Leslie Sharp

Exactly, which is why we're treating this with such caution. And, obviously, until we get our hands on the book and translation, this is pure speculation. I would make the note that Meletta has a number of interesting titles under his belt. (Also, I didn't catch that this review includes Mary Haverstick's new book on June Cobb.)

I have a photo taken much later, but I've filled attachment allotment on EF. (a personal anecdote: I emailed the photo to a Dallas researcher who encountered a man posing as a cattle rancher at The Mansion on Turtle Creek in the early 1980s; when she read about Pugibet we both considered the possibility. She didn't recognize the photo in question, but said "it was a late night at the bar when he tried to pick her up."

@Bill Fite thank you so much for this translation. I'm passing it on to Alan Kent who has been in hot pursuit of Pugibet. I too was concerned by the suggestion the confession was paid for. I wondered if there was something lost in translation.

Of course I'm anxious to read this new material to determine if there are parallels and/or convergences with the names and details presented in Lafitte's records. as an aside, did you see the photo of JJA and Amit Meir taken in 1967 in Tucson?

Among the most admirable traits of JFK the human was the capacity to evolve. https://www.express.co.uk/news/history/1828866/jfk-adolf-hitler-diary

Thank you for the succinct summary, Mike. Well stated. I wonder if you have studied this report? And can you point me to related material you may have published or posted on Ed Forum on the subject? https://www.archives.gov/.../iwg/reports/hitlers-shadow.pdf

@Anthony Thorne at least a few friends that the CIA might have found useful on the day . . . Can you be specific? Who are your candidates?

Post away, Benjamin. I look forward to seeing your datebook. And presumably, you'll be alble to meet the high bar set by Albarelli in his public testament as to provenance and authenticity of the Pierre Lafitte datebook. ' . . . . Before I completed my book on Frank Olson’s murder, I had the opportunity to meet the one person who was quite close to Lafitte, his wife. I had been informed by a highly respected journalist for the New York Times, John Crewdson, that Lafitte had been living in a small town in New England for at least twelve years. By chance, I had relatives in a nearby town, and I turned to them for help in locating Lafitte. As it turned out, he was living openly with his wife. Understandably, I traveled as quickly as possible to the place where they resided, which was quite easy because I was still living in Vermont where I’d gone to write the Olson book. Of course, I shared the location and address with the DA’s office in Manhattan, but ventured there on my own. I was too late to find Pierre. He had passed away before my arrival. But, as said, I had the opportunity to meet his wife Rene. Our meeting was a cautious one, but I felt that by being honest about my interests and objectives an initial bond of friendship was formed. That bond grew steadily stronger through the time that Rene relocated to the Miami, Florida area. As far as I know, nobody from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office ever made the same trip I did. Through additional meetings with Rene, I became aware that Pierre, like George White, had kept datebooks within which he would jot down certain things, often specific to matters he was working on at the time. It was a practice that was expressly forbidden by the CIA, but Pierre and George were notorious for bending and breaking the rules. Said Rene, “He would sometimes emulate George, mainly for financial reasons, not out of any admiration or the like.” As I’m sure you can imagine, I was especially interested in viewing and reading Lafitte’s personal writings. I respectfully made my interest known to Rene. She had agreed after thinking about it for what seemed a painfully long time. About two weeks later, she called again and said that she had become concerned about certain findings in Pierre’s materials and that she now wanted to talk with “her family’s attorney” about her concerns and liability issues. Oh, Lord, I thought, an attorney: that will surely mess everything up. But, perhaps thanks to the alignment of the stars, Rene called about a week later with good news. I had learned through my Olson research that Pierre and his family lived in New Orleans during the 1960s and that Pierre had been briefly employed by the William Reily Coffee Company where alleged JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald had also briefly worked in May and June 1963. I had been warned several times by writer Peter Janney, and other close friends who were also writers, to stay clear of the Kennedy assassination. “It’s a black hole that draws you in deeper and deeper, until you cannot extract yourself,” said Janney. He was right. But that’s another story that can be discussed at another time. What is important here is that I eventually gained conditional access to several of Lafitte’s datebooks and a precious handful of his letters. I would guess that you can imagine my surprise when I was able to make out Lee Harvey Oswald’s name in the 1963 datebook. Over a short period, I found other names connected to Oswald’s. Some identified only by initials: “O,” “OS,” “JA” and “T.” To make a long and convoluted story short, I was able to study Lafitte’s 1963 datebook. And as expected, although for entirely different reasons than my initial expectations, it was remarkable for its contents. Perhaps “remarkable” is not a strong enough word. There, in a worn, but well-preserved, leather-bound datebook, was a stunning parade of names: Angleton, Oswald, Joannides, Labadie, Martin—some under aliases, some coded, some not, some as bold as day, others scribbled in a hurried or tired hand, some of which I had no idea about, or even a clue as to who they were. Occasionally, I depended on expert assassination researchers like Steve Rosen, Malcolm Blunt, Dick Russell, and Stuart Wexler, and my cowriters Leslie Sharp and Alan Kent, to identify but a handful and for making sense of certain entries. At the start, I was near completely unfamiliar with the names R. G. Storey, Charles Willoughby, and Ilse Skorzeny. Through the datebook, the story of Lafitte’s involvement in the events of 1963 rolled out page by page. As hopefully will become clear to readers of this book, Lafitte played what, no doubt, was a crucial role in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. One thing, however, should be made clear: I, as the author of this book, do not own any of Lafitte’s datebooks or letters. Fortunately, I have been granted the right to reproduce certain selections from the 1963 datebook. But, there are contents in those datebooks that the Lafitte family do not want published. Rene Lafitte was adamant about this and would not agree to anything else. It took considerable effort to convince her and others that I be allowed to reproduce her insightful comment about JFK’s death recorded in a November 23, 1963 entry: “Rene says, coup de grâce.” . . . —H. P. Albarelli Jr.

