1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,400 Speaker 1: Ridiculous Crime is a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:08,760 Speaker 2: Elizabeth Dunton, Aren, I'm not done, Zaren Burnette. 3 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:11,480 Speaker 3: You left out the third. 4 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:12,760 Speaker 1: Yea and the Walter. 5 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:18,120 Speaker 3: And the sir and the esquire, Elizabe Dutton. I got 6 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 3: a question for you, mcgaro. Do you know it's ridiculous? Yeah? 7 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 1: I do, I do. 8 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 3: I was really just counting on you not knowing. 9 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 2: I know, and then you just get to run with it. No, nobody, 10 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 2: I'm gonna throw a wrench in this. You know what 11 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:35,880 Speaker 2: a mocha pot is? 12 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:37,320 Speaker 3: Is that where you pour that stuff in your. 13 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 2: No, that's a that's a netty pot. Now, this is 14 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 2: an Italian coffee pot. Don't know what it is, but 15 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:45,279 Speaker 2: it's sort of like got a decagon shaped to it, 16 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 2: and it has a chamber in the bottom of it 17 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 2: and that's where you put the water, and then it 18 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:55,320 Speaker 2: has a basket for the grounds and then up top 19 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 2: like the heat draws the water up through through. 20 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 1: Steam coffee that way. You know, you've seen them. 21 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 2: I'm sure it's a silver silver, yeah, and so it's 22 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 2: a big deal. There's like two hundred million of them 23 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 2: have been made. Are you getting nervous? No, you should 24 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 2: not back. So this thing, this thing was invented by 25 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 2: Luigi di Ponti in Italy in the thirties, and then 26 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 2: the patents were purchased by Alfonso Biletti, and Alfonso had 27 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:30,400 Speaker 2: a boy, Renato, and in the mid forties, Renato took 28 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 2: over the company and he just marketed the heck out 29 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:37,800 Speaker 2: of these and that's why they become like this standard 30 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:40,800 Speaker 2: bearer for you can make an almost espresso like coffee. 31 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 1: It's very rich, robust, is like Ilio. 32 00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 3: Is that the brand that makes stuff for. 33 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:45,120 Speaker 1: This kind of like that. 34 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, but this is like if you see it, you'll 35 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 2: know it anyway. So Renato Biletti he passed away at 36 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 2: the age of ninety three in twenty sixteen. I know, 37 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 2: and his children, he has three kids. They had him 38 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:05,640 Speaker 2: cremated and his cremaines were put into a giant Mocha pot. 39 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 3: Oh nice. See this is like the Pringles guy he was. 40 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 2: Yes, he was buried inside a large urn shaped like 41 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:14,640 Speaker 2: his stove top coffee maker. 42 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:15,639 Speaker 3: I like it. 43 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 1: Yes, it's a little bit ridiculous. 44 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:18,200 Speaker 3: It is ridiculous. 45 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 1: This comes to us. 46 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 2: This is not only an international story because it's from Italy, 47 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:25,919 Speaker 2: but it was given to us by Helga in Germany. 48 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 3: Ah, Donka Helga, So. 49 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 2: I yes, Donka to you? Don Ka Shane Darling, Donky Shane. 50 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 3: Do you remember Cecil Parking fall? You toy your dress? 51 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 1: What a mess? 52 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:39,359 Speaker 3: I confess anyway, that is a good one. 53 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:40,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, I know it is. 54 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 3: That's why I said it got a hell a ridiculous 55 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:45,080 Speaker 3: one for you. Hit me for more than forty years. 56 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 3: The Central Intelligence Agency aka the Agency, aka the company 57 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:54,239 Speaker 3: aka the CIA. They and their spies, they tried to 58 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:56,960 Speaker 3: kill the same man six hundred and thirty four. 59 00:02:56,720 --> 00:02:58,799 Speaker 1: Times, six hundred and thirty four. 60 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:00,800 Speaker 3: Yes, And this man he was just like you know, 61 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 3: he was a one time baseball pitching prospect. 