CIA-Mafia plotting against Castro, 1960-61

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THunt
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CIA-Mafia plotting against Castro, 1960-61

Post by THunt » Tue, May 18, 2021, 5:45 pm

Documents that were declassified in recent years confirmed that CIA officials teamed with Mafia bosses to plot the assassination of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

See our article: "U.S. agents, criminals worked toward Cuba coup": https://mafiahistory.us/a002/f_ciamafia.html

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Some former CIA department heads went on the record to confirm that the U.S. government engaged with Sam Giancana, Johnny Rosselli and Santo Trafficante, Jr., in the scheming. Interestingly, these department heads did not agree on when the scheming began or who in the CIA first had the idea of reaching out to the underworld. Former Deputy Director for Plans Richard M. Bissell, Jr., and former Office of Security chief Colonel Sheffield Edwards each appeared to point an accusing finger at the other.

Edwards seemed to be more forthcoming, and he revealed that conversations about working with the Mafia began during the lame-duck Eisenhower Administration. Bissell placed the conversations a bit later, during the Kennedy Administration. Each said the other came to him with the idea. Edwards' appearance of greater sincerity might also be interpreted as evidence of his greater participation in the planning. Who to believe?

Many details of the anti-Castro alliance between government intelligence agents and organized crime appear to be well established at this point. But a great deal is still uncertain. At the top of the list of unanswered questions: Did the failed effort to assassinate Castro play any part in the assassination of U.S. President John Kennedy? Nearly as interesting: Did involvement with the CIA contribute to the violate ends suffered by both Giancana and Rosselli?

What are your thoughts?
- Tom Hunt
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