by Joan Mellen
p. 86: the roster of those CIA supported: See: CIA To: Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Attention: Mr. S. J. Papich. From: Deputy Director (Plans). Subject: Transmittal of Consejo Revolucionario Cubano Personnel Roster. 124-90012-10015. HQ 105-107224-32. NARA.
p. 86: offered FBI information about members of Brigade 2506: See: FBI. To: Director, FBI. From: SAC, Miami. Re: Cuban Prisoner Exchange. January 21, 1963. 124-90012-10011. HQ CR 105-99200-216. Subjects: Bernardo Alvarez, Cuban Prisoner Exchange. The FBI reveals here as well the mutuality of its exchanges of information with CIA, De Torres informs to the FBI about Luis Tornes: From: MM to HQ. September 23, 1963. 124- 90012-10003. CR 2-1818-3. NARA.
p. 86: B-26 bomber: FBI. April 9, 1964. Subjects: Bernardo Alvarez. Mario Oscar Baldatti Brieba. 124-90012-10037. HQ 105-124552-3. NARA.
p. 86: CIA yawned: To: Mr. J. Walter Yeagley, Assistant Attorney General. From: Director, FBI. September 13, 1963. 124-90012-10014. HQ 105-121847-3. NARA.
p. 86: De Torres’ own father: FBI. To: Director, FBI. From: SAC, Miami. January 20, 1964. Subject: Asociación de Vetranos de Bahía de Cochinos, Brigada 2506. 124-90012-10023. HQ 105-121847- 8. NARA. The document reads: “MM T- 2 is Bernardo de Torres Sr., the father of the Military Planner of the Organization.” De Torres senior also informed about his son’s involvement in a proposed attack on a Soviet ship in waters off the coast of Florida in August of 1966. See: FBI. August 20, 1966. Subjects: Bernardo Alvarez; Asociación de Vetranos de Bahía de Cochinos. 124- 90012-10021. HQ 105-121847-35. NARA. By then, FBI and CIA were collaborating in protecting de Torres: when a CIA informant named Miguel Cruz wrote to CIA’s Miami field office, saying he had “information on Bernardo Torres,” the person investigated was not de Torres, but Cruz: See: Justin F. Gleichauf to Mr. Ernest Aragon, U.S. Secret Service. February 24, 1967. 62-109060-4658; Treasury Department, United States Secret Service. Office of the Director. To: Federal Bureau of Investigation. Attention: SA Orrin Bartlett. From: Director. Subject: Assassination of President John F. Kennedy. February 27, 1967. 62- 109060-4658.
p. 86: “cannot and will not cease his efforts”: FBI, April 9, 1964.
p. 87: Garrison sends Sergeant Thomas Duffy: Hearings before the Subcommittee on the Assassination of John F. Kennedy of the Select Committee on Assassinations. House of Representatives. May 2, 1978, p. 36 reveals the visit of Duffy to de Torres in Miami.
p. 87: Alvarado: See SSCIA. Testimony of Samuel Halpern. April 22, 1976. 157-10014-10008. 01-H-03. NARA.
p. 87: According to Hemming, Czukas arranged for the Odio visit: e-mail from Gerald Patrick Hemming, May 31, 2004.
p. 87: Surveillance of Oswald: This is the contention of Gerald Patrick Hemming. Interview with Hemming, April 19, 2002.
p. 87: De Torres talks with Jim Garrison in New Orleans: Tape of Bernardo de Torres and Jim Garrison. Undated. In Spanish with some English translation.
p. 87: “Matamoros a Communist”: A note reads: “Bernardo says she is a Communist.” (Smith Case).
p. 87: “Miami planning in the summer of 1963”: Richard N. Billings recorded these words of de Torres: Diary of Richard N. Billings, Jan. 24. File 17 17.
p. 87: “under no circumstances” should any information: Investigative Assignments. Smith Case. January 7, 1967. From: Jim Garrison. NODA. NARA.
p. 87: “his reliability is not established”: Garrison wrote on an unsigned document headed “(Smith Case).” The document is signed 0-0-0-0-0-0-0 and attempts to identify the Cubans in the photograph with Oswald.
p. 87: Pershing had begun to inform to the FBI: Interview with Raymond Comstock, May 29, 1998. Interview with L. J. Delsa. Pershing’s name appears on a CIA list of plants in Garrison’s office witnessed by Delsa in Washington, DC.