62 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:06,120 Speaker 1: Like Jason Bourne. Huh Jason Bourne. 63 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:08,079 Speaker 3: No, No, he was a real person. But do you 64 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 3: see his path diverge. Isn't a real person, not totally 65 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:16,079 Speaker 3: a real person. He's real to you. Yeah, so that 66 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:19,079 Speaker 3: counts well. This guy, he's real, like to everybody, right 67 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 3: and he uh he as I told you, a baseball 68 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:24,920 Speaker 3: pitching prospect, but his path diverged from baseball and eventually 69 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 3: he becomes a revolutionary and you would know him as 70 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 3: Fidel Castro. Y know, Elizabeth, I know you're worried, like, wait, 71 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 3: six hundred and thirty four murder attempts. Yeah, that sounds 72 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:36,400 Speaker 3: like we're going to just smash through our like one 73 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 3: percent murder. Well, spoiler alert, the CIA never successfully assassinated 74 00:03:41,840 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 3: Fidel Castro. Amazing, but boy, how did did they try? 75 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 3: This is Ridiculous Crime, a podcast about absurd and outrageous capers. 76 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 3: Heiss and cons it's always ninety nine percent murder free 77 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:19,239 Speaker 3: and one hundred percent ridiculous. Elizabeth Sarin, the former head 78 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:23,720 Speaker 3: of the Cuban Intelligence. This dude was named Fabian Escalante. 79 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:26,680 Speaker 3: He stepped out of the shadows where spies exist and 80 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:29,680 Speaker 3: he publicly claimed that the Yankees tried to kill Fidell 81 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 3: six hundred and thirty four times. 82 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 1: The baseball team, not the. 83 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:34,800 Speaker 3: Baseball team from New York, No, the Yankees as in. 84 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 1: US Americans, the Yanks, Yeah. 85 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 3: Exactly, the Yankees. So this cat Escalante, he had the 86 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:43,040 Speaker 3: receipts right because he's the head of the Cuban intelligence. 87 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:46,000 Speaker 3: He knows where the bodies are buried right now, being 88 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:48,960 Speaker 3: the former head of Cuban intelligence, he broke down how 89 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:52,200 Speaker 3: all of the attempts went by president for forty years. 90 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:55,800 Speaker 3: He lists them out for you so very quickly. Dwight D. 91 00:04:55,839 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 3: Eisenhower kicks it off in nineteen fifty nine. He took 92 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:01,840 Speaker 3: thirty eight attempts. John F. Kennedy he followed him. He 93 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 3: took forty two attempts. LDJ took seventy two attempts. They're 94 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:07,680 Speaker 3: ramping up by the time we get to Nixon. Nixon 95 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 3: goes for a record one hundred and eighty four attempts. 96 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:14,359 Speaker 3: Jimmy Carter clocks in. It's sixty four attempts. Record is 97 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:17,560 Speaker 3: broken by Reagan with one hundred and ninety seven attempts. 98 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:20,599 Speaker 3: On Castro's life, Dan George H. W. Bush keeps it 99 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 3: solid with a nice little conservative sixteen, and then Bill 100 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 3: Clinton ends the era with twenty one of his own. 101 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:29,600 Speaker 1: This is like fifty ways to leave your lover. 102 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:33,880 Speaker 3: Right exactly, Bill Clinton trying to kill Castro. I'm like, 103 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:36,599 Speaker 3: my dude, seriously, the Cold War is over. What's the 104 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 3: point here? Are you just trying to get in on 105 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:41,160 Speaker 3: that JFK energy? Yes, Like, look my obsession it runs 106 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:44,479 Speaker 3: that deep. I want to be like the kid. So anyway, Elizabeth, 107 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:47,120 Speaker 3: you may be thinking Zarin, of course, the head of 108 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:50,479 Speaker 3: the Cuban version of the CIA would say some nonsense 109 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 3: like this. 110 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:52,039 Speaker 1: That's exactly what I was thinking. 