Roselli Probe
BY RON LABRECQUE
Newsweek Writer
Sen. Gary Hart (D., Colo.) made an unannounced trip to Miami Friday for a private meeting with homicide detectives to underscore the strong interest of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee in the John Roselli murder investigation and to insure that federal agencies cooperate with local police.
The FBI was ordered into the case last week by Attorney General Edward Levi after pressure from the Senate committee.
"We're not here to solve the crime," Hart said, "we want to find out if there is any connection between (Roselli's) death and his testimony before the Committee."
HART SAID he also hoped to meet with local officials of the FBI and Immigration and Naturalization Service.
Roselli, 71, organized crime figure, testified three times before the Senate Intelligence Committee in the past year about his recruitment by the CIA in a plot to kill Fidel Castro, was found dead two weeks ago, stuffed in a steel drum floating in Dumfoundling Bay.
Hart said he feels that the Intelligence Committee is concerned about the possibility that Roselli's death is connected to his testimony, although he did say there is no evidence indicating Roselli might have been killed to prevent him from talking about other CIA-organized crime plots.
"I know of no piece whatsoever to have him come back," Hart said, "but that's not to say we wouldn't have called him back if some new facts arose."
"But we would be reaching to say he had new information," he said, "(not yet identified, though) evidence important to us," Hart said.
THE MURDER of Roselli, who last testified in April, renewed the Intelligence Committee interest in the death of Chicago organized crime leader Sam Giancana, who was machine-gunned to death in his home June 19, 1975, just as Intelligence Committee investigators were attacking him for information.
However, Hart Friday said Michael Radin, a committee attorney who, in June of 1975, was preparing to interview Giancana about his involvement with Roselli in the Castro plot.
Giancana and Tampa organized crime figure Santo Trafficante, played "supporting roles" in the CIA-inspired Castro assassination plot, another committee staff member traveling with Hart said Friday.
The committee also is considering reopening Trafficante, the staff investigator said, because Trafficante was connected to Roselli, "his testimony is most important."
CHICAGO-AREA investigators concluded that Giancana's death was part of an internal gangland struggle.
Nevertheless, Hart told The Herald Friday that with Roselli's death, "nothing questions" about Giancana's murder linger. "The two incidents begin to string themselves together," said the 1972 presidential campaign manager for George McGovern.
Asked if he was satisfied with the committee's investigation that Giancana's death was not connected to his potential testimony before the committee, Hart said: "There is the absence of previous hearing evidence which would..."
To be continued on Page 12 Col. 1.