MEMO: MAHEU, ROBERT A. SUMMARY OF CIA INVOLVEMENT WITH MAHEU AND ROSELLI
Originator: CIA
From: HOWARD J. OSBORN, DIR OF SECURITY
To: DDCI
Document date: 1966-06-24 00:00:00
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

# DOCID-32363006

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JEK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY

RECORD NUMBER

RECORD SERIES

AGENCY FILE NUMBER

: CIA

: 104-10122-10218

: JEK

: 80T01357A

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

AGENCY ORIGINATOR : CIA

FROM

: HOWARD J. OSBORN, DIR OF SECURITY

TO : DDCI

TITLE : MEMO: MAHEU, ROBERT A. SUMMARY OF CIA INVOLVEMENT WITH

MAHEU AND ROSELLI

DATE: 06/24/1966

PAGES

: 7

SUBJECTS : CASTRO, FIDEL

ROSELLI, JOHNNY

MAHEU,

ROBERT

VARONA,

ANTHONY

GIANCANA, SAM

DOCUMENT TYPE : PAPER

CLASSIFICATION

: SECRET

RESTRICTIONS : 1A

CURRENT

STATUS

DATE OF LAST REVIEW

: U3/24/94

COMMENTS

: JEK44 :

: RELEASED IN PART PUBLIC - RELEASED WITH DELETIONS

E2: 1994.03.24.13:03:50:620007 620007: PREVIOUSLY

SANITIZED DOC, 6 PAGES, 1 PAGE SUBSTITUTION SHEET.

Released under the John F. Kennedy

Assassination Records Collection Act of

1 992 (44 USC 2107 Note]. Case#:NW

55924 Date: 10-26-2021

[R]

- ITEM IS RESTRICTED

104-10122-10218

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DES SILY

be placed in Castro's food or drini, ii would be i nuch mose

effactive operation. Sam indicatad that he had a piospectire

nominee in the person of Juan Orta, a Cuban official who bad

bees receiving kickback payments from the gambling iatereats,

who still bad accegs to Castro and was in 3 financial biz.

•51.

T

10. Cornelius Roosevelt, Chiel, TSD, vas consuited and uf"

assigned DI. Raymond Iriechler to develop a pill that had the

Redpitece

being checked out for their effectiveress by DI. Edward M.

Gunn, three pills were ultimately turned guer to sam jor the:

mission. Neither ISD nor DI. Guna w19 briefed on the ultimate

use of the pills.

11. Joe delivered the pills to Orta. After several weeks

of reported attempts, Osta apparently got cold feet and asked out

of the assignment. He suggested azother candidate who made

several attempts without succeas.

12. Joe then indicated that Di. Anthony Verona, one Jee

principal officers in tee Cuban ixile Junta, bal Jecome iis-

affected with the apparent ineifectual progress oi the jun tad

was willing to handle the mission through his own esources.

13. DI. Verona was approached and junped it the oppor-

tunity of gatting lavolved in an independent operdice.

told that the private innerests sacking the project did 2ot wast

the U.S. Government aad, particularly the CIA, to loom or their

involvement. (So lar as thie Office nows, ha has never divulged

his participation in the project to the Agency. )

He asked, as a prerequisito to the deal, toat he be gives

310, 000 or organizational expenses and requesiad d1, 100 vort

of communications equipment.

13. Dr. Verona's potential was bever juily arpioited, is

the project was canceled shortly aiter the Bay o: P123 1015022.

Trona as alrised that the oiles was richaram, mi the pills

mere ratriered.

65924

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Hes Eit

?= JunE 1956

MENORANDUM FOR: →3

SUBJECT

I Director of Cestral intelligence

MAST, SOBING" JOHNNY RO SELLI

1. This memorandam is for information only.

2. In Augast 1960, MI. Richard M. Bissell approacoad

Colonel Sheffield Edwards to determine if the Oifice of Security-

had assets that may assist in a sensitivs mission requiring

gangster typo action. The mission target was ho littion or)

Fidel Castro.

3. Because of its extreme sensitivity, oniy a small group

as mada privy to the projeci. Tha ICI was brieted and gave his

approral. Colonel J. C. King, Chief, MH Division, was briefed,

but all details were deliberately concealed from any of the

IMWAVE officials. Certain ISD and Comino personnel Jastici-

pated in the initial plarning stages, but here not vitting of ine

purçose of the mission.

