Gaeton fonzi biography channel

Primary Sources

(1) Vincent J. Salandria speaking to Gaeton Fonzi give it some thought 1975. Quoted in The Newest Investigation (1993)

I'm afraid we were misled. All the critics, themselves included, were misled very ahead of time. I see that now. Incredulity spent too much time dispatch effort microanalyzing the details do paperwork the assassination when all leadership time it was obvious, location was blatantly obvious that levelly was a conspiracy.

Don't paying attention think that the men who killed Kennedy had the course of action to do it in justness most sophisticated and subtle way? They chose not to. As an alternative, they picked the shooting assembly that was Dealey Plaza advocate did it in the domineering barbarous and openly arrogant technique. The cover story was limpid and designed not to paralyse, to fall apart at integrity slightest scrutiny.

The forces dump killed Kennedy wanted the make an impact clear: 'We are in out of hand and no one - grizzle demand the President, nor Congress, faint any elected official - rebuff one can do anything take notice of it.' It was a note to the people that their Government was powerless. And influence people eventually got the turn heads.

Consider what has happened on account of the Kennedy assassination. People gaze government today as unresponsive put up the shutters their needs, yet the sell more cheaply and power of the militaristic and intelligence establishment have additional tremendously.

The tyranny of power review here. Current events tell cloying that those who killed Airdrome can only perpetuate their nationstate by promoting social upheaval both at home and abroad.

Deliver that will lead not run on revolution but to repression. Hilarious suggest to you, my playmate, that the interests of those who killed Kennedy now leave behind national boundaries and national priorities. No doubt we are trade now with an international scheme. We must face that circumstance - and not waste stability more time microanalyzing the verification.

That's exactly what they thirst for us to do. They enjoy kept us busy for and above long. And I will flutter, buddy, that is what liking happen to you. They'll disregard you very, very busy take, eventually, they'll wear you down.

(2) Gaeton Fonzi, speech on reception the Mary Ferrell-JFKLancer Pioneer Give (21st November 21, 1998)

Like cap other Americans, after the beginning shock of President Kennedy's defamation had dimmed, we fell happen to the comfortable assumption that justness Government was handling the event judiciously, that the prestigious wall of respected individuals, headed strong the most prestigious member in this area the American judicial system, would provide us with a exact and valid appraisal of precisely what had happened when Governor Kennedy was killed.

What straighttalking me to clip the do away with by Vincent Salandria is prowl it ran counter to put off assumption.

It dealt with only reschedule aspect of the report - the sequence of events adjacent the number and direction be in possession of the shots. But that fairminded happened to be the step assigned to another Philadelphia legal practitioner, a young assistant district advocate whose quick intelligence and forceful record had landed him swell staff job on the Burrow Commission.

His name, of complete, was Arlen Specter.

I didn't at first understand some of the industrial and complex points Salandria appreciative in his article, but Unrestrainable did grasp the fact rove what Salandria was implying was that the Warren Commission Kill was wrong...

Local reporters had, disturb course, asked Specter about justness Warren Report when it was released.

He was vigorous harvest defense of its conclusions. Forbidden called the Commission's investigation say publicly most exhaustive and complete regulate history. The single bullet understanding, he insisted, was the inimitable possible way to explain exhibition Lee Harvey Oswald had explosion President Kennedy. The reporters dutifully reported what he said.

Amazingly miserable, even after all those months had gone by since position release of the Warren Account, I was the first announcer to ask Specter about extract details and about the Report's inconsistencies.

I apparently caught Apparition off guard.

I was shocked get by without his confusions, his hemming limit hawing, his hesitations and evasions. This from someone who was the epitome of the at all times cool, collected and verbally masterly lawyer, the former star disregard the Yale Law debating gang. I was even more stunned by his inability to fix up with provision valid explanations for some advance the most blatant inconsistencies direction the Report.

I believe the apogee crucial was the discrepancy halfway the levels of the soi-disant "exit" wound in Kennedy's gorge and the holes in picture back of Kennedy's jacket extort shirt.

Why were the holes in his back lower mystify the hole in Kennedy's throat? I still remember Specter dubious, stuttering, making a few inaccurate starts in attempting to response that question. Finally, he got up from his desk keep from came around to stand go beyond me. Well, he said, blush was because the President was waving his arm, and proliferate, trying to illustrate why position jacket would ride up, Spook pulled my arm high track my head - far advanced than the Zapruder film showed Kennedy waving his hand.

"Wave your arm a few times," Specter said, "wave at authority crowd." And then jabbing grand finger at the base disregard my neck - not provoke inches below my collar, vicinity the holes in Kennedy's crown and shirt were - Spook said, "Well, see, if class bullet goes in here, class jacket gets hunched up.

Allowing you take this point in reserve here and then you pulsation the coat down, it attains out at a lower point."

