L. Robert Castorr?

[Steve Thomas]

Does anyone know anything about the background or military record of Col. L. Robert Castorr?

I know he was an associate of Edwin Walker. Harold Weisburg identified him as the Colonel in the room with Nancy Perrin Rich and Jack Ruby discussing gunrunning to Cuba. Lucille Connell told the FBI that Castorr was going around Dallas stirring up the Cuban exiles. On at least one occasion, he was supposed to have shared a speaking stage with John Martino.

But aside from that, I can't find anything about him on the Internet.

Steve Thomas

[Thomas H. Purvis]

Does anyone know anything about the background or military record of Col. L. Robert Castorr?

I know he was an associate of Edwin Walker. Harold Weisburg identified him as the Colonel in the room with Nancy Perrin Rich and Jack Ruby discussing gunrunning to Cuba. Lucille Connell told the FBI that Castorr was going around Dallas stirring up the Cuban exiles. On at least one occasion, he was supposed to have shared a speaking stage with John Martino.

But aside from that, I can't find anything about him on the Internet.

Steve Thomas

Perhaps the spelling is not quite correct.

You can find reference to Colonel Castor and his wife here:

http://history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/...Vol26_0219b.htm

"but that he always felt that Colonel Castor was "playing the role of an intelligence officer"

[Steve Thomas]

Thomas

Perhaps the spelling is not quite correct.

The spelling in Rowley's letter to Rankin is wrong. In an FBI document, he was identified as Col. Caster, but it's Castorr.

Steve Thomas

[James Richards]

Does anyone know anything about the background or military record of Col. L. Robert Castorr? (Steve Thomas)

Hi Steve,

I don't know anything about his military record but I can tell you that during the late 1950's and early 1960's, L. Robert Castorr was the Southwest Division Manager of the National Federation of Independent Business. At the time they were in a fight regarding excessive foreign oil imports.

Gov. Price Daniel gave Castorr permission to do battle and claimed that the Federation performed a just duty.

The Federation had some 10,000 small business members in Texas alone, regularly polling them on proposed national legislation and then putting the results in the hands of congressmen.

FWIW.

James

[Steve Thomas]

James,

Hi Steve,

I don't know anything about his military record but I can tell you that during the late 1950's and early 1960's, L. Robert Castorr was the Southwest Division Manager of the National Federation of Independent Business. At the time they were in a fight regarding excessive foreign oil imports.

Thanks,

I got to wondering the other day if there was some connection between Castorr and Manuel Rodriguez Orcarberro of the 3126 Harlandale Alpha-66 Cubans.

Steve Thomas

[James Richards]

I got to wondering the other day if there was some connection between Castorr and Manuel Rodriguez Orcarberro of the 3126 Harlandale Alpha-66 Cubans. (Steve Thomas)

I have heard a rumor that Castorr knew Manuel Avila from the Steven's Theater, the same theater where Tippit moonlighted as a security guard. The Harlandale Cubans allegedly hung out there so the possibility exists of a loose link between people like Orcaberrio and Fermin DeGoicoechea aka George Perril. This of course implicates the DRE and their dealings with John Thomas Masen.

All speculation of course.

James

[Steve Thomas]

James,

I got to wondering the other day if there was some connection between Castorr and Manuel Rodriguez Orcarberro of the 3126 Harlandale Alpha-66 Cubans. (Steve Thomas)

I have heard a rumor that Castorr knew Manuel Avila from the Steven's Theater, the same theater where Tippit moonlighted as a security guard. The Harlandale Cubans allegedly hung out there so the possibility exists of a loose link between people like Orcaberrio and Fermin DeGoicoechea aka George Perril. This of course implicates the DRE and their dealings with John Thomas Masen.

It's just such a link that I have been pursuing for the last couple of days. In a memo to Lee Rankin, SS Rowley tells of investigations they have been cnducting of Manuel Rodriguez Orcarberro:

SS Rowley Memorandum of 4/24/64 CD 853

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...250&relPageId=2

1/16/64 Frank Ellsworth was interviewed about Orcarberro.

Ellsworth had been working undercover gathering evidence against John Thomas Masen.

