[1]14-0000
[3]104-10095-10202
[9]MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Operations -
[11]SUBJECT © _t “Media Inquiry to Cuban Exile Journalist in
[13]. Miami re Cuban Involvement in Watergate
[14]Case and Attitudes in Miami Area Te
[16]a
[17]5
[19]1. This memorandum is for your information only;
[21]2. On 7 May 1973 we were advised by Station WH/Miami that mE
[23]“two enployess of a Station WH/Miani proprietary hadstold the
[25]tation that one Rene VIERA Gonzalez, a Cuban exile “journalist
[27]_.Who writes for Diario Las Americas and owns the Westchester
[28]. Mali; Bookstore In Miami received a call in early May from one
[30]‘St., Kensington, Md. who was formerly an‘emplo
[32]FNU GOTTLIEB who said. he worked for tha Tines in Washington. —
[33](GOTTLIES is believed to be Sanford GOTTLIIES, 11192 Brandywine
[35]yee of] the
[37]' National Committee on Sane Nuclear Policy". -A pretext call to .
[39]the Washington bureau of the New York Tines verified: that one
[41]"Sandy" Gottlieb was enployed there. UPILTEB asked VIERA
[42]-- what people in Miami were Saying about the Watergate’ case and
[43]_ What participation the Cubans had in it. He specifically
[45]o£ Investigation in Batista Government), and Rolando MASFERRER
[47]asked about the activities of Reinaldo PICO (former 2506
[48]Brigade member), Orlando PIEDRA (former Chief of Cuban Bureau
[50](former Cuban Senator and self-admitted former Communist).
[52]te also asked if ITT had an office in Miami, whether Joaquin:
[53]SANJENIS Perdome (former Chief of a WH/Miami proprietary who
[54]was amicably terminated in 1972) and Juan A. PAULA (former
[55]WH/Miami proprietary employee dnd former Controller of - Lo
[56]Revolutionary Democratic Pront-FRD-and currently employed by |
[57]an OGC proprietary) were still in the Miami area, He wes also
[58]interested in Edgardo BUTTARI, a Cuban born in West Tampa,
[60]‘Florida, a former Cuban Congressman and Minister of Comaerce
[62]Le AE ETD SS A
[65]wee
[67]. >
[68]PRovrsee on eBoy? f
[70]who is reportedly associated with Mr, Charios "Bebe" REROZO,
[71]ccording to GOTTLIEB, BUTTARI was appointed as "political ..
[72]Chief in the Republican Party", . ; ;
[74]RETy,
[76]B RN 7;
[78]De ground ys—tA
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[83]f
[85]_ a 2
[87]tw ad
[89]em
[91]Be ae
[93]3. “GOTT LIES apparently has current. information on the-
[94]activities of the persens he mentioned; for example, he
[95]knew that Juan A. PAULA was involved in the jewelry business :
[96](PAULA and Antonio Felix GENOVA Corzo, a WH/Miami proprietary ~
[97]employee recently purchasad a jewelry business) and he knew a
[98]that Reinaldo PICO had resided in Venezuela and had recently |
[99]returned to the United States. The phone conversation lasted | ne
[100]about 45 minutes and GOTTLIEB told VIERA that 2 fhe. cane to
[102]‘aml they would have dench together. : 5 :
[106]4. VIERA ‘does. not know GOTTLIEB ut tated? to hin because
[107]‘GOTTLIEB said he was recommended by\ Ernesto BETANCOURT TRO
[108]has resided in the Washington area for more than ten yéars, — .
[110]. oF (BETANCOURT. was a former Agency asset and is currently Chief of ©
[111]_ & Economic Planning and Budget, OAS.> The conversation was -
[112]initially in English but continued in Spanish. . VIERA said he os
[113]provided no information te GOTTLIEB on the basis that he is a
[114]Cuban exile and did not want to get involved in internal U.S.
[115]‘affairs. We-do not know why GOTTLIEB was interested in Joaquin. 5
[116]SANJENIS or Juan A. PAULA, “(Attached - are  SURROTY biographies _
[117]“o£ persons of interest to GOTTLIEB. ). ; _ ne oo
[120]3. On 7 May 19731 Marvin 1 L. EVANS) Chief ;(MEIMUTE wat) we was ;
[121]briefed on the. substance of the rep 3 from WH/Miani pertaining -
[123]M
[125]. to Juan A. PAULA, who works for the (MHHUTUAL preprietary,24
[126]‘ HeKERCHER and AVANT which utilizes THHEST MANAGEMENT - Services, ay
[127]inc) as office spacs cover. Among other duties performed by oe
[128]the proprietary are the monthly checks sent to the dependents —
[129]_.) e8£ imprisoned assets which are signed in true name by PAULA.