111 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:54,279 Speaker 3: Six hundred and thirty four attempts that can't be true. 112 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:58,240 Speaker 3: That must be revolutionary propaganda, isn't it. Zaren great questions, Elizabeth, 113 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:00,479 Speaker 3: Thank you. Normally I would agree with you normally, but 114 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:02,680 Speaker 3: this is totally the propaganda. But we don't have to 115 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:05,040 Speaker 3: believe Escalante, not in this case. Do you know why 116 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:08,239 Speaker 3: because we have the Church Committee and its Senate hearings. 117 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:10,600 Speaker 3: Huh yeah, do you know the Church Committee is familiar with. 118 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 3: The Church Committee is a big marquee Congressional investigation in 119 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:17,920 Speaker 3: the nineteen seventies. It was famous for pulling back the 120 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:22,719 Speaker 3: veil on countless crimes committed by the CIA. Now, most 121 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:25,160 Speaker 3: of them were overseas, some of them were domestic. They 122 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:27,800 Speaker 3: worked both foreign antheistic, which is totally against the law. 123 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 3: But anyway, we don't have to take the Cuban's word 124 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:32,719 Speaker 3: for it because we have the CIA and the FBI, 125 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:35,000 Speaker 3: and the US Senate and the House road representatives. They 126 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 3: all said the same thing. So you know, here, let 127 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 3: me just read to you from this file that I 128 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 3: have over here marked secretize only this is from the 129 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:45,680 Speaker 3: National archives. It is no longer secretized only, but it 130 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 3: originally was. Now, this is a CIA document that records 131 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:52,600 Speaker 3: the agency's countless attempts to kill Castro, and I quote. 132 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 3: This reconstruction of agency involvement in plans to assassinate Fidel 133 00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:59,479 Speaker 3: Castro is at best an imperfect history because of the 134 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:03,320 Speaker 3: extremes insitivity of the operations being discussed or attempted. As 135 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:06,040 Speaker 3: a matter of principle, no official records were kept of 136 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 3: planning or approvals or of implementation. So they're like, yeah, 137 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 3: we kept it. Hush hush, right, hush hush. Now, despite 138 00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:17,760 Speaker 3: this apparent difficulty with the with you know, basically documenting 139 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:20,600 Speaker 3: their investigation, they still were able to produce one hundred 140 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:23,480 Speaker 3: and forty three page report documenting all the ways they 141 00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:24,320 Speaker 3: tried to kill Castro. 142 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:25,520 Speaker 1: Oh wait, and how many was it? 143 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:27,280 Speaker 3: Six? Six hundred and thirty four? 144 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 1: Huh so they're doing a couple per page? 145 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 3: Oh yeah. It was like the script from Airplane. It 146 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:35,000 Speaker 3: is just joke after joke every like was it one 147 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:37,280 Speaker 3: joke or three jokes every minute of pre Airplane? It 148 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:40,080 Speaker 3: was like that. But murders attempts love it, Okay, sow. 149 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 3: Starting back in nineteen seventy three, the Senate Watergate Committee investigation. 150 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 3: It starts looking into these rumors of the Watergate break 151 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:50,880 Speaker 3: ins and what Nixon was eventually going to be impeached for. Now, 152 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 3: the American people, they learned through the Watergates that their 153 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:56,000 Speaker 3: nations leaders and our spies had been conducting these clan 154 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 3: destined operations. Right to put it mildly, they were constitutionally corrupt. 