p. 87: Bernardo de Torres reports on the Garrison investigation to CIA: A substantial trace of the evidence has been released: CIA Memorandum. To: Chief, 10 Thru: To: Chief, 10 Thru: Chief, 0/1 from: 10/2 Gerald D. Faulanger. 30 September 1967. Subject: TYPIC/AMFAUNA/13/Operational Activities of the AVBC. Jesus Vazquez Borrero, member of the 2506 Brigade, Discussions with a Mr. FNU Levinson, in Washington, D. C. 104-10170-10266. 80T01357A; From: Chief of Station, JMWAVE To: Chief, WHD [Western Hemisphere Division]. Title: Dispatch: Operational/Activities of the AVBC. Member of the 2506 Brigade. Discussions with a Mr. FNU. October 9, 1967. 6 pages. NARA. In later years de Torres would report to CIA on Cubans involved in narcotics traffic: CIA. to: Chief, Western Hemisphere Division. From: Chief of Station. Subject: PBRUMEN—Cuban exiles in Narcotics. July 3, 1972. 104- 0070-10179. 80T01357A. Two pages. This report was made to ACROBAT-1. See also: To: Director. 4 December 1969. From: Withheld. To: Director. Title: Cable concerning telephone call. 104-10070-10180. 89T01357A INFO WH/MIAMI. LITEMP-12 received a call from Bernardo de Torres, who identifies himself as “Pentagon Intelligence.” Report is on a man involved in arms contraband. Who can discern how many masters this man served? See also: Counter intelligence checks with JMWAVE about Bernardo de Torres: WH/COG #67-302. 27 September 1967. Memorandum For: C/CI/R & A. Attention: Mr. Pratt. Subject: Transmittal of 201 files on Individuals Involved in Garrison Investigation. From: Nancy Gratz, WH/COG/CICS. NARA. For de Torres’ firmly established CIA connections, see also: CIA, 27 October 1967. Subject: Torres, Bernardo, aka Gonzales (de) Torres Alvarez, Bernardo.
p. 87: “everybody is looking for me”: FBI. To: D. J. Brennan Jr. From: S. J. Papich. March 3, 1967. Subject: Bernardo Gonzalez de Torres Alvarez. 124-90012-10049. HQ 105- 124552-5. NARA.
p. 88: Hoover paused. FBI reacts to the news: FBI Airtel. To: Director, FBI. From: SAC, Miami. February 20, 1967. 124-90012-10042. HQ 105-124552-NR. NARA.
p. 88: “Don’t use Torres”: FBI. To: W. C. Sullivan. From: W. A. Branigan. February 20, 1967. 124- 90012-10043. HQ 105- 124552-NR. NARA.
p. 88: de Torres had never been one of their informants: FBI. To: SACs Miami and New Orleans. From: Director, FBI. BERNARDO DE TORRES ALVAREZ. INTERNAL SECURITY—Cuba. February 23, 1967. 124-90012-10046. HQ 105-124552-4. NARA.
p. 88: de Torres comes up with the name “Eladio del Valle”: Memorandum. February 26, 1967. To: Jim Garrison. From: Louis Ivon. Re: Telephone conversation with Alberto Fowler. NODA. NARA.
p. 88: De Torres used up half: Edward Jay Epstein, Counterplot, p. 195.
p. 88: Major Roberto Verdaguer as Bernardo de Torres’ source: See Hans Tanner, Counter-Revolutionary Agent: Diary of the Events Which Occurred in Cuba Between January and July 1961 (G. T. Foulis & Co. Ltd.: London, 1962), p. 70.
p. 88: Adames talks to Fonzi: Memo 6/17/77 To: Tanenbaum. From: Fonzi. Re: Juan Adames.
p. 88: de Torres knew Oswald: See: Memo to Tanenbaum. From: Fonzi. June 15, 1977. Re: Adames and Otero Interviews; Memo, June 17, 1977. To: Tanenbaum. From: Fonzi. Re: Juan Adames.
p. 88: “is going to be hit”: MEMO- 3/13/77 To: Cliff Fenton. From: Gaeton Fonzi. NARA.