Masen told Ellsworth that Orcarberro had been trying to buy guns and bazookas from Masen.

Masen told Ellsworth that Rodriguez and George F. Parrell were leaders of the local DRE and also members of Alpha-66

Masen told Ellsworth that George Parrel, an associate of Orcarberro, had also been trying to buy guns from him.

They had made purchases from him and that they presently have a large cache of arms located somewhere in Dallas.

Parrel was a student at Dallas City College.

Agent Ed Coyle was also contacted about Orcarberro.

(Rowley spells his name Parrel)

Sylvia Odio told the WC that her sister Annie went to a meeting where John Martino spoke. Father McChann was also at this meeting. In his FBI interview, McChann was asked if he knew Castorr and he said yes.

Sylvia told the WC:

Mr. LIEBELER. Have you ever seen Oswald at any meetings?

Mrs. ODIO. Never. This is something when you talk to somebody, she probably was referring--we did have some meetings, yes.

Orcarberro told the FBI that The Alpha-66, Second Front group met about every other week, and about 20 people would show up.

All the attention has been focused on Sylvia's contacts with the JURE group, but I'm just wondering if Sylvia and her sisters had contact with the DRE and Alpha-66 groups. Sarita was supposed to be a member of DRE.

Steve Thomas

[Greg Parker]

Does anyone know anything about the background or military record of Col. L. Robert Castorr?

I know he was an associate of Edwin Walker. Harold Weisburg identified him as the Colonel in the room with Nancy Perrin Rich and Jack Ruby discussing gunrunning to Cuba. Lucille Connell told the FBI that Castorr was going around Dallas stirring up the Cuban exiles. On at least one occasion, he was supposed to have shared a speaking stage with John Martino.

But aside from that, I can't find anything about him on the Internet.

Steve Thomas

Steve, fwiw, in 1945, he was the commanding officer in the Houston army recruitment office located then in the Haden Building.

I'd be interesting in knowing how Weisburg identified him as the Colonel in the Perrin gun-running meeting.

[James Richards]

Castorr and his wife were also great supporters of Robert Morris. Mrs. Castorr penned many a piece to the print media pointing out how Morris was good for the country.

James

[David Boylan]

Here's his obit.

L. Robert Castorr Association Executive

L. Robert Castorr, 92, a retired executive with a number of business groups and a retired colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, died April 7 after a heart attack at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda.

Mr. Castorr, a resident of Bethesda, was born in Detroit and enlisted in the Army Reserve at age 18 in 1930. He served in the Civilian Conservation Corps for a year, then after further military training and education moved to active duty in 1940.

During World War II, he served in North Africa and in the Burma campaign as an infantry combat commander. After the war ended, he briefly served as chief of staff and spokesman for Gen. George C. Marshall at the Pentagon. He left active duty in 1947 but stayed in the reserves until 1973.

Mr. Castorr worked as a field manager for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and as national field manager and assistant to the president for the National Federation of Independent Business, handling legislation and public relations, through the 1960s. He later moved to the Small Business Administration, where he was assistant to its president and oversaw its program for retired executives. In later years, he worked for himself as an international trade consultant.

Mr. Castorr was an official with the World Conference of Mayors during the 1980s. He served as an officer with the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, the Knights of Malta, and was a member of the Order of St. Stanislas, a philanthropic organization.

His first two marriages, to Dorothy Castorr and Gertrude A. Castorr, ended in divorce.

Survivors include his wife of 30 years, Dorothy Vasco Castorr of Bethesda; two sons from his second marriage, William Castorr of Battle Creek, Mich., and John Castorr of Dallas; two brothers; five grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

[Steve Thomas]

Greg,

I'd be interesting in knowing how Weisburg identified him as the Colonel in the Perrin gun-running meeting.

I'm not sure. It may have come up in Whitewash II.

There are some references in Weisburg's Orleans Parish Grand Jury testimony from pages 55 to about 61 here:

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...mp;relPageId=57

It's kind of sketchy, I'll have to dig a little more.

Steve Thomas

[David Boylan]

Greg,

I'd be interesting in knowing how Weisburg identified him as the Colonel in the Perrin gun-running meeting.

