BORIS AND ANN TARASOFF INTERVIEW
Originator: HSCA
From: TARASOFF, BORIS AND ANN
Document date: 29/11/76 00:00
Document type: Audio File

**Kenneth Brooten:** [00:00:00] This is an interview with Mr and Mrs [unintelligible] in Guadalajara, Mexico. It's Tuesday, November the 30th, 1976. It's 1:15 PM local time.

Mr. And Mrs. Tarasoff, do you. Understand that my name is Kenneth Bruton. I am counsel for the Select Committee on Assassinations of the United States Congress in the House of Representatives. And with me is Jonathan Blackner, also a counsel to the committee and that we are recording this interview with you today.

**Ann Tarasoff:** Yes. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Yes. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** We've seen your identifications and uh. We feel that your, your documents are authentic. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** And do we have your consent to tape this interview? [00:01:00] 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Yes, you do. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright, now I'll start with Mr. Tarasoff first. Mr. Tarasoff for the record, would you please state your full name? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Boris Dimitri Tarasoff 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Right, sir. And your current address?

**Boris Tarasoff:** It's, uh, Rancho. Uh, just, uh, 

**Kenneth Brooten:** alright, that would be sufficient. And your date of birth, sir? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Second November, 1908. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** And your place of birth? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Russia. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Right, sir. And what is your occupation or profession? Now? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** I'm retired. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** And how long have you been retired? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Since, uh, the end of October of 1970. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright, sir. Yeah. And prior to that time, what did you do and for whom were you employed?[00:02:00] 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Well, I was employed by the so-called company. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. And the company is the Central Intelligence Agency. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Well, let's put it that way. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. We just wanna clarify that for the record. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Alright. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** And that is of the United States government. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Well, definitely.

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright, and at which, how long did you work for the company?

**Boris Tarasoff:** About 15 years. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright sir. And in 1963. What was your duty station? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Well, I came here from Washington, DC uh, to been the 6th of June, if I'm not mistaken. Fifth June, or 5th of June rather of 1963. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright, sir. And what. Were you, were you on temporary assignment then, or 

**Boris Tarasoff:** No? That, uh, that was to be my [00:03:00] permanent as well.

**Kenneth Brooten:** All right. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** By permanent, I made the shoe within two years. Okay. And if you are not, uh, satisfactory, they should be back. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** All right. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** But I managed to survive for about eight years in the same capacity. Alright, sir. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Who did you relieve in your job when you came? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Uh, well, George Misko was my predecessor, so to speak.

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright, and where did you work? Specifically when you came from Washington to Mexico City? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** You mean on permanent assignment? 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Yes, sir. I mean, when you, when you were, when you were changed, where did you work? For, well, for what department or, 

**Boris Tarasoff:** oh, well, I, I don't know which depart just, was it city? 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Were you a translator, sir?

**Boris Tarasoff:** I was translator and transcriber at the same time. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright, sir. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** There there's a difference. Sometimes they use two people for those two jobs. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. And 

**Boris Tarasoff:** mm-hmm. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Your [00:04:00] duties when you came down in June of 1963. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Mm-hmm 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Then were as transcriber and translator 

**Boris Tarasoff:** right 

**Kenneth Brooten:** at the station in Mexico City. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Right.

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright, sir. Now following, how long did you work inside the station in Mexico City? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Well, that was in TDY. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright, 

**Boris Tarasoff:** in 1960. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. In 1960 you worked? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Mm-hmm. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** In the station in 19, in June of 1963, where did you work? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Well, in the house that we rented. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright sir. And. Was that in Mexico City? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** That was in Mexico City.

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright sir, do you recall the address of that house? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** That was three 12 I think, wasn't it? 312. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright sir. And did the, did any officials at the American Embassy have that address to know, to [00:05:00] contact you? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** They certainly had it because, no, they, they were delivering this stuff to me. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright, sir, now. Did you work at that address with anyone else in the translation and the transcribing of things that we'll get into and identify a little bit later on? Did anyone else work with you directly? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Directly? Just, uh, my wife was helping me out until she was put on the official status. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. Now. What did you receive and from whom did you receive it? To transcribe and translate? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** You mean the names? 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Yes, sir. Well, I wanna know what, what you received first. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Uh, first we received the amount of tapes left over from the previous transcriber. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** And uh, I think they were, they were delivered by [00:06:00] Bob somebody, I'm sure.

