[RESTRICTED]
Originator: ROCK
Document date: 05/17/1975
Document type: SOUND RECORDING

## Page 1

JFK Assassination System

Identification Form

Agency Information

Date:

8/27/201

AGENCY:

RECORD NUMBER:

ROCKCOM

178-10002-10329

RECORD SERIES:

ASSASSINATION FILES

AGENCY FILE NUMBER: A-I(1) INTERVIEWS RE ASSASSINATIONS

Document Information

ORIGINATOR: ROCKEFELLER COMMISSION

FROM:

TO:

BELIN, DAVID

FILE

TITLE: INTERVIEW WITH JAMES P. O'CONNELL

Released under the John F. Kennedy

assassination Records Collection

det of 1992 (44 USC 2107 Note).

Case#:NU 53244 Date: 06-13-2017

DATE: 05/17/1975

PAGES:

19

SUBJECTS:

ORGANIZED CRIME

MIAMI

MAHEU; ROBERT

GIANCANA, SAM

CUBAN EXILES

CLANDESTINE OPERATIONS

ROSELLI, JOHNNY

ANTI-CASTRO ACTIVITIES

• DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION:

Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS: Consulted; 1A; Mandatory Review Material; Other Work Copies

CURRENT STATUS : Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 05/24/1995

OPENING CRITERIA: CIA SOURCE NAME BECOMES OPEN

COMMENTS:

Unmarked, but may include classified information.

v9.1

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COMMISSION ON CIA ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE UNITED STATES

Washington, DC 20500

178-10002-10329

May 17, 1975

..

MEMORANDUM

TO

FROM

SUBJECT

•: The File

David W. Belin

: Interview with James P. O'Connell

Belin:

This is a memorandum of an interview with James P.

O'Connell, who resides at--

O'Connell: 1333 Elsinore. Avenue, McLean, Virginia

B:

And what's your zip code there?

0:.

22101

B:

And what's your 'phone number?

0:

356-9666

B:

The date of this interview is May 17, 1975, and Mason

PHOTOCOPY FROM THE GERALD R-

Cargill of the Commission staff is also present. I

reviewed with Mr. O'Connell matters dertaininc

plot to

assassinate 'Fidel Castro of Cuba.

MX. o'connelto say alle

says

that he is not certain now concerning particular dates when

matters might or might not have taken place because they in

volve situations that took place approximately fifteen years

ago.

And he also says that he believes that he made some

notes which the last time he knew the notes were in the

LIBPARY

office of security, and he indicates that. with regard to

particular matters of this interview that the best recollectio

lay maurita, this

in the absence of his notes. Is that accurate, Mr. O'Connell?

0:

B:

Correct.

Mr. O'Connell. I believe that you said that you came

to the CIA from the FBI approximately in 1951. Is

that correct?

MAY CONTAIN MATIC

KED

-

ECURITY INFORMATION

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• ~2-

0:

B:

December 1951.

And when you came to the CIA, what did you do?

0:

I was assigned to the Office of Security and ini-

tially my first assignment was a desk chief, the

title of--at that time, I believe was Covert Security

Clearance Branch, or Desk.

B:

And then what did you do?

0:

Well, I progressed through the years in the Office

of Security--it's the only office I ever worked with

in the CIA, and eventually when I retired two years ago, I

was Deputy Director of Security tor Physical, Technicali ano

Overseas Attairs. SEcim ry

•I believe you said that you were in the metropolitan

Washington area during the latter part of the 1950g

until approximately June of 1962?

0:

That's correct, I was assigned in the Washington

area

until I went overseas--the Far East--in June

of '62.

B:

During the 1950s, did you ever have an opportunity

to become acquainted with Robert Maheu?

:

Yes, I did.

B:

And what was the occasion of that?

0:

The occasion was about 1952 or '53.

