really were not independent.. Marita Lorenz came forward with her story voluntarily. I didn't know her when she did. I first came into contact with Marita Lorenz after she had released the details of the Dallas car trip. STURGIS believed I was in contact with her before this. He based his assumption on the results of a pen register (a device that makes a record of all the numbers dialed from a telephone) HEMMING had connected to his telephone during one of my visits to his office. The device indicated that I had tried to call Lorenz from his office. It did not indicate that the number I had for her at the time, obtained from an old New York City telephone directory, was disconnected. HEMMING thought Marita Lorenz had provided me with her number. In 1994 I assured HEMMING that I did not pressure Marita Lorenz to make up these charges and suggested to HEMMING she either saw Coup D'Etat in America or became aware of the investigation of STURGIS by the Rockefeller Commission. HEMMING: "In this business you can tell yourself that's probably 95% certainty. But if you start discounting shit? If you deny it, or white it out, you're fucked, mister. You don't discount anything."

Marita Lorenz entrapped STURGIS. She paid for his flight to New York City, then didn't meet with him until she had two detectives with her. Marita Lorenz had mistakenly involved her daughter in her delusional world. She had second thoughts, and had the police pick her up before Monica actually popped FRANK. Marita Lorenz was working on a child prostitution case with detectives from the New York City Police Department, and the officers involved in STURGIS' arrest were under the impression that STURGIS was somehow connected with child prostitution. Marita Lorenz was put under guard by five shotgun-toting detectives. STURGIS' bail was set at $25,000. STURGIS retained attorney Henry Rothblatt, who said the CIA and the HSCA were behind STURGIS' arrest. Rothblatt had successfully defended Colonel Robert Rhealt and five other officers of the Special Forces on charges that they had murdered a Vietnamese double agent. That trial ended in dismissal of charges, when the CIA refused to allow its agents to testify about its operations in Vietnam in conjunction with the Green Berets. In 1988 Henry Rothblatt represented BARKER during an Miami investigation into the granting of zoning variances.

On Wednesday, November 3, 1977, STURGIS' bail was reduced to $10,000 and he was released from Rikers Island. STURGIS had been incarcerated for two days as a result of his participation in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It was ironic that it took someone like Marita Lorenz to do this.

On Friday, November 5, 1977, the New York City District Attorney's Office announced that tape recordings and documents submitted by Marita Lorenz had been examined and contained no threat. The New York City District Attorney's Office moved for dismissal, since: "The lack of substantiation of her claims impairs her credibility."

The dismissal prompted Henry Rothblatt to announce his client planned to sue everyone involved, and would file a federal lawsuit charging that STURGIS' Civil Rights were violated when he was arrested by the New York City Police Department. STURGIS was deposed by Bruce Stahl:

Q. Do you have any children?

A. Stepdaughter who is married. [What about Ronnie Sturgis?]

Q. Were you married to someone other than the person you are married to now.

A. Yes sir.

Q. Who would that have been?

A. Divorce. I was reported killed in Cuba, and after I came back from Cuba, naturally we were separated. [He abandoned his second wife.]

Q. Was that your first wife?

A. First wife was killed in an accident; second wife.

Q. When were you married the first time?

A. I was married, let's see, I came out of the Marine Corps. I believe it was 1946. I was on the Norfolk Police Department, and --- Her name was Odell Thompson. She was killed in an accident.

Q. What year?

A. I don't recall because I was in the Army.

Q. Did you ever threaten Mrs. Lorenz as to whether -- as to her speaking with the Senate Committee.

A. No, sir.

Q. At no time did you tell her not to testify.

A. Not in her whole life, never. For anything ever. In the discussion, one of the discussions I had with her, I asked her about the pressure behind her in making those statements, and I did ask her if the company was behind it. Or if the FBI was behind it, or any other group of people was behind it.

Q. Other than the fact that people stop you and take notice of you, it there any other effect the arrest has had on your life?