**Ann Tarasoff:** Yeah, he was the first one. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Yeah. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** First one. But since he had other duties, I suppose they, they took this Rudy character, 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. And you don't know Rudy's last name? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** No, I, that's why I say there is so of association in my mind with the name of. Uh, Bru. Bruno. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Bruno. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Bruno, 

**Kenneth Brooten:** would you describe as best you can, the physical characteristics of 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Well, he was rather tall.

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright, sir. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Slim. And probably stooped a little bit. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Mm-hmm. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** And it would set the hair, 

**Ann Tarasoff:** but receding a little bit. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Receding hair. No, no particular distinguishing fe features. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Mm-hmm. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. Did he, did he, um, how old a man was he about at that time? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** About 45. I say. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. Did he have any children? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** He had two and he was.

**Kenneth Brooten:** And, and was [00:07:00] he? He was married. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** He was married to a French woman who went, who later abandoned him or divorced him or just run away from him. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** But he wasn't supportable in private life 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright sir. Now, did you receive tapes from anyone else other than Mr. Flick or this Rudy, or the individual that you've named previously that delivered a bunch of them to you? Did you receive tapes from anyone else? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Well, uh, not at the same time, but after. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Uh, the, uh, what's his name? 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Mr. Bright ? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Yes. Bill Bright. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright, sir, would you 

**Boris Tarasoff:** job, 

**Kenneth Brooten:** would you describe. Bill Bright to me. Was he a young man or an old man or 

**Boris Tarasoff:** He was, he, he was a young man with, with two, three girls. What a small one.

**Ann Tarasoff:** Well, I think they had two youngsters. The two girls,

**Boris Tarasoff:** very young kid. [00:08:00] Typical anglosaxon type 

**Ann Tarasoff:** blondish 

**Boris Tarasoff:** and 

**Ann Tarasoff:** sandy 

hair 

**Boris Tarasoff:** I told him, Mike, he, he was driving in a Volkswagen. Uh, yeah, we'll have pictures of them. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright, now would you tell me how Mr. Bright would deliver? The tapes. Do you know where the tapes came from?

**Boris Tarasoff:** Well, at first, no. I didn't know. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** All right. Do you, did you ever subsequently learn where the tapes came from? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Subsequently, yes. Due to my last two years or three. Recollect exactly when. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. But do you, can you now state where those tapes came from? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** No, I can, I have a very, very good idea where they came from.

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright, sir. Where, where did they come from? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** It was a house that, uh, that had several, uh, recording machines set up. They, the, the address I.

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. But they were [00:09:00] tapes of telephone taps, were they? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Yes. Alright. And you did the specific ones to and from the Soviet embassy. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Right. Alright, sir. Now would you describe for me the procedure to the best of your recollection, whereby the tapes were taken from the house where they were initially recorded and how they got to you? What was the, what was the chain of. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Uh, I know one thing that, for instance, let's say that Bill brought, he would pick him up. I don't know whether he would pick him up from this, uh, from Charlie. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Now Charlie is? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Charlie Flick and 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Charles Flick was, what was his job? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Uh, he was a. Actually supervising the workings of this, uh, tape record. If anything went wrong, he, [00:10:00] he was the fellow who would fix him. If he couldn't, then he would send him back probably from to Washington to be fixed or got new ones. How many times I, I argued with him and I said, my gosh, gimme a better machine because it's breaking down. He says, well, we don't have anymore, but eventually I would get something decent. After him. So 

**Kenneth Brooten:** do you know whether or not Mr. Flick monitored both the Cuban and the Soviet wiretaps from this one safe house that you've described? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** I wouldn't say that he was monitoring, but because his Spanish wasn't too hot. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** All right. Were the tape, I guess were the tape recordings made of the conversations from the Cuban Embassy at this same place?

**Boris Tarasoff:** I so, 

**Kenneth Brooten:** alright sir, 

**Boris Tarasoff:** because there were quite a number of, uh, people working there. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright sir. And were the people working there, all [00:11:00] employee? Were they Americans or were they. Mexican nationals, or 

**Boris Tarasoff:** I think they would mostly work Mexican nationals. All right. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** But they worked for the CIA in the interception of these communications.

