UNDERCURRENTS BIT MAN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01315R000300510089-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 20, 2004
• Sequence Number: 89
• Publication Date: June 26, 1975
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved
My Uncle Vito and I were talking the other day about
'alleged underworld involvement in CIA assassination
plots.
"Do you think it's true?" I asked as we sat sipping wine
in the wee small hours of the morning waiting for his
restaurant to close.
"It's possible. I've made powerful friencCtrtrites,
depending on whether the chef got up on the right side of
the bed. Anyway the real clincher came when I went home
and read three other notes the midget left. I noticed a
strange pattern."
"A pattern?"
"Yea. He had a funny habit of transferring the letter H
for the letter B."
"What does that mean?" - I
"I asked a knowledgeable friend of mine. The midget
turned out to be the famous Carmine Smallo, agent-in-
charge of Italo-CIA harassment."
"Why the H's for B's?"
"Because in his sick mind he pictures himself a hit man.
The restaurant closed and I ran home in the dark
whistling all the way._
"Maybe. By the way, don't talk too close to that bottle of 1
Ruffino."
"Huh?f,
"I think the restaurant might be under observation."
"C'mon Uncle Vito. Don't you think you could be a little
sensitive about Italo-CIA connections?".
"Don't say that. I have good reason."
Uncle Vito unbuttoned his butterfly bow tie. He lit a long
cigar and looked me straight in the eye.
"Last week, I think it was Monday, a midget comes into
the place for dinner. He looks like any other midget except
for the fact that he has half a mustache.
"Half a.:."
"That's right. My waiter Tony, an observant fellow,
notices the midget and alerts me. Being the host I am I
wander over to the table and extend i,v appreciation for
his patronage."
"Do you do that normally?
"Not really. But the circus is coming to town in a few
weeks and I figure if I treat him nice he tells his friends
about the. place."
"Good thinking."
"Yea. Well, he motions me to sit down. When I do I
notice he not only has half a mustache but a glass eye and
wooden hand as well. It was creepy."
"Really: Did he talk about it?"
"That's the creepy part. He was a deaf mute. He wrote
me notes. Here, look."
Uncle Vito dug into his vest pocket and came out with
scraps of cocktail napkins. He placed them carefully
before me.
"Here's the first one."
The handwriting was child-like yet bold. It read 'Every
man knows the limit.'
"I couldn't figure that out," Uncle Vito said, "so I asked
him to explain."
"Did he?"
"Nah. He just wrote 'Get out of town.' I started to
become nervous because I never met a midget I didn't
like."
"What happened?"
"Well, you've gotta realize that my restaurant is a
popular place. The top names in Washington come here. I
didn't want to create a scene. So I left his table."
"Do you think the CIA would really want to get rid of
you?
ARLINGTON rr ; s 'P P,
For Release 2005M/1"j I RPP88-01315R000300 I5 f -~,i A-4 ;
Approved For Release 2005/01/11 : CIA-RDP88-01315R000300510089-9