A. Yes, because I've worried about the people who are stopping me are going to shoot me, and that has affected on my family, that has tremendous effect on my family.

Q. Do you expect to incur any expenses in the future due to your arrest?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. What expenses?

A. Legal expenses, and possibly hospital and funeral expenses. I'm a marked man for the rest of my life, and a target for every nut in this country.

Q. Has anyone tried to physically harm you since your arrest?

A. No.

ROTHBLATT: Does this include being hit by pies?

A. I'm sorry, I forgot about that.

Q. Who do you blame for bringing these facts, or this information, to the news media, though?

A. Certain radical people.

STURGIS described Frank Nelson as a "retired newspaper man who is approximately 72 years old." [USDC SDNY 78 Civil 5113] The reference to pies related to an attempt by Aron Kay to pie STURGIS as he entered the Courthouse at 100 Center Street. Frank Nelson, 70, wrestled Aron Kay to the ground and the police took away his banana cream pie. The New York Daily News made this its front page story. Double click here to see this photo. [SturgisPie.JPEG]

A few days later, STURGIS underwent a polygraph test at the office of Henry Rothblatt during which he was asked about the Kennedy assassination. STURGIS commented: "Everything pertaining to the assassination, conspiracy, whether I was in Dallas that day, whether I was a gunman, whether I was in a conspiracy to kill President Kennedy, whether or not Marita Lorenz was, with the accusations she made, whether she was telling the truth or not. I passed it 100%." Henry Rothblatt stated that STURGIS passed, but he refused to send this researcher a copy of the raw test results. On November 9, 1977, the FBI issued a public denial that their agents had encouraged Lorenz to poison Fidel Castro. [FBI 105-83564-14]

STURGIS sued the New York City Police Department. This researcher worked with the New York City Police Department as a consultant on this case, and supplied it with information on STURGIS' past connection with prostitutes, and fact that he had been arrested for beating his wife. As a result, STURGIS did not pursue the matter fully. He arranged an out of court settlement with the New York City Police Department in which he received $2,500. The lawsuit was originally for $15 million. While working on the STURGIS case, I left my original STURGIS file in my desk at Police Headquarters. The Police assured me, "It's safe here, we're the police, right?" My STURGIS file, however, was stolen by an agency of the Federal Government. All the documents in the file had been catalogued, and, with some effort, were replaced.

INSPECTOR GENERAL 77-2343

MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD November 7, 1977

SUBJECT: Marita Lorenz

1. According to recent press information, Mr. FRANK STURGIS had been charged with threatening subject, who reportedly told investigators from the HSCA that she went with STURGIS and LEE HARVEY OSWALD to Dallas three days before Kennedy's assassination. The charges were dismissed on November 4, 1977, for "lack of proof." Subject has repeatedly claimed that she was an undercover operative for the CIA and FBI. According to LA Division operational traces, we have had no contact for operations. But. . . .

2. In July 1977, DCD received a telephone call from subject, who asked for a named DCD Contact Specialist (presently the Pittsburgh Field Chief). On the telephone with DCD, subject claimed that she had various contacts with U.S. Government agencies, and she was now reporting that she had been invited by FRANK STURGIS, who had telephoned her several times from Paris and Lisbon, to join him immediately in Lisbon and he provided an airplane ticket for her to travel on July 21. According to subject, STURGIS wanted to spy on the Cuban presence in Angola and wanted subject with him. She called DCE to solicit their assistance in having the exclusionary stamp on her passport lifted (not further explained) and offered to report on STURGIS. Subject said that STURGIS has his own army of revolutionaries-in-exile in the Miami area. DCD turned down her offer.

