Agency: HSCA
Originator: HSCA
From: CIA
Document date: 00/00/0000
Document type: NOTES

## Page 1

JFK Assassination System

Identification Form

Agency Information

Date:

3/25/201

AGENCY: HSCA

RECORD NUMBER : 180-10143-10173

RECORD SERIES: CIA SEGREGATED COLLECTION

AGENCY FILE NUMBER :

28-26-02

Document Information

ORIGINATOR: HSCA

FROM: CIA

TO:

TITLE:

DATE:

PAGES:

SUBJECTS :

00/00/0000

6

Released under the John

F. Kennedy

Assassination Records

Collection Act of 1992

144 USC 2107 Note) .

Case#:NW 53080 Date:

06-05-2017

LESNICK, MAX MENENDEZ

FBI, FILES

DOCUMENT TYPE :

NOTES

CLASSIFICATION : Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS: 1A; 1B

CURRENT STATUS:

Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW:

01/01/2003

OPENING CRITERIA:

COMMENTS :

Box 19

v9.1

HH 53080

DocId: 32271977

Page 1

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## Page 2

MAX LESNICK MENENDEZ

201-209258

VOLUME: 1

6/22/49 - 12/31/73

SECRET

11110930

THIRD AGENCY DOCUMENTS:

FBI--

12/31/73

9/27/73

11/8/73

6/26/73

4/26/73

4/27/73

9/25/69

10/15/68

1/29/65

9/21/61

3/30/61

11/23/55

STATE DEPARTMENT

6/22/49

Miami

Miami

Max Lesnick,

Directorio Revoluc.

105-3492

105-20202

Miami

Miami

Miami

Orlando Bosch

"

105-20202

105-2856

"

Miami

Miami

Miami

Rolando Masferrer Rojas

.2-156

Unk. Subj. -Cmte of. Cubans 105-16515

for

the defense...

Miami

Miami.

Second Natl Front of

Escambray

Max Lesnick

105-6243

San Antonio

Max Lesnick

105-3492

105-2124

Carlos Rafael Rodriguez

Rodriguez

Havana

Proposed Cub. Natl Congress.

for Peace and Democracy

#486

FILE:

Synopsis:

File consists mainly of information from the period 1949-1961,

indicating Lesnick has been active in politics for most of his

adult life.

During the fifties he was a prominent leader of

Juventud Ortodoxa, which was considered to have strong leftist

leanings. He engaged in propaganda efforts to large extent with

this group and was vocally anti-Batista. By 1959 he was involved

with SNE, a leftist-oriented group which originally backed the

Castro-Urrutia government. In 1961, however, he left for the United

tates and was keptein detention for some weeks because of suspecte

HH 53080 DocId: 32271977 Page 2

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## Page 3

LESNICK, page 2

SECRET

11110931

Communist leanings. In the fifties he had had some contact with

ClA operatives or cut-outs.

-- Doc. X ref - 201-0733547 LX-03890 12/12/73

AMFREE, considered good source, claimed Lesnick was an officer

with Fidel.

Described Lesnick

as "red as a beet!'

- INS - Agency name check 10/1/68

Max Edgardo Lesnick Menendez, PDOB: Las Villas, Cuba 9/8/30

Organizations: Federacion Estuantil Univ. Havana, 1948-55

Ortodoxo Party, Director, Juventud Ortodoxo, 1951,

1947-60

SFNE, Natl Secy

1959-1960

Residence:

Miami from June 1961 to present; Havana until Jan 1961.

Employment:

2/1959 - Cadena Oriental de Radio, Diario Nacional,

9/60

Havana

2/65-4/67 - Self-employed, WMIE Radio Station

to present - Unemployed

Last admission to U.S. 1/26/61

-- UFG 21845/33 - Bio data report -

Pre law student, Havan, 3 years/

ran small cigar and coffee shop in Havana 1955-8

Radio Commentator, 1959-60

Member executive board of Ortodoxo Party Youth section.

