Opinion ID: 425171
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Abscam as it Involved Ciuzio and Weisz

Text: 7 In the early part of September 1979, Amoroso sought Rosenberg's aid in obtaining political assistance for his Arab employers. Amoroso told Rosenberg that he was interested in meeting congressmen willing to introduce legislation which would give the Arabs permanent resident status and that the congressmen, as well as the individuals recruiting the congressmen, would be paid for their assistance. 10 In October 1979 Rosenberg related the proposal to his business associate, accountant Stanley Weisz. 11 Rosenberg told Weisz that the Arabs were concerned that they might have problems staying in the United States and wanted to meet congressmen who would introduce favorable legislation. Rosenberg suggested that Weisz would receive a fee for the proper introductions. 12 Weisz responded that he did not know any congressmen. 13 8 On November 20, 1979, Weisz, while on vacation in Boynton Beach, Florida, met with his longtime business associate, Eugene Ciuzio. 14 During their conversation, Weisz related the wealthy Arabs' need to make friends with congressmen, explaining that they were bringing a lot of money to [the United States] for investment and were worried that they might have difficulty staying in this country. 15 Ciuzio replied that he was working with a Congressman who might be willing to help the Arabs and indicated that he would check with the Congressman and get back to Weisz. For his part, Weisz agreed to contact Rosenberg and, if the Arabs were still interested, have Rosenberg call Ciuzio. 16 A few days later Ciuzio called Weisz in Boynton Beach and told him that the Congressman was interested in helping the Arabs. 17 9 In mid-December 1979 Rosenberg stopped by Weisz' office and again mentioned his work for the wealthy Arabs. Weisz informed Rosenberg of Ciuzio's friendship with a Florida Congressman who was willing to help the Arabs with their immigration troubles if they were still interested. 18 Rosenberg checked with Amoroso and Weinberg, and then called Weisz and told him that the Arabs' representatives were very interested in meeting the Congressman. Rosenberg indicated to Weisz that the Arabs would pay $250,000 for such an introduction and that he wanted $50,000 of that sum. 19 Weisz gave Rosenberg Ciuzio's telephone number, and agreed to call Ciuzio and ask him to call Weinberg. Weisz called Ciuzio and told him of the Arabs' continued interest in meeting congressmen and of the $250,000 fee, and to expect a call from Weinberg. Ciuzio and Weisz agreed that Weisz, like Rosenberg, would receive $50,000. 20 Meanwhile, Rosenberg called Weinberg and gave him Ciuzio's name and telephone number, explaining that Ciuzio was the connection to the Congressman and that Weinberg would have to deal through Ciuzio. 21 10 As a result of these efforts, Amoroso and Weinberg met with Ciuzio on December 19, 1979, in Hollywood, Florida, to discuss the transaction. Amoroso explained the assistance that would be expected of the Congressman: 11 These [Arabs] are smart enough, they're investing their money all over the world .... They figure at some point in time they're gonna have to ... get outa there .... Now where is the best place to come and live but this country? ... So what they're doin is they're startin' to put themselves in a position so that when ... they come here ... we [can] call the Congressman and say, hey look, the [Arabs are] here [and] ... we want ya to introduce the legislation now to keep em here. 22 12 Weinberg indicated that the Arabs were willing to pay a total of $250,000, with $100,000 going to the Congressman, for the Congressman's assistance. He suggested that the Congressman be paid $25,000 at an initial meeting, with the balance paid when legislation was required. 23 Weinberg made it clear that the meeting and payment of $25,000 was to assure the Arabs that the Congressman 13 got the money [and] when we're ready to move that he is gonna be with us. 24 14 Ciuzio told Amoroso and Weinberg that the individual was Congressman Richard Kelly and intimated that he and Kelly had had previous dealings of a similar nature. 25 Ciuzio indicated that he understood the nature of the proposal, 26 revealing that Weisz had outlined it for him over lunch in Florida: 15 I met Stanley [Weisz] at Boy[n]ton Beach .... We had lunch at Bernard's. He says hey ya know a Congressman? Yeah. [He says] I got a ... Sheik ... [with] 30 billion .... He says, they gotta get 'em in [the] country. I said unless he's a f---in fugitive ... I guess it can be done. He says ya really got a Congressman? I says we're engaged, ya know what I mean? We're that f---in tight. 27 16 Ciuzio also indicated that in a later conversation Weisz had given him the $250,000 figure and that they had arrived at a split of $100,000 for Kelly because that['s] what [Kelly] needs to straighten his whole life out. 28 Ciuzio claimed to have explained the proposal to Kelly and that Kelly had left the arrangements to him. 29 17 Noting that he was obligated to protect [Kelly] in the sensible way, Ciuzio opposed a direct payment to Kelly and suggested that the money instead be escrowed through Weisz. 