James McCord in Dallas?

[Douglas Caddy]

Joe:

Yes, I believe Howard Hunt was in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. Marita Lorenz talked about this.

His confession given to his son, St. John, was an attempt to inform the public of part of what he knew to encourage the public to go deeper.

He did this also in the case of Col. Boris Pash, whom Hunt claimed was head of CIA branch P7 that carried out assassinations and kidnappings. He left it the public to dig deeper. This is discussed in another thread in the forum.

Frank Sturgis, who was a member of the Cuban-Americans close to Hunt, gave a written confession in 1971 to Cardinal Cooke in which he disclosed that the JFK assassination was among the murders in which he was involved over the years. This is discussed in another thread in the forum.  

Doug

[Joe Bauer]

On 12/24/2021 at 11:21 AM, Douglas Caddy said:

Joe:

Yes, I believe Howard Hunt was in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. Marita Lorenz talked about this.

His confession given to his son, St. John, was an attempt to inform the public of part of what he knew to encourage the public to go deeper.

He did this also in the case of Col. Boris Pash, whom Hunt claimed was head of CIA branch P7 that carried out assassinations and kidnappings. He left it the public to dig deeper. This is discussed in another thread in the forum.

Frank Sturgis, who was a member of the Cuban-Americans close to Hunt, gave a written confession in 1971 to Cardinal Cooke in which he disclosed that the JFK assassination was among the murders in which he was involved over the years. This is discussed in another thread in the forum.  

Doug

Wow!

[Joe Bauer]

On 12/24/2021 at 11:21 AM, Douglas Caddy said:

Joe:

Yes, I believe Howard Hunt was in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. Marita Lorenz talked about this.

His confession given to his son, St. John, was an attempt to inform the public of part of what he knew to encourage the public to go deeper.

He did this also in the case of Col. Boris Pash, whom Hunt claimed was head of CIA branch P7 that carried out assassinations and kidnappings. He left it the public to dig deeper. This is discussed in another thread in the forum.

Frank Sturgis, who was a member of the Cuban-Americans close to Hunt, gave a written confession in 1971 to Cardinal Cooke in which he disclosed that the JFK assassination was among the murders in which he was involved over the years. This is discussed in another thread in the forum.  

Doug

Wonder what happened to that alleged written confession by Sturgis to Cardinal Cooke? Destroyed? Hidden in some deepest secret Vatican bank vault archives?

So, both Hunt and Sturgis gave end of life confessions admitting involvement in the "Big Event?" And Marita Lorenz gave statements corroborating their confessions?

We have all heard Hunt's confession. On tape and verified. At least we know "for sure" that at least one of the three did make this confession.

Always wondered how Hunt's taped "bench warmer" confession was totally ignored by all the major media. I mean the man did say what he said. And it was an Earth Shaking revelation if true.

[Douglas Caddy]

Joe: The person who had a copy of the confession was a long time reliable informant to NYPD detective James Rothstein. His two attempts to give the copy of Rothstein were aborted at the last moment for security reasons. The person then moved to Brazil. Rothstein says things like this take time to become a reality. Her did read the entire confession over the phone to Rothstein.

[Dan Rice]

On 12/24/2021 at 2:21 PM, Douglas Caddy said:

Frank Sturgis, who was a member of the Cuban-Americans close to Hunt, gave a written confession in 1971 to Cardinal Cooke in which he disclosed that the JFK assassination was among the murders in which he was involved over the years. This is discussed in another thread in the forum.  

Doug

 

16 hours ago, Joe Bauer said:

So, both Hunt and Sturgis gave end of life confessions admitting involvement in the "Big Event?" And Marita Lorenz gave statements corroborating their confessions?

 

That would not be considered an end of life/deathbed confession as Sturgis lived until 1993.

[Douglas Caddy]

48 minutes ago, Dan Rice said:

 

That would not be considered an end of life/deathbed confession as Sturgis lived until 1993.

You are correct but we also don't know Sturgis' frame of mind in 1971. He may have had reason to fear that his life was in danger. He engaged in acts of violence.

[Joe Bauer]

15 hours ago, Dan Rice said:

 

That would not be considered an end of life/deathbed confession as Sturgis lived until 1993.

True. But still a confessional. 