**Boris Tarasoff:** Of course, they had to be paid. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Did you ever personally go to the Safe house? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** I did. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** All right, and how often did you go there? Did you, 

**Boris Tarasoff:** well, no. Not less than once. Maybe twice. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright sir. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** That I recollect. But that was in connection with the defection of, uh, 

**Kenneth Brooten:** I see. Was that after the assassination of President Kennedy?

**Boris Tarasoff:** Oh yes. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. Now with respect to, I call your attention back to September of 1963, some 13 years ago. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Mm-hmm. [00:12:00] 

**Kenneth Brooten:** You were going to describe for me, or I'd asked you, then I interrupted myself. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Mm-hmm. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** The procedure whereby Mr. Bright brought you the tapes from the safe house, well, would he call, would he call you on the phone or

**Boris Tarasoff:** Let's put it that way, I'm not sure that Bill was there at that time.

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** It could have been, uh. Either Bob, which I doubt most likely it was Rudy. Alright, and Rudy, you don't remember his last name? No. But you've described him for me. No, the only, the only name that I can faintly. Uh, tied in with, with him would be Bruno, but I'm not sure it's his name.

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright, sir. Now how would you go about getting, how would these tapes be brought to you? Or would you pick them up?

**Boris Tarasoff:** No, we would make a, a certain uh, uh, would you say a Shane? Of course. What we would meet, 

**Kenneth Brooten:** alright, 

**Boris Tarasoff:** so today we meet. At this, we try to [00:13:00] break it up because if you come to one place every day at the same time with that, with the boy, uh, your hand looks suspicious, doesn't it?

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright, so. Now, Mr. Tarasoff, did you, were these, were these tapes brought to you in briefcases or, 

**Boris Tarasoff:** at first they were brought in briefcase and I told them, by gosh it could be robbed. It happened once someplace I heard about, so I said, let's make it, uh, as inconspicuousness, we possibly can. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** I started putting them in the brown shopping bag.

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. And you would, you would meet either Rudy or. Bill Bright and 

**Boris Tarasoff:** at the appointed place. 

At that point, 

**Kenneth Brooten:** at the appointed place, and you would pick up the, uh, tapes. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Many a time. This, I had it out with Bill because I'm standing, waiting, waiting and nobody shows up. And of course I kept wait too long. 15 minutes. I said 15 minutes. That's all we get. So I would go back to the house and [00:14:00] then in about five minutes more he barish us in. Says, where the hell were you? I was looking over, I said I was standing there waiting for you. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** So, alright. Now, sir, do you recall receiving tapes in September of 1963? Um, of any intercepts? Of telephone communications with the Soviet Embassy? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Well, yes I did. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. And did you ever receive one in which an individual called the Soviet Embassy and said he wanted to talk to him and you later had another telephone intercept on the same individual? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Yes, we, we helped that. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** All right. Now, when you received these, when you received the [00:15:00] tapes, would you describe for me, to the best of your recollection, how you went about transcribing them and translating them? Would you listen with earphones and type or what? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Well, oh, or furnish the ear phones because if you turn it, turn it up at full blasted neighbors would wonder what the heck is going on. So we had the, the influence and then I would do this first, uh, with the tapes, which count the, uh, Spanish tape. Correct.

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. Now would you describe what it looked like, how many copies of it and so on? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Well, we had one copy, right? Just the yellow sheets one copy. Or the yellow saying, for instance, uh, Spanish starts at number three.

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** It means you run the tape for three feet and Spanish starts, which didn't interest because it has been already transcribed. Transcribe [00:16:00] yellow. Okay. So, but then as you go along there, it says the Ruse. Because one of the, uh, transcribe Spanish transcribers would put down Russian. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Then I would watch out for the number in front of it.

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** If it says 137, I would let machine run until it hits 137 on the counter. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Yeah. Well give or take 

**Boris Tarasoff:** and start the machine and start listening to the conversation in Russian. And then while I'm listening, I'm transcribing at the same time. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright, so you were translating and then transcribing it? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** That's right. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** At the same time. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** At the same time. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** And how did your wife assist you in this?

**Boris Tarasoff:** Well, she assisted me mostly whenever the conversation came in English.

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** And sometimes I wouldn't catch the proper inflection or else, well, she, she knows English better than I do. Let's put it that way. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** You would've been too, if there was anybody that had a slight southern accent [00:17:00] or a slight. Difference of, uh, speech. It was pretty hard for him to pick up, uh, what they were saying. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright, now. Did you type things in rough and then your wife retyped them on any occasion? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** No. That that would be a double jump? Absolutely unnecessary. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright, so you just sat down and listened to the tape and typed 

**Boris Tarasoff:** That's right. If, if, if ran away with me, then I would stop it and type out what I heard that type it up again. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** And proceed

**Kenneth Brooten:** like a transcriptionist would listening to a Dictaphone tape? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Mm, yes.

