Orest Pena's HSCA Testimony

[Tom Gram]

Killer stuff David. Do you know if the immunized HSCA testimony of Carlos Eduardo Hernandez Sanchez has been released? Chris Newton mentions it in that thread from 2015 but I can't find the actual testimony anywhere, just HSCA staff notes. Like Newton said, the index reads like a summary of the movie JFK. 

I find the idea of the MDC camp being some sort of limited hangout pretty intriguing. Newton proposes the same about the McLaney cache - but it seems like that's a hell of a lot of quality materials to have turned over to the FBI willingly, IMO. 

One thing mentioned in that thread is the story Ricky Davis told that on the way in from Miami the Cubans had two trucks break down simultaneously and that's why they had to contact the Cuban Catholic Center to assist in logistics. The Catholic Center was the sole conduit of funds and administrator of the federal Cuban exile resettlement program in New Orleans, a program that the CIA was heavily involved in. The head of the Center, Elise Cerniglia, was an FBI informant and looks to have been a liaison between the CIA and the exile community. She connected Bringuier, Quiroga, Blanco and other exiles with CIA recruiters operating under Army cover that were trying to recruit Cubans for military training in New Orleans in Spring 1962. The FBI learned about this operation from Arnesto Rodriguez, but only learned about Cerniglia through a different informant that reported to Army Intelligence. Cerniglia herself was also a CRC member, and chaired the CRC welfare committee. 

Rodriguez's information eventually led to the CIA getting the Justice Department to shut down any further FBI investigation of the CRC in New Orleans - and specifically any military activities. I mentioned this in another thread, and the document is linked in one of my previous comments here, but Warren DeBrueys specifically wrote in a report that any information obtained on CRC military activities would not be put into report form to cover for the CIA. 

The point though is that Davis' tale about the trucks breaking down screams of being a cover story, and that the Catholic Center was a lot more than just an independent charitable organization. Interestingly, the evidence points strongly to Cerniglia as being the person who placed Arcacha, Blanco and Bringuier in adjacent apartments. Ricky Davis lived in the same complex on the same block around the corner.

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=84465#relPageId=6

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=34430#relPageId=9

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=80623#relPageId=2

[Greg Wagner]

Fascinating stuff, guys. Good work. In the document linked below (page 13), Ed Kaiser mentions Steve Czukos was the head of Intelligence for U.S. Customs in South Florida.

Two points about Czukos.

Czukos was on a list of people being sought by either Garrison or Fonzi. I saw this list years ago but can't recall where and I can't find it. One of these guys thought Czukos was worth talking to about the Kennedy assassination.

I was told (I can't back this up with any proof) that Czukos was connected to Bernardo de Torres. BDT was being used by several agencies, so that's not all that surprising.

I haven't done much digging on Czukos, but he might be worth looking into.

https://tangodown63.com/steve-czukos-documents/ 

[Steve Thomas]

The INS and/or Customs angle has intrigued me in the past:

• INS and/or Customs was supposed to have picked up a Frenchman and flown him out of Dallas within 48 hours of the assassination
• Oswald's repeated description of himself as an import/export dealer/broker (I think he used that in his application for a Russina visa)
• The INS had an office in the Rio Grande Building in Dallas. The Rio Grande Building is where the bus picked up Oswald (or an Oswald impersonator) after the assassination. I personally think (but cannot prove) that that's where Oswald was headed when he left the TSBD
• Ruth Paine's divorce lawyer had his office in the Rio Grande Building (so did the 112th MID and the ATF).

Steve Thomas

[Denny Zartman]

14 minutes ago, Steve Thomas said:

Ruth Paine's divorce lawyer had his office in the Rio Grande Building

That's fascinating. I was just thinking of how unusual Ruth & Michael's relationship was compared to many other couples who had broken up.