So, all 3 documented connected spy/agent players and their incredible "Big Event" involvement stories (with at least some similar details in Lorenz's and Hunt's)  are totally dismissed as completely made up tales with no personal gain explanations?

Hunt was a top senior level hands on major player in so many of our most important covert foreign and domestic spy operations for decades. He and Sturgis are even working together in the Watergate break in caper. He makes a confession like his "Big Event" one, again with specific hierarchy and operational names and logistical details and his story is ignored and dismissed?

 

 

Edited December 29, 2021 by Joe Bauer

[Dan Rice]

9 hours ago, Joe Bauer said:

True. But still a confessional. 

So, all 3 documented connected spy/agent players and their incredible "Big Event" involvement stories (with at least some similar details in Lorenz's and Hunt's)  are totally dismissed as completely made up tales with no personal gain explanations?

Hunt was a top senior level hands on major player in so many of our most important covert foreign and domestic spy operations for decades. He and Sturgis are even working together in the Watergate break in caper. He makes a confession like his "Big Event" one, again with specific hierarchy and operational names and logistical details and his story is ignored and dismissed?

 

 

I was just trying to differentiate between Hunt, who was on his deathbed, and Sturgis, who was not.  I'm not trying to disqualify either, although with Sturgis, I'd like to see documentation.

[Gene Kelly]

Doug

Quite the story.  I can't imagine why Sturgis (raised in Philadelphia) would "confess" to Cardinal Cooke but - if it was provided as part of a formal Catholic confessional (which is a sacrament) - then it cannot be revealed. This is called “the sacramental seal,” which is inviolable by Church dogma.  The priest cannot be compelled by law to disclose a person’s confession. So, I have reason to doubt this sensational story.  Furthermore, I also cannot imagine a senior church official like a Cardinal taking this man's "confession". 

The timing of the alleged confession in 1971 is also interesting, as its a year before the Watergate burglary, and during the time that Sturgis was deeply involved in Operation Chaos undermining of anti-Vietnam War protests and other (illegal) domestic activities (i.e., dirty tricks). Sturgis later served 13 months of a 4-year sentence for the Watergate burglary and was released in January 1974, while being denied a pardon by President Carter.  In 1977, he sued the CREEP, alleging that the burglars had been misled into thinking they were acting with government sanction. Sturgis gave quite a lot of very public interviews during those days. 

Frank Fiorini changed his name to Frank Anthony Sturgis early in life, adopting the surname of his stepfather. Notably, his new name resembled that of 'Hank Sturgis', the fictional hero of Howard Hunt's 1949 novel, Bimini Run, whose life parallels Frank Sturgis' life from 1942 to 1949. Ironically, Fiorini lived in a section of Philadelphia called Germantown, a few blocks from where Ruth Paine worked at a Quaker Friends School.  He attended a public high school.  I'm not sure that Frank was what is called a 'practicing' Catholic. 

Sturgis and Marita Lorentz spread false stories and disinformation about the assassination, with little or no evidence to support their allegations. I am unsure of what to make of the NYPD Detective Rothstein, who took Sturgis into custody for an alleged 'sanctioned CIA murder' of Lorenz. In an interview with the New York Post after he posted bail, Sturgis said that he believed communist agents had pressured Lorenz into making the accusations against him.  The charges against Sturgis were dropped after the prosecutor told the judge that his office found no evidence of coercion. The Village Voice described Sturgis and Lorenz as "two of the most notoriously unreliable sources in America".

After Hunt's death in 2007, his sons made public his so-called deathbed confessions (another dubious "confession").  In an April 2007 issue of Rolling Stone Magazine, St. John Hunt detailed a number of individuals purported to be implicated in the assassination by his father ... including Sturgis.  I can't envision Howard throwing Frank under the bus, but it makes for good tabloid sensationalism.

Gene

[Douglas Caddy]

As told by Detective Rothstein:

FRANK STURGIS

In early March of 1961, the Essex was at its homeport in Quonset, Rhode Island, when strange things started happening. Sailors were dispatched for rifle squad practice with a Marine leading the team. Old timers (salts) stated that this had not happened since WWII; something was up. The Essex sailed to the Norfolk Virginia Navy Shipyards. On Sunday morning, all liberty and leaves were cancelled. Train cars loaded with supplies pulled up next to the ship and the supplies were loaded onto the Essex. The word was, we were sailing to Nova Scotia for special operations.