He was at that

time working independently as a security consultant

and he had just left the job with Small Business Administra-

tion where he was the Security Officer and he was striking•

out for himself.

time, knew Maheu 'and the FBI,Had high regard for his capa-

e were looking

asset in the alities sa te were looking for a covert

Security and Mr. Maheu was struggling

in the sense that he didn't have very much capital.

We gave

him a retainer so he could open up an office and in

return

B:

0:

B:

In the Office of Security.

For the Office of Security.

For the Office of Security. Maheu had been an FBI

agent at one time. Is that correct?

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0:

B:

Right.

And do you remember off-hand what the retainer was?

0:

B:

I believe we gave him $500 a month.

Subsequently, did you have contact with him from

time to time over the latter part of the 1950s?

0:

Well, from the time I was assigned as his case offi-

cer, which was approximately 1953-54, again I'm not

too sure of the dates, I handled him, if you want to call

it that;, until 1962 when I went overseas.

B:

You were his

case officer?

0:

Right.

B: Now, I want to ask you whether or not you ever heard

inside the Agency of any plars or schemes which might

have involved the assassination of any foreign leader other

than Fidel Castro?

0:

B:

I can say categorically no.

To the best of your knowledge has the Agency ever

been involved in any plots involving murder. or assas-

sination of anyone in this country?

O:

B:

Not to my knowledge.

Now, Mr. O'Connell, some time in the latter part of

1960, according to our interview before we started

making this tape, you said that Shef Edwards came to you

with regard to a particular matter. Is that correct?

• 0:

B:

That's correct.

Could you just relate what Edwards said to the best

of your recollection and what you said.

0:

Yes. He indicated that he had gotten the--the office

had gotten--the assignment to come up with somebody

or some organization that could take on the assassination of

Fidel Castro, and he thought perhaps. Bob Maheu might know

somebody that we could contact or he could contact, and I was

told to talk to Bob, which I did.

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B:

Did Edwards state to you who gave him the assignment?

0: •

B:

Well, as far as I recall he said it was Bissell.

Did he ever state whether or not the Director of

Central Intelligence, Mr. Dulles, knew about the

matter?

0:

B:

0:

Yes, he did.

And what did he say?

He said it had the approval of Mr. Dulles.

B:

All right. Do you have any idea

approximately

when such

a conversation would have taken place

between you and Edwards?

0:

No.

Not at all.

I--as I say--I think I have or I

have some sort of material that may give the approximate

dates, but I don't know at this point.

B:.

Do you know whether it would have been in 1960 or in

1961?

0:

My quess would be probably 1960, but again I just can't

be sure.

B:

Do you know if it would have been in 1960 if it would

have been in the first part of the last part of 1960?

0:

Well, I do recall that I think it was October that I

met

Roselli for the first time, and that was at the

Plaza Hotel in New York, and my guess is it was probably

October 1960, but again

I don't--it could have been 1961.

B:

All right.

Really, what you're saying is that you

have no exact recollection as to when it was except

your best recollection right now was that it was in the Fall

of 1960.

Is that correct?

0:

That's right.

B:

Now you mentioned : Roselli. Before we get to Mr.

•Roselli, did you

get in touch with Maheu?

0:

I didn't know Roselli. Maheu was the man that con-

tacted

• Roselli.

Please

refer to the attached memorandum dated 20 June 1975.

PHOTOCOPY

.=

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B:

A11

right.

After Edwards talked to you to get in

touch

with Maheu. Did you get in touch with Maheu?

0:

Yes.

B:

And what did you say to Maheu, and what did he say

to you, if you remember?

0:

Well, I explained what the project was

all about.

He wasn't particularly happy about taking on the

assignment, primarily, I guess, because he was getting very

close with the Hughes people and they were demanding a lot

of his time and he didn't feel he could spend too much time

with us, but he did also recognize the fact that we had in

a a10 xecon

the past subsidized him, and he felt that he owed us the

-he. was committed to a degree, and he took it on on that

basis.

B:

And then what happened?

0:

Well, he said he knew a fellow out in Las Vegas,

because at that point that's where Hughes was operat-•

ing out of.