**Kenneth Brooten:** All right. Now, do you recall. Specifically having received a tape, getting back to my question that I interrupted myself for, in which a person who you subsequently learned was Lee Harvey Oswald called the Soviet Embassy. Do you recall transcribing that tape? [00:18:00] 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Yes. For this. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Now, do you, to the best of your recollection, remember whether or not that conversation. Between the person who subsequently identified himself as Lee Harvey Oswald to the Soviet Embassy, was a conversation in Russian or was it a conversation in English?

**Boris Tarasoff:** In English. That's why I put the [unintelligible] 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright, sir. Now, do you recall the essence of that conversation? Did it, was there anything unusual about that conversation? That that provoked any type of further action or further interest on the part of anyone in the car? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Do you refer to the previous conversation,

**Kenneth Brooten:** the first conversation. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Previous one? I don't think there was anything, uh, getting from it because I think it was rather short and he was asking, do you remember?

**Ann Tarasoff:** Well, if I recall. I'm [00:19:00] trying to rely on memory for that many years. His first conversation, he was just trying to make contact to see if he could get into the, uh, Russian in embassy. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Right. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Do you recall the tone of his voice or how would, do you have an impression from listening to that tape about 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Well, I would say the first one that came out, I, it was taken as just an ordinary, uh, conversation that he wanted it.

Most others. Can I, is there anyone that speaks English? And, uh, they'd say just a minute and they'd try to get ahold of somebody. In the meantime, you're waiting and they'd say, well, right at the time, there was no one here that could speak English. Call back later. Well, then I don't know whether he finally hung up or they did get to talk to somebody at that, at that time or not, but his final, the other conversation, long one that came through in the long one, 

**Kenneth Brooten:** but with respect to the first one now. Is it your [00:20:00] recollection or to the best of your knowledge, did he identify himself in the first conversation as being Lee Oswald or being Lee Harvey Oswald? Did he identify himself in any way? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** No. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** In the first conversation? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** No, he didn't. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** No. I think in the first conversation he was just trying to, uh, see if he could, uh, speak to someone at the embassy.

**Kenneth Brooten:** Right. And now you, you, you both stated that there was a second long conversation between the first conversation and the second conversation. Were you. Asked to attempt to determine the identity of this person? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Oh, yes. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. Would you, would you describe that, sir? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Well, to the best of my knowledge, we either got the note or, uh, was it best verbally by, I, I think we got a note. No? 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Well, if I'm not mistaken, I [00:21:00] think the party that brought the, uh, reels, there was a notation. Made to listen to number, so and so on tape. So and so dated whatever date it was because each reel had a date and a number. And then according to the numbers, then there were the, uh, the transcripts. Each conversation within that, uh, had a number. So you ran the tape until you came to a certain number, and then you listened. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Now. Did they want you to, or did they give you any instructions about attempting to determine who the caller was on that case? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Yes, they certainly did. They wanted to know the name of the person. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** And this, we learned the name to. Get in touch with them immediately and turn in the transcript to make a transcript. Turn it in. Forget about Spanish. Russian or whatever. There was real, you know

**Ann Tarasoff:** this, this was top priority. If we got the [00:22:00] name 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Yes. Alright. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** To work on it. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** I saw that it was very important to them. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright, sir. Now did you receive a second tape with this same individual speaking to anyone at the Soviet Embassy?

**Boris Tarasoff:** No, that's uh. You mean? You mean the third conversation, right? That it was one, but I don't think there,

**Kenneth Brooten:** no, but there was a second one that you, 

**Boris Tarasoff:** the second the long one

**Kenneth Brooten:** The long one. Now, would you describe, I realize we do not have a copy of the transcript of that, but would you describe to the best of your recollection how you received that particular transcript? When you received it, was it in the morning? In the morning, 

**Boris Tarasoff:** The, the tape, the with the usual batch of, uh, tapes that were delivered to me. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** This one particular was singled out. That's a very important one. And they wanted to, to have the transcript as soon as possible. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. So, [00:23:00] and then did you start to listen? Would you describe specifically with respect to that tape, what you remember? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Well, as far as I know, I think my wife remembers more than I do. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Because I think she's mistaken slightly about my doing the transcript. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Jotted down several things in pencil. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Right. Were the, was that tape also in English?