I'm not sure. It may have come up in Whitewash II.

There are some references in Weisburg's Orleans Parish Grand Jury testimony from pages 55 to about 61 here:

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...mp;relPageId=57

It's kind of sketchy, I'll have to dig a little more.

Steve Thomas

Steve/Greg,

If I remember right, Weisberg actually talked to Castorr in Maryland.

Dave

[Steve Thomas]

David,

It's kind of sketchy, I'll have to dig a little more.

Steve Thomas

Steve/Greg,

If I remember right, Weisberg actually talked to Castorr in Maryland.

Dave

Or at least he tried to by way of an intermediary named Leon.

There are some references in Weisburg's Orleans Parish Grand Jury testimony from pages 55 to about 61 here:

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...mp;relPageId=57

Greg,

See a June, 1968 CIA memo in the Russ Holmes Work File on Garrison and the Kennedy Assassination:

104-10428-10181 page 3

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...amp;relPageId=3

"Col. Castorr allegedly met with Jack Ruby, Robert Perrin, and others in Dallas in 1962 to plan a Cuban smuggling operation."

Steve Thomas

[Steve Thomas]

Greg,

See a June, 1968 CIA memo in the Russ Holmes Work File on Garrison and the Kennedy Assassination:

104-10428-10181 page 3

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...amp;relPageId=3

"Col. Castorr allegedly met with Jack Ruby, Robert Perrin, and others in Dallas in 1962 to plan a Cuban smuggling operation."

Steve Thomas

This just keeps getting better and better.

Cross referencing Robert Perrin that same memo cited above, it says that "Robert Perrin was accused of being a CIA gun runner in Spain and Cuba."

While it does not say that Perrin was accused of running guns in Spain in 1962, guess who was running around Spain in 1962?

The OAS.

The memo says that Perrin filled out a partial biography for the OSS in 1944, but there is no record that he was ever recruited by the OSS or the CIA.

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...amp;relPageId=7

Steve Thomas

[Greg Parker]

Greg,

See a June, 1968 CIA memo in the Russ Holmes Work File on Garrison and the Kennedy Assassination:

104-10428-10181 page 3

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...amp;relPageId=3

"Col. Castorr allegedly met with Jack Ruby, Robert Perrin, and others in Dallas in 1962 to plan a Cuban smuggling operation."

Steve Thomas

This just keeps getting better and better.

Cross referencing Robert Perrin that same memo cited above, it says that "Robert Perrin was accused of being a CIA gun runner in Spain and Cuba."

While it does not say that Perrin was accused of running guns in Spain in 1962, guess who was running around Spain in 1962?

The OAS.

The memo says that Perrin filled out a partial biography for the OSS in 1944, but there is no record that he was ever recruited by the OSS or the CIA.

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...amp;relPageId=7

Steve Thomas

Thanks for all the help on this, Steve, Dave and James.

Weisberg could talk the ears off a field of corn, couldn't he?

Forgive my imitation of a mongrel dog who won't let go of his bone, but I think this particular bone may actually have some marrow...

Firstly to Perrin's credibility. Having re-read most of her testimony, and the FBI reports on her, it seems her claim was that the weapons were for the use of Castro's forces. Delivering weapons FOR Castro whilst simultaneously rescuing people FROM him seems a bit of a stretch, though not entirely out of the question if money-making was the only motive.

There were a number of discrepancies in various tellings of her story, yet also information which I find compelling - such as knowledge of weapons being stolen off bases (as one example only).

Do any of you guys have any major concerns regarding her veracity?

Regarding the ID of the Colonel as L. Robert Castorr... she said the Colonel was between 45 and 50. This would have been true of Castorr. She also described him as being slightly built and balding. In one of the FBI reports, she says short and balding.

Whilst it may not have been out of character for Ruby to be walking both sides of the street with regard to Castro, it would seem totally out of character for Castorr to do so, as he was a committed anti-Communist. However, if it was some type of intelligence operation...?

Does Weisberg give any physical description of Castorr in Whitewash?

Regarding the Cuban troublemaker mentioned by Connell and McChann... did Weissberg manage to get that guys name from either Castorr or his wife? This name in particular, is one I'd very much like to know.