ROSSELLI CALLED A VICTIM OF MAFIA BECAUSE OF HIS SENATE TESTIMONY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01315R000300510022-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 20, 2004
• Sequence Number: 22
• Publication Date: February 25, 1977
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2D05/9.1.I11 CI4-RDP88-01315R00 0~2
r ~ 0-
U 'FED 1077 1
=
NEW YORK TIMES "" n n o o, d I
. ossellj Called a Victim of Mafia
Because of His & note Testimony
Mr. Rosselli, however,,was not so con
scientious about clearing his Senate testi-
mony -ith1uh-rnnMafia king associates,
figure, and:,
By NICHOLAS GAGE =- = -_ "When you're called before a committee
you have to go to your people
` like that,
Shortly after John Rosselli testified be- I Mafia connections. The Cuban agents and ask them what to do," the Mafia
r h b volved according to figure said "Rosselli not only did not
in
fore a Senate committee that he had par-
ticipated in Central Intelligence Agency
plots to kill Fidel Castro, a Washington
friend asked him if he wasn't afraid for
his life. The 70-year-old Mafia figure
ap- peared unconcerned: ~"Who'd want to kill
m
n ol
d
L._
_-- - - . ._ J have snot nun down in the bLL-
Last Aug. 7, when Miami police fished him up in his car to make a pant, not of that investigation, and Mr. Rosselliwas
a 55-gallon oil drum from Dumfoundling stuffed him in a barrel and thrown him' suspected--correctly, as it turned out-of
Bay and found Mr. Rosselli's body inside, in the bay," said Detective Julio Ojeda, having secretly provided information to
there was no shortage of suspects, rang- a member of the Miami homicide team the prosecution.
ing from the C.I.A. to Cuban agents or investigating the Rosselli murder, who is The Mafia figure said tt hortly after the
himself of Cuban origin. Mr. Rosselli s first appearance the Mafia itself. The Cuban retaliation theory is- also Senate committee on June 24, 1975, his
However, two men known to have had discounted by authorities because Robert ' murder was approved by the commission.
personal knowledge. of the circumstances Maheu, the most important figure in the, of bosses that sets policy for the 26 Mafia `
and
had
i
i
f
s
of families
ater
on
ss
o
the comm
l member
-af the murder have provided solid in- aide to the late Howard
sch
l
formation that Mr. Rosselli was killed by not been touc. "I think Castro is so- wanted Mr. Rand osselli when killed the since rest the Fron- learned
result mambers of the underworld as a direct enough to know the historical tier Hotel case,
phisticatind which those things [the plots that he. testified before the Senate com-
result !
of his testimony before the Senate. context
tom trio. on his life] were done," and forget about._ mittee, "they decided he would just go
The two men have provided details about them, he laid in an interview: a on talking every time he was pressured,
Nevertheless, some of Mr. Rosselli's and he had to be hit," the Mafia fie
Mr. Rosselli's death that are strongly sup- friends still believe Cuban agents were said.
ported by physical evidence uncovered involved, They base their suspicions to Confirmation by Mafia Source
r extensive igaed the The New some degree on the fact that Mr. Rosselli, This explanation was confirmed in its
York Times, which h involved the e:amina-i before his death, told them he had infor- essential points by Frank Bompensiera, the
Lion of numerous documents, including 1 oration that Castro agents were involved Mafia. boss of San Diego, before he was home on Feb.
fir. Rosselli's testimony about thei Ken- ! in the assassination of PresidenthKe Aedyl shot toardeath outside ently because the Mafia found
n
0
, app
I
assassination, and scores of inter Three months before his deat , on p
nation to
nedy ' out he had been giving inform
23,1976, Mr. Rosselli was questioned about
views. the Kennedy assassination by represent- the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
ortant Mafia figure who
A Picture of Rise. and FaII atives of the Senate -intelligence commit- The other imp
The investigation provided as well - a tee, including Senator Richard rd S. Schwei- i .talked about the Rosselli murder is not
picture of bir.l~osseili's rise and fall with ker, the Pennsylvania Republican, in at an F.B.I. informant but has in-
secret session in a suite of. the Carroll !I formation to The Times on a pledge that
ould be protected.
i
ty w
in the Mafia and a rare insight into the Arms Hotel. his ident
operation of organized crime. ` The transcript of Mr. Rosselli's testimo=- He said that the reasons for the elimi-
Early speculation- that the C.I.A. :or ny has been classified "top secret" but nation of Mr. Rosselli were not related examined
T
. to Cuban agents might have, been involved a MryRoof it s elli'testified th t b he h di told derthalthoue thersa e Maf a mur-
-
in the Rosselli murder centered on the 'some people he believed that Fidel Castro Chicago family, was responsible, , ?
fact that another participant in the Castro was beh nd the Kennedy assassination. Mr. Giancana :was killed because he
assassination plots, Sam Giancana, a for-, When asked by Michael Epstein; a member tried to reassert. his authority in' Chicago"
mer Mafla boss of Chicago, had been mur of the committee's staff, if he had "any after a 10-year' absence. "Sam thought ing ha
dered in his home a year' earlier. Mr. i ' facts" to back up his. supposition, he ? nothi Id ha he Mafia figure said. The task
Giancana was killed 'shortly before he! replied: "No facts..
was to be summoned before the aerate The possibility that the C.LA:"rsiay' have of killing Mr. Rosselli proved difficult be-
i had Mr. Rosselli killed to keep him from. cause he was err wereupersistent V "They
r
h
is pu
Committee on Intelligence. disclosing damaging facts about the agen-': less,
Mr. Roselli himself testified for the cry is discounted by those who know him -. would c for couple
him alone for a few
Joseph
losest friend
m
t h h'
hi
committee three times, the last a secre
appearance - three.: months before his
death, when he was questioned about the
assassination of President Kennedy. ...
The C.I.A. may Nava been involved, ac-
cording to one theory, because it feared
further damaging revelations about its
, b
may eve een
another theory, because they sought to come to us, he went before the committee
retaliate for the plots to kill Mr. Castro. and shot his mouth off all over the place.'
But the manner of Mr. Rosselli's murder He said Mafia leaders had been angry
differed sharply from that of any Cuban with Mr. Rosselli since 1971 when he ap-
who has been killed in Miami, by either peared before a Federal grand jury in
supporters or enemies of Fidel Castro. "If Los Angeles investigating underworld in-
Frontier Hotel. Three
th
e
,
s c
best, including
-who was his partner in -the gift
Breen
,
shop at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas,.
which provided Mr. Rosselli's only source;
of income-560,000 a year-at the time
of his death. -
Mr. Breen 'said the C.I.A. would not
have killed Mr. Rosselli over his Senate
committee testimony because - he had;
checked with the C.I.A., including Bill?
Howe "-his CIA contact-prior to hiss
months, then go back and watt i
some more," the Mafia ' figure said.
"Rosselli ? was careful but nobody, can be
that careful. When the decision is made,
to hit you-you're dead-no matter hpw';
'long it.takes....
Mr. Rosselli's friends and relatives con-.
t
C
appearance, and they told him to tell;
a ever he ause it was king'.
said. ".would have no reason to loll hero.
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