He didn't know his background but he figured he

must be

somewhere involved with organized groups out there

because he--as he understood it--he had the ice machine con-

cession of all the casinos out there, and he identified him

as a fellow by the name of Roselli. I met Roselli--he came

in to New York--

(End of tape 1, begin tape 2)

B:

Now you mention that you met Roselli in New York.

Was that pursuant to a pre-arranged plan with Maheu?

0:

That's correct.

He asked

Roselli to come to New

York and that he had something he wanted to talk with

im about. I was introduced, to. Roselli as an associate o

Ob maheu--the discussion pretty much on the basis of Mahe

having several international clients who had interests down

in Cuba.

They were concerned about losing their investments,

and they were pooling together a sum of money that they could

offer if somebody could eliminate Fidel Castro.

Initially

Roselli didn't want any part of it.

We did appeal to him

on the basis that this

was in the best interest of national

security--at that time of course we were

aware of the fact

that the Cubans--the Russians were bringing in missiles, and

so forth and that they were threatening the country.

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46. M6623

Bad that you et or the tro are in sune or ten, but. of

said that you l mean t

course, did you mean that this conversation took place when

the Soviets were bringing missiles in there, or just that. ..

they had Soviet influence there?

0:

It was the Soviet influence.

I now withdraw that

because I guess we really didn't know that there

were missile there but we knew there was a potential for

it there.

B:

0:

*

Were you introduced as being a person from the CIA?

No, I was introduced as being an

associate of Bob

Maheu-who worked for Bob Maheu.

B:

And what name did you use?

0:

At that time I used my true name, O'Connell.

B :

When you met with Roselli for the first time?

0:

Right.

B :

All right, then what happened?

0:

Well, he eventually decided he would try to help us

but he made it quite clear, if it was in the interest

of national security and so forth, that he would do it:

didn't want to do it for any compensation - he never did

paid his own way, not only his hotel fees,

but he also paid for his air lights and so forth and so

on.

I don't think that I was fooling him, I think he knew

who I was.

B :

You mean by that that you were a CIA agent?.

0:

That's right.

B:

Did you ever mention any particular sum involved

that might be mid?

0:

Yes, we said that this syndicate, these groups,

were willing to pay I think it was a $100,000.

* Please refer to the attached memorandum dated 20 June 1975.

PHOTOCOPY

FROM

FORD LIBPARY

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B:

It was a figure that you think right now was a

$100.000?

0:

I think it was, right.

B:

It could have been more - it could have been less?

0:

Right.

B:

And when you say this syndicate you are referring

to the ostensible group of international. businesses

that supposedly were trying to arrange this? Is that

correct?

0:

B:

Right.

Now, what happened after this conversation?

Well, Bob raheu and I went, down to Miami, we met

Roselli and he was staying at the time at the

Fontainebleau and he said that he would work out some deal

where he could get in touch with people in Cuba that could

handle the assignment.

Bob was being pressed by Hughes and

he was sort of comnuting back and forth from L.A. to Miami-

subsequently I was sort of left with Roselli as sort of his

hand-holder and Bob was spending more and more time out in

the West /Coast. He did get in touch with these people who

I didn't know who they were, he said that they were types

that had contacts in Cuba and they could handle the assign-

ment.

Eventually| I did meet a fellow by the

name of Sam

Gold who I later

found out was Sam Giancana.

I didn't

know it at the time.

Imet a fellow who was identified

as

Joe who was considered a claims /courier - I found out he

was Trafficante who was one of the top Mafia fiaures

this all came out when we

saw their pictures in the Sunday

newspaper.

Ip to that point neither Bob Maheu nor myself

knew really who we were dealing with.

* B:

No Man your pender about when this first meeting

PHOTOCOPY FROM THE GERALD R.

FORD

B:

Now, at that particular time the Bay of Pigs

operation was being planned. Do you know if there

was any relationship between what you were doing and the

Bay of Pigs operation?

Please refer to the attached memorandum dated 20 June 1975.