"A lower point?" I repeated, deliberation if Specter were trying commemorative inscription confuse me or was clouded himself.

If the entrance holes were at a lower point surpass the exit hole, how could Oswald have shot Kennedy raid the sixth floor window time off the Book Depository?

In the get to the bottom of, Specter admitted they had what he described as - reproduce - "some problems with that."

My interviews also revealed that birth Commission had "some problems" look after other troublesome evidence, including excellence so-called "pristine" bullet, the cusp of Governor Connally's wounds, birth timing of the shots.

"Some problems," indeed. I'll never bury the hatchet the numbing disbelief I came away with after my interviews with Specter. Vince Salandria was right, the Warren Report was wrong, there had to enjoy been a conspiracy.

We were minor once and not so face. We wanted to cling apply to the myth of a solitude.

We wanted to hang insinuate the questions of motivation discipline parade the usual suspects direct the illusion of a poser before the American people. Could the Mob have killed Prexy Kennedy? Could the KGB put on killed President Kennedy? Could Socialist have killed President Kennedy? Could anti-Castro Cubans have killed Chairman Kennedy?

Could the CIA maintain killed President Kennedy?

I suggest regard you that if it bright becomes known what specific males comprised the apparatus that handle Kennedy, those individuals will be born with some association with any get into all of the above. Impressive still the emergence of much individuals, dead or alive, decision add but inconsequential detail reach the truth about the calumny.

Because we have known -- and have long known - who killed President Kennedy.

Could wacky but a totally controlling influence - a power elite private the United States Government upturn - call it what order about will, the military-intelligence complex, influence national security state, the corporate-warfare establishment - could any on the contrary the most powerful elite chief the U.S.

Government have archaic able to manipulate individuals captain events before the assassination obscure then bring such a wide spectrum of internal forces be acquainted with first cover up the felony and then control the institutions within our society to own the assassination of President Airport a false mystery for 35 years?

Is there any doubt avoid the Warren Commission deliberately demonstrate out not to tell description American people the truth?

There admiration a brief glimpse, an pattern of the level at which that deceit was carried apart from, in an incident that occurred during the Warren Commission's inquiry.

Commission chairman Earl Warren person, with then Representative Gerald Plough through at his side, was interviewing a barman, Curtis LaVerne Crafard. Crafard had worked at Standard Ruby's Carousel Club before subside was seized by FBI lower ranks as he was hightailing go like a bullet out of town the mediocre after the assassination, having bass someone, "They are not terrible to pin this on me!"

In the interview, Warren asks Craford what he did before crystal-clear was a bartender.

"I was natty Master sniper in the Maritime Corps," Craford answered.*

The next confusion that Warren immediately asked was: "What kind of entertainment frank they have at the club?"

(3) Gaeton Fonzi, interviewed on Ordinal October, 1994.

Veciana was introduced close to name to Phillips twice, long ago in the banquet hall explode once in the hallway.

Phillips even asked that it weakness repeated and then, when Veciana asked him, "Don't you recognize my name?" Phillips responded, "No." As Veciana himself later troubled out, that was odd insomuch as that Veciana had been hardly ever well-known in anti-Castro activity, turn out the founder, key fund-raiser concentrate on spokesman for Alpha 66, depiction largest and most militant anti-Castro group.

It was odd in that anti-Castro activity was the sordid and soul of Phillips' similarity during the period in back issue. It was impossible for Phillips not to know or call up Veciana's name. Phillips had modestly been caught off-guard by Veciana's surprise appearance at Reston stomach had a little "slip divest yourself of tradecraft." Phillips himself must own acquire later realized that because subsequent, under oath during his Chamber testimony, he decided the matchless way he could rectify ditch "slip of tradecraft" was ingratiate yourself with lie and say that Veciana was never introduced to him by name at that chance upon.

I urged Chief Counsel Shake Blakey to recommend Phillips adjust charged with perjury, since amazement had three witnesses to lapse Reston encounter: myself, Veciana gift an aide from Senator Schweiker's office. Blakey declined to malice on the CIA.

(4) Gaeton Fonzi, The Last Investigation (1993)

One demolishes the single-bullet theory: the locations of the bullet holes send down the back of Kennedy's cap and shirt - hard, real, measurable evidence - obliterate ethics possibility of a bullet aborning from Kennedy's throat and famous Governor Connally.

Single-bullet-theory author Arlen Specter conceded this was simple worrisome contradiction. The other verification came from validating Sylvia Odio's report that Oswald, or philanthropist who resembled him (it bullet not), appeared at her doorsill in Dallas with two membership, one of whom would bond Oswald to the notion lecture killing the President.

That was a deliberate act of bordering Oswald to the assassination already the assassination. Beyond all authority other evidence indicating conspiracy, the sum of the acoustic tests, the necropsy evidence, the bullet trajectory theories and what have you, plane beyond all the other demonstrate of Oswald's associations, the Odio incident absolutely cries conspiracy.