155 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:00,560 Speaker 2: Now. 156 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:04,880 Speaker 3: The next year, in nineteen seventy four, Seymour Hirsch, this journalist, 157 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 3: investigative journalist, he goes and writes a story for the 158 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:11,560 Speaker 3: New York Times and expose that reveals that the CIA 159 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:14,880 Speaker 3: has been spying on Americans. Back then, this was shocking 160 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 3: to us. We're like, oh, the frenchman with a cigarette 161 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:20,880 Speaker 3: tell me something I did me to know, you know. 162 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 3: But at that time, congressional investigations get launched. It's a 163 00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:27,520 Speaker 3: big deal, Elizabeth, I'm telling you. The next year, nineteen 164 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 3: seventy five, it gets nicknamed the Year of Intelligence. This 165 00:08:31,320 --> 00:08:34,560 Speaker 3: is due to hold the investigations into the CIA, the FBI, 166 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:37,880 Speaker 3: the NSA, even the irs gets dragged in. Right now, 167 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 3: this all comes under the Church Committee, led by Idaho 168 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:45,199 Speaker 3: Democratic Senator Frank Church. Now that's the name exactly. Now, 169 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:47,800 Speaker 3: his committee was the real deal, serious, like I'm gonna 170 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:49,320 Speaker 3: get to the heart of the matter. He had one 171 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:52,760 Speaker 3: hundred and twenty six full committee meetings, that's not normal, 172 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:57,439 Speaker 3: forty subcommittee hearings, eight hundred witnesses, eleven sorry, one hundred 173 00:08:57,440 --> 00:09:02,240 Speaker 3: and ten thousand documents were perused. And yes, finally in 174 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:05,559 Speaker 3: April seventy six, the committee publishes its report. Now, most 175 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:07,560 Speaker 3: of these times we've seen these reports, they're always big. 176 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:09,920 Speaker 3: It could be best to be used as a door stop, 177 00:09:10,160 --> 00:09:12,400 Speaker 3: but this one was a door buster. It just went 178 00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 3: up there and kicked the door in. Because the Church 179 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 3: Committee hearings declared that dating back to FDR and continuing 180 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:22,200 Speaker 3: right on through the early seventies, there had been one 181 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:26,400 Speaker 3: endless program of spying and destabilization of democracies, both at 182 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 3: home and abroad. Yeah, so they basically just determined that 183 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:32,200 Speaker 3: regardless of the party in power, they had been running 184 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:35,280 Speaker 3: just pretty much any anti democratic effort they could, and 185 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 3: it wasn't just tricky Dick Nixon. So the Church Committee 186 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:41,400 Speaker 3: then reveals like all sorts of stuff that people we 187 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 3: know about them. Now, So there's a famous operations by 188 00:09:44,559 --> 00:09:47,160 Speaker 3: the CIA like mk Ultra. Yep, this comes out in 189 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:50,840 Speaker 3: the Church Committee hearings. That's the CIA's mind control program 190 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:55,320 Speaker 3: where they basically took a bunch of involuntary you know, volunteers, 191 00:09:55,559 --> 00:09:57,920 Speaker 3: and they use them for human experiments, right to determine 192 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:00,160 Speaker 3: how do we mind control people with like drugs and like, 193 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:02,959 Speaker 3: you know, psychic abuse. Then they went on they did 194 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:05,439 Speaker 3: co Intel pro That was the FBI's program. That was 195 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:08,000 Speaker 3: Jaegar Hoover's little pet project to hold black people down 196 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:11,080 Speaker 3: and pretty much any other social justice campaign. So he 197 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:14,320 Speaker 3: had agents infiltrating the like the Panthers and all these 198 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:17,280 Speaker 3: other social justice and civil rights organizations, and then artists 199 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:19,720 Speaker 3: artists as well, and then he does the divide and 200 00:10:19,760 --> 00:10:22,840 Speaker 3: conquer you ghet them with the breakup social movements, rumors 201 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 3: and drugs and bad cop busts or whatever. Right. Then 202 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:28,440 Speaker 3: there was the CIA's program, This is the one I 203 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:30,600 Speaker 3: wanted to tell you about, which is family Jewels. 204 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:32,640 Speaker 1: Family Jewels, that's what they called it. 205 00:10:32,679 --> 00:10:35,120 Speaker 3: Family Jewels, like kick them in the So this cute 206 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:38,160 Speaker 3: little name was the CIA's nickname for their decades long 207 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:42,319 Speaker 3: program to assassinate foreign leaders leaders leaders multiple So the 208 00:10:42,400 --> 00:10:45,400 Speaker 3: Church Committee, they published a sub report. One of the 209 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:48,760 Speaker 3: forty was called the Alleged Assassination Plots Involving Foreign Leaders. 