**Boris Tarasoff:** Well, that's what, that's it. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** The tape was in English? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** You, this particular, 

**Kenneth Brooten:** the particular section of the tape? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** No. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Of a conversation between Lee Harvey Oswald and someone at the Soviet Embassy? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Yes, it was, that's why it wasn't, she was doing it. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. Now, Ms. Tarasoff, do you recall that particular tape? The second long tape on Lee Harvey Oswald?

**Ann Tarasoff:** Yes, I do. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** In which he identified himself. Would you please? 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Because my husband asked me if I would [00:24:00] confirm what he had, uh, typed or transcribed, I should say, from, uh, the tape and, uh, which I did, I listened and we both got the same feeling that this was something that should be turned in immediately. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright.

**Ann Tarasoff:** And if I'm not mistaken, to rely on my memory that he also had given his name. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** That, who was who? The caller was the party that answered they, 

**Boris Tarasoff:** they wanted the name, definitely 

**Ann Tarasoff:** they asked, they usually ask who's calling and I, he identified himself and in this way we felt that it was, uh, really top priority to be notified, 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Right.

**Ann Tarasoff:** To be our uh contact. And they in turn came by and picked it up. And once they left our hands, why? From there on, we don't know what happened. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. But now I want to go back and ask you some. Some specific questions relating to that tape. Do you recall who would've put, which one of you would've put that tape on the reel?[00:25:00] 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Put that reel on the recording machine? I usually did it. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** That's 

his work. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. And then you listened to it and you, uh, typed? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** No, I asked her to sit down to listen to it and to type it out. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. And do you recall Mrs. Tarasoff which typewriter you would have used in typing that up?

**Ann Tarasoff:** Well, now wait a minute. If for was transcribing it and it was English, he would probably have transcribed it and typed it. But then listening to it again, there may have been some corrections or certain I, uh, as I said, sometimes. I typed 

**Boris Tarasoff:** You typed it. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Well alright. If I typed it out, then I typed it out on the typewriter that you always used, 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Which one?

The standard one or the 

**Ann Tarasoff:** The one that was issued to you? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Yes. You sure it was not portable 

**Ann Tarasoff:** or it could have been the portable because you know, sometimes if the typewriter went, you used the portable.

**Boris Tarasoff:** Yes. 

I appreciate 

**Ann Tarasoff:** [00:26:00] because we had quite a few breakdowns with the equipment that we had to work with was a little sort of 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright, but do you recall. Do one of you recall typing that? 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Well, it would be me, 

**Boris Tarasoff:** yes. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** I would say it would be me because Boris would have difficulty in picking up anybody that had a slight, as I say, accent or muffled voice. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** And do you recall that the conversation, Mrs. Tarasoff again, I don't wanna be repetitive, but I wanna make it clear. Do you recall that the conversation was in English? 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Oh, definitely. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. And do you, do you recall ever putting anything in the transcript, any editorial comments about Oswald's Russian being poor? No way. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** No, 

**Ann Tarasoff:** there were no comments. There were no comments made. What was typed was what was being said by this individual

**Boris Tarasoff:** verbatim they wanted. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** No said everything was typed, were, there was nothing put in. That would be our, [00:27:00] uh, opinion or our version of the conversation. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Do you recall from the, from listening to this conversation, from the intonation of the voice. From the substance of the conversation, whether you had any impression about what type of person was making this call, was this a nut or how would you describe the person making the call that identified himself as being Lee Harvey Oswald?

**Ann Tarasoff:** Well, actually I would describe him as just being a person that wanted to get out of a, out of the country. I mean, he did not want to stay in Mexico. That was certain, 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** He wanted to leave the country and he had no desire to, he did state that he did not wanna return to the US that much, I remember.

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. Do you... 