On Monday morning, as the Essex sets sail, Rothstein is ordered to Winch #2 to prepare to take on cargo. Rothstein was the winch operator with his assistant, J.C. Adams. Armed marines and sailors were posted everywhere; only authorized personnel were allowed on deck. The Essex pulls alongside a heavily guarded barge with two long cylinders on the deck. Rothstein loaded both cylinders on board and watched as they are sent below deck in the bomb elevator. The Essex then headed for the open sea in due haste. When the Essex reached the Atlantic Ocean, it made a sharp turn to starboard (right). We were going south. If the Essex was going to Nova Scotia, it would have made a turn to port (left). Something big was up.

As the Essex began to near the coast of Florida, a squadron of US Navy jets was seen approaching the Essex; they did a fly-by and prepared to land. The Essex was not designed for jets; now it had been modified to have jets land and take-off. Now we knew for sure something was going on. When it got dark, the Captain of the Essex, Captain Searcy, advised the crew that they were on a special mission. The Capt. ordered “Darken Ship and No Communication” was in effect until further notice. We were advised we were going to Cuba. General Quarters was sounded. We were going to war.

Every day after that, till three days before the Bay of Pigs invasion, we practiced for the invasion. The jets were painted white; the only markings were numbers on the planes. The numbers on the ships were painted over. The flags were taken down. When refueling and replenishing occurred, the flags would be raised as the ships started their approach and lowered again immediately.

Three days before the invasion of the Bay of Pigs, the bombing, to soften up the beach at the Bay of Pigs, started. At night we headed to the beach. The Destroyers would go closer and bombard the beach. During the day, we would be out to sea and re-supply. On the day of the invasion, at approximately 0315 hours, Rothstein was manning the helm of the Essex when Capt. Searcy came out of his quarters. Capt. Searcy informed the crew on the Quarter Deck that the President of the United States, John Kennedy, had just ordered him to stop the bombing. Capt. Searcy knew that the revolutionaries would be killed. Orders were Orders.

The next three days were spent bringing survivors and bodies on board. Rothstein again manned Winch #2 and the bodies were brought aboard in cargo nets, dropped on the deck, put in boxes by Airedales and then taken to reefers. There were many cargo nets of bodies. The Bay of Pigs was lost and it would seal the fate of John Kennedy. Rothstein never forgets what happened and on dark lonely nights he will wake up and see the body’s as he dumped them on the deck, they never go away.

 One of the leaders of the revolution was CIA Operative Frank Sturgis of OP40. He was one of the operatives left behind in Cuba and was imprisoned. Sturgis and Rothstein would meet again years later. Detective Rothstein, of the New York City Police Department, would arrest Frank Sturgis when he came to New York to kill Marita Lorenz.

In the morning of October 31, 1977, Halloween day, Det. Rothstein received a call from Paul Meskil, a reporter for the New York Daily News. Meskil was beside himself. Monica Lorenz, the daughter of Marita Lorenz, had just been arrested in front of her apartment on York Avenue in possession of a loaded gun. She was to be the last line of defense for Marita. Monica was hiding in the bushes in front of the apartment building on Eighty Eighth Street and York Avenue; she was going to ambush Sturgis when he showed up to kill Marita. Meskil knows that the only two Detectives he can trust are Rosenthal and Rothstein; he knows they will not back down or be stopped. The Detectives notified members of the New York State Select Committee, their present assignment, of the call. They jump into action. They first call the arresting officer of Monica and verify that the arrest had been made for possession of a gun. They then set up a meeting with Marita Lorenz and Paul Meskil at a small restaurant on the East Side.

They all meet at the restaurant at approximately 1100 am. Marita verifies what Meskil had told the Detectives. She was very up-set, anxious, and scared. She feared for her and her children’s lives. Marita tells the Detectives that she is scheduled to testify at the House Assassination Hearings in Washington, DC, concerning the assassination of John F Kennedy.  Meskil tells the Detectives that he is in possession of a tape recording made of a conversation between Marita Lorenz and Frank Sturgis; the tape is hidden at his residence in Nassau County, New York. In the tape Sturgis tells Marita, “You know what the rules are and what happens if you talk.”  Meskil tells the Detectives to pick up the tape at his house and that his son would give the Detectives the tapes. Meskil tells the Detectives that he will be leaving for the Far East as soon as our meeting is over. At approximately 100 pm, the Detectives leave the restaurant with Marita and go to her apartment on Eighty Eighth Street and York Avenue.