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• ?'

0:

There was absolutely none.

As a matter of fact

the project handling the Bay of Pigs had absolutely

no idea of what was

going on as rai

as we were concerned.

e had no relationship with the project down there, i

was an entirely separate operation.

The only relationship might have been the fact

that Bissell knew what you were doing and Bissell

was involved with the direction of the Bay of Pigs.

Apart

from that relationship you don't know of any other?

0:

There wasn't any other. Of course, Colonel King,

who was

the W.H. Division Chief, naturally was

involved with

the Bay of Pigs project and he knew about

this, but that's where we were cut off.

0:

That's correct.

B:

Who knew besides you and Colonel Edwards?

0:

Well, starting from the top I assume, I only

can

that Mr. Dulles and certainly Mr. Bissell

because I sat in Mr. Bissell's office when we discussed

it eg at a later time, not at the inception of it but I,

at one point, we had sort of a reporting situation where

we brought him up to date on it.

J. C. King, W. H. Division, the Chief of T.S.D. who I

bs vision

J.C. King - Colonel

think at the time was probably one of the Roosevelts,

either Corney or Archie, I don't know which one, the

people in I.S.D. at the

lower echelon,as far as

I know,

were never officially briefed on it.

There was a Dr:

Treicher and a Dr. Gunn, but I don't - they may have known

what was going on

but they were not as far as I know ever

officially briefed.

B:

Gunn is G-U-N-N and Treicher is T-R-E-I-C-H-I-E-R

I believe, is that correct?

0:

Right.

• B:

Did sannenon Edwards' assistant know at the tirie?

0:

No.

KW 53244 DocId:32201786 Page 9

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€

B:

Now, you mentioned T.S.D. how did they get involved?

0:

Well, they got involved in the determining whether

they could come up with

some sort of esoteric

materials to take care of the assignment.

B:

This was rather than using a gun, is that correct?

0:

Well tHe, I guess this was discussed beyond me.

I don't know.

I think they thought that they'd

use something a little bit more exotic than just having

an out-and-out shoot-out.

I don't know who made that

decision.

B:

0:

0:

B:

0:

B:

0:

B:

0:

B:

0:

B:

Well, to the best of your knowledge were pills

developed inside the Technical Services Division?

Yes.

And these were pills designed to poison and kill

someone?

That's right.

Do you know what kind of pills they were? The

technical names that were used for them?

No.

All I know is that it had a very lethal

amount of botulism.

And the pills were supposedly going to dissolve

in liquid.

That's right.

Now, did you ever obtain any of these pills?

Yes.

And when you got them to whom did you give them?

To Roselli.

Do you know approximately whether this took place

in 1960 or 1961?

PHOTOCOPY

FROM

THE

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(

0:

Again, I'd say it was

probably '61 because I have

go

back to the, and if I'm wrong on the starting

I

'60 that I first met Roselli

SO

it would have to be '61.

B:

You said it would have to be in 1961, is that

correct?

0:

I say if my starting figure is October '60;

• B:

right, now approximately how many pills did you

turn over, if you remember?

0:

I know - it 'probably was either three or four: :

B:

And where did you get the pills?

.0:

They were delivered to me in Colonel Edwards'

office by Dr. Treichler.

B:

Was Colonel Edwards there?

0:

Yes.

(End of tape 2, begin tape 3)

B:

When you got the pills in colonel Edwards office,

then what did you do with them?

0:

Well, I don't know exactly how it came about but

I eventually gave them to Roselli.

B:

-

And do you know to whom Roselli gave then?

0:

PHOTOCOPY FROM THE GERALD R. FORD LIBPARY

B:

0:

that chain whether Sam got it directly from

Roselli or there was some intermediate person

there or what the sequence was I don't know.

Juan Orta was a person inside Cuba.

As far as I know, yeah.

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B:

0:

฿ :

0:

B:

0:

B:

0:

0:

B:

0:

B:

0:

B:

0:

You never had any personal knowledge that the pills

actually got there?