3. In order to respond to a priority inquiry from DCI/PA whether or not the Agency had anything to do with the subject, we followed up with DCD on her relationship with DCD and learned that in April 1972, also while in New York and living under the name of Illona M. Yurasits (no Directorate traces), she offered to report on the wife of a Soviet U.N. delegation member living in the same apartment building. She also collected wastepaper basket trash from Soviet apartments which was offered to, and refused by, the FR Division in New York. She met several times by the DCD C/S and said then that she had previous contacts with CIA, talked about her Castro connection, her sexual involvement with Castro, and her contacts with STURGIS. DCD did not carry this information under subject's name, but under Yurasits name, and is searching their records further and recalling some material from archives which they believe might be pertinent.

4. The above was called to the attention of OLC/Cummins. By direction of ADDO, we will notify DCI/PA to make no comment to the press pending further resolution of our relationship. It is noted that in view of the dismissal of the New York charges, the press interest most probably will dissipate.

Maurice A. Sovern.

Vindicated by the courts of having threatened Marita Lorenz, STURGIS began to blame a conspiracy for the actions of Marita Lorenz. In November 1977 The Midnight Globe ran this story: "STURGIS Says Reds Are Framing Me As JFK's Killer." STURGIS told Malcomn Abrams Marita Lorenz was "brainwashed, drugged and coerced into working for the communists." He explained: "There are elements behind her that have pressed her to do what she has done. It's something I would like to find out about myself. I feel in my heart she is not doing this as a person. I believe that communist agents are putting pressure on her. There is somebody [ajweberman] behind this mess."

In April 1978 Ellis Rubin claimed:

"Plaintiff sues the defendant ajweberman for conspiracy to defame and slander in that Defendant, A.J. ajweberman did induce and conspire with one Marita Lorenz to have her publicly accuse HOWARD HUNT of financing and bankrolling several persons, including herself, to journey in two cars from Miami to Dallas, in November of 1963, in order to murder the then President of the United States, John F. Kennedy. As a result of said conspiracy, these false and malicious charges by the said Marita Lorenz and the Defendant, Alan J. ajweberman, with the purpose to discredit and implicate Plaintiff HUNT in the most infamous crime in the history of the United States. Wherefore Plaintiff demands judgement against the Defendant for compensatory damages in the amount of $1,000,000 and for punitive damages in the amount of $1,500,000, plus costs of this action, and Plaintiff HUNT demands trial by jury of all issues triable by a jury.

"Plaintiff sues Defendant for conspiring to deprive Plaintiff of a witness in the upcoming trial of this cause of action in that ajweberman conspired with Marita Lorenz to induce and pay for the trip of FRANK STURGIS from this jurisdiction to New York, to supposedly confer with Marita Lorenz. Plaintiff would show that on October 31, 1977, due to the conspiracy and connivance of Defendant ajweberman and Marita Lorenz, FRANK STURGIS did journey to New York where he was falsely arrested and imprisoned, and falsely accused of coercion and harassment. In addition, the 15-year-old daughter of Marita Lorenz was apprehended by the New York City Police Department while in possession of a loaded .22 caliber revolver. The said daughter did admit to certain persons at the time and place on October 31, 1977, in New York, New York, she had the gun on her person to kill FRANK STURGIS. Plaintiff HUNT would now show that it was the purpose of this conspiracy between the Defendant ajweberman, and Marita Lorenz, was to either assassinate FRANK STURGIS, or thoroughly discredit FRANK STURGIS, in order to deprive HUNT of his corroborative witness that the charges contained in Defendant ajweberman's libelous publication are false and malicious and untrue."

In April 1978 HUNT was asked for any and all evidence that I planned to murder FRANK STURGIS.

Q. Do you have any evidence that Mr. ajweberman conspired with Marita Lorenz to kill Mr. FRANK STURGIS.

A. Yes, I do.

Q. Could I ask you, what is this evidence?

A. The statements made to by Mr. ajweberman and Mr. Sturgis made to me and under oath.

Q. Where are those statements?

A. I don't know. You took the deposition.

MR. ajweberman: Excuse me for one second. Other than the statements of Mr. STURGIS, is there any evidence of the plot of Mr. ajweberman conspiring to kill FRANK STURGIS, as you alleged in you amended Complaint?