**Ann Tarasoff:** so he was contacting one or two embassies trying to get, uh, financial aid. In order to leave the Mexico City where he was at the [00:28:00] time. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Right. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** And what his final destination I was at that time, I don't know, because we never did get any further information as to whether he was given any financial aid of any kind from either uh uh, the russians or the Cubans. I understand he went to both. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Do you recall whether or not he said anything about how he got to Mexico City or what his financial status was or anything? Do you, 

**Ann Tarasoff:** well, 

**Kenneth Brooten:** I know I'm asking you to search your memory. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Yes. But 

**Kenneth Brooten:** do you recall anything about that? 

**Ann Tarasoff:** His financial status at the time, if I remember, was he did say he was broke.

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** And he had very little money left and he was seeking a, uh, financial aid to be transported to some foreign country. And, uh, now the thing is, is I [00:29:00] believe either he said it or we had read it in the paper, then when it all came out, 'cause the, uh, article did appear in a paper there, like this news that he did come down by bus. Now whether it was mentioned in the transcript or whether I had read it in the paper, 

**Boris Tarasoff:** that's it. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** So I won't, uh, commit myself. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Well, 

**Ann Tarasoff:** it was on the transcript, but it was that I had, uh, 

**Kenneth Brooten:** But you, to the best of your recollection, is it fair to say that he wanted financial assistance? 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Yes, definitely. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** That, that he told them that he didn't have any money?

**Ann Tarasoff:** True. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. Do you remember, and I realize again, we don't have the transcript before us, and I'm asking you to recall from your memory, but do you recall his saying anything about giving them information in exchange for being transported out of United, out of out of Mexico? 

**Ann Tarasoff:** No. As far as I can recollect, there [00:30:00] was nothing said about any, uh, information.

**Boris Tarasoff:** It's usually nothing. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** He, as far as I can, uh, recall he was without work. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** It, it's usually the method types that always ask, well, can we get some more money for our information that we can sell you? Or stuff like this. But I don't think it was, 

**Ann Tarasoff:** no, I would 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Would you describe Oswald from, from hearing I, I assume a number of conversations over a number of years. How would you characterize 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Oswald? 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Oswald. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** I would say that, uh, judging from the tone of his voice, 

**Kenneth Brooten:** we're gonna have, alright, let me just stop this tape and turn it over. Now it goes on.

Alright, sir. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** So I think before judging from the tone of his voice, I thought that he was a very, uh, [00:31:00] cool individual. He was determined. He, uh, describe it. Just the picture that I had of was like a coiled snake ready to strike. That's what really I remember it from the conversation. Uh. He sounded like he was quite angry about something, but uh, at the same time he kept cool.

But you could, you could detect the note of this, uh, anger in his voice about something, but whether he wasn't, uh, being given a fair treatment by the people that he was talking to or why. Uh, I couldn't say. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Do you recall whether he told the Soviets that they really ought to talk to him or anything to that effect?

**Boris Tarasoff:** That again, no. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** No. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** [00:32:00] You don't remember or...? 

**Ann Tarasoff:** I wouldn't say that he, he was, uh,

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. Did, do you recall anything about his asking about what news they had about his visa or anything like that? Do you recall any of that, con any of that type of a conversation? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** I. No. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Okay. Now, would you tell me, would you describe for me the type of paper that this was typed on? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** You, you mean the, 

**Kenneth Brooten:** the transcript?

**Boris Tarasoff:** The transcript? 

**Kenneth Brooten:** The transcript. Would you, was it plain a white paper or? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Well, the, the top sheet would be just plain white paper. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Excuse me. The tap sheet was US government bond. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** No, they didn't want us to use that. Yeah, but we did occasionally. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** When they, 

**Boris Tarasoff:** yeah, 

**Ann Tarasoff:** nine times out of 10, that's what we wound up with.

**Boris Tarasoff:** Do you remember? 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Until we had to go out and buy it on our own? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Yeah. I was lugging a [00:33:00] whole bunch of paper, 

**Ann Tarasoff:** But from the beginning for a long period of time, that's what you had to use till we had, we went out and started buying it on our own. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Yes. Then took copies of the copies. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Two carbon, two carbon copies.

Alright. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** You want, do you want to see it? 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Yes, 

**Boris Tarasoff:** I'll show you. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. If we could, if we could have that. Um, now, at any time in this conversation, did Lee Harvey Oswald were you able to identify to whom Oswald was speaking? 

**Ann Tarasoff:** I, myself wouldn't, because I had very little contact with the, uh. Transcribing of the, uh, reels, 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Right.

**Ann Tarasoff:** That would be actually my husband's, uh, duties to recognize the voice. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Now, if your husband recognized the voice of the person, the person inside 

**Ann Tarasoff:** mm-hmm. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** [00:34:00] Would he on the transcript then identify that person? 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Definitely. It would also be on the transcript that you. So-and-so spoke to so-and-so. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. That was a normal procedure then?