In charge of propaganda for anti-Batista group, SNFE, 1957-58,

and for anti-Castro groups, People's Revolutionary Movement, MRP,

and Montecristi group (AM, 1960.

Arrived in small boat in US in early 1961. Held in INS

detention center for several months because of suspected pro-

Communist connecitons.

Taped daily program, "Cuba Awakens" in Miami and broadcast from

the Dominican Republic, 1962-63.

Publisher of a small exile newspaper in Miami, "Replica", since

1963, and commetator for daily news program,

"Radio Replica"

since 1964.

Father, Samuel Lesnick, born in Poland, operated cothing store

in havana, and now lives in the Dominican Republic. He is

divorced from Lesnick's mother, Maria Teresa Menendez, a retired

Max Lesnick is married to Miriam Alvarez, a ballet teacher.

HH 53080 DoOId:32271977 Page 3

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LESNICK, page 3

SECRET

11110932

Lesnick: small, stock, sloppy, brash, aggressive, and excitable.:

Highly partisan

Effective public speaker

and writer, and a keen, bright political observer and analyst.

Unreliable and not very trustworthy. Does not have political

leadership talents.

Reported as pro-Communist and as an active Communist propagandist

while at the University of Havana.

Rumored to originator of

Cuba Si, Yankee No slogan, which he denies. Says relationships with

Communists stems soley from opposition to Prio and Batista.

-- Doc X ref - 019-300-004 UFG03590 9/10/63

Lesnick committed himself officially to JURE. Would broadcast

weekly on behalf of JURE in Dominican Republic.

- INS Name check 1/29/61

Indicates :

5'6", 150 lbs., brn eyes, brn hair; dark complexion.

-- Cable IN 43772 1/2/59

Indicates, Lesnick rear guard of SFNE, of which Menoyo and

Fleites, at front.

SNFE accepting Castro, Urrutia, urgently

seeking contact with Camilio Cienfeugos, coordinate use troops

Remainder of file regarding pre-Castro activities.

- Dispatch - HKH -A-4002 10/31/57

Indicates listed as JMKEEL target in 1957. Contact was established

with him in about August 1957 as a consequence of his non-

immigrat visa application, and about six meetings ave been

neld with him since that time, ostnesibly for the purpose

of fully clarifying his visa astatus. When and if he obtains

visa, PRQ Part I will be forwarded according to JMKEEL porcedure.

VOLUME II:

THIRD AGENCY DOCUMENTS:

FBI--

11/16/77

8/6/77

1/1/76

Director

11

Cuban Intell. Activities.

in U.S.

Wild Stallion, IS-Cuba, Panama

Anti-castro Activities

SECRET

HH 53080

DocId: 32271977 Page 4

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## Page 5

LESNICK, Page 4

9/25/74

9/20/74

8/20/74

7/31/74

7/29/74

7/23/74

6/28/74

6/25/74

3/27/74

3/14/74

Miami

Miami

Miami

Miami

Miami

Miami

Miami

Miami

Miami

Miami

3/14/74

2128/74

2/20/74

2/13/74

2/11/74

2/16/74

1/15/74

Miami

Miami

Miami

Miami

Miami

-SECRET

Max Lesnick

11110933

105-3492

Union Mundial Anticomunista

105-22159

Ruben Dario Mascunana Correa 105-21878

Accion Cubana

105-21947

Orlando Garcia

Benitez

105-21901

Union Mundial Anticommunista 105-22159

Max Lesnick

105-3492

"ZERO"

105-22094

Anti-Castro activities

105-1742

Rev. Medical Union; Dr. Hum- 105-71604

berto Luis Fontana Menendez

Accion Cubana

105-21947

Max Lesnick

105-3492

Alfredo Santiago Soler Alva-

rez

Directorio Revolucionario

105-20202

Jose Antonio Calatayud

Rivero

105-21599

Orlando Bosch Avila

105-2856

Frente Cubana de Liberacion 105-21892

FILE:

Synopsis:

Indicates Lesnick still inolved with "Replica" from 1963

to present.

Known as pro-Castro leftist.