NO.

It was hearsay so far as you were concerned?

That's right.

Did anyone tell you the pills were there?

Roselli said that they were delivered into Cuba

but I'm only taking his word.

And Orta was the person that supposedly had access

to Castro?

That was my understanding.

Then what happened to the best of your knowledge?

Well, things dragged on a bit.

I returned to

Washington and then we got the word that orta got

cold feet.

He didn't want to get involved.

The

pills apparently were returned to Gold, back to

Roselli and to the best of my knowledge I brought

them back to Washington and they were kept in the

Agency until they worked up another deal with Tony

Verona.

When you say they worked up another deal, who do

you mean by they?

Roselli and his people down there.

And what was the substance of the deal with Tony

Verona?

Well, Tony Verona was one of the leaders of the

Junta who became apparently discouraged with the

way the Agency was handling their operations down

there.

• :

Was Verona an exile of Cuba?

Yes and he...

FROM

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•.:

...i. •

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B:

0:

B:

0:

B:

0:

B:

0:

B:

0:

B:

. 0:

. B:

He lived in the Miami area?

He lived in Miami and he became disanchanted with-

apparently becane impatient with the way the Agenc

Pas handling things and the word was out that he

wanted to start his own little show, and now they

knew that I don't know, but they did and so they

approached Verona and asked if he would take

on

the assignment, which he did with certain stipula-

He wanted $10,000 worth of gear and an

amount of money, which I think could vary between

$50 and $100,000, I really don't know:

There was

money involved upon delivery of the assignment.

Did you assist in getting the gear?

res, we went down - we had a man from our Commo

Division who really didn't know what he was buying

or what was involved but I had to use him as an

in co yang

expert not knowing too much about the Comno gear

and we were told specifically what Verona wanted

so we had a shopping list and we went down and this

Commo man bought the equipment.

By Commo, you mean communications?

Communications, right.

And, that equipment was turned over to Verona?

That was delivered to Verona.

Who delivered it?

Seems to me that, now here's where I get real big.

I'm not so sure that this wasn't at the time that

I was turning this whole project over to Bill

Harvey...

Pardon me, go ahead.

Because I remember one of the last things I was

involved in was turning over some equipment.

Roselli and I delivered the material.

By material, you mean the pills?

* Please refer to the attached memorandum dated 20 June 1975.

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B:

0:

B:

0:

B:

0:

B:

0:

B:

i 0:

B:

No.

The equipment?

And I think that was probably the last act I was

involved in.

When did you turn the project over to Bill Harvey,

if you remember?

It would be April of '62, that I can pinpoint that.

Now with regard to Verona, did you turn the pills

over to Verona too?

No.

As far as I know, I didn't.

Well, you mentioned in our interview that there was

then going to be a chef who was going to put the

pills in Castro's beverages at a restaurant?

Yes, well that was before Harvey got involved as

We brought back the pills the second

This should be somewhere in here, we're

getting a little beyond our story at this point.

Well, let me go back - the first stage was to

deliver some pills to Juan Orta who supposedly

had access to Castro, is that correct?

That's right.

And then Orta either lost the access or in your

phrase "got cold feet" and the pills were delivered

0:

B:

Right.

Then were they redelivered again?

They were redelivered again because they had this

new asset or somebody that had access to the kitchen

where Castro used to frequent - the restaurant.

B:

By access supposedly a chef or someone.

0:

A chef, yes, I would assume.

* Please refer to the attached memorandum dated 20 June 1975.

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B:

0:

B:

0:

You don't know whether it was a chef or waiter or

waitress?

I can't be sure.

And, then what happened so far as the delivery of

the pills the second time?

B:

0:

B:

0:

'B:

0:

B:

PHOTOCOPY FROM '

THE GERALD R. FORD LIBPARY

0:

B:

0:

B:

So, what happened is that either. the person didn't

have access in the restaurant of if the person did

have access Castro stopped frequenting the restaurant

I assume it was one of those two possibiliites.