Random notes: As Alan Kent points out in his essay, Chester Zochowski a.k.a. Chester Gray, an associate of FBI informant Allen Wright, shows up in documents that indicate he was also associated with Mitch WerBell in the 1970s; thus far I haven't found anything to confirm they were associated as early as 1962/63 in context of Lafitte's references to WerBell in early '63. It's also worth emphasizing that Allen Eli Wright had been smuggling diamonds in the late '50s — as had Pierre Lafitte — and was an informant for the government of Dominican Republic prior to Trujillo's assassination. We know that expert sniper Robert Emmett Johnson (a name that appears in the 1963 Lafitte datebook) was based in the DR in the employ of Ulius Amoss, infamous for developing the concept of 'leaderless resistance.' Full text of a document referenced by Alan K. in his Pugibet essay UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT Memorandum To: Chief, Contact Division ATTN: Support Branch FROM: Chief, Miami Field Office DATE: 18 December, 1962 SUBJECT: Reported interest of Soviet Diplomat in Defecting 1. On 18 Dec 62 I received a call from Joseph Merola of Miami Beach, notorious racketeer, gun runner, and ex-convict. Merola was released in November after serving 14 months of a five year tern in Federal prison, having been connected with the theft of weapons from a National Guard Armory in Ohio. 2. Merola informed me that a US national, Allen Eli Wright had arrived in town from Mexico, and stated that Julio Couttilenc of the Mexican Secret Service had informed him that the "Number 2 Man" of the Soviet Embassy in Moscow was interested in defecting. I checked with JMWAVE to see of there was any information on Wright and Couttilenc, and both names were listed. I then requested Mercola to set up an appointment with Wright, which he did the same evening. 3. Wright was accompanied by Chester Gray, a well known "con-man" and racketeer, but who knew nothing about the Mexican situation. Wright stated that Julio Couttilenc had been in frequent contact with the Soviet diplomat since 1959, when the Soviet was in a lower post. Wright did not know the Soviet's name, but said that he was about 35, dark complexioned, 5' 10", about 175 pounds and extremely nervous. 4. The Soviet is reported to have told Couttilenc that he wanted US $50 thousand plus complete anonymity in the US for his defection and the information which he would furnish to the US Government. The Soviet also wanted assurances that he would not be turned over to the USSR. In the negotiations he gave no evidence of being interested in anyone except himself. It is not known if he is married. 5. Couttilenc told Wright in July 1962 the Soviet was willing to defect under the described circumstances and Wright said that his last contact with Couttilenc had been in July. 6. Wright stated that Couttilenc had been on the payroll of General Trujillo and also on the payroll of General Somosa as an informer on matters of interest to the Governments involved. Wright said that Couttilenc was willing to do anything for money, and that Couttilenc wanted US $50 thousand for his part in arranging the Soviet's defection. 7. Wright indicated that he likewise expected some assistance from the US Government in return for his services. When I inquired as to what he had in mind, he did not reply directly but indicated that he was in trouble with a branch of the US Government, possibly Secret Service, and that a kind word might not be amiss. He also indicated that renumeration for his expenses would be acceptable. 8. Wright gave me his date and place of birth as 26 Nov 22, Bowles, Arkansas. He apparently has operated as a freelance informer to a variety of governments, including Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic prior to Trujillo's assassination. He stated he had arranaged the theft of some papers from the Cuban Embassy in 1959 on behalf of the US Government, for which he had to pay of $23 thousand which was never funded. He stated he would be in Miami until 22 December when he would return to Laurel, Mississippi, where he is currently living. He will advise me through Merola if he receives any further information from the Soviet. P.S. As of 1500 hours on 18 Dec a phone call from Julio Couttilenc to Wright indicates that the individual is still available and interested. Wright's full address is: 105 Central, Laurel, Mississippi EN original doc. https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=40590#relPageId=2&search=couttilen