210 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:52,319 Speaker 3: It outlines the CIA's attempts to kill No Dn Diem 211 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:56,280 Speaker 3: of South Vietnam, Patrese La Mumba of Zaire, Rafael Trujillo 212 00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:59,240 Speaker 3: from the Dominican Republic, and the big big batty, the 213 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:02,600 Speaker 3: bearded one, Fidel Castro. So if you'd like to read more, 214 00:11:02,679 --> 00:11:05,880 Speaker 3: then you could check out CIA Covert Operations two, The 215 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:10,240 Speaker 3: Year of Intelligence in nineteen seventy five. Book. It's a book. 216 00:11:10,280 --> 00:11:12,559 Speaker 3: It's a huge book printed by the CIA. 217 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:13,560 Speaker 1: As a movie. 218 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:16,480 Speaker 3: I know, like what it like electric boogaloo? 219 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:17,440 Speaker 1: Yes exactly. 220 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:20,680 Speaker 3: Yeah. So if you also, if we want some lighter reading, 221 00:11:20,679 --> 00:11:22,400 Speaker 3: you can go to the National Archives of Elizabeth. I 222 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:25,240 Speaker 3: book mark some sites for you. But I know you're like, Zaren, 223 00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:27,160 Speaker 3: tell me more about the six hundred and thirty four 224 00:11:27,320 --> 00:11:31,119 Speaker 3: failed attempts to kill Castro. They're all one hundred percent ridiculous. 225 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:33,880 Speaker 3: It sounds like I'm guaranteeing you that. So all right, 226 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:37,240 Speaker 3: Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ike, Yeah, that's where it starts, right, 227 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 3: who is his vice president? Virulent anti communist, tricky Dick Nixon. 228 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:42,840 Speaker 1: That's right. 229 00:11:42,960 --> 00:11:46,080 Speaker 3: So Richard Nixon, he took it upon himself and he 230 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:48,800 Speaker 3: met Castro. He met Fidel in person in Washington, DC 231 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:52,440 Speaker 3: in April nineteenth, nineteen sixty. Now he sits down with 232 00:11:52,520 --> 00:11:55,719 Speaker 3: Castro in the Vice President's office in the Capitol. The 233 00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:58,400 Speaker 3: two men sit together for three hours. Right now. This 234 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:00,840 Speaker 3: is right after the Cuban Revolution is been successful. 235 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:01,040 Speaker 2: Right. 236 00:12:01,080 --> 00:12:04,280 Speaker 3: So Nixon is like, no, now look here, Fiddel, we 237 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:06,640 Speaker 3: don't want to get that funny business with the Soviets. 238 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:09,280 Speaker 3: If you're prepared to let Pepstery and my friends back 239 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:13,480 Speaker 3: into Cuba, we can play ball. You like ball, don't 240 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:16,280 Speaker 3: you a Fidel? And beg. Fiddel's like, yeah, I don't 241 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:19,200 Speaker 3: even know about this Bison. Right, but the guy, you know, 242 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:22,440 Speaker 3: at this time, Cast's opinion of America it begins to 243 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:26,240 Speaker 3: swiftly reverse. He actually liked America, well, reasonably, he liked America. 244 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:28,720 Speaker 3: He liked the ideals of America. He was against US imperialism, 245 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:31,240 Speaker 3: but he liked America. Right. And then he met Richard 246 00:12:31,320 --> 00:12:34,680 Speaker 3: Nixon and he's like, so much for all that we 247 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:36,480 Speaker 3: have to know, I'm not you know about this. In 248 00:12:36,559 --> 00:12:39,760 Speaker 3: nineteen fifty nine, Fidel wins his revolution, and what does 249 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:41,680 Speaker 3: he do to celebrate? He comes to New York, and 250 00:12:41,679 --> 00:12:43,120 Speaker 3: he comes to New York. He's like, hey, in the 251 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:45,559 Speaker 3: way of YORKA and he's like partying, right, and he's 252 00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:48,680 Speaker 3: like everyone's like he's he's walking around in the revolutionary dogs, 253 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:50,760 Speaker 3: like right out of the jungle. Right. He has yet 254 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:52,960 Speaker 3: to declare himself a communist at this point. So America 255 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:54,760 Speaker 3: they love him. He goes to the Bronx Zoo. He's 256 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:57,480 Speaker 3: hand feeding tigers. He's chatting with anyone on the streets 257 00:12:57,480 --> 00:12:59,800 Speaker 3: in New York in English. Bind you. He gets a 258 00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:01,680 Speaker 3: whole tell room and Harlems. He can be by the 259 00:13:01,720 --> 00:13:04,840 Speaker 3: people right until he's this huge hit. The New York 260 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:07,640 Speaker 3: Times writes about him. They're calling him quot quote, this 261 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:09,959 Speaker 3: young man is larger than life. You know. Now for 262 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:13,280 Speaker 3: some contacts and contrast, the time goes and compares his 263 00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:17,320 Speaker 3: revolution to our revolution. They say that Castro stepped onto 264 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:20,240 Speaker 3: the world stage. Quote not only out of another world, 265 00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:22,800 Speaker 3: the world of fierce Latin passion, but also out of 266 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:26,240 Speaker 3: another century, the century of Sam Adams and Patrick Henry 267 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:29,920 Speaker 3: and Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson. Perhaps because he stirred 268 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:33,400 Speaker 3: memories long dimmed of a revolutionary past, and recalled a 269 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:35,400 Speaker 3: new order once deeply felt. 270 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:38,320 Speaker 1: Oh my goodness, damn New York Times. 