30 Amoroso assured him that a private meeting between Amoroso and Kelly would protect the Congressman, and that the wealthy Arabs would invest in Kelly's district to provide an explanation for Kelly's assistance. 31 Ciuzio agreed to lay out the story for Kelly, but only if he received clearance from Weisz because it was his package. 32 Amoroso and Weinberg suggested that Ciuzio set up the meeting for January 8 or 9, 1980, at Abdul Enterprises' Washington, D.C., townhouse. 33 18 On December 20, 1979, Weinberg called Ciuzio and inquired if Ciuzio had spoken with Weisz about the deal. Ciuzio said that he had not, but that he had talked to Kelly. Kelly had called him from his congressional office and Ciuzio asked Kelly to call back from a public phone booth to discuss the transaction. 34 On December 21, 1979, Ciuzio called Weinberg and indicated that he had spoken to Kelly and told him to stand by. Ciuzio said that Kelly was available for a January 8 meeting in Washington. 35 19 Ciuzio also told Weinberg that he had discussed the deal with Weisz and reiterated that he and Weisz did not like the idea of the money being paid directly to the Congressman. Ciuzio again suggested that Weisz handle all the money. 36 Weinberg insisted that Kelly be directly involved in the transaction, but indicated that 20 [a]ll he [Amoroso] wants the Congressman [to do] is to tell him what he's gonna do for him for the money. 37 21 [A]fter that, Weinberg asserted, I don't give a damn who comes and picks money up or what you do with it. 38 Ciuzio agreed, but requested that they use the right script, nice and soft. 39 22 On January 8, 1980, Weisz and Rosenberg flew together from Long Island, New York, to National Airport in Washington, D.C., where they were met by Ciuzio, who had arrived from Orlando, Florida, earlier in the day. The three of them checked into the Twin Bridges Marriott and then went to the Madison Hotel where they were to meet Kelly for dinner. Kelly was delayed, however, and arrived only after they had finished dinner. After a brief conversation over coffee, Rosenberg called Weinberg, who sent Abdul Enterprises' limousine to bring the four men to the Georgetown townhouse. 40
23 Shortly after 10:00 p.m. on January 8, 1980, Ciuzio, Kelly, Rosenberg, and Weisz arrived at Abdul Enterprises' townhouse to meet with Amoroso and Weinberg. Initially Weinberg met with Ciuzio, who vigorously sought to dissuade Amoroso and Weinberg from attempting to bribe Kelly directly. 41 The two ultimately agreed that Kelly would acknowledge that the money was in exchange for his agreement to assist the Arabs, but that Ciuzio would actually take the money from the meeting: 24 WEINBERG: You can be in with him, all right? 25 CIUZIO: Well I think I should be here to, ahh steer the f---ing thing ... 26 WEINBERG: Let him [Amoroso], let, just put the money on the table and say here, take it ... here Congressman, here's the twenty-five thousand, and that's it, you pick it up. 27 CIUZIO: Go along with that, he knows the answers too. 28 WEINBERG: All right, so ... CIUZIO: I rehearsed with him. 42 29 After this conversation Kelly and Amoroso met privately. Amoroso explained the Arabs' immigration difficulties and their willingness to pay to have friends in Congress when required. He also indicated that the Arabs would invest in their friends'  districts in order to protect them from pressure. 43 Kelly's response revealed that he was already aware of the purpose for the investments: 30 AMOROSO: Now I realize that ahh there's a possibility that ahh if, if you were to introduce somethin like this, that ahh, people would ask, well why is he doing it, ya know, well what's the reason, now ... 31 KELLY: I've got the reason. 32 AMOROSO: Ok, what ... would that be ... investing? KELLY: Sure. 44 33 Kelly agreed to assist the Arabs, and indicated that Amoroso's arrangement with Ciuzio was fine: 34 All of this stuff that you've been talking about ... I don't know anything about that, I'm not involved with it .... Gino [Ciuzio] and these guys are my friend[s] ... what you said makes a lot of sense to me ... I'm gonna stick with ya ... and you can put me out there on the hill, and when you come back in the morning, I'll still be there.... So this ... will be helpful to me and ... maybe ... down the road sometime, you can do me a favor. But in the meantime, whatever these guys are doing is all right, but I got no part in that.... [I]n other words, your arrangement with these people is ... all fine.... [Y]ou have my assurance that what you have told me here, sounds like a good thing and ... I will ... stick by these people. 45 35 After Amoroso received a call from Assistant United States Attorney Jacobs who was monitoring the meeting, Kelly asked to talk to Ciuzio. Ciuzio talked to Kelly privately for approximately ten minutes and, when Ciuzio emerged, he told Amoroso that Kelly would do what the Arabs wanted, but that Amoroso should not give Kelly any money. 