p. 89: “it was a Cuban refugee group”: Information from a Cuban government secretary to an intelligence officer at the Cuban embassy in Mexico City: FBI To: Director, FBI. From: SAC, Miami. March 14, 1967. Re: Lee Harvey Oswald— Internal Security—Russia—Cuba. FBI 124-10237-10240. 89-69-1755, 1756. 4 pages. The FBI’s Miami informant has interviewed Ramiro Jesus Abreu Quintana, an intelligence officer holding the position of Third Secretary and Chief of Consular Section at the Cuban embassy in Mexico City. The FBI’s source is Aracelli Mastrappa, Quintana’s secretary.
p. 89: Cobos names de Torres: FBI. SA Vincent J. Marger and Raymond L. O’Mally. January 15, 1976. MM 174-940: “Cobos furnished the name Bernardo Torres . . . as the man to call with contacts on a high level with the CIA in Washington, D. C. De Torres advised Gonzalez that he contacted his source in the CIA and learned that the FBI is aware that Rolando Otero did commit the bombings. . . .” See also: To: Tanenbaum. From: Fonzi. Re: Rolando Otero Leads. May 17, 1977. 014582. NARA.
p. 89: a 1969 document: CIA 104-10070-10180. 80T01357A. To: Director. Title: Cable concerning telephone call. 12/04/69.
1999 CIA Historical Review Program. NARA.
p. 89: Bernardo was involved in the assassination: Fonzi. Rough Notes—Interview with (redacted). 5/25/77. (arranged through . . .). Courtesy of Gaeton Fonzi. The redacted name is Juan Adames. See also Fonzi notes 10-3-77. Report of a meeting with Juan Adames.
p. 89: Otero talks to the FBI: Department of Justice 179- 20003-10422. Classified. Subject file: 129-11. Official Mail Section 35. March 4, 1977. 10 pages.
p. 89: Otero talks to Fonzi: see Memo 3/20/77. To: Tanenbaum. From: Fonzi. Re: Interview with Rolando Otero.
p. 89: Otero’s information about Sheridan is confirmed by Edwin Guthman: Conversation with Edwin Guthman, May 16, 2000.
p. 89: photographs taken at Dealey Plaza: Notes, 10-3-77. Courtesy of Gaeton Fonzi.
p. 90: Lopez complained to Blakey: Eddie Lopez. 2-28-93. Tatel (s2) 020 RE : DE TORRES. NARA.
p. 90: Request for Immunity Form: March 10, 1978. Submitted by wktriplett: Form suggests witness was apt to claim the Fifth amendment: “Within the scope of his anti-Castro Cuban activities and associations during the 1960’s, Mr. de Torres may consider himself potentially subject to testimony which might tend to incriminate him. We are in possession of investigative information which indicates that Mr. de Torres may have been in Dealey Plaza at the time of the assassination, and, further, that he may have been involved in an assassination conspiracy.” NARA. Note the “an,” a second line of CIA defense, one used in the Shaw case as well: Jim Garrison was asked to prove that it was THE conspiracy, rather than one of many, in which the defendant was involved.
p. 90: “dapper and casual confidence”: E-mail from Gaeton Fonzi. February 15, 2002. De Torres testimony on May 2, 1978. 118 pages. NARA.
p. 90: “I don’t know how I was chosen by him”: De Torres testimony, p. 76.
p. 90: De Torres lies about having worked for CIA: See, for example, de Torres call to CIA on March 3, 1967, about the Kennedy assassination: FBI document. To: Mr. D. J. Brennan Jr. From: S. J. Papich. Subject: BERNARDO GONZALEZ DE TORRES ALVAREZ. INTERNAL SECURITY— CUBA. 105-124552-5. FBI 124-9012-10049. 105-124552-5. NARA.
p. 91: “a known Cuban association with Oswald”: Fonzi to Tanenbaum, May 10, 1977, “Need for Augmented Miami Office.” Courtesy of Gaeton Fonzi.
p. 91: for descriptions of Gerstein, see Hank Messick, Syndicate in the Sun (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1968), p. 62. Also: Interviews with Martin F. Dardis, February 6, 2001; May 4, 2001.
p. 91: “he’s a fellow district attorney”: Interview with Seymour Gelber, November 17, 1999.
p. 91: “short, stocky Cuban”: Diary of Richard N. Billings. Notes 888. AARC.