When Detectives Rosenthal, Rothstein, and Marita enter the apartment, the detectives do a quick canvass of the apartment. They see 10 to 15 boxes sitting against the wall in the dining room. The rest of the day and early evening were spent interviewing Marita in preparation for the arrival of Sturgis. Marita tells the detectives that the boxes contain documentation concerning OP40, the Cuban invasion, Castro, planning for the Kennedy assassination, and other covert operations that she had knowledge of. These documents were going to be delivered to the House Assassination Hearings. The Detectives believe they have more than sufficient evidence to arrest Sturgis.

On October 31, 1977, at approximately 2130 hours Det. Mathew Rosenthal and Det. Jim Rothstein arrested Frank Sturgis when he came to assassinate Marita Lorenz, a witness to the planning of the Kennedy assassination. When Sturgis rang Marita to gain entry to the building, Rosenthal and Rothstein assumed their position. They crouched low next to the door with their guns drawn and their shields pinned to their suit jackets. When Sturgis entered the premises, Rothstein placed his gun in Sturgis’ mouth and shouted, “Police! You’re under arrest mother xxxxer; don’t move.” Sturgis mumbles, “I hope you’re Detectives.” Rosenthal had his gun put to Sturgis’ chest and identified himself as a Police Officer. The Detectives searched Sturgis. Once the Detectives knew that the scene was under control, Rothstein congratulates Sturgis for assassinating John F Kennedy. Rothstein tells Sturgis that he was present when Kennedy ordered the bombing and support to stop, just as the invasion of the Bay of Pigs began. Sturgis says, “The only way you can know that is if you were on the Essex.” Rothstein replies, “Yes, I was.” Rothstein and Sturgis shook hands; they were both professionals and were doing their job.

 Detectives Rothstein and Rosenthal questioned Sturgis for approximately two hours at Marita’s apartment before taking him for booking at the local precinct. During this time, Sturgis was very frank with the Detectives. He admitted that he was on the Grassy Knoll at Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas, when Kennedy was assassinated and that he was one of the shooters from the Grassy Knoll. The Detectives received valuable information from Sturgis. Sturgis tells the Detectives that OP40’s mandate was “to protect our country at all costs.” When Sturgis was asked why Kennedy was assassinated, he told the Detectives that there were three reasons. Number one was that Kennedy had double-crossed OP40 in the Bay of Pigs Invasion by pulling back the support. Number two was that he (Kennedy) had been told to stay away from the women, especially the Russian woman, Ellen Rometsch, because he would be compromised and jeopardize national security. Number three was that Kennedy was destroying the black community through his liberal social programs.

When Sturgis was taken to the local precinct the Detectives identified themselves and told the desk lieutenant that they were booking Frank Forini (Sturgis’ real name). They took Sturgis to the Detectives room and began processing the arrest. That’s when things got strange. Rosenthal advises Sturgis of his rights. Sturgis asks to make a call, which Rothstein does. He tells Rothstein to call Gaeton Fonzi, the investigator in the House Assassination Hearings. Rothstein is surprised, that a suspect would call the investigator and he is the suspect. When Fonzi answers the phone, Rothstein identifies himself and tells Fonzi that Sturgis is under arrest and wants to talk to him. Fonzi was dumbfounded. (See The Last Investigation, by Gaeton Fonzi, page 103). Shortly after the call was made the desk officer calls the Detectives to inform them that a Frank Nelson (CIA and Organized Crime in Cuba) was at the desk and was looking for Frank Sturgis, and, if in, fact Forini was Sturgis. The answer was yes. Within minutes all hell broke loose. Every big boss in the Police Department was calling to find out what happened. The Detectives finished booking Sturgis and were requested to report to the offices of John Guido and Harold Hess, two of the top bosses involved in this type of case. When the Detectives arrive at Guido and Hess’s office they are asked if they had anything eat. The Detectives said no. Hess sends out one of his staff to get a six pack of beer and sandwiches. He asks the Detectives, “Is it good and clean arrest?” The Detectives say, “Yes, it is and it is solid.” Hess replies, “Good that is all I want to know.” The Detectives advise Guido and Hess of what happened. Rosenthal and Rothstein are asked to arraign Sturgis and go home and get some rest.

