Gold9472
06-26-2007, 07:38 PM
Castro's head worth 150,000 dollars: CIA files
http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Castro_s_head_worth_150_000_dollars_06262007.html
Published: Tuesday June 26, 2007
The CIA offered 150,000 dollars to members of the US mafia to kill Cuban President Fidel Castro with poison pills, according to classified documents released Tuesday.
"The mission target was Fidel Castro," said the 1973 document.
According to the documents, the man chosen for the "sensitive mission requiring gangster-type action" was Johnny Roselli, who found a second man for the mission, Sam Gold, whom the CIA discovered was actually Salvatore "Momo" Giancana, head of the Chicago mob and "successor to Al Capone."
Also recruited with Giancana was Santos Trafficant, and both were on the US attorney general's ten most-wanted fugitives list, according to the documents.
"It was to be made clear to Roselli that the United States Government was not, and should not, become aware of this operation," the document said.
The mafiosi recommended against the use of firearms to kill Castro, the document said, and suggested instead "some type of potent pill that could be placed in Castro's food or drink."
"Sam indicated that he had a prospective nominee in the person of Juan Orta, a Cuban official who had been receiving kick-back payments from the gambling interests, who still had access to Castro, and was in a financial bind," the memo said.
Roselli gave Orta the pills, the memo said, but "After several weeks of reported attempts, Orta apparently got cold feet and asked out of the assignment."
"Roselli made it clear he did not want any more for his part and believed Sam would feel the same way.
"Neither of these individuals were ever paid out of Agency funds," the document said.
The men even returned the poison pills to the CIA, the memo said.
The CIA gave up on the idea after the disastrous invasion of Cuba's Bay of Pigs.
http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Castro_s_head_worth_150_000_dollars_06262007.html
Published: Tuesday June 26, 2007
The CIA offered 150,000 dollars to members of the US mafia to kill Cuban President Fidel Castro with poison pills, according to classified documents released Tuesday.
"The mission target was Fidel Castro," said the 1973 document.
According to the documents, the man chosen for the "sensitive mission requiring gangster-type action" was Johnny Roselli, who found a second man for the mission, Sam Gold, whom the CIA discovered was actually Salvatore "Momo" Giancana, head of the Chicago mob and "successor to Al Capone."
Also recruited with Giancana was Santos Trafficant, and both were on the US attorney general's ten most-wanted fugitives list, according to the documents.
"It was to be made clear to Roselli that the United States Government was not, and should not, become aware of this operation," the document said.
The mafiosi recommended against the use of firearms to kill Castro, the document said, and suggested instead "some type of potent pill that could be placed in Castro's food or drink."
"Sam indicated that he had a prospective nominee in the person of Juan Orta, a Cuban official who had been receiving kick-back payments from the gambling interests, who still had access to Castro, and was in a financial bind," the memo said.
Roselli gave Orta the pills, the memo said, but "After several weeks of reported attempts, Orta apparently got cold feet and asked out of the assignment."
"Roselli made it clear he did not want any more for his part and believed Sam would feel the same way.
"Neither of these individuals were ever paid out of Agency funds," the document said.
The men even returned the poison pills to the CIA, the memo said.
The CIA gave up on the idea after the disastrous invasion of Cuba's Bay of Pigs.