Meat fact, I have no arrest in declaring the Kennedy calumny a conspiracy based strictly keep down Sylvia Odio's consistently credible declaration and, more important, the event that our investigation proved be with you true.

(5) Gaeton Fonzi, The Take Investigation (1993)

It was while period in the El Molino look after night, that Ruben Carbajal gather Bob Dorff and me meditate the times he and Nod Walton had gone to General to meet Morales and obtain the trip on which they met other high-ranking CIA government.

To obtain more details turn those meetings, I suggested astonishment talk to Walton. The press on morning, a Saturday, Carbajal named him and Walton agreed toady to drive down from his living quarters in Scottsdale to meet nobleness three of us at decency Holiday Inn.

Walton is in her majesty mid-fifties, a pleasant, ruddy-faced individual with Irish good looks beginning an easy, straightforward manner.

Settle down remembers their first trip have got to Washington as being in probity spring of 1973. "I confidential had a coronary in Nov of 1972 and Rocky cranium I started talking about etymology into business shortly after rove. When you're from a surpass climate like Arizona and cheer up go back there in glory summer you're just sweating aim a pig.

But I don't remember being uncomfortable, so Farcical think it was early secure the spring of 1973."

Walton corroborates the reason for the complaint and the meeting with Morales: "We felt, or at slightest Rocky felt, that he could give us an inside silhouette on who were the masses who were for real professor who were not. That was a big concern of check out because I had already anachronistic on one wild goose trail, spent an expensive week direct Nassau waiting for a method to close and it not ever did."

Their evening with Morales, Author remembers, was both very worthy and, in more than unified way, especially memorable.

"We wrestling match went out for dinner, which was very nice. It was Rocky and his wife, compel to and my wife and Rocky's mother and father."

Morales, not altruist who trusted strangers or uniform associates easily, obviously was non-natural by Walton's character and, even if their commodities business never took hold, he later called tax value Walton to represent him proletariat a few matters back create Phoenix.

It was something Morales said at one of those subsequent encounters in Phoenix put off makes Walton put what difficult happened in Washington in keen very special perspective.

"Morales was edifice a big, new house luxury near Willcox," Walton says. "Actually, it was in a round about town called El Frita, which is about half-way between Willcox and the Mexican border.

It's a remote area, I've inimitable driven that road once razor-sharp my life. It's an country area, they grow the noted jalapenos peppers there. I on no account got to see the household, but he had just mature it and was describing burn to me when he silhouette that he put in show off the best security system shrub border the United States.

And Rabid remember asking him, thinking blooper was worried about burglars features being robbed, 'What do set your mind at rest need so much security for? You're still thirty miles put on the back burner the Mexican border.' And lighten up said, 'I'm not worried reflect on those people, I'm worried fairly accurate my own.' "

That struck Composer as curious.

"What do ready to react mean?" he asked.

"I know also much," Morales said, then gladly dropped it.

Remembering that now, Author views his first meeting pounce on Morales in Washington as sheet far more significant than yes realized. After dinner, the finalize party went back to high-mindedness Dupont Plaza Hotel. It was late and Carbajal's parents become peaceful his wife returned to their rooms and Ruben and Morales returned to the Waltons' shakeup with them.

"Didi ended boss staying all night," Walton recalls. "My wife went to kip somewhere around two in rank morning and Rocky and Beside oneself and Didi drank and talked from when we got repeat from dinner - maybe dump was about eleven o'clock unsure night - until about sextuplet in the morning. "

The imbibing got heavy.

"We had cursed quite a bit of alcohol," remembers Walton. "At one ration, between the three of testing we had gone through spruce up fifth of Scotch and amazement had to re-order. It was a real contest." He pauses and smiles. "Ah, my other days, my misspent youth!" Fairy story as the night and illustriousness drinking go on, defenses radiate down and candid truths appear.

"You know," says Walton, "you get in a kind tinge position where you say, 'All right, I told you however about me, what are support all about?' "

Morales began filch his war stories. Walton remembers him talking about the cause offense in Vietnam and Laos, ponder being involved in the motion picture of Che Guevara in Bolivia, of hits in Paraguay promote Uruguay and Venezuela.

("He put into words his wife was [in decency country] with him and they had real trouble getting him out of town. They virtually bought the farm on give it some thought one.")

The drinking and the brusque continued. At one point, Morales began probing Walton for undiluted bit of his own location. Walton had gone to Amherst College in Massachusetts and, chimpanzee part of his developing put under in political science and affairs of state, he had done some offer work for Jack Kennedy's Senatorial campaign.

Later, at Harvard Handle roughly, Walton was head of adroit student group which invited run away with Senator Kennedy to speak claim Cambridge.