[Tom Gram]

4 hours ago, Steve Thomas said:

The INS and/or Customs angle has intrigued me in the past:

• INS and/or Customs was supposed to have picked up a Frenchman and flown him out of Dallas within 48 hours of the assassination
• Oswald's repeated description of himself as an import/export dealer/broker (I think he used that in his application for a Russina visa)
• The INS had an office in the Rio Grande Building in Dallas. The Rio Grande Building is where the bus picked up Oswald (or an Oswald impersonator) after the assassination. I personally think (but cannot prove) that that's where Oswald was headed when he left the TSBD
• Ruth Paine's divorce lawyer had his office in the Rio Grande Building (so did the 112th MID and the ATF).

Steve Thomas

Fantastic stuff Steve. There's a lot of questionable shared office space in this case. In New Orleans, the INS, CIA, and Civil Air Patrol were for a time all based out of the Masonic Temple Building, which was an eight minute walk from the Customs House.  I haven't verified this for the INS after '61, but I haven't seen any indication that they moved either. The FBI had an office there too but they moved to their own building before '63 (I'm pretty damn sure - haven't looked at this in a while).

The Masonic Temple Building was literally right across the street from the Balter Building, where Bannister and Sergio Arcacha Smith were based before moving to Camp St. This is pretty relevant to this thread:

Q. Mr. Pena, is there any substantiation for your allegation that Oswald was an FBI informant? Can you offer other proof that Oswald was an FBI informant?

A. I will not talk anything else about it. This matter, it would be more to talk about but this matter, we have to come to something else who is Sergio Arcacha Smith and the office at the Balter Building. 

Q. I did not understand that. 

A. The offices of Sergio Arcacha Smith and the FBI -- when all this matter is straightened up then we will talk about some other offices in the same Balter Building. 

Q. What about?

A. Some other offices in the same Balter Building where the federal government was working. It is another office in the Balter Building. You better leave it like that, like it is. I do not want to go any farther. 

Rancier Ehlinger, Gordon Novel's business partner, incorporated Mark Hellenger and Associates Inc. at 409 Balter Building at the same time Bannister and Arcacha were there in #434. Ehlinger took the fifth when asked if he knew Sergio Arcacha Smith by the New Orleans Grand Jury:

https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_la/25605220D

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=1181#relPageId=7

During the Garrison investigation, the investigative firm hired by Clay Shaw's lawyers was working out of the Masonic Temple Building - as were the stenographers chosen to cover the Shaw trial.  

[James DiEugenio]

Was not Rancier related to Ed Butler?

[Tom Gram]

4 minutes ago, James DiEugenio said:

Was not Rancier related to Ed Butler?

Yes. Gordon Novel testified that they were cousins but I can't find any other details.

I'm on a very promising lead that's related to all of this, but I really need to get the '61-'68 New Orleans city directories, and go to New Orleans to really run it down properly I think. If anyone lives in Louisiana and/or can get access to city directories after 1960 let me know. 

[James DiEugenio]

Do you actually need the directories in hand?

Because someone at a library can look it up for you.

[Tom Gram]

24 minutes ago, James DiEugenio said:

Do you actually need the directories in hand?

Because someone at a library can look it up for you.

That's a good point. I saw it a while ago but I forgot that the NOLA library had that service. I'm going to email the archivist right now. Thank you. 

One thing that's interesting though, is that the only city directory missing from the archival holdings of the City, State, and Jazz Museum libraries is 1963. It's the same deal with arrest records. The only set not open for public viewing is 1963. Is that not a little weird? 

EDIT: Got an automated reply saying the archivist will return on Monday. 

Edited July 15, 2022 by Tom Gram

[Stu Wexler]

While we are talking about Pena. More than once he made reference to a guy named Wilfredo Mas as a key player in the New Orleans exile community and possibly in the JFK case. There is virtually nothing on someone named Wilfredo Mas.  Anyone know more?

