</s>104-10095-10291 ACT RELEAS APPROVED FOR RELEASE 1993 1 9 NOV 1970 CIA HISTORICAL REVIEW PROGRAM MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence SUBJECT : ROSELL, Johnny 1. This memorandum is for information only. 2. In August 1960, Mr. Richard M. Bissell approached Colonel Sheffield Edwards to determine if the Office of Security had assets that may assist to determine it the Office Of Security gangster-type action. The mission target was Fidel Castro. 3. Because of its extreme sensitivity, only a small group was made to the project. The DCI was briefed and gave his approval. Colonel J. C. King, Chief, WH Division, was briefed, but approval. Colonel C. J. King. Chief, WHO Division, Was briefed, JMWAVE details were deliberately concealed from any of the patented in the initial planning stages, but were not writing of the purpose of the mission. 4. Robert A. Maheu was contacted, briefed generally on the project, and requested to ascertain if he could develop an entree into the gangster elements as the first step toward accom- pishing into the desired goal. 5. Mr. Mahee advised that he had met one Johnny Roselli on several occasions while visiting Las Vegas. He only knew him casually through clients, but given to understand that he was a high-ranking member of the "syndicate" and controlled all of the ice-making machines on the Strip. Mahei reasoned that, if Roselli was in fact a member of a clan, he undoubtedly had connections leading into the Cuban gambling intereste.

Summary  
This memorandum details a CIA covert operation in 1960 involving Johnny Roselli, an organized crime figure with ties to Cuban gambling interests. The project aimed to remove Fidel Castro through non-lethal means, including a plan to use poisoned pills. Richard M. Bissell initiated the operation by contacting Colonel Sheffield Edwards to assess the Office of Security's assets for targeting Castro. Robert A. Maheu was enlisted to approach Roselli, who had connections to Cuban gambling interests. Roselli was introduced to Sam Gold, a contact with ties to the "Cuban crowd," and later, Joe, identified as Santos Trafficant, a known mob boss. The operation involved procuring lethal pills from Dr. Anthony Verona, a Cuban Exile Junta official, but it was abandoned after the Bay of Pigs incident in 1961. A separate wiretap investigation involving Maheu and his girlfriend Phyllis McGuire led to an FBI arrest, which was dropped after Robert F. Kennedy, as Attorney General, intervened. Roselli faced legal issues, including convictions for illegal entry into the U.S. in 1967 and a 1968 conspiracy conviction related to fraud against the Friars Club.  

Key People  
- **Johnny Roselli**: Organized crime figure with ties to Cuban gambling interests; involved in CIA operations targeting Castro.  
- **Robert A. Maheu**: CIA operative who facilitated contact between Roselli and mob figures like Sam Gold and Joe (Santos Trafficant).  
- **Sam Gold**: Contact with ties to the "Cuban crowd"; linked to Santos Trafficant.  
- **Dr. Anthony Verona**: Cuban Exile Junta official involved in planning the Castro assassination plot.  
- **Robert F. Kennedy**: Attorney General who intervened to drop prosecution of Maheu after a wiretap incident.  

Key Locations  
- **Las Vegas, Nevada**: Site of initial contact between Maheu and Roselli.  
- **New York City**: Location of the 14 September 1960 meeting between Roselli and Sam Gold.  
- **Miami Beach, Florida**: Where Maheu met Sam Gold at the Fontainebleau Hotel.  
- **Friars Club**: Venue for the 1968 conspiracy conviction involving Roselli.  

Key Events  
- **August 1960**: Initiation of CIA operation to target Castro via Johnny Roselli and mob contacts.  
- **September 1960**: Meeting between Roselli, Sam Gold, and Joe (Santos Trafficant) to discuss the Castro plot.  
- **May 1962**: William Harvey assumed Case Officer role; unclear if Roselli continued operational involvement.  
- **February 1962**: Robert F. Kennedy, as Attorney General, dropped prosecution of Maheu after a wiretap incident involving Phyllis McGuire and Dan Rowan.  
- **November 1967**: Johnny Roselli convicted for illegal entry into the U.S.  
- **December 1968**: Roselli convicted of conspiracy to defraud the Friars Club in a rigged game.  

Key Organizations  
- **CIA (Central Intelligence Agency)**: Conducted covert operations targeting Castro and managed the project involving Roselli, Maheu, and Verona.  
- **Office of Security**: CIA division involved in the initial planning stages of the operation.  
- **FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)**: Investigated Maheu's wiretap activities leading to his arrest.  
- **Cuban Exile Junta**: Organization linked to Dr. Anthony Verona, who was considered for handling the Castro assassination plot.

RFK Declassified Files

00365285_memo_from_dci_re_roselli_104-10104-10405.pdf

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