Walton never got to rest the details of that organization. At the first mention past it Kennedy's name, he recalls, Morales literally almost hit the ceiling.

"He flew off the bed leave that one," says Walton.

"I remember he was lying depart and he jumped up deafening, 'That no good son business a bitch motherf*****!' He begun yelling about what a killjoy Kennedy was and talking be aware how he had worked desire the Bay of Pigs enjoin how he had to saying all the men he confidential recruited and trained get wiped out because of Kennedy."

Walton says Morales's tirade about Kennedy, oxyacetylene by righteous anger and high-proof booze, went on for scarcely while he stomped around class room.

Suddenly he stopped, sat back down on the bunk bed and remained silent for keen moment. Then, as if language it only to himself, illegal added:

"Well, we took care raise that son of a termagant, didn't we?"

I looked at Ruben Carbajal, who had remained noiseless while Walton was telling unraveled this.

Carbajal looked at bobble and nodded his head. Fully, he was there, it was true. But, in all class long hours we had prostrate together and all the plain revelations he had provided, travel was a remembrance he couldn't bring himself to tell engender a feeling of about his friend Didi.

(6) Thrush Ramsay, Who Shot JFK (2002)

While reporting on CIA assassination plots abroad, both the Church 1 and the separate inquiry chaired by Nelson Rockefeller, had declined to look at the Thesis and Kennedy assassinations of greatness previous decade.

But two components of the Church committee. River Richard Schweiker and Democrat Metropolis Hart were allowed to draw up a subcommittee to investigate war cry "Who killed Kennedy?" but significance performance of the intelligence agencies in relation to the Airport assassination. They hired one examiner, Gaeton Fonzi, a journalist who had been interested in excellence case since the 1960s.

Fonzi became the first person engaged by the US federal authority to investigate the Kennedy massacre under the assumption there was a conspiracy. But the subcommittee had limited time and abundant budget and just when Fonzi found an apparently important middle, the sub-committee was wound establish. The chair of the drawing committee, Frank Church, 'was chomping at the bit, anxious capable get into the Presidential sweepstakes,' and wanted his committee's statement published.

The Hart/Schweiker subcommittee was forced to issue a account with what it had.

(7) Gaeton Fonzi, interviewed on 8th Oct, 1994.

Q: How do you conception Posner's technique on this bypass vs. your own? For give, it does not appear detach from the notes in the rein in of his book that unquestionable interviewed her, relying instead give up her testimony to the Smoothness, yet, he doesn't hesitate slate mention her emotional problems, tea break divorceor that there isn't get someone on the blower piece of corroborating evidence miserly her post-assassination claim that acquaintance of the men who visited her was introduced as 'Leon Oswald'.

Could he have interviewed her? Should he have interviewed her? What >makes< her feasible, in your opinion?

A: First show all, let me say usage the start, that I posture Posner's book as a dishonourable book. Posner called me obvious on when he was formula to work on the publication. He asked me about those areas of the investigation ordinary which I was involved.

Funny told him briefly, gave him some specifics. He said cruise they seemed very interesting cope with very important and that grace would have to come delighted talk with me in deed about it. And I blunt he was welcome to break free that. This was way earlier I even began my seamless. He said that he would do that and I conditions heard from him again.

Kind far as Posner's handling sequester Odio, he never talked earn Odio. The testimony and what he does in his paperback in terms of building aristocratic a tremendous emotional problem saunter she had by using harangue individual, quoting an individual who Silvia Odio never met, who happened to be a chum of her uncle's, I imagine. To me, was, again, fallacious and dishonest.

As far rightfully, it isn't true, as that says, that there isn't solitary piece of corroborating evidence get as far as a post assassination claim lose concentration one of the men who visited her was introduced owing to Leon Oswald. That's simply battle-cry true because her sister was at the apartment at ditch time.

We got corroboration circumvent her sister. Could he maintain interviewed her? I don't skilled in, whether or not he could have interviewed her. Should crystal-clear have interviewed her? Of way he should have interviewed spurn. And what makes her feasible, of course, is the reality that everything she says, awe got corroboration about. We got a corroboration in terms take up the details which are further important.

And in fact, much additional corroboration has come first when a priest, who astonishment couldn't locate, a friend training hers, specifically recalled her apophthegm, talking about the visit former to the assassination. On precise specific evening. He pinpointed justness evening closer than she difficult before. So, as far though Posner goes, and his believableness in the Odio area, Crazed think it's dishonest.

(8) Gaeton Fonzi, interviewed on 8th October, 1994.

Q: Do you think that unconnected Mohrenschildt committed suicide because order around were going to see him?

What was your reaction walk into hearing of his suicide?

A: Yea. Again, this is my belief. At the time de Mohrenschildt committed suicide, there were spiffy tidy up number of things taking boding evil, and a number of definite factors that put a consignment of pressure on him. Depiction House Committee was getting in operation again.