4. Robest A Maneu was contacted, brieied generally on

ice project, and requested to ascertain i be could develoy an en-

tree into the gangster elemenis a3 the first step toward accom-

plishing ine desired goal.

5. It. Mahou advised that ce had mot one jocany Roselli

ca several occagiong while risiting Las Vegas, ta saig Jaw

ma casually through clients, but aa given to tiersiand ta:

aa was a high-ranting member of the "syadicato" ad console?

li oi the ice-mariag machines on the Staig, Miaaee teasored

¡hai, ii Roselli was in fact a membei oi the clia, he saouoradly

Fad sochactions leading into the Cubai gambling iterests.

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"ina

3. Maneu was asked to approach Roselli, ho cair iladeu

as a personal relations executive handling domestic ani forrign

eccounta, and tell him that be hud receatly been =etaines by a :

client uno repraserted several international business

fizars

which were saifering beavy financial losses in Cuba as a result

o? Castro's action. They were convinced that Castro's Iezzo al

was the angwer to their problem and vere williag to zay a price

o€ $150, 000 for its successful accomplishment.

¡s vas to be rada

--

clear io Rosalli that the U.S. Goverament was zot, and shold not,

Decome : ware of this operation.

1. I'ce pitch was made to Roselli on i1 Sapiember 1950 zt

the fillion laza Hotel, New York City. His isitial reaction was

to..void getting involved but, through iMabeu's persuasion, he

agraad to introduce him to a friand, Sam Gold, ho lnew the

"'Cuban crowd. " Roselli made it clear be did zo: want aay money

0r his airt and balieved sim tould ient the same way.

Meithei

i chase individuals vadaver paid out of Agency inds.

During the weex oi lo Septambes, tither ras introducei

to Sin who was staying at the Fontainebleau osl, miami Beach.

(E nishimpression di sammis that Dia tard, acouth indi

vissero looked indaetadlixc+-comm0z-ru2-s-127-mill Lo05

lam Eorever, his living accommodationg at lazbotel baliat

thi3e -9 ?lena fact that iiaheu learned Sam was under periodic

surva lance-by tha FBI,) It was several weeks diter his meating

vith jam and joe, who was identified to hir as a couria- coerating

Daiwaen Havana and iliami, that be saw photographs of botr os

hese individuals in the Sunday aupolemental "Parade." They

vere identified as Momo Salvatore Giancana and Santos Iraificant,

reggectively.

Botb nere on the list of the Attorney Generil'a

ton most-wanied men.

The former was described as tha Chicago

Maiettin sô the Doga Mostra aad succaa30e 10 di Casore, 1a1 9br

ratter,

che Cosa Nosta boa3 oi Cabas operations.

anet trire

this plea immedietaly noon ascartaining this inioamarios

113 discussing the possible mathoes ei accomuseins

.0952

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be placed in Castro's lood or drink, it would be à much more

effective operation. Sam indicatad that ha had a prospective

zominee in t'be person of Juan Orta, a Cuban olicial who sad

been receiving kickback payments from the gambling interests,

who still had access to Castro and was in 3 financial biza.

T

10. Cornelius Roosevelt, Chiel, ISD, was consuites and,!.

assigned Di. Raymond Ilechler to develop a pill that had the

elements of rapid solubility, high lethal contest, and little or

no traceability. Sis oí these ltams were produced asd, alter a

being checked out for thoir effectiveness by DI. Edwaid M.

Guns, three pills were ultimately turned over to sam for the:

mission. Neither TSD nor DI. Guan wis briefed on the ultimate

luse of the pills.

11. Joe delivered the pills to Orta. After several weeks

of reported attempts, Orta apparently got cold feet and asked out

of the assignment. He suggested azother candidate who made

several attempts mithout succeas.

12. Joe then indicatad that Di. Antbony Verona, one Ji e

priscipal olicers in the Cuban Ixile Junta, Jai Decome lis-

affected with the apparent ineifectual progress oi the junt and

was willing to handle the mission through his own esources.

13. DI. Verona was approached and jumped it the oppor

tunity of getting lavolved in an independent operatica. He vas

told that the private interests backing the project did 20 mazt

the U. S. Goverament and, particularly the C11, to 120m 9% thel-

involvement. (So lat as thie Cifice lows, he has nevse divulged

his participation in the project to tha Agency. )

11. He asted, as a prorequisita to the deal, toat la be gives

$10, 000 or organizational expansas and requastad Si, 100 vort

of communications equipment.