@Benjamin Cole, for one to take you seriously, it's entirely reasonable to ask you to produce 1) photo images of the physical instrument; 2) photo images of a number of entries in said datebook; 3) specific details found in your datebook related to the Kennedy assassination; and 4) first hand testimony as to the provenance and authenticity. All eyes and ears, Benjamin.

Good question. As I noted, it's awfully crowded behind the fence. However, still unresolved is the high strangeness and synchronicity that on November 19, former member of French resistance and gunman for hire Pugibet checked into the same Dallas hotel occupied by psychotic French terrorists Alice Lamy and Jean Filiol. PUGIBET—Alan Kent essay notes: Documents pertaining to Allen Eli Wright and associates: NARA # 1994.05.17.08:24:18:250005; # 104-10074-10133 (Wright background); # 124-10202-10343 (Wright background); # 124-90115-10030 (Chester Zochowski); # 104-10074-10133 (Wright-Gleichauf meeting Letter from Bill Turner to Jim Garrison, July 16, 1967, JFK Assassination Records, National Archives, Papers of Jim Garrison, Investigative Files Received From New Orleans District Attorney Harry Connick, Box 10 (Bill Turner, Ramparts) Summary of notes from Bernard Fensterwald interview with Allen Eli Wright, Mary Ferrell Chronologies, Entry #7730 Documents pertaining to Enrique Ernesto Pugibet and associates: Dallas County Sheriff’s Office data on Pujibet, (incl. “Friend, Norman Rothman, Dallas Texas,”) accessed by Lee Farley, posted on Education Forum, Sept. 13, 2013 NARA # 124-10300-10078 (Thomas FBI memo) (Information on Roscoe Gaither) No Decision / Leagle.com NARA # 124-10226-10267 (Rothman, Zochowski, Merola, Trujillo); # 124-10226-10244 (Pugibet, Miranda brothers) Scott, Peter Dale, Deep Politics and the Death of JFK 1993, pp. 177-179 Albarelli Jr., H. P., A Terrible Mistake: The Murder of Frank Olson and the CIA’s Secret Cold War Experiments, 2009, (Lafitte) pp. 432-438

Roy. :-) Sorry! a little slow on the uptake!