At the arraignment of Frank Sturgis in Manhattan Criminal ADA Broomer is assigned to the case. The Detectives inform Broomer of the tape corroborating the allegations made by Marita and Meskil. Broomer asks the Detectives where the tape is. They inform Broomer that they will pick up the tape at Meskils residence in Nassau County on their way back to the city from their residences. Early the next morning all hell breaks loose again. Unknown members of the New York City Police Department went to Meskil’s residence to get the tapes. When Meskil’s son answers the door, he sees that it is not Detectives Rosenthal and Rothstein. The son calls the Nassau County Police Department and tells them that somebody was at his door trying to take evidence of the Kennedy assassination. Nassau County Police responded in full force. The New York City Cops were sent packing.

Detectives Rosenthal and Rothstein are notified by Guido and Hess of what happened; somebody had sand-bagged them and they should immediately proceed to the Meskil residence and retrieve the tapes. Rosenthal and Rothstein meet with the son at Meskil’s residence and the son was so proud that he had protected the tapes for Rosenthal and Rothstein, as his father had told him to do. The son gives the tapes to the Detectives. The detectives knew what was coming; the cover-up was started.

Detectives Rosenthal and Rothstein take the tape to ADA Broomer’s office and the tape is played. Marita and Meskil were right. Sturgis is heard telling Marita, “You know what the rules are and what happens if you talk.”  Broomer and the powers to-be decide that is not a threat. The Detectives argue vehemently that it is clearly a threat and you have to be totally stupid if you don’t understand that. The Detectives know the fix was in. The charges against Sturgis were dropped.

The boxes of files in Marita’s apartment were hand delivered to the House Assassination Hearings in Washington DC by Marita Lorenz and retired Det. Bobby Polachek, who had been a partner of Det. Rothstein at the 26 Precinct.

 Subsequently, Rosenthal, Rothstein, and the City of New York were sued by Sturgis for $16 million for making a false arrest. The case was tried by Judge Leonard Sand in the Federal Court in the Southern District of New York. Sturgis was represented by Henry Rothblatt. Rothstein was called as the last witness late in the day. He was sworn in by the judge and the case was adjourned till the next day. As Det. Rothstein was getting ready to leave the court house, he was warned by unnamed sources that his life was in danger and that he should not go home. Det. Rothstein called one of his informants, who lived in the neighborhood near the court house, and asked her for assistance. She was connected to organized crime figures in the same area. Det. Rothstein left through the back door and was safely taken to an apartment by his informant and her friends.

The next morning, Det. Rothstein took the stand to testify. Before anything was said, Judge Sand was summoned to his chambers. After an hour or so, Det. Rothstein was called to the Judge’s Chambers. Det. Rothstein was asked what it would take for him not to testify. Everybody in the courtroom, especially the media, knew Det. Rothstein was going to let it all hang out. An agreement was reached that the City Of New York was going to pay $2,500.00 to Sturgis and Det. Rosenthal and Det. Rothstein were to be commended for acting above and beyond the call of duty. Judge Sand advised Det. Rothstein that he would be called in front of the bench and, if Det. Rothstein wanted to make a statement, he could say anything he wanted to say. Det. Rothstein realized it was in his best interest to keep his big mouth shut.  As Rothstein turns to leave the courtroom, Sturgis and Rothblatt shake Rothstein’s hand and asked if he would be part of their organization. Rothstein replies, “It is an honor for you to ask, but I cannot do that.” He left the courthouse.