Increasingly more

involved witheknown terrorists, scuhas Orlando Bosch, Aldo

Vera Serafin, and others; Suspected lof being agent for Panamanian

government, possibly engaged in anti-US. proganda in the

CanalZone.

- Doc X ref - 200-006-495/18 DTR-01686 1/18/78

Attended meeting for purpose of organizing secret anti-Castro

group.

- Cable: 936139 012017Z 11/1/76

HH 53080 DocId: 32271977 Pade 5

Traces re: Lesnick--indicates Lesnick involved with Orlando

SECRET

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## Page 6

LESNICK, Page 5

SECRET

11110934

Bosch and was involved in and supported a number of Cuban

exile Revolutionary groups' terrorist activities/

Lesnick recvd money from Panama (allegdely) in conneciton

with narcotics traffic and allegedly was responsible for

the arrest in Panama of Gabriel Gregorio Rodriguez,

who was suspected of plotting against the Torrijos

government in Panama. As of 9/74 Lesnick and Bosch reptdly

Las Villas, Cuba. Held several positions in Castro govt

including that of Chief of Technical investigations Dept,

main intelligence organ of Cuban Natl Police.

Arr. in U.S

3/13/61. Issued permanent Alien reg. # A 12-486-223 June 1965.

In 1972 moved to Puerto Rico. Very active in Cuban exile groups

until

killed 10/25/76 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Vera involved with Bosch's Accion Cubana. BKHERALD had had

contact with Vera on and off since 1964.

Considered in 1964 for

AMWORLD program.

Registered with Army ISR for period 1/64-7/64

and 8/64-4/66, both times dropped without prejudice.

-- Message - IN 080362 262132Z Oct 76

Indicates Bosch under arrest in Venezuela with Luis Posada Carriles

alias

"El Bambi."

Bosch traveling on Costa Rican passport

and also had Nicaraguan, Domincan and Chilean passports.

Bosch's contacts: Manuel Porro in Nicaragua; Orlando Nunez in

Costa

Rica; Mario Rivadilla in Santo Domingo. Posada

described as ex US Army ranger, who worked for Nenez. DIGEPOL for

8 years and then organized private detective agency which employs

over 1000 men., Posada directed all violent actions in Venezuela

against the Communists. His alias, "Inspector Basilio" and

also "El Caliche'. The recent operation agasint the Cubana plane

wasimounted by Posada assisted by Aldo Vera.

Bosch's recent trip

to Venezuela was an attempt to settle the differences between

"Aldo's group" and CORU. Bosch's mission was successful as it

appears CORU and Aldo's group will unite. Aldo Vera reportedly

in Puerto Rico.

Joe Merola and Rolando Martinez to introduce reporting writer

to Arnulfo Arias in Panama... Merola and MArtinez described as

having contact with CIA.

-- Message - OM 076237 211217Z Oct 76

Max Lesnick implicated in Cubana Airliner operation.

-- Trace UFG -0179 10/20/62,

Planned a shortwave broadcast of recent Alpha attack from

Santo Domingo on 10/12/62.

--

Trace UFG 04843 3/27/64

HH 53080 Do0Id:32271977 Page 6

Belleved to be liason between Ray

SECRET

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LESNICK, page 6

SECRET

-- Trace UFGA 17410 A01 8/24/64

11110935

Contact of Jorge Volsky

201-209258 REF UFGA 12336, 11/3/63

Arr USA Key West, FL, 1/26/61 requesting political asylum.

Date of info 11/63

Message IN 314921 231916Z July 74

Newsarticle indicates Pedro Martinez filing charges against

Lesnick, claiming Lesnick threatened him with guns ordering him

out of Dade County.

Message 570490 031611Z 7/3/74

--

Lesnick involved in court case in Washington as defense witness.

Possibly CUIS agent. possibly unregistered panamanian agent.

Doc Extract. - PACY-28924 6/26/74

Subject of security investigation by FBI. In contact with

Ruben Dario Mascunana.

SECRET

HH 53080

DocId:32271977

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