[130]ob EVANS was unayare that ‘PAULA had pur rchased a new jewelry ns
[131]usiness in association with Antonio GENOVA; however, } he feels we
[132]that QIEMUTYAL)is pr otected and compartmented from the WE H/Miami -.
[133]propristary and he has the utmost confidence in the propri Rotary, |
[134]being able to field any questions Olin ITUAL) conmmication with ©
[135]ob the propractaRy is by unlisted phone, and a post office box.
[136]Gunns said that bexzncns) R) and Q@vany could possibly be 1 inked. oe
[137]NORTIWEST MANAGEMENT) Dut the trail would end there. “He - oa
[138]- ° £eels that bither prop ietary covid only be lin xed to the Agency ,
[139]‘olby innuendo. {He did say that Howard HUNT was aware of
[140]$INUTUAD) when he served as C/CA/ SUR.) EvanS feels secure as
[141]far as (NORTHWEST MANAGEME zi) and icKERCHER ‘and AVANT) are.
[142]concerned... rae zu AE
[144]2 Ube
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[148]6. Gildedanee that c the bona Fide law firm occupying ©
[150]‘the other Bae of the MEMUTUA offices are the attorneys -
[152]for (Gobn DEAN)OG (These lawyers, ere cleared and witting.) o
[153]One Sf the lawyers told (SVAN9)"that OBA! N@ill be the "biggest
[155]-canary singer of the year”. The common receptionist area is
[157]manned by, WHMUTUAL employees who also monitor all telephon
[158]calls, incoming and outgoing for the other law firn. . EVANS 7
[159]nientioned that there have been numerous calls from the media
[161]and outgoing overseas. calis to such places as Japan. and Errore.
[163]7. GVAND wi be traveling ‘to Nassau and returning via
[165]Mian on 10 May 1973. He intends,,to talk with his proprietary -
[166]people at that time on other (HMUTUAD business and Will also |
[168]“contact COS, WH/Miami. (The COS has been alerted | ‘to expect |. .-
[170]eer Director of Security oe ae eg
[172]“@ call from EVANS on 10 May 1973. “Jo
[174]Janes BE. Fl annery ..
[176]‘James E. Flanaery |
[177]Acting Chief
[178]Western Herisphere Division
[180]Attachment A FR Biograph ic Susmaries
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[185]E
[187]i
[189]re
[191]— nc | GETAGOE ENT A — a,
[192]. woe oT Fee a ; tio:
[194]Rene VIERA Gonzalez 7 Se
[196]Report ex for Diario Las Americas; was speaker for
[197]Journalism in Exite ate * Meeting held Flagler Theater, .
[199]Miami June iss7. a ce
[201]Had also be an head. of Public Relations for Cuban. -; a
[202]National Bank, Rate not given. a -
[204]i
[207]- a
[208]aranrer
[210]PEble |
[211]at
[212]‘Dee .
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[216]Reinaldo PICO Ramon - formerly AMICE-31 (201-284653)
[218]POA. granted 14 October’ 1960 as PM assat.” Member’
[219]2596 Brigade, captured Bay of Pigs. Member of Prisoners
[220]Commission sent by Castro to Miami to negotiate release
[221]of prisoners in exchange for mechanical equipment and other
[222]‘ supplies needed by Cuha. Defected and refused to accompany
[223]other menbers of Prisoners Commission on their. return to-
[224]Cuba in July 19st. POA granted 15 Juna 1964 for usé as
[225]Ca/Prog asset. SGSNIRLED 3-October 1964 -~ OA 4 February -
[226]" 2966. Amicably terminated 30 June 1368. As of July 1959
[227]- in Caracas, Venezuela. In December. 1969 he was-destribed - ~~.
[228]_ by a source as “one does not know where the biuft begins and
[229]ends, what is true and what is lie”, ; ae
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[234]ATTACHMENT C -
[235]Nh
[237]Orlando PIEDRA . a
[238]Griando Eleno PIEDRA-NEGUERLA (291-247879).
[240]aka - Orlando Eleno NEGUERLA-PIEDRA
[241]‘aka ~- Orlando PIEDRA oo. oe
[242]aka aad oO. ROCA . .
[244]Born. 18 December 1917, Havana, Cuba.
[245]Believed to be Cuban citizen currently.