p. 91: “the other murderer”: Dialogue between Jim Garrison and Alberto Fowler; Interview with Cubans by Mr. Jim Garrison, Mr. Fowler et al., December 26, 1966. Harry Connick collection of the papers of Jim Garrison.
p. 91: how CIA-sponsored Cubans received their checks: Interview with Martin F. Dardis, May 4, 2001. See also: Interview by Martin F. Dardis of Eduardo Fernández. Metropolitan Dade County Justice Building. Office of the State Attorney. May 9, 1967. NARA.
p. 91: checks from Eastern Airlines: CIA/JMWAVE proprietaries in Miami included: boat shops, shipping lines, real estate firms, travel agencies, gun shops, detective agencies and department stores: Gibraltar Steamship Corporation; Double-Chek Corporation; Radio Americas; Intermountain Air Service; Southern Air Transport; American Doctor (AMDOC); VITA; Paragon Air Service; Ayerventures; Caribbean Air Services; Caribbean Marine Services (CARAMAR); Mineral Carriers, Inc. Warehouse; Burdine’s Department Store, and many more. Some of the names emerged in United States of America v. Benjamin Franklin Thomas, Gerald Patrick Hemming, Joseph Thomas LNU and Jacob Cochran. Motion for production of favorable evidence in the United States District Court In and For the Southern District of Florida, Miami Division. ARRC. See also: Taylor Branch and George Crille, III, “The Kennedy Vendetta,” Harper’s magazine. August 1975, p. 51.
p. 91: the local FBI: Inspector General’s Survey of the Cuban Operation and Associated Documents.” National Security Archive. The George Washington University. The Gelman Library. p. 69.
p. 92: Manuel García Gonzáles: The FBI found him first. A Manuel García Gonzalez, born in Havana on March 27, 1938, had been picked up in the Gulf of Mexico as a refugee on February 5, 1964. His Bureau number was 105- 2171. This was, however, a very common Cuban name: FBI. To: SACs, New Orleans, Miami. From: Director. February 27, 1967. 124-10241-10144. 89-69- 1519. NARA.
p. 92: Dardis holds up a sign: Interview with Martin F. Dardis, January 13, 2001; February 10, 2001. See also: Memorandum. January 24, 1967. From: Detectives Lester Otillio and Douglas Ward. Subject: Activities while on investigation in Miami area. NODA. NARA. The reference to the “Red Book of the Greater Miami area” is belied by the fact that it was Dardis who did the investigating.
p. 92: the wrong man: Interview with Martin F. Dardis, November 28, 1999.
p. 92: Dardis contacts police intelligence: Miami Police Memo. To: Lieut. H. Swilley, Intelligence Unit. From. E. W. McCracken, Intelligence Unit. January 23, 1967. Subject: Assistance to Outside Agency. Available at www.cuban-exile.com, Gordon Winslow’s Web site. See also: City of Miami, Florida. Inter-Office Memorandum. February 20, 1967. To: Lieut. H. Swilley, Intelligence Unit. From: Sgt. Everett Kay, Intelligence Unit. Subject: Suspect in Presidential Assassination. www.cuban-exile.com.
p. 92: Alberto introduces Alcock to Laureano Batista: Memorandum. February 5, 1967. To: Jim Garrison. From: Jim Alcock. Re: Laureano Batista. NODA. NARA. See also Alberto Fowler’s interview with Batista. Memorandum. February 3, 1967. NODA. NARA. See also Fowler statement dated January 28th.
p. 92: “from an office building with a high powered rifle”: Memorandum For Reference. 8-385/7 No. 11. February 6, 1970. THE MIAMI POLICE TAPE. Richard E. Sprague Collection: Georgetown University. Box 6, folder 37. See also FBI interview with Milteer, December 1, 1963. File # Atlanta 105- 3193. NARA. See also Commission document 1347, pages withheld 121. See also : Dan Christensen, “JFK, King: The Dade County Links,” Miami magazine. September 1976.
p. 92: Bernardo de Torres counters the denials of the Secret Service that they were warned following Milteer’s having been taped: Bernardo de Torres quoted in “JFK Death Probe Sees Conspiracy” by Carlos Martinez. Miami Herald. February 19, 1967, p. 1, 2A. FBI denial that they talked to de Torres: FBI. February 23, 1967. Subject: Bernardo Alvarez; Bernardo Torres. 124-90012-10051. H. 105- 124552.-NR. NARA.