THE DEPONENT: I believe the matter is in litigation in New York City right now. Mr. STURGIS, I believe, gave the details of it. I am not too conversant with --

Q. But other than Mr. STURGIS'S statements, there was nothing you know of that would indicate Mr. ajweberman was involved in this plot to do away with Mr. STURGIS?

A. I am going to have to consult with counsel. Yes. My attorney has conducted an extensive investigation the results of which he has not yet made known to me.

FRANK STURGIS was asked about this:

Q. Do you have any evidence that Alan Jules ajweberman, the gentleman sitting next to me today, engaged in conspiracy to lure you to New York City, and in fact conspire with others to commit the crime of murder on you?

A. Mr. Gaeton Fonzi, the investigator for the HSCA, contacted me. He told me, "FRANK, I got a call from Washington to go ahead and check into these allegations of Marita Lorenz and naturally I have to sit down and talk to you." Fine. So we set up a meeting, talked with Fonzi and he says, "What do you think is behind this?" I said I didn't know. So, naturally, I defended Marita. I said "I don't think Marita Lorenz would do this by herself. There had to be some reason or some force pushing her behind this." He says, "Well it seems that way. I just can't believe it," you know, "everything that's going on." The only thing I can say is that Marita Lorenz told me on the telephone that ajweberman was behind the pressures in doing what she had done, you, know, that's the only thing I know.

Q. Do you know of any other assassination plots Mr. ajweberman was involved in that would affect you, other than the one just spoken of?

A. No. Well, I'm telling you the story about Marita, what she told me that some of the people that was behind her, the pressures that she had behind her in making the story which led up to her daughter actually being arrested for being outside her apartment with a .22 caliber pistol, can you tell me? Can (sic) not a lawyer. I'd like to know these things...Now I don't know whether ajweberman gave her money to go ahead and -- all I know is that Marita Lorenz sent me a prepaid ticket. Now, where she got that money, I don't know...I say there's elements in this country who are trying to use me to divide the people's thinking in this country and the true facts...

Ellis Rubin was asked what evidence he had of conspiracy. He had none.

My attorney asked HUNT how the potential murder of STURGIS could affect his alibi, if the two men had not been together on November 22, 1963. He answered: "Well, I think I can look at it this way; that we know that FRANK STURGIS has a solid alibi for where he was on the day the tragedy took place. By doing away with him, then the focus - thanks to the book Coup D'Etat In America - the focus now comes to rest on me."

The FBI sent this memorandum about Marita Lorenz to Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division, Robert L. Keuch: "On February 12, 1978, Marita Lorenz telephonically contacted the N.Y. FBI and advised she had 16 tapes and four boxes of materials she has compiled on her life...Lorenz asked to be contacted by the FBI on February 13, 1978. On February 13, 1978, Lorenz recontacted the N.Y. Office and advised she was leaving the area. She stated the FBI had always treated her well in the past and she had decided to furnish the FBI with more information regarding her dealings with FRANK STURGIS...The allegations by Lorenz against STURGIS proved to be baseless...Lorenz has proved untrustworthy in previous dealings with the FBI. As a result, New York will make no effort to contact her to take possession of the material." [FBI 62-117290 NR 2.24.78] In the summer of 1978 Lorenz received a large advance from Viking Press for her life story, according to document she allowed this researcher to copy. In July 1979 Lorenz wrote a letter to Fidel Castro in which she willed him all of her property and gave him custody over her two children. In September 1979 Lorenz filed a complaint against her attorney, Lawrence Krieger, who had refused to let her steal from her son's trust fund. In 1992 she was back in the news again after she released the 'Andre Castro' story. In the 1990's Marita's daughter, Monica, lived with the son of Salvador Allende. Marita's son went to law school. Marita ended up washing floors for a living.

END OF NODULE.