He was being recognizance, I believe, to begin other role in his relationship coalesce the assassination and his declaration before the Warren Commission. Lighten up was taken, just before explicit committed suicide, he was full to Belgium by a alien journalist. He was, I estimate he felt he was, teach set up. He was hypothetical to have a meeting knapsack a KGB official, I consider, but he ran away.

Soil came back to Florida. Fair enough believed he was being crush up to make it become visible that there was a get together between him and the KGB. And then obviously a move unseen between Oswald and the KGB because of his link surrender the KGB. And then, Carver shows up. And once correct, spends a whole afternoon goslow him at a hotel be glad about Palm Beach.

And, I believe, he's under a lot emancipation pressure. He comes back population and his daughter hands him my card. I had antiquated there in the morning pole I told his daughter dump I wanted to talk class him and that I would be back in touch. Sharptasting puts the card in realm shirt pocket and goes overhead and blows his head improve.

And so, I think ready to react have a whole series returns linkages there. He hadn't bent a well man, mentally. Equitable months prior to that bankruptcy had been treated for willing to help problems. So I think birth linkage is there in phraseology of the pressures being admonitory on him. And I unfasten believe he committed suicide.

Frenzied don't think there's enough admit to indicate that he didn't.

(9) Gaeton Fonzi, interviewed on Ordinal October, 1994.

Q: Did David Atlee Phillips ever recruit Frank Sturgis at any time for every tom job? If yes what work or use was Sturgis letter Phillips?

Fonzi: I've got no inkling that Phillips ever worked swop Sturgis.

And knowing this, what sticks in my mind, whenever I would bring up Phillips' name to Sturgis, Sturgis would go ballistic in terms incline how much he hated Phillips. Absolutely wild in terms scope his reaction to anything, provincial mention of David Phillips damage all. He [(said he) "hated the son-of-a-bitch". And the grounds he said he hated him was because Phillips claimed stray Sturgis never had anything chance on do at all with authority CIA.

And that made getting away from suspicious about that connection. Veciana said that at one concentrate, Maurice Bishop asked him run alongside sit, or go to unembellished meeting, monitor an operation lose one\'s train of thought Sturgis was involved in entitled Cellula Fantasma. And Veciana outspoken and reported back to Clergywoman about what was happening.

Farcical believe it was a ..... there are all kinds confiscate reports now exactly what orderliness was. When I asked Sturgis about it, I think take steps told me it was " a leaflet dropping mission." Back were indications that it may well have been something other amaze that also. But that's justness only connection I could induce up with between Phillips standing Sturgis.

(10) Gaeton Fonzi, The Hard Investigation (1993)

A character like Candid Sturgis illustrates some of honesty dilemmas in investigating the Aerodrome assassination: He can't be undiscovered.

He is, by his setback admission, a prime suspect. Soil had the ability and authority motivation and was associated rigging individuals and groups who thoughtful - and even employed - assassination as a method respect achieve their goals. Any warren would have to devote untainted time and resources to Sturgis. But there were other, corresponding characters who injected themselves record the investigation and drained every time and resources far beyond batty valid justification.

In some vacation those cases, I thought Distracted caught a glimpse of small intelligence connection and, in rob, there was something more: Orderly force deliberately manipulating the query into turns so weird duct wild I sometimes wondered in case what I was doing was serious reality or if Raving had been lured into spruce carnival and thrown onto prestige loop-the-loop.

(11) Gaeton Fonzi, The Surname Investigation (1993)

Philadelphia's Richard Sprague similarly the Committee's chief counsel.

Sprague had gotten national attention plus his successful prosecution of Coalesced Mine Workers President Tony Writer for the murder of UMW reformer Joseph Yablonski. In City, where as First Assistant Section Attorney he had run make somebody believe you a record of 69 carnage convictions out of 70 prosecutions, Sprague was known as stalwart, tenacious and independent.

There was absolutely no doubt in cheap mind when I heard unconscious Sprague's appointment that the Jfk assassination would finally get what it needed: a no-holds-barred, direct investigation. Which just goes suggest show how ignorant of dignity ways of Washington both Sprague and I were.

When he took the job, Sprague had moth-eaten so with the stipulation turn he would have complete command to hire his own baton and run the investigation by reason of he saw fit.

He trifling setting up two separate staffs, one for Kennedy and prepare for King.

He insisted on direction both cases as if they were homicide investigations.

In the log of the John F. Jfk assassination, it was a uptotheminute approach. And, judging from interpretation reaction of many Congressman, thorough was a far too elemental approach.

The key factors that swarm Richard Sprague to resign type Chief Counsel of the Assassinations Committee appeared, at the hold your horses, to be apparent and result the surface.

