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2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992
SECRET
W 'gate file
6 MAY 1973)
MEMORANDUM FOR:
Deputy Director for Operations
SUBJECT
Media Inquiry to Cuban Exile Journalist in
Miami re Cuban Involvement in Watergate
Case and Attitudes in Miami Area
1. This memorandum is for your information only.
2. On 7 May 1973 we were advised by Station WH/Miami that
two employees of a Station WH/Miami proprietary had told the
Station that one Rene VIERA Gonzalez, a Cuban exile journalist
who writes for Diario Las Americas and owns the Westchester
Mall Bookstore in Miami received a call in early May from one
FNU GOTTLIEB who said he worked for the Times in Washington.
(GOTTLIEB is believed to be Sanford GOTTLIEB, 11102 Brandywine
St., Kensington, Md. who was formerly an employee of the
National Committee on Sane Nuclear Policy". A pretext call to
the Washington bureau of the New York Times verified that one
"Sandy" Gottlieb was employed there.) COTTLIEB asked VIERA
what people in Miami were saying about the Watergate case and
what participation the Cubans had in it. He specifically
asked about the activities of Reinaldo PICO (former 2506
Brigade member), Orlando PIEDRA (former Chief of Cuban Bureau
of Investigation in Batista Government), and Rolando MAS FERRER
(former Cuban Senator and self-admitted former Communist).
He also asked if ITT had an office in Miami, whether Joaquin
SANJENIS Perdome (former Chief of a WH/Miami proprietary who
was amicably terminated in 1972) and Juan A. PAULA (former
WH/Miami proprietary employee and former Controller of
Revolutionary Democratic Front-FRD-and currently employed by
an OGC proprietary) were still in the Miami area. He was also
interested in Edgardo BUTTARI, a Cuban born in West Tampa,
Florida, a former Cuban Congressman and Minister of Commerce
who is reportedly associated with Mr. Charles "Bebe" REBOZO.
According to GOTTLIEB, BUTTARI was appointed as "political
chief in the Republican Party".
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3. GOTTLIEB apparently has current information on the
activities of the persons he mentioned; for example, he
knew that Juan A. PAULA was involved in the jewelry business
(PAULA and Antonio Felix GENOVA Corzo, a WH/Miami proprietary
employee recently purchased a jewelry business) and he knew
that Reinaldo PICO had resided in Venezuela and had recently
returned to the United States. The phone conversation lasted.
about 45 minutes and GOTTLIEB told VIERA that if he came to
Miami they would have lunch together.
4.
i
VIERA does not know GOTTLIEB but talked to him because
GOTTLIEB said he was recommended by Ernesto BETANCOURT who
has resided in the Washington area for more than ten years.
BETANCOURT was a former Agency asset and is currently Chief of
Economic Planning and Budget, OAS. The conversation was
initially in English but continued in Spanish. VIERA said he
provided no information to GOTTLIEB on the basis that he is a
Cuban exile and did not want to get involved in internal U.S.
affairs. We do not know why GOTTLIEB was interested in Joaquin
SANJENIS or Juan A. PAULA. (Attached are summary biographies
of persons of interest to GOTTLIEB.)
5. On 7 May 1973 Marvin L. EVANS, Chief, NIMUTUAL, was
briefed on the substance of the report from WH/Miami pertaining
to Juan A. PAULA, who works for the MUTUAL proprietary,
MCKERCHER and AVANT which utilizes (NORTHWEST MANAGEMENT SERVICES,
(INC) as office space cover. Among other duties performed by
the proprietary are the monthly checks sent to the dependents
of imprisoned assets which are signed in true name by PAULA.
EVANS was unaware that PAULA had purchased a new jewelry
business in association with Antonio GENOVA; however, he feels
that MHMUTUAL is protected and compartmented from the WH/Miami
proprietary and he has the utmost confidence in the proprietary
being able to field any questions. MUTUAL communication with
the proprietary is by unlisted phone and a post office box.
EVANS said that McKERCHER and AVANT could possibly be linked
to NORTIINEST MANAGEMENT but the trail would end there.
feels that either proprietary could only be linked to the Agency
by innuendo. (He did say that Howard HUNT was aware of
MHMUTUAL when he served as C/CA/EUR.) EVANS feels secure as
far as MORTHWEST MANAGEMENT and (MCKERCHER and AVANT are
concerned.
He
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6. EVANS mentioned that the bona fide law firm occupying
the other portion of the MHMUTUAL offices are the attorneys
for John DEAN. (These lawyers are cleared and witting.)
One of the lawyers told EVANS that DEAN will be the "biggest
canary singer of the year". The common receptionist area is
manned by HMUTUAL employees who also monitor all telephone
calls, incoming and outgoing for the other law firm. EVANS
mentioned that there have been numerous calls from the media
and outgoing overseas calls to such places as Japan and Europe.
7. EVANS will be traveling to Nassau and returning via
Miami on 10 May 1973. He intends to talk with his proprietary
people at that time on other AHMUTUAL business and will also
contact COS, WH/Miami. (The COS has been alerted to expect
a call from EVANS on 10 May 1973.)
cc: Director of Security
James E. Flannery.
James E. Flannery
Acting Chief
Western Hemisphere Division
Attachments: A-F Biographic Summaries