THE AFTERMATH:

In the early nineties, Rothstein received a call from Arthur Nazeth, a reliable source in the underground of organized crime, inquiring about Frank Sturgis. Nazeth was in possession of an envelope with Frank Sturgis’ name on it and the seal of Cardinal Cooke from New York. Nazeth had received the envelope when a relative of his died, who had been a professor at one of the major colleges in New York. Nazeth asked what to do, and Rothstein told him to open it up and find out what it was. When the envelope was opened, it was the 22 page written confession of Frank Sturgis to Cardinal Cooke made in 1972. Nazeth read the 22 page confession to Rothstein over the phone. In the confession, Sturgis admits to the assassination of John F Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, giving a full description of what happened that day in Dallas. He also stated in that confession that the police officer, Tippet, had been killed by G. Gordon Liddy. Nazeth asks Rothstein to come to New York and pick up the confession. Rothstein was living in Maine at the time.

 Arrangements were made that Rothstein would meet Nazeth at the Saston Lumber Yard on Sunrise Highway in Lindenhurst, New York. When Nazeth nears the lumber yard to make the drop, he is intercepted by authorities. Authorities did not find the confession; Nazeth was not new to this kind of game. A second meeting is scheduled at the Lindenhurst Diner on Sunrise Highway in Lindenhurst the next night. On what was supposed to be a quiet night, it was standing room only with feds when Rothstein got there. When Nazeth saw the crowded diner, he aborted the drop. Rothstein returned to Maine waiting for another day when the heat was off. Rothstein would not hear from Nazeth again until about 2007.  Nazeth called Rothstein on another matter and told him that the confession was safe and by the water, and someday they would meet to finish the drop. Rothstein is still waiting. The confession verifies the information Rothstein received from Marita Lorenz and what Sturgis told Rothstein when he was arrested by Rothstein at Marita’s apartment.

In the mid to late nineties Rothstein was at a meeting with John Tunheim, who reviewed the files of the House Assassination to determine what information could be released to the public.  He relates what he saw during his time assignment. Rothstein asks Tunheim if he saw Marita’s boxes of files that had been delivered to the hearings and the files of Frank Sturgis. Tunheim responds that Marita was such a beautiful, sweet grandma but there were no files from Marita or Sturgis. He says it was not the files that were missing but the blocks of files that they could not find that surprised him. Rothstein tells Tunheim about his dealings with Marita and who she really was. Yes, she was a beautiful, sweet grandma but she was also a stone killer and assassin. She was known as, “My Little Assassin” in various writings.

In 2008, Don Roberts of Noblesville, Indiana, tells the local newspaper reporter, William Fouts, that he was an aircraft maintenance technician aboard the Essex in 1961. On April 2, 1961, the Essex sets sail from Norfolk Virginia. He recalls that in the pre-dawn hours of April 15, jets began launching from the Essex deck. “By sunrise, bodies were spotted in the water. Smoke could be seen rising over the horizon from Cuba. Over the next several days, the crew listened as CIA operatives stationed on the Isle of Pines pleaded for more air support. .” He stated, “He watched in horror as dead and wounded U.S. and Cuban personnel were brought aboard ship. He listened on the radio as CIA operatives pleaded for help, and like the rest of his shipmates, he felt anguish as the Essex headed for home leaving the invasion forces to their fate on the beaches.” But, President Kennedy had suspended air operations in support of the invasion. Even as more dead and wounded men, including Marines, arrived aboard the Essex, the crew heard U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Adlai Stevenson, as well as the Navy’s Chief of Operations deny news reports that U.S. ships were off the Cuban coast.

On April 22, 2011, the Bangor Daily News wrote a story about Torrey Sylvester of Houlton, Maine. Torrey had served on board the USS Conway 507 and was part of the invasion group with the Essex. Rothstein had met Torrey when he lived in Maine and had many conversations about the Bay of Pigs Invasion. Fifteen years earlier, Torrey had written a story about the Bay of Pigs Invasion and had sent it to the Naval Institute Proceedings for publishing. They wouldn’t print it because it was too sensitive.

In May of 2011, Rothstein went to the local American Legion Club in Paynesville, Minnesota. As he entered, his old classmate from Paynesville High School, Billy Quarfot, greeted Rothstein saying, “Hey, after fifty years, you are not a xxxx anymore. Look at the story in the VFW magazine of April, 2011. It verifies that the Essex was involved in the Bay of Pigs Invasion.” The story was written by Tim Dyhouse and gave a brief description of the ships and personnel involved in the attack. Rothstein smiled; he had known the truth for fifty years.