 

Stu

[Tom Gram]

43 minutes ago, Stu Wexler said:

While we are talking about Pena. More than once he made reference to a guy named Wilfredo Mas as a key player in the New Orleans exile community and possibly in the JFK case. There is virtually nothing on someone named Wilfredo Mas.  Anyone know more?

 

Stu

I found a few things that may be relevant. I found a quote, probably from Pena, that says that David Ferrie told Pena the day before he died "He must find Sergio Arcacha Smith and Wilfredo Mas."

I found a JMWAVE listing for a Wilfredo Morales that states he was a black belt in Judo, and in Jan '61 was "forming an apolitical organization for training of agents for underground and sab. activity in PBRUMEN (Cuba)":

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=155773#relPageId=107

Ricky Davis said he met a Black Belt Karate expert with Guy Bannister:

I'm pretty sure there's another reference to this Cuban Karate expert in Garrison's files but I haven't found it yet. Also, I found a Church Committee era newspaper article that states that medical experts claimed that Ferrie could have been killed by a karate chop to the neck:

Either way, I think Wilfredo Morales is a prime suspect for this "Wilfredo Mas". In the JMWAVE report, Morales is said to have had interactions with an "Orestes Martinez" in regards to the Unidad Revolucionaria. I haven't been able to confirm it, but I wonder if Martinez is Pena.  

[James DiEugenio]

Nice work Tom.  Glad you are here.

I never even heard of that quote from Ferrie about needing to find SAS on the eve of his death.

I have always maintained that SAS was an overlooked player.  That kind of seals it.

[David Boylan]

36 minutes ago, Tom Gram said:

I found a few things that may be relevant. I found a quote, probably from Pena, that says that David Ferrie told Pena the day before he died "He must find Sergio Arcacha Smith and Wilfredo Mas."

I found a JMWAVE listing for a Wilfredo Morales that states he was a black belt in Judo, and in Jan '61 was "forming an apolitical organization for training of agents for underground and sab. activity in PBRUMEN (Cuba)":

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=155773#relPageId=107

Ricky Davis said he met a Black Belt Karate expert with Guy Bannister:

I'm pretty sure there's another reference to this Cuban Karate expert in Garrison's files but I haven't found it yet. Also, I found a Church Committee era newspaper article that states that medical experts claimed that Ferrie could have been killed by a karate chop to the neck:

Either way, I think Wilfredo Morales is a prime suspect for this "Wilfredo Mas". In the JMWAVE report, Morales is said to have had interactions with an "Orestes Martinez" in regards to the Unidad Revolucionaria. I haven't been able to confirm it, but I wonder if Martinez is Pena.  

Tom,

I think the Cuban Karate black belt was Mario Kohly, Jr. Most did not know the difference between Judo and Karate back in the 60's. Frank Sturgis also trained with him.

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=91348#relPageId=9&search="mario_Kohly" and black

Another Black Belt would have been the above Wilfredo Morales.

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=52123#relPageId=13

 

 

Edited July 15, 2022 by David Boylan

[Tom Gram]

20 minutes ago, David Boylan said:

Tom,

I think the Cuban Karate black belt was Mario Kohly, Jr. Most did not know the difference between Judo and Karate back in the 60's. Frank Sturgis also trained with him.

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=91348#relPageId=9&search="mario_Kohly" and black

Another Black Belt would have been the above Wilfredo Morales.

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=52123#relPageId=13

 

 

 

Is there evidence of Kohly ever going to New Orleans? I found an interesting article that talks about him a bit - his son thought he definitely had knowledge of the assassination apparently - but nothing about New Orleans at all, just that he was arrested in October '63. 

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=48737#relPageId=10

If Morales really is the Wilfredo Mas referred to by Pena, and there's no evidence of Kohly in New Orleans, wouldn't he be the better candidate for the Karate expert seen with Bannister? 

Also, thanks Jim, and I agree on Arcacha Smith.  

[David Boylan]

Tom,

You're right. I thought I had Kohly in New Orleans. I can't seem to find that ref.