You're right, right over my head, Michael. What do writing skills have to do with an itchy bottomed terrier?

Alan Kent writes, 'Pugibet was—like Allen Wright—a person of interest to FBI and CIA. From a documentary study focusing on him, utilizing multiple trusted FBI informants as well as statements from Pugibet himself, we find that he had been a member of the French resistance during the Second World War—as an “anti-communist” he would emphatically declare to investigators, had been a naturalized citizen of Mexico from 1947 on, and had worked for the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture and also the notorious Mexican Federal Security, on the “Communist squad.” While going through the United States—he would say on a mission for the Ministry of Agriculture—in 1959, he was deported from the US after being convicted of a crime “involving moral turpitude.” A source within the Mexican government advised US authorities that Pugibet had been charged in the past on various occasions with “crimes of fraud and abuse of confidence.” When, on October 23 and October 28, Pugibet voluntarily spoke to personnel at the US Embassy in Mexico City, he stated that he had been referred there by “a mutual acquaintance,” Colonel Roscoe B. Gaither, a Mexico City attorney. In fact, Gaither was not a run-of-the-mill lawyer. He was a highly connected international figure, who represented oil companies in Venezuela and Mexico, among other countries, and he was the founder of the Papantla Royalties Corporation. His intervention of Pugibet’s behalf is an indication that Pugibet had developed important connections. Pugibet told embassy personnel that he had a background that included training in protection, and that he was closely associated with the Chief of the Presidential Staff of Mexico, General Jose Gomez Huerta. He added the information that he had been advised by a friend of his “who is Director of Presidential Security on the staff of the Mexican President, Arturo Wollfer,” that during a visit of the Mexican President to Washington D.C., the Chief of Security of the United States Secret Service, one Sr. Bauman (phonetic) had shown Wollfer a card with a photograph of Pugibet thereon, a card which had the designation thereon “Communist and possible bomb-thrower.” The skewed spelling of the Secret Service head’s name no doubt referred to the head of Secret Service during the Eisenhower administration, U. E. Baughman. Pugibet had friends in both high and low places. An important FBI report, written in 1961 by Bureau agent Henry Thomas, notes Pugibet’s booking in Dallas in 1958 on a worthless check charge. Dallas County Sheriff's office records from this time period describe Pugibet as claiming to be a cattleman, a confirmation of the information about Pugibet given by Wright. He was described by “a source” as “the biggest crook in the world.” On entirely another level, FBI informant NY-T-2 described Pugibet as a one-time agent of Dominican Republic dictator Rafael Trujillo. *** One of Pugibet’s Dallas-based friends who bridged the gap between “high and low” was Norman (Roughhouse) Rothman, a well-known operative of Santo Trafficante Jr. Pugibet is connected to Rothman in several FBI documents. Significantly, Thomas writes: “It is to be noted that information concerning the subject has been set forth in various reports in the case entitled: ‘Norman Rothman; IS-DR; RA-DR, Bureau file 97-3487. Pertinent information from this investigation…” And that is where the sentence, and any further reference to Pugibet and Rothman, stops. What appear to be pages later—not formally redacted, just missing, lead to a non-sequitur finish. It is relevant to the inquiry into Pugibet to note that both of the specific FBI Rothman files cited by Thomas have to do with Rothman’s dealings with the Trujillo government in the Dominican Republic. One more story emerges from the truncated Thomas report, this one both stunning and relevant to our inquiry. Pugibet was apparently involved directly in a political assassination. FBI informant NY T-1, a prized and protected FBI source “advised one Pugibet killed Jose Almoina Mateos, former secretary to Trujillo, in Mexico, in May 1960.” NY T-1’s detailed account “regarding the assassination of Jose Almoina Mateos, former Private Secretary to Generalissimo Trujillo in Mexico, in May 1960” claimed that two individuals presently being held by Mexican police on suspicion of the murder of Almoina, namely Artemio Servado Molina and Francisco Quitana Valdes, did not kill Almoina. NY T-1 said Almoina was killed by Pugibet, “who is now working for the Dominican Military Intelligence Service (SIM). NY T-I stated that Pugibet was directly involved in the murder, and that he either “drove the car, did the actual shooting, or he was the third man in the plot.” '