I don't know.

You don't know whether it wasleither one of those?

Well, the pills eventually got back and some time

after they got back and you aren't quite sure of

these dates, but you do know that eventually you

che but you do

turned the whole matter over to Bill Harvey, is

corre thole

In April of '62, that is something I can say with

quite a bit of positiveness.

i

And then Bill Harvey became Roselli's case officer,

is that correct?

Right.

Now, do you believe that before you turned the

matter over to Harvey that Roselli knew that you

were a CIA employee?

He told me he knew.

I never admitted it, but he

Knew: He told me so.

I think you said he referred to you as "Big Jim?"

That's right.

And that at times he introduced you not under your

correct name, is that correct?

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0:

B:

0:

B:

0:

B:

0:

B:

0:

B:

0:

B :

0:

When he introduced me to his friends the name

Olds was used.

By his friends do you mean San...

Sam and Trafficante and -I only met them on two

occasions.

Do you know where that was?

Yes, first time I met them was in a clothing store

which obviously was one of their headquarters.

was down on Miami Beach. I don't know what street

it was. but it was a sort of an arcade type thing

and he wanted to buy me a shirt.

He said I looked

a little seedy which, of course as government

employees, you know, sometimes you don't dress that

well.

anyway,

he insisted on buying me a shirt

but we went into this place, which I thought was

just walking off the street, and in there we met

all his friends.

They had a big office in the back.

But I couldn't tell you what street it was or where

it was.

It was in Miami Beach.

Would this have been in the first part of '61?

I don't know..

It was during the winter of 1960-61?

Probably.

When was the second time you met the people?

I met them at the Fontainebleau, Bob Maheu, and

Johnnie and I went to dinner there one night and

we ran into Sam - Sam Gold (Giancanno).

It was

just a shake-hand type of thing.

We didn't spend

much time with them.

That's the only two times I've!

ever met the man.

Do you know when that second occassion was,

approximately?

No.

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B:

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B:.

0:

B:

0:

B:

0:

B:

0:

B:

0:

B:

0:

B:

Was it before or after the delivery of the pills to

Roselli?

I don't know. I really don't.

How did you find out San Gold was Giancanno?

Well, as I explained the first time we knew that

was when

we saw his picture in the supplement of

Parade, it was a Sunday supplement in the Miami

newspaper and they had the ten most

wanted men on

the Attorney General's list and we-saw Trafficante and

Giancanno's picture. I was in one

hotel...

Go ahead, we have another 30 seconds on this tape.

I was in one hotel, Bob Maheu was in the other - he

spotted it before I did.

He called me and said, do

you know who we're. dealing with? And that's the

first time we new.

Do you think that's the first time Maheu knew also?

Absolutely.

(end of tape 3, begin tape 4)

Now Mr. O'Connell, were there any other attempts

to assassinate Castro that you know of other than

these involving the delivery of the pills?

Not to my knowledge. No.

Were there any other attempts to assassinate anyone

else that you know of?

I don't know of any other.

To your own personal knowledge, did you have any

information as to whether or not any people outside

of the Agency, such

as people in the White House,

knew of this project while it was going on?

As far as I know, I have no information along that

line.

Now, we also discussed prior to this recording of

the interview an

incident that happened out of Las

Vegas concerning Sam Gold and a wiretap.

would you

please relate that to the best of your information

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Yeah. Bob got a call from Sam saying that he was

disturbed from reports he was getting from Las

Vegas that his girlfriend, wholds Phyliss McGuire,

was having an affair with

Dan Rowan, who they were

both entertaining apparently in the night clubs

there.

And he was going to go back to Las Vegas

to straighten this thing out to his satisfaction.

This would have interuppted the project at a very

critical time and the only alternative was if Bob

would run a tap on Rowan's room to determine what

was going on.

I say Rowan's room, it may have been

McGuire's room, I'm not sure one way or another.

But in any event this was one of the conditions

that he would stay on and continue on the project.

