MEMORANDUM

TO: TO THE FILES
FROM: PATRICK SHEA AND MICHAEL MADIGAN
DATE: JUNE 21, 1975
SUBJECT: SUMMARY OF A MEETING WITH MR. JOHN ROSSELLI

BEGAN AT 11:35 A.M., JUNE 21, 1975, IN ROOM 711 OF THE WATERGATE HOTEL

PRESENT AT THE SESSION: MR. MICHAEL MADIGAN, MR. PATRICK SHEA OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE STAFF, MR. ROSSELLI, MR. THOMAS WADDEN, MR. JAMES CANTILLON, MR. LESLIE SCHERR.

At the beginning of the meeting, Mr. Madigan asked Mr. Rosselli if he felt a need for any protection. He stated, emphatically, "No," that he was able to take care of himself. Mr. Madigan made it clear that the Senate Select Committee could provide U.S. Marshalls for Mr. Rosselli during his stay in Washington. This offer was rejected.

Mr. Rosselli stated that Giancana had no involvement, to his knowledge, with any of the attempted assassinations of Fidel Castro. Maheu did deal with higher authorities in government but stated that Rosselli was only the contact. Giancana has a backup man. Rosselli was very concerned about the adverse publicity in recent times, about the CIA and he thought it was unfortunate from the Agency's point of view that the Giancana name had been linked to the Agency.

Rosselli was upset by the harassment he had been under by the FBI. He pointed to the 1966 Friar Club incident as an example. He said in 1966 he had been approached by the FBI to provide information on inside basis about organized crime and when he had refused 18 months later he was indicted. Again, the first week in June of 1970, the FBI had offered him cooperation but he refused.

Rosselli first met Maheu twenty years ago. He was introduced through a life long friend who is dead now, named Spiloto, who was in the insurance business. This first meeting happened in Los Angeles, in 1955. Maheu, at the time, was running Maheu Associates in Washington, D.C. The meeting was only a social gathering; there was nothing specifically discussed about activities of the CIA.

In July or August, Maheu called Rosselli and stated that he was working for the government and was specifically asked to recruit Rosselli. Maheu stressed that it was to be Rosselli and no one else. They agreed to meet for lunch at the Brown Derby in Los Angeles. Maheu described the project as an intelligence operation involving Cuba. Maheu mentioned specifically Castro, Che Guevara, and Raul Castro. It was Rosselli's feeling that Maheu had recruited him because of his known Cuban connections in Florida. These connections were unrelated to gambling. There was no money mentioned by Maheu to Rosselli for payment for services.

The alleged group of Mail Street business men had not been mentioned and was a cover invented by Rosselli later. At the end of their first meeting, they agreed to meet again at which time Maheu would verify to Rosselli that he was working for the government. This verification would be by introducing a government official of the highest authority to Rosselli.