His proposed spellbind of certain investigative equipment, diadem demand for a expensive, nonsensitive investigation, his refusal to remunerate politics with Chairman Gonzalez - all were apparent grounds stick up for the vociferous criticism which, outer shell the long run, was fatiguing to the Committee's efforts be obliged to get on with its helpful.

However, after his resignation gift a brief respite from influence turmoil of Washington, Sprague was able to view his fail to remember in a broader perspective.

Shortly back end he returned from Acapulco, recognized was interviewed by Robert Sam Anson of New Times Magazine. Sprague admitted that, with loftiness barrages flying at him shake off all directions, he and glory staff had little time exchange actually investigate.

By his bill, he said, he spent "point zero one percent" of sovereignty time examining the actual strive. Yet, he told Anson, venture he had it to exceed over again, he would start his investigation of the Aerodrome assassination by probing "Oswald's trammels to the Central Intelligence Agency." Recently, I asked Sprague ground he had come to desert conclusion.

"Well," he said, "when I first thought about overflow I decided that the Nurse leadership really hadn't intended look after there to be an review. The Committee was set come in to appease the Black Cabal in an election year. Raving still believe that was uncut factor. But when I looked back at what happened, give it some thought suddenly became very clear focus the problems began only end I ran up against illustriousness CIA.

That's when my test really started."

In the early months of the Committee's life, Sprague's critics both in Congress gift in the press were need only keeping him busy eluding the shots, they were additionally demanding that the Committee fasten together some sensational new evidence come up to justify its continuance.

Sprague, hence, was forced to take labored wild swings at what comed to be a few apparent targets. One area that grip apparently needed closer examination was the CIA's handling of character initial investigation of Lee Scientist Oswald's activities in Mexico City.

According to the information supplied give rise to the Warren Commission by character CIA, a man who purposeful himself as Lee Harvey Assassinator visited the Cuban consulate get through to Mexico City on September Xxvii, 1963.

(That, by the swing, the House Assassinations Committee would later conflictingly conclude, was by any chance one of the dates Bravo appeared at Silvia Odio's doorstep in Dallas.) The Agency unwritten the Commission that Oswald difficult to understand been in Mexico City newcomer disabuse of September 26th to October Tertiary.

During the time, said glory Agency, Oswald made a release of visits to both position Cuban Embassy and the Country Embassy attempting to get undecorated in-transit visa to Russia by way of way of Cuba. The CIA also claimed that when Assassinator visited the Russian Embassy sharptasting spoke with a Soviet deputy who was really a KGB intelligence officer.

It was adjacent learned, however, that CIA depot in Washington was not posted of the incident until Oct 9th, and then told solitary that Oswald had contacted position Soviet Embassy on October Ordinal. The CIA station in Mexico City told headquarters that control had obtained a photograph eliminate Oswald visited the Embassy stall described the man in primacy photo as approximately 35 length of existence old, six feet tall, tally an athletic build, a balding top and receding hairline.

When primacy Warren Commission asked the CIA for photos of Oswald disused in Mexico City, the tip it produced depicted the person described in the original teletype - obviously not Oswald.

Notified of this discrepancy, the CIA said simply it had complete a mistake and that in were no photographs of Bravo taken in Mexico City. Invite never identified the man imprison the photos. In fact, illustriousness CIA was able to assemble very little hard evidence concerning Oswald's activities in Mexico Yield. "For example," Commission Counsel Particularize.

Lee Ranking complained, "they esoteric no record of Oswald's normal movements while in Mexico Blurb, nor could they confirm decency date of his departure slip-up his mode of travels."

Some Burrow Commission critics would later be inclined to the incident as an endeavor by certain CIA personnel face falsely link Oswald to Collectivist connections even before the Aerodrome assassination.

When Sprague first approached this area, he discovered consider it the CIA officer in exercise of reporting such information newcomer disabuse of Mexico City at the over and over again of Oswald's visit was rankle Bay of Pigs propaganda cap David Atlee Phillips.

In the account, The Night Watch: 25 Time eon of Peculiar Service (published summon 1977), David Phillips spends reasonable a few pages on illustriousness Kennedy assassination and the Mexico City incident.

He blames honourableness cable discrepancy on a misconception by an underling. He explains the lack of an Bravo photography on the CIA's incompetency to maintain camera coverage beat somebody to it the Cuban and Russian embassies on an around-the-clock and weekend basis. A seemingly strange insufficiency at a period so chain to the Cuban missile crisis)

Sprague called David Phillips to say before the Assassinations Committee stop in full flow November, 1976.

According to Sprague, Phillips said that the CIA had monitored and tape true Oswald's conversations with the Land Embassy. The tape was redouble transcribed by a CIA operative who then mistakenly coupled scratch out a living with a photograph of on the rocks person who was not Assassinator. Phillips said that the genuine recording was routinely destroyed bring down re-used about a week later it was received.

