Agency: FBI
Originator: FBI
From: SAC, PX
To: DIRECTOR, FBI
Document date: 03/13/1963
Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

JFK Assassination System

Identification Form

Agency Information

Date:

5/11/201

AGENCY:

RECORD NUMBER :

FBI

124-10294-10096

RECORD SERIES :

HQ

AGENCY FILE NUMBER :

105-72630-1ST NR 86

Document Information

ORIGINATOR:

FBI

FROM:

SAC, PX

TO:

DIRECTOR, FBI

TITLE:

DATE: 03/13/1963

• PAGES:

SUBJECTS :

[Restricted]

DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION: Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS: 4

CURRENT STATUS: Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 06/04/1998

OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE

COMMENTS :

v9.1

DocId: 32308238

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## Page 2

_LINFORMATION CONTAINED

EREIN IS UNCLASSIFIED

DATE2

DIRECTOR, FBI

3/13/63

SAC, PHOENIX (134-363)

Attention: FOREIGN LIAISON DESK

RICARDO DIAZ-LANZ

PSI - CUBA

RICHARD V. BRAHM, MONEY Oldsmobile Company, 530 East

McDowell Road, Phoenix, advises that he has an individual work-

ing for him as a car salesman by the name of RICARDO DIAZ, Who

1s a Cuban.

Mr. BRAHM states that he does not have a full

background

picture of this individual, but regards him highly

at this time as a salesman,

and has reason to believe that he

could be of assistance to our office in Cuban matters. Mr.

BRAHM explained that DIAZ reportedly spent some time in prison

in cuba by reason of the CASTRO dominance in the affairs of

cuba.

Mr.

BRAHM furnished the following description and

background of DIAZ, as 1t is contained in his file:

Name :

Residence:

Date of Birth:

Height :

Sex:

Build:

Weight:

Age:

haucation:

RICARDO. DIAZ

620 N. 2nd Street,

Phoenix, Arizona

November 11, 1931

5' 10" to 5' 11"

Male

Slender

145 pounds

In the 30's

Reportedly has a degree from

the University of Havana in

Cuba

Social Security Number:

569-66-3351

ORIGINAL

- Bureau (RM)

- Los Angeles (RM)

Miami (RM)

- New York (RM)

- Phoenix

CLC:mss

(20)

MAR 2 7 1963

105-72639-

NOT RECORDED

123 MAN 26 1963

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## Page 3

PX 134-363

References:

SHIRLEY HARDEN,

Selznick Studio,

Los Angeles, California:

W. R. WILLIAMS,

204 New Jersey

Avenue ,

Glen

burnie, Maryland;

Reportedly worked as an auto-

mobile salesman in Culver

City, California.

The Bureau,

Los Angeles, Miami and New York are re-

quested to search PSI's name through the general indices of

their respective offices.

Los Angeles is also requested to

conduct a credit and criminal check against PSI.

A review of the newspaper morgue of The Arizona Re-

publ1c disclosed an article written in the February 22, 1963,

Issue of the paper. This article is set forth verbatim as

follows:

"I did just what I had to do." "And what did Ricardo

Diaz have to do?

"Fashion a knife from a spoon, kill his prison guard,

and navigate 100 miles of open sea in a stolen sail-

boat.

"But it freed the 31-year old Diaz, now a Phoenix auto-

mobile salesman, from the Cuban revolution he embraced

before it turned down the Communist path.

"Now Diaz, whose full name 1s Diaz-Lanz, 1s afraid

someone will consider him a hero.

"It was expediency," he said.

"I was like a pig in a

pen.

I had to get out. It was my brother who was

hero.

"His brother is MaJ. Pedro Diaz Lanz, chief of the

Cuban air force, who became dIsenchanted with the

revolution in July 1959 and told the world of Fidel

Castro's ties with communism.

"Ricardo was a social worker in the Castro regime. He

was thrown into prison without explanation.

He was

beaten and kicked.

Some of his ribs were broken.

-2 -

Jon-ipper

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## Page 4

PX. 134-363

"Twenty months later, last Sept. 28, he escaped from

the Isle of Pines.

He slew his

guard during one of

their dally health walks on the island.

"A night and day later he landed at Key West, Fla.

"Ricardo was a revolutionary and acquaintance of

Fidel Castro

at the University of Havana. Ricardo

has a master's degree in sociology.

"But he took no part in the abortive revolt of July

26, 1956, at the Havana police barracks; nor in

Castro's landing after his return from exile.

"In fact, his family had been among the favorites of

the Batista regime, and Ricardo had a paper-shuffling

job in a Havana government tourist agency.

"Ricardo said:

"He doubts that Castro had any Communist help until

after his successful return to Cuba from Mexico. He

landed with 17 men and meager supplies.

"Castro didn't need any help from Russia.

"Cuba was overwhelmed with hatred of the Batista

regime and ready for revolution. It had been talked

up by the students and young intellectuals of Cuba

for years.

"But

there was no leadership, no planning. Castro

didn't provide it either.

"But the sheer audacity of his attack on the police

barracks tabbed him as a man of action.

And his sue-

cessful return three years later made him the man of

the hour.

"By the time Cubans learned he had betrayed them to

communism, it was too late.

"So what are the plans of a learned young man with a

dream of equality for everyone, a young man who had

a hand in an abortive attempt at a bright new world?

"I want to

make a lot of money," he said. "Maybe

-3-

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## Page 5

PX 134-363

a million dollars."

"He's made a pretty fair start in the capitalistic

world.

hours a day to do it":

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