**Boris Tarasoff:** Yes. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** That if, if... 

**Ann Tarasoff:** if you could identify the two parties that were speaking to each other, then you were also, you would transcribe the names. Include the names in the transcript. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright, then. Now, if in this case, do you recall whether or not the person to whom Lee Harvey Oswald was speaking was identified? 

**Ann Tarasoff:** I don't really know. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright.

**Ann Tarasoff:** Because if I was doing the typing out of it, and if I came to it, I would automatically, uh, rerun the reel in order for Boris to listen to the tell me if he could recognize who he was speaking to. And I don't recall whether he did recognize who he was speaking to [00:35:00] or not, but there was also a close resemblance to several voices that sounded alike in the embassy amongst the people that were speaking. So sometimes it was very hard to identify the, I think there were three that almost had the same tone of voice and speaking habits.

**Kenneth Brooten:** Would it have been the normal procedure? 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Well, it would sort of, uh, be very easy to, let's say, weed out who the English speaking people were, because there were very few that spoke English 

**Boris Tarasoff:** took off his. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** So, uh, 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. But on this, on this particular tape, do either of you remember being able to identify the person to whom Lee Harvey Oswald was speaking?

**Boris Tarasoff:** Unfortunately not. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright, sir. And you did not, I [00:36:00] take it then. If you did not ident, if you could not identify the person that you would not have put any name on the transcript of someone that he had been speaking to. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Mm-hmm. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Do you remember putting any names on? 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Well, if you were not certain, 

**Boris Tarasoff:** yes, that's, 

**Ann Tarasoff:** you would put the name, but then you would put it in parens.

**Boris Tarasoff:** Mm-hmm. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** And what did we have the question mark? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** I think. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Now, if you couldn't identify the person, what would you put? What would you use? Initials or? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** No, we just put down the men outside or the goal comes in. That's it, men inside. Somebody comes from the embassy and wouldn't know his name. We can't identify or can't, uh, recognize his voice. Then we put down MI or men inside. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. Do you recall in this case, um, or if, why. Strengthening. [00:37:00] We're gonna have to change tapes here in just a minute. So let's go off the record and shut the tape recorders off before the... after a break for lunch. Were either of you ever asked at any time for your opinion as to the identity of the individual to whom Lee Harvey Oswald was speaking? On that second tape? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** I don't think anybody asked us that question. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Well, if they asked me, I wouldn't know because, uh, to begin with. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Mm-hmm. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** I never worked on the tapes constantly to have any, uh, sufficient amount of time to recognize voices. That would be Boris's, my husband's, uh, part, he wouldn't be the one that would be able to identify whoever was speaking if it was possible to identify him.

**Kenneth Brooten:** Now, sir. You have shown me some Huron copy set papers, which is a carbon set, [00:38:00] and you stated that you made an original and two copies of all of your transcripts that you had transcribed and translated and transcribed with respect to the Oswald tape, did you do the same thing with that tape? That is make an original and two carbon copies, 

**Boris Tarasoff:** that's a [unintelligible] 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Before it used to be three copies, but that there was no need to have so many. So they came down to, took original and took copies. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Now sir, do you recall what happened? Do either of you recall what happened once you had the second Oswald tape transcribed? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Well, 

**Kenneth Brooten:** What, what happened then? Did you make a call to someone or what?

**Ann Tarasoff:** Well, after the trans, after the, uh, trans, uh. Well actually transcribing it and typing it up and the name was mentioned. And as we said [00:39:00] previously, there was some indication from the, uh, on the reel that this could be of interest or very pertinent. So we had contacted our contact that we had for any emergency of this type.

**Boris Tarasoff:** Do you recall who that was? 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Well, I wouldn't wanna mention the name, if you don't mind. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** It was just a phone number and sometimes there would be just, uh, passing on the message in case the party wasn't there. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. Is, let me, without trying to pry further, is that person still. Is that person an employee of the CIA?

**Ann Tarasoff:** Oh yes. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Is that person still employed by the CIA? 

**Ann Tarasoff:** That I wouldn't know. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. Alright. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** That one, that much I wouldn't 

**Kenneth Brooten:** know. Right. But you called this unidentified person? 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Yes. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** And what transcribed, what transpired then? 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Well, they in turn would come pass by the house and, uh, pick it up. And, uh, take it to, uh, the [00:40:00] embassy.

