CIA-MAFIA LINK CONFIRMED

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01315R000300510068-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 20, 2004
• Sequence Number: 68
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 200y/ST4011
N
'0300510068-2
Mafla Link onf
"In everythirfy related to
this matter, I believe Edwards
reported directly to Dulles-
with my knowledge: and con-
currence," Bissell said.
Los A:lgel-s 'ria,e3
A former chief of clandes? sBissell said the Mafia work
tine services for the Central was not under his personal di-
Intelligence Agency said' yes-. rection, however.
terday he personally approved
CIA. cooperation with Mafia
figures who wanted to assassi-
nate Cuban Premier Fidel
Castro in 1960. -
Richard i11_ Bissell, the ex-
CIA official, said in an inter-
view that he also believed the
'late Allen W. Dulles, then di-
rector of the CIA, received
regular reports on the Mafia
.connection.
Bissell's statements marked
the first time a former mem-
ber of the CIA hierarchy had
acknowledged responsibility
for the unusual cooperation in
the early 1960s between the
underworld and U.S.. intelli-
gence planners.
Lawrence It. Houston, for-
mer CIA general counsel, told .
reporters last week that he
first learned about the CIA-
,1Mlafia links in April, 1962,
from the late Col. Sheffield
Edwards, then the agency's
director of security.
Houston said he never au-
thorized these' arrangements
and insisted that he and Ed-
wards immediately briefed At-
torney General Robert F. Ken-
nedy about the contacts. lious-
ton said he doubted Edwards
had acted alone in arranging
the contacts.
Bissell said arrangements
pivitti the Mafia were handfed hale said the 'Mafia wanted to
by Edwards' office through` remove Castro from power to
Robert A. Maheau. reopen'lucrative gambling op-
MaheaiL,-a former top aide e ations in Havana that Castro
to industrialist . Howard Bast closed down.
Hughes, gave his first closed- :Bissell, a top planner of the
door testimony to Senate CIA I-Bay of. Pigs invasion, left the
investigators yesterday after, CIA in February, 1931. during
t
i
'
m
being granted immunity fro prosecution earlier this
month. Maheati his said he
will meet with reporters today
if?1}e completes his testimony.
eration -with underworl^ flg-
utes Sam Giancana and
Johnny Iosselli, but that Bis-
s ell_outranking Edwards---
also approved it. _ .,..i
-Bissell said these arrange-
dents began in:, the waning
months of the Eisenhower ad-
ministration as plans were
also being made for Cuban ex-
patriates to invade their home-
land. These plans ended in the
;It wad learned that Bissell
has told Senate investigators
he knew assassination plans
would be made when he ap-
proved the Mafia cooperation.
but doubted the Mafia could
ever execute such plans.
1-Ie said he had "no clear
recollection or hard evidence"
that the White House or Attor-
ney General. Kennedy knew
,about any assassination plans;,,
disastrous Bay of Pigs inva
sign in April, 1961, in the early
day's of the Kennedy adminis-
tration:. .
:Rosselli has'reportedly told..
Senate. investigators that he
helped plan or direct about six'
attempts on Castro's life iri
the early 1960x.
:Bissell, when asked how co-:
operation with the _Mafia
arose, said: .!,I think the his-:
tery is very uncertain as to
whose original idea it was."'
'Giancana . or other '%Iafia-
members might have sub-:
gested it themselves, he said,
because "they did have very
large interests in Cuba that
v;ei-e totally eclipsed or de-
stroy by Castro."
:d1 believe the record shows
that they worked without pay
(foie the CIA) for . the most;
ion
stra
a' Kennedy admin
shakeup of, the agency. He
said he did not kno'.t' ho-i' long
the : [afia Wock co::ti:..:ei3, al-
though others have said Ros-
selii's anti-Castro plans contin-
sse
ranged the highly secret coop u~d until lei63.
ll said Edwards had a-
3
JUL 10
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Approved For Release 2005/01/11 : CIA-RDP88-01315R000300510068-2