Maybe you meant this for Rumble, or maybe Trump's Truth Social where this low IQ amateur satire seems to thrive.

Similarly, because Jonathan thinks Albarelli is lying, he must surely be lying doesn't follow either.

Are you confused? Did you mistake Ed Forum for Rumble, or Truth Social?

Tell me this isn't a diversionary tactic from discussion of Pugibet? @Evan Marshall is it my imagination, or do you manage to take time away from writing your book(s) when anything related to the French assassins — not a couple of disgruntled Vietnam soldiers — reappears on the forum?

I look forward to the evidence Reiner relies on for Souetre's role in the assassination. It is disturbing at best that he failed to follow up with Hank Albarelli while he had the opportunity as referenced in correspondence between Dick Russell and Hank in January 2019. As I've stated in a previous comment on this thread, when Hank first began sharing in confidence with Dick the details revealed in the Pierre Lafitte records he had gained access to, he was not aware that Dick and Rob were involved in a related project. As Hank emailed Dick on January 14, 2019, (paraphrasing) what a significant opportunity for collaboration we have before us. Our concern at the time was not just the possibility that Rob Reiner might inadvertently be privy to Hank's confidential information prior to publication of our forthcoming book, but that without an understanding of the context, sensational details found in Lafitte's records could be misinterpreted or worse, "lost to the wind" if cherry-picked or cannibalized to suit a bias. For example, unless one fully grasps the significance of SS Otto Skorzeny and his wife Ilse and Reich banker Hjalmar Schacht's roles, the appearance of Jean Souetre in Dallas will not be fully understood. Further, if Col. Jack Canon (first identified by Dick in TMWKTM) and Col. Charles Askins, or Souetre allies Lamy and Filiol and Litt are not named in this podcast, the "opportunity" missed back in 2019 and subsequently is all the more devastating to an accurate historical record and the resolution of this cold case murder investigation.