p. 92: the Secret Service denied they had been warned following Somersett’s tape of Joseph Milteer: Interview with Seymour Gelber, November 1999; Seymour Gelber diary (courtesy of Judge Gelber).
p. 92: he’s simpático: Interview with Alberto Antonio Fowler.
p. 92: Patricia Chandler asks Fowler for photographs: Memo from David Chandler. “Jesse Core and Alberto Fowler.” Papers of Richard N. Billings. Box 4, folder 59. Georgetown University, Washington, DC.
p. 93: a brick crashes through the window at the Fowler home: Interviews with Alberto Antonio Fowler and Alexandra Fowler.
CHAPTER 7
p. 94, Epigraph: “a tiger by the tail”: Teletype of George Lardner’s article for the Washington Post. February 22, 1967. Available in the papers of Richard N. Billings. To: Lang. For: Orshevksy. From: Angeloff, Washington. Rush Copy For LIFE Wednesday closing, Georgetown University, Washington, DC.
p. 94: Santana is interviewed at Tulane and Broad: See polygraph, conducted by William Gurvich and Roy L. Jacob. February 15, 1967. See also: Memorandum. February 13, 1967. To: Louis Ivon. From: Sgt. Fenner Sedgebeer. Re: Emilio Santana; Memorandum. February 15, 1967. To: Jim Garrison. From: James L. Alcock. Re: Interview of Emilio Santana, February 14, 1967. NODA. NARA. Santana is also described in the CIA Segregated File: 000066 Emilio Santana. Paragraph 7 C of reference memorandum. Santana had been recruited by JMWAVE in December of 1960 as a guide for an infiltration team. CIA terminated his involvement because of “untruthful reporting
concerning aspects of Team operations.”
p. 94: Santana is an associate of Sergio Arcacha Smith: This information emerged only in 1978 during Rabel’s deposition before HSCA: Summary of Deposition. To: G. Robert Blakey. From: Jonathan Blackmer. June 13, 1978. Re: Summary of Luis Rabel Deposition taken May 11, 1978 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
p. 94: Arcacha’s presence in New Orleans during the summer of 1963 is confirmed by Thomas Edward Beckham. Interview with Thomas Edward Beckham.
p. 94: Alberto Fowler aids in the polygraph of Santana: Carlos Bringuier interview with Aaron M. Kohn. June 1, 1967. MCC.
p. 94: Jean Vales-Juan Valdes: see diary of Richard N. Billings, pp. 82-83. AARC.
p. 94: “revolutionary actions with regard to Cuba”: Memorandum. To: Jim Garrison. From: Douglas Ward. Re: CHECK ON ALL VISITORS TO MIGUEL TORRES IN PARISH PRISON FROM JANUARY 31, 1967, TO THIS DATE. NODA. Memorandum: January 11, 1967. To: Jim Garrison. From: Andrew J. Sciambra. Re: SMITH INVESTIGATION. NODA. NARA. See also: Memorandum. February 17, 1967. To: Jim Garrison. From: Lynn Loisel. Re: QUESTIONS ASKED OF EMILIO SANTANA IN REGARD TO DECEPTIONS FOUND IN POLYGRAPH TEST. NODA. NARA.
p. 95: Miguel Torres also revealed a “deception” reaction on the question of whether he knew Clay Shaw. See also the Walter Sheridan interviews, #18. (MCC). Miguel Torres. Torres here admits to this deceptive reaction in his interview with NBC for Sheridan’s “White Paper.”
p. 95: “I’m engaged in a conference right now”: Conversation with Samuel Exnicios, January 8, 2002.
p. 95: “a citizen that believes in your case:” Anonymous letter available in NODA. NARA.
p. 95: Orestes Peña knows Santana as “Cabellero”: Interview Summary. Select Committee on Assassinations. January 20, 1978, by Martin J. Daly and William Brown. HSCA 014118. Record number: 180- 10097-10491. NARA.
p. 95: it wasn’t a lie: US Government Memorandum. No. 133067. To: Director, Domestic Contact Service. From: Chief, New Orleans Office. Subject: District Attorney Garrison’s Investigation into Alleged Conspiracy to Assassinate President Kennedy. NARA.