Maheu told him that he did not have the facilities

of the assets to do such a thing but when Gold said

that he was going to leave, Bob agreed to get

somebody to do the job and he got a former friend,

or an FBI-former FBI man that he knew in Miami to

send a crew out and they did, in effect, instead of

bugging the room they bugged

the telephone, which

was not what they were supposed to do and they

eventually were caught.

B:

Now this resulted in some disclosures that had to be

made to the FBI or Department of Justice as I under.

stand it, is that correct?

*

0:

As I understand it, that is correct. It occurred

while I was out of the country.

B:

You mean the meeting with the Attorney General?

0:

That's right.

B:

Do you know whether or not the request for help

from San Gold came at a time that you were in the

of trying to get the pills delivered over

there to Cuba?

0:

Well, it certainly must of been because as I

recall

It was a critical time and so 1 can just put things

together. I assume that that was when we were

trying to do it.

B:

And so basically again you stated you aren't quite

sure of dates but if your original date of October

1960 of your first conversations with

Roselli are

correct,

this would have

placed the Sam Gold

Incident somerime in the

first part of 1961, so far

as the Phyliss McGuire bügging, is that correct?

* Please refer to the attached memorandum dated 20 June 1975.

PHOTOCOPY FROM THE GERALD

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-LO-

..

0:

B:

0:

B:

0:

B:

0:

B:

0:

B:

B:

I'could have been, I couldn't be sure. It could

have been later than that.

Okay.

Now, I've asked you whether or not you know

of any CIA files on this matter and I wish you

would respond to that for the record.

Well, as I mentioned to you it was a very closely

held

project.

There was nothing as far as formal

files were concerned.

I did periodically write

memoranda

for the record. I don't know where

they are now.

They were at one time kept in Howard

Osborn's office.

they've been destroyed.

access to them.

Any other facts that you might want to add that

you think might in any way be relevant to our

inquiries here?

I don't have any.

Any other facts which relate in any manner whatsoever

to any alleged assassination plots against Castro?

is the only - as I say, I was assigned

No the officer to Bob Maneu.

tions and I contacted Bob and my involvement was

as I stated right now, that's about It.

• Mr. O'Connell, John McCone took over the positior

as Director of Central Intelligence in late 1961;

any knowledge as to whether or not he

was ever briefed about this project?

I don't - his name never came up, All I know is

that Mr. Dulles was

aware of It.

Mr. McCone's

name never came up.

You went over to the Far Fast in June of 1962,

when did you come back to the

country then?

I came back in July of 1965.

Do you hear any information as to what took place

with the project after you turned Roselli over

to Harvey?

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0:

B:

0:

B:

0:

B :

I never have, I don't think I ever metroseyiy

or saw Harvey from the time

I turned

over.

I did see Roselli once.

We had a social luncheon

but nothing was ever discussed. I have no idea

after I left.

When was that social luncheon, approximately, if

you remember?

Probably sometime in 1966.

Anything else you can think of that might in any

way be relevent to the inquiries of this Commission?

I don't have anything.

0:

PHOTOCOPY FROM THE GERALD R.

FORD

LIBPARY

0:

B:

0:

B:

sam Gold, might be what you called in an interview

"tough

guys" or "Mobsters" but when you first met

them did you know that they were involved with the

Mafia.

we had no idea.

neither Bob Maheu or myself were aware that they

Maybe we should have but we,

were in the Mafia and that came out

eventually by

seeing their pictures in the Parade supplement in

a Miami newspaper and that's the first time we knew

we were dealing with Sam Giancanno and a fellow, I

forget his first name, Trafficante who we knew under

And, after you knew that these people were Mafia

people, did that change your plans at all?

Well, at that point it was sort of beyond doing

anything me could change.

We were into this thing

so deeply we figured we may as well go along but

we were both a little bit,

quite a bit, surprised

that who we were dealing with.

Anything else that you wish to add?

No.

Thank you very much for coming sir.

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