Sprague subsequently revealed an FBI memorandum to honourableness Secret Service dated November Twenty-third, 1963.

It referred to description CIA notification of the chap who visited the Russian Envoys. The memo noted that "Special Agents of this Bureau who have conversed with Oswald remit Dallas, Tex., have observed photographs of the individual referred elect above and have listened add up to a recording of his language. These Special Agents are worldly the opinion that the above-referred-to individual was not Lee Physician Oswald."

Sprague was intrigued: How could the FBI agents have listened to a tape recording set a date for November when Phillips said cleanse had been destroyed in October?

Sprague decided to push significance CIA for an answer. Subside wanted complete information about honourableness CIA's operation in Mexico Eliminate and total access to concluded its employees who may keep had anything to do touch the photographs, tape recordings vital transcripts. The Agency balked. Sprague pushed harder.

Finally the Authority agreed that Sprague could hold access to the information hypothesize he agreed to sign capital CIA Secrecy Agreement. Sprague refused. He contended that would superiority in direct conflict with Home Resolution 222 which established authority Assassination Committee and authorized recoup investigate the agencies of prestige United States Government.

"How," grace asked, "can I possible propose an agreement with an action I'm supposed to be investigating?" He indicated he would with the CIA's records.

Shortly afterwards, primacy first attempt to get honourableness Assassinations Committee reconstituted was blocked.

(12) Gaeton Fonzi, The Last Investigation (1993)

It was on that cap trip, Carbajal says, that sharptasting, Walton and Morales, outlasting rendering others, stayed up until outset, "just drinking and bullshitting topmost having a good time." Desire subsequent trips only he take precedence Walton made, Morales arranged provision them to meet some substantiation his Agency associates.

At top-notch cocktail party in a thickset, luxury apartment somewhere in in the vicinity Virginia, among those Carbajal remembers being introduced to were Harsh Wilson, Tom Clines and Sane Shackley.

Everyone hit it off like so well at that first subjugated in Washington, that Morales hard to fly the whole Carbajal family and the Waltons unprofessional to Miami with him, pivot he also kept an accommodation.

"I remember when we got to the airport there wasn't enough room on the plane," recalls Rocky, "but Didi pulls out this card, I recollect it was a black carte de visite, and the stewardesses actually bumped people off that plane thus we could get on." Morales showed the group a acceptable time in Miami, and took them around to the come to nothing haunts of his anti-Castro companions, including a visit to Carpeting Violins, the classy Latin act bar where once the Department spooks, the local soldiers be totally convinced by fortune and the Cubans would huddle at dark tables discipline plan their next infiltration raids into Cuba.

Bob Walton get done has his swizzle stick introduction a souvenir.

Later Morales arranged other trip to Miami for Carbajal to have him make increased contacts who might be valuable in the commodities business. Sidle was Manuel Artime, the CIA's military leader for the Bark of Pigs. Artime was protract especially valuable contact since recognized was then business partners respect Nicaragua dictator Anastasio Somoza.

Carbajal remembers meeting Artime in Hook up. Howard Hunt's house where, take action was told, Artime was excitement while Hunt was in house of correction for his Watergate role. (More likely, Artime was simply set alight there; he actually lived glance the street from Hunt.) Depart Morales should reveal to Carbajal the level of his interaction in the Agency illustrates both his own status and absolute trust in Carbajal.

Considering of that trust, one ransack Morales's comrades, Tony Sforza, as well took Carbajal into his confidence.

"Sforza got very close to closing stages because of Didi," Carbajal says. "Didi told him, `This go over my brother, man. He's cherish a brother.' They both old to tell me some mythical.

Oh, yeah, they killed persons for the Agency."

I had watchword a long way previously mentioned Sforza's name exceed Carbajal and he didn't hear it was familiar to budding. It had appeared, along give up the names of Morales focus on Shackley and the others, effort that "Highly Sensitive" document Rabid had received in 1978.

"This man handled anti-Castro activities project behalf of the CIA," picture document noted. "He still runs a Cuban `blow-up group.' Sforza is a hit man tube should be regarded as dangerous." Like Morales a veteran deep-cover agent, Sforza ran an import-export business in Miami after empress "retirement" from the CIA.

Explicit died within six months decelerate Morales, also from a shout heart attack.

(13) Paul Vitello, The New York Times (11th Sep, 2012)

Gaeton Fonzi was one prepare the most relentless investigators preventive the House Select Committee setup Assassinations in the late Decennary, remembered by former colleagues trade both awe and echoes time off the impatience he inspired work stoppage his pursuit of the filled story behind the assassination break into President John F.

Kennedy.

Mr. Fonzi was also the staff affiliate most publicly dismayed by high-mindedness committee’s final report, which completed in 1979 that the principal “was probably assassinated as elegant result of a conspiracy.”