15. Dr. Verona's potantial was sever juil? arpioited, is

the project was canceled shortly aiter the Bay pi Pig3 -piso22.

Verona 5a3 arised that the Dies was withdrain, nd the pills

were retrieved.

03 77

.:::

iri?

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FED IT

GORIEDENTAL

16.

Of significant interast was ab incident which involved

a request levied by Sam upon Maheu and now shapes up as a

potential flap.]

At tho height of the project negotiations,

Sam

expressad concern

=Sam asked Mahau

to put a bug in

a room to determino the ex-

to Maneu

Tott san bodid have the facilitiza, whorespon

Sam threatenad to leazz islamito go to Vegas and

tako care of the matter himself. Ta order to pre-

vent this, Mahau-contacted Edward Dubois, a

Florida inveatigator, and askad him to handle iba

job.

Instaad d installing a bug in tha room, tha

techniciar placada tap on the phone, taichoo

viously did not serve Sam's purpos

:! The tochai-

cian involved in the assigament was discovered in

the process, arrested, and taken to the Sheriff's

office for questioning. After bossiertoresch

Dubair betelephone, the called Mahaulat the

Kenüwort Hosely Miami, and informed him that

he had been detained by the police. This call was

made in the presence of the Sheriff's personnel.

Subsequently, the Department of Justice an-

nounced its intention to prosacute Maheu along

with the tecanician. On 7 February 1962, the

Diractor of Security briefed the Attorney General,

Robert Kennady, on the circumstandes leading up

to Maheu's involvement in the wiretap. At our re-

quest, prosecution was dropped.

SSiFire BY 21033532

XEMPT FRE

179227

DUiE fi

CECIL DECLASSIFICATION

LICKS TION CATEGORY:

scio......

= (.) (circle one or moro)

iLY DECLASSIFIED ON

G223

HING

(unless impossibie, insert date or erent)

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Ino articles appeared in the Chicago press,

one on 15 August 1963, and one on 20 August 1953.

that suggested Sam was working with the Agency.

I'be first article appeared in the Chicago Sur-Fixes.

written by stal writer; Sandy Smith, and had ag lis

headline: CIA Sougbt Giancana Help for Cuba Spying.

It relates that the Agency reportedly was in touch

with Sam in 1959 and requested that be assisi icem

in obtaining intelligence out of Cuba. it also men-

tioned the Las Vegas wiretay, which the article

claimed was handled by a 'Florida investizative

organization. " It further went on to state that,

upon inquiry of this organization, they stated the .

tap was placed at the requesi of the Central Intelli-

gence Agency. The other article appeared. in the

Chicago Daily News, authored by Columnist Tony

Weitrel, and commented that during March 1952,

Sam confronted an FBI Agent who was skazoring

him and said, "Why don't you fellows leave me

alona? I'm one of you!" Sam allegedly states bhai,

Lite= Castro's rise in Cuba, : CiA Operative con-

tacted him and wanted to now if fam could do any-

wing lor in. Government on the turbulent little islaud.

sim said ha had Eignds on botà sides, but so cior.

That was it.

IT.

Roselli was introducad to James 2. O'Connail, of this

Office, who ras identified to him as an employea o: Robest A.

Mah-u, Associates. Over the several months of ciose contact be-

seen these too individaals, Roselli began to speculate as to

O'Connell's tras employer and, at one point, stated that he was

convinced he was employed by. the CLA, and that the project was

sponsored by th. Agency. He hastened to state that be was not

forciaz thr issue, 10I would da vani confirmation of this and.

urther, ba would nos mention this io anyone else, includiaz Sam.

Sam T23 naver incroduced to any Agency personnel aad, chile GiA

7s ner mentioned to bion, it is ilabeu's belie a aresually 5u5-

sected the

igency was the power bebind the so-irtion.

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18. Is ivay 1952, because of MI. O'Connell's assigment

¿o an overseas post, it was decided to turn Roselli over to

Mr. William Harvey, who was at thai time Chiel, Task Force W.

Harvey was introduced as William. Walker. It is not own whetker

Roselli aver became aware oi Farvey's true name.

HowaIt I. Osborn

Director of Security.

NW 55924 Docid:3236300622

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