To make sure everyone on this forum is aware: Jonathan Cohen has never seen the physical instrument yet continues to ignore Hank Albarelli's own testimony as to the provenance and authenticity of the Lafitte datebook. And more pathetic, in spite of Hank putting his professional career on the line, Jonathan — who to my knowledge is an unpublished amateur researcher — considers himself a qualified authority on the Lafitte records and Hank's investigation? Enough is enough. I formally and publicly challenge you @Jonathan Cohen to prove your insidious insinuation (and I contend allegation) that investigative journalist H. P. Albarelli Jr. is lying in his published introduction to Coup in Dallas (cc: @Sandy Larsen @Mark Knight and other forum administrators) INTRODUCTION by H. P. Albarelli Jr. . . . Before I completed my book on Frank Olson’s murder, I had the opportunity to meet the one person who was quite close to Lafitte, his wife. I had been informed by a highly respected journalist for the New York Times, John Crewdson, that Lafitte had been living in a small town in New England for at least twelve years. By chance, I had relatives in a nearby town, and I turned to them for help in locating Lafitte. As it turned out, he was living openly with his wife. Understandably, I traveled as quickly as possible to the place where they resided, which was quite easy because I was still living in Vermont where I’d gone to write the Olson book. Of course, I shared the location and address with the DA’s office in Manhattan, but ventured there on my own. I was too late to find Pierre. He had passed away before my arrival. But, as said, I had the opportunity to meet his wife Rene. Our meeting was a cautious one, but I felt that by being honest about my interests and objectives an initial bond of friendship was formed. That bond grew steadily stronger through the time that Rene relocated to the Miami, Florida area. As far as I know, nobody from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office ever made the same trip I did. Through additional meetings with Rene, I became aware that Pierre, like George White, had kept datebooks within which he would jot down certain things, often specific to matters he was working on at the time. It was a practice that was expressly forbidden by the CIA, but Pierre and George were notorious for bending and breaking the rules. Said Rene, “He would sometimes emulate George, mainly for financial reasons, not out of any admiration or the like.” As I’m sure you can imagine, I was especially interested in viewing and reading Lafitte’s personal writings. I respectfully made my interest known to Rene. She had agreed after thinking about it for what seemed a painfully long time. About two weeks later, she called again and said that she had become concerned about certain findings in Pierre’s materials and that she now wanted to talk with “her family’s attorney” about her concerns and liability issues. Oh, Lord, I thought, an attorney: that will surely mess everything up. But, perhaps thanks to the alignment of the stars, Rene called about a week later with good news. I had learned through my Olson research that Pierre and his family lived in New Orleans during the 1960s and that Pierre had been briefly employed by the William Reily Coffee Company where alleged JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald had also briefly worked in May and June 1963. I had been warned several times by writer Peter Janney, and other close friends who were also writers, to stay clear of the Kennedy assassination. “It’s a black hole that draws you in deeper and deeper, until you cannot extract yourself,” said Janney. He was right. But that’s another story that can be discussed at another time. What is important here is that I eventually gained conditional access to several of Lafitte’s datebooks and a precious handful of his letters. I would guess that you can imagine my surprise when I was able to make out Lee Harvey Oswald’s name in the 1963 datebook. Over a short period, I found other names connected to Oswald’s. Some identified only by initials: “O,” “OS,” “JA” and “T.” To make a long and convoluted story short, I was able to study Lafitte’s 1963 datebook. And as expected, although for entirely different reasons than my initial expectations, it was remarkable for its contents. Perhaps “remarkable” is not a strong enough word. . . .

Michael, I've not yet read the book referenced in the article. For now, the publisher's blurb (courtesy Google translate): (note: I find it fascinating that some on this forum dismiss new information "out of hand" without considering the possibility they have either innocently missed, deliberately dismissed, or purposefully buried significant clues for decades. Seems to me Pugibet is likely one of those clues that is tied directly to Jean Rene Souetre. In a future thread, I will present circumstantial evidence that Souetre as a prime suspect was purposely buried beginning in 1998.) The Second Shooter - New Revelations About the JFK Assassination By Cédric Meletta On November 22, 1963, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was shot dead in Dealey Plaza in Dallas. The images of the assassination of the 35th President of the United States shake all of America and quickly travel around the world. Sixty years later, the mystery of this attack has still not been solved. After the recent declassification of thousands of secret defense documents by the American authorities, a new lead has surfaced. Botched interrogations, obstructed investigations, relationships in high places: an individual seems to have been strangely exonerated from the FBI's first conclusions. This book, the result of an unprecedented investigation into the heart of American archives, reveals the name of a new suspect, Henry Pugibet. This former leader of a Vichy youth movement, close to the Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo as well as the godfathers of the Florida mafia, was in close contact with most of the alleged sponsors of the assassination. Thanks to dozens of pseudonyms and false papers, he managed to evade in-depth FBI investigations for decades. Why was he never brought to justice? What was the nature of his links with the all-powerful CIA of Allen Dulles? And, above all, what was he doing in Dallas on the day of the crime? After several years of research, Cédric Meletta puts forward in this book an original thesis concerning the most mysterious assassination of the 20th century and sheds light on the incredible journey of "Frenchy", the second potential shooter in Dallas.