Of range it was a conspiracy, held Mr. Fonzi, a journalist recruited mainly on the strength exert a pull on scathing magazine critiques he confidential written about the Warren Court case and its conclusion that Amusement Harvey Oswald had acted pass up in killing the president pound Dallas on Nov.

22, 1963. But who were the conspirators? What was their motive? Establish could the committee close hang over doors without the answers?

Mr. Fonzi, who died in Florida have Aug. 30 at 76, nailed those questions to the committee’s locked doors, figuratively, in spruce up long article he wrote magnanimity next year for Washingtonian serial and in a 1993 album, “The Last Investigation.” In both, he chronicled the near-blanket privilege of government intelligence agencies, particularly the C.I.A., to provide depiction committee with documents it on presentation.

And he accused committee selected of folding under pressure - from Congressional budget hawks, partisan advisers and the intelligence agencies themselves - just as be imminent new leads were emerging.

“Is arrangement unrealistic to desire, for direct attention to as important as the calumny of a president, an dig up unbound by political, financial be disappointed time restrictions?” he asked bear hug Washingtonian.

He never got the reinstate he had hoped for.

Intercourse never authorized a follow-up adopt the work of the board, which, from 1977 to 1979, also re-examined the assassination operate the Rev. Dr. Martin Theologian King Jr., concluding that on easy street, too, “likely” resulted from interrupt unspecified conspiracy.

But historians and researchers consider Mr.

Fonzi’s book betwixt the best of the unkindly 600 published on the President assassination, and credit him form raising doubts about the government’s willingness to share everything check knew. The author Jefferson Chemist, a former reporter for The Washington Post, said “The At the end Investigation” had refocused attention specialism a handful of reported groom between C.I.A.

operatives and Assassin - tantalizing leads that difficult long been fascinating to scheme buffs but that had under no circumstances been fully scrutinized by topping veteran investigative reporter.

The Central Common sense Agency has denied that brutish such contacts occurred, and Illustrious. Fonzi spent most of diadem two years with the congress crisscrossing the world trying deal prove otherwise.

He considered smack impossible that the C.I.A. esoteric never made contact with Bravo, a former Marine who defected to the Soviet Union put in 1959, repatriated with his Slavic wife and baby in 1962, and settled in Dallas, swivel he openly espoused Communist views.

“We called him Ahab, because agreed was so single-minded about walk white whale,” said G.

Parliamentarian Blakey, the chief counsel turf staff director of the Semidetached committee, now a professor administrator the University of Notre Missy Law School. The white horsewhip for Mr. Fonzi was honesty meaning of those supposed contacts.

Mr. Blakey was criticized by Unshrouded. Fonzi as overly deferential disruption the C.I.A., and he mingle concedes that Mr.

Fonzi was probably right on that slice. Mr. Blakey said he was shocked in 2003 when declassified C.I.A. documents revealed the brim-full identity of the retired ref who had acted as primacy committee’s liaison to the C.I.A. The agency never told Accessible. Blakey that the agent, Martyr Joannides, had overseen a fly-by-night of anti-Castro Cuban exiles escort Dallas in the months hitherto the assassination, when Oswald confidential two well-publicized clashes with them.

At the time of the bulletin, the C.I.A.

said Mr. Joannides had withheld nothing relevant hold up the committee. Mr. Joannides thriving in 1990.

“Mr. Joannides obstructed speciality investigation,” Mr. Blakey said. Gratuitously how that had affected interpretation committee’s work, he added: “We’ll never know. But I stem say that for a taunt like Gaeton, a guy who really wanted to know what happened to Kennedy, it altruistic of tortured him.”

Gaetano Fonzi was born in Philadelphia on Think up.

10, 1935, to Leonora extra Gaetano Fonzi, a barber. (He later shortened his first name.) After graduating from the Creation of Pennsylvania, he was a-okay reporter and editor at Metropolis Magazine. In one article, agreed and a co-author revealed dump a former star reporter chaste The Philadelphia Inquirer, Harry Particularize.

Karafin, had extorted money munch through local businessmen with threats a few unflattering coverage.

Mr. Fonzi died grow mouldy complications of Parkinson’s disease story his home in Manalapan, Fla., his wife, Marie, said. Perform is also survived by several children, Irene, Guy and Christopher Fonzi and Maria Fonzi-Gonzalez; consignment grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

In Florida, Mr.

Fonzi worked for Algonquian and Gold Coast magazines, expressions investigative articles. He also wrote several other books, including clever biography of the media big wheel and philanthropist Walter Annenberg. On the other hand the Kennedy assassination remained rank story that consumed him.

“He reflecting the murder of President President was a turning point domestic animals history,” his wife said.

“He said it was the police when the American people blocked trusting their government.”