**Boris Tarasoff:** No, I took the, the real transcription to [unintelligible] I remember that. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Oh, you took it personally, I thought they came by and picked it up because as a rule, they would come by and pick it up. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Probably. It must have been the other one. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Now 

**Boris Tarasoff:** [unintelligible] 

**Kenneth Brooten:** do you recall that on the same day that you got that tape 

**Boris Tarasoff:** mm-hmm.

**Kenneth Brooten:** That you transcribed that tape and it was delivered to someone that day? 

**Boris Tarasoff:** That's exactly 

**Ann Tarasoff:** the same day. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** [unintelligible] shortly after it's been finished. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright, sir, now. Since that time. Now that was an original and two copies. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Mm-hmm. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Right. Would either of you be able to identify the original transcript or a carbon copy, the transcript if you saw it?

**Boris Tarasoff:** I believe so, 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Yea, because there was a certain procedure in how you would type it up. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. Would you be able to determine at this point in time, [00:41:00] 13 years later, if you saw the original, whether or not it had been an altered in any way from what you recall typing it,

**Ann Tarasoff:** that would be hard to determine because actually the transcript was made verbatim whatever, uh, one party said that was typed, whatever the other party said also was typed. There wasn't anything put in other than what was, both people were talking taken out. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** There were no editorial comments put in. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** No none whatsoever.

**Boris Tarasoff:** And I believe you said sir, nothing was taken out. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** No, there's nothing omitted and nothing added. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** They ask for verbatim. You've gotta put everything in it.

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Whether they said, oh, uh, or 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Yes, 

**Ann Tarasoff:** everything. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Yeah, probations. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Now you delivered that. Did you ever use any. In the transcription of those [00:42:00] tapes, did you ever use any code words or any phrases or anything like that that you would add to it?

**Ann Tarasoff:** No. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** You had used just your MI for man inside, or,

**Boris Tarasoff:** oh, well, 

**Kenneth Brooten:** for being outside abbreviations? 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Mm-hmm. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** Well, I used to. I used to. First when a person was identified, right? Let's say Yatsko instead of putting down every time when he started to talk, Yatsko said that Yatsko went, uh, answered this Yetsko. Go. I will put down, uh, YAT right in abbreviation.

Save, save time and work and whatnot. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright, sir, now. You personally handed the tape and the three and the original and two copies to this person who was contact 

**Boris Tarasoff:** if I delivered it, I did. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright sir, 

**Boris Tarasoff:** if it was picked up, maybe [00:43:00] 

**Ann Tarasoff:** the same thing, whether it was delivered or picked up, they would have tape. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** You would have personally... 

**Ann Tarasoff:** The uh, 

**Boris Tarasoff:** yes, but I mean, would it be you or me do it?

**Ann Tarasoff:** Oh no, it wouldn't be me. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** I mean, if they came to the house. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Well, it didn't matter because nine times out of ten they'd want to talk to you anyway. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Either way, it would be personally delivered to this. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Oh yes, it would be from hand to hand. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright, and, and then after you delivered that transcript and the tape, did you, any time subsequent to that, ever see that transcript again or hear that tape again?

**Ann Tarasoff:** No. None whatsoever 

**Kenneth Brooten:** on cases of that nature, which were sensitive. Like the Oswald case. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** Mm-hmm. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Was it a normal procedure to save certain tapes? 

**Ann Tarasoff:** No, not that we, we can recollect. I don't think we ever saved any tapes. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** No, but I I don't [00:44:00] mean you save, I mean the, 

**Ann Tarasoff:** oh, what? 

**Kenneth Brooten:** The CIA saved 

**Ann Tarasoff:** that, I don't know, whatever left our house and they picked up 

**Boris Tarasoff:** the minute it leaves our hands.

**Ann Tarasoff:** They could have erased everything or they could have saved things. We don't know. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Alright. 

**Ann Tarasoff:** As I say, whatever left. Our, uh, hands and went into the hands of the other party. We never knew what happened, whether they kept it, erased, it, burned it, or destroyed the whole work. This we never knew. 

**Kenneth Brooten:** Do you know anything about the filing system, how they file these transcripts? Did either one of you ever have anything to do with that? 

**Ann Tarasoff:** No. 

**Boris Tarasoff:** No.