46 36 As Amoroso and Kelly resumed their discussion, Amoroso sought to clarify Kelly's position. Kelly made it clear that he wanted the money given to Ciuzio: 37 KELLY: [Y]ou and I gotta ... learn to talk to each other. 38 AMOROSO: Well I know ... 39 KELLY: [D]on't stumble around, jump in there ... 40 AMOROSO: Jump in there and give it to you? 41 KELLY: Sure. 42 AMOROSO: Ok. Well I was under the impression ... when this thing was set up ... that I was gonna give you something ... tonight .... 43 KELLY: Yeah. 44 AMOROSO: Ok, and that the rest was gonna come ... 45 KELLY: Yeah. 46 AMOROSO: When you introduce that. 47 KELLY: That's right. 48 AMOROSO: Ok, is that, is that still ... 49 KELLY: Yeah. Here's ... what the thing is. Umm ahh just simply deal with Gino [Ciuzio] about it. 50 AMOROSO: Ok. You want me to give him the money ... here? KELLY: Sure. 47 51 However, when Amoroso indicated that all of the $25,000 was intended to go to Kelly, and that Ciuzio and the others would be separately compensated, Kelly was confused: 52 I understood that what you were talking about was ... all there was as far as Tony [sic, should be Ciuzio] was concerned and so as far as I'm concerned, he takes that.... [B]ut I see I didn't know ... about this other arrangement.... It's ... all right but I didn't know about that. So let's talk about it some. 48 53 Amoroso explained that he thought that giving the money directly to Kelly would avoid witnesses, thus protecting him. Kelly agreed: 54 AMOROSO: I thought that the best way of doing it was ... a one on one between you and I. Now to me that sounds like ... if you're looking for security ... the best way of doing it. KELLY: I think so too. 49 55 Amoroso then gave Kelly $25,000 in cash and Kelly stuffed the money into the pockets of his suit. 50 56 Amoroso and Kelly then joined the others in the living room of the townhouse. As Ciuzio and the others were preparing to leave, he asked Amoroso who had the money. Amoroso replied, He has it, and pointed to Kelly, who at that time was leaving the townhouse. Ciuzio responded that if Amoroso was satisfied, he was satisfied, and left. 51 Ciuzio, Kelly, Rosenberg and Weisz were then driven back to the Madison Hotel, where Kelly had left his car, and then to the Marriott, where Ciuzio, Rosenberg and Weisz were staying. 52
57 On January 31, 1980, Rosenberg called Weisz and told him that Amoroso and Weinberg were in town and ready to pay them the balance of the $250,000. Rosenberg asked Weisz to call Weinberg because he wanted to know how the money should be split; according to Weisz, Rosenberg said that 58 the split should be fifty for ... Rosenberg, fifty for ... [Weisz], fifty for ... Ciuzio, and seventy-five for Ciuzio to give to Kelly. 53 59 Weisz called Weinberg the next day and told him that the balance of the $250,000 should be split fifty, fifty, fifty, seventy-five. 54 Weisz made it clear that Ciuzio should be given Kelly's share for delivery: 60 WEINBERG: Hey now who, well who gets ... Kelly's? 61 WEISZ: Let Gino [Ciuzio] take care of it. 62 WEINBERG: You want Gino to take care o' that? 63 WEISZ: Absolutely. 64 .... 65 WEINBERG: [S]end a hundred and ... twenty-five to Gino then. 66 WEISZ: Right. 67 WEINBERG: And he'll take care o' Kelly. WEISZ: That's the best way. 55 68 Weisz agreed to meet Amoroso and Weinberg the next day to pick up his share of the money. 56 69 On February 2, 1980, Weisz, accompanied by Rosenberg, drove to the Hilton Hotel at New York's Kennedy Airport to meet with Amoroso and Weinberg. 57 Amoroso told Weisz that the wealthy Arabs were pleased with the Kelly transaction and, indicating that they need[ed] a few [more] of these guys in our corner, asked Weisz if he had anybody else in mind at this particular time? 58 Weisz was agreeable to bringing additional people to the Abscam operatives: 70 WEISZ: There's other ones, yes. 71 AMOROSO: All right. How about the same arrangement? 72 WEISZ: I don't see why not. 73 AMOROSO: Okay. 74 WEISZ: Seems satisfactory. 75 .... 76 WEISZ: If you wanna do exactly the same thing, I'll get you somebody else to do exactly the same thing. 59 77 Weisz asked Weinberg to call Ciuzio and was surprised, but unconcerned, that Amoroso intended to deliver Kelly's $75,000 personally: 78 AMOROSO: I got fifty for you, fifty for Bill [Rosenberg], and then we got fifty for Gino [Ciuzio]. 79 WEISZ: And you're gonna ... deal direct with ... Kelly? 80 AMOROSO: Yeah. 81 WEISZ: Ok ... I see.... As long as he agrees ... [t]hat's perfectly okay. I couldn't care one way or the other. 60 82 At that point, Weisz received $50,000 and placed it in an attache case he had brought for that purpose. 61 83 As Weisz left the meeting, he was met by two FBI special agents, Daniel Melore and Raymond Raleigh. Weisz accompanied the two agents to another room and answered their questions for about twenty minutes. Weisz related how he had participated with Ciuzio and Rosenberg in arranging Kelly's introduction to Amoroso and Weinberg, and stated thathe knew full well that he was instrumental in bringing people together to be corrupted. 62 84 Thereafter Weisz called his attorney and, after he arrived, the agents retrieved the $50,000 from Weisz's attache case and allowed Weisz to leave. 63