[246]‘ . . ’ . 7 - . i a . - a . .
[248]. | Was Chief of Cuban Burea of Investigation in. Batista Covéern-
[249]_ Went. Told FBI Juné 1959 he was forced to leave Cuba uson £213
[250]of Batista, Rdéportedly head of anti-Castro group in Miami in
[251]‘June 1555, In Sept 59 reported to be friendly with Relando .
[253]MASFERRER Rojas, ex-Cuban senator and publisher, PEEDRA _-
[255]reportedly furnished with money by Batista, 2-80.
[257]‘| During Batista regine was included with others = oe
[258]responsible officials considered directly davolyed in tortures.
[259]and killing of Cuban citizens. Resided in Fort Lauderdale,
[260]Fila, in February 1960. Buring Batista regime PIEDRA was in
[261]‘Charge of ail matters pertaining to. gambling, rackets and 2 <)-
[262]. contraband, In 1953 in Cuba PIEDBA-was also involved in ~
[263]‘business of Chinese contraband, re
[265]he ever used by Agency. |».
[267]mo.
[269]No indicatia
[272]Rolando Arcadi o, MASFERRER Rojas (201-42669) . ~
[274]Former Cuban senator and self-admitted former Communis te
[275]Quite active during early 60's in’various anti-Castro
[276]ectivities in U.S. Recently served four and one-half year
[277]prison sentence received U.S. Bistrict Court for- violation of
[278]U.S. neutrality 1a WS - es . 7
[280]No indication Headquarters has been in touch with subjec
[281]at any time. | oe. Be
[283]Born 1918 in Cuba; typifies worst elements in ‘former: regime | i
[284]of Batista. Name connotes ruthlessness, assassination, tortere
[285]and extortion. ; . BO
[287]orth considers pimself to be a Marxian Socialist;. has a a
[288]rulent critic OF u. S. in past. er
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[293]“Edgar Anthony BUTTARI Puig (D.V.¥.)
[295]z 24)
[297].2t West Tampa, Florida, the son af a Cuban who fought in th
[300]instructor of the Ministry of State in 1933. He later bec
[302]Under Secretary of Labor, In'1938 he returned to Cuba and oo. |
[303]Served as Secretary of Commarce until 1940. fle later was appol
[305]‘Habana. He remained in the House of Represen
[307]' BUTTARE arrived in the U.S. in March 1960 to resi
[308]t
[310].t _
[311]%, . :
[313]aka. ~ Edgar A. BUTTART (Soctor
[314]aka - Edgardo BUTTARI y Puig (201-276771)
[315]Photo. available no - a - .
[319]While information in his file does not indicate any.past or.
[321]present CYA contact, there is unsourced information in the
[322]‘HH/COG card file which shows that BUTTARI was in touch with.
[323]_ Frank Bender (Gerard Droller} in Miani in the Spring of 1940, .'
[324]apparently in relation to BUTTARI's involvement with the °°.”
[326]Revolutionary Democratic Front (FRD). Currently BUTTART.is . .
[328]avolyed in many business ventures in South Florida and is --. i
[330]reportedly associated with Charles "Bebe! Rebozo socially and. |
[332]in business. na
[333]Edgardo BUTTARI was born 14 August 1909 {also give’
[335]Cuban’ Independence War,’ Appointed Cuban: Inspector Gan
[339]Minister of the Cuban Foreign Service. Appointed Minister of
[341]Commerce by Batista in 1942, he held that pest until 2944 |
[343]when he resigned to run for the House of Representatives, . > -
[344]p tatives until 1952
[346]Miami, Florida. He becama involved with 3
[347]2 ‘ amma . 7
[349]= °, 7 .
[350]Hemocratic Front.
[352]i SS
[353]he Revolutionary: -. -
[355]ane.
[357]ated _
[359]During his first tern a8 Minister of Commerce in 15933 he was.
[361]forward legislation of nationalistic tendencies, warning to
[362]"Yankee Haperialism", and seensd somewhat unfriendly to the ©
[363]U.S. He later changed and in 1938 became more anxious ta
[364]cooperate with the U.S., apparently having gotten over his
[366]‘responsiblé for the arrest of several American representatives
[367]_. O£ Large lard exporters in the U.S. (Swift, Armour, etc.) i,
[368]. for increasing prices. At the sane time he endeavored to put |
[370]cpenly anti-American feolings. However, he did not appear to. -
[372]be dependable according to Enbassy reports. He has been
[373]described a5 astute, clever, intelligent but Slippery. He —