271 00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:41,199 Speaker 3: All about the castra. Right. Meanwhile, you got Richard Nixon 272 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:43,920 Speaker 3: is like, you know, I met with Fordell, we talked awhile, 273 00:13:43,960 --> 00:13:47,560 Speaker 3: and I think we should kill him. So that was 274 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:49,719 Speaker 3: his take, right, that's Nixon's whole of you. Now this 275 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:52,720 Speaker 3: you may be wondering, Saren, why is Nixon so kill crazy? 276 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:54,679 Speaker 3: I know he doesn't like communists, but they killed him. 277 00:13:54,679 --> 00:13:56,960 Speaker 3: What's up with them? Well, you have to understand that's 278 00:13:57,000 --> 00:13:58,560 Speaker 3: like his love language. Right. 279 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:01,760 Speaker 1: He wasn't the first to say kill him pretty. 280 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:05,080 Speaker 3: No, but pretty much Eisenhower. But he's the vice president 281 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:07,880 Speaker 3: under US, so he was collaborating with the CIA. So 282 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:10,320 Speaker 3: basically it is kind of Nixon's pet project. He's like, 283 00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:12,800 Speaker 3: before I get the carbon bombing, I'm gonna try to 284 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:15,319 Speaker 3: just take out one man with my old pal. So 285 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:17,880 Speaker 3: the thing Nixon, he spots this commy threat, right, and 286 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:20,480 Speaker 3: it's one with a Spanish accent. So that's just irritating 287 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:23,720 Speaker 3: him and scaring him. So he's it's doubly dangerous to 288 00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:26,160 Speaker 3: his way of thinking because it'll inflame Latin America. And 289 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:28,480 Speaker 3: he's got big plans for PepsiCo, right, So he's like, 290 00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:30,160 Speaker 3: we got to get this these you know, the factories 291 00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:34,320 Speaker 3: an't gonna build themselves communists. So Fidel he does what 292 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:37,840 Speaker 3: Nixon fears most. He sides with the Soviets, all right, 293 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:41,120 Speaker 3: so he declares himself with communist So now the CIA 294 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:44,480 Speaker 3: comes up with the plan, we have to destabilize Castor's revolution. 295 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:48,800 Speaker 3: So what's their answer, Elizabeth, Let's give him acid. So 296 00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:52,360 Speaker 3: their first plan is to give Fidel LSD. How do 297 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:55,720 Speaker 3: you think the CIA acid party played out for Fidel? 298 00:14:56,720 --> 00:14:57,360 Speaker 1: Not good, Bob. 299 00:14:58,160 --> 00:14:59,680 Speaker 3: Let's take a quick break and I'll tell you all 300 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:25,840 Speaker 3: about uh, Fidel's LSD acid test with the CIA. All right, Elizabeth, right, Tiger, 301 00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:29,400 Speaker 3: we're back, all right, Claude, you're ready to hear about 302 00:15:29,440 --> 00:15:33,600 Speaker 3: the CIA's LSD distribution program in Cuba. At the beginning 303 00:15:33,640 --> 00:15:36,280 Speaker 3: of the kill Castro campaign, the agency wasn't so blood thirsty. 304 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:37,960 Speaker 3: And they told you they first started out with the 305 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:39,800 Speaker 3: goal of let's just embarrass. 306 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:41,400 Speaker 1: Castros, like pull down his pants or something. 307 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:43,360 Speaker 3: Basically, that was their whole idea. They're like, if we 308 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:45,520 Speaker 3: pant over the world, bare bottom, he'd be. 309 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:47,760 Speaker 1: That'll show him, that'll learn him good. 310 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 3: This was still the Eisenhower era. It was a more 311 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:50,480 Speaker 3: innocent America. 312 00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:52,880 Speaker 1: It was wholesome. Pantsing is a wholesome activity. 313 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:55,800 Speaker 3: Very fifties, yes, very yeah. If he had, like if 314 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:58,040 Speaker 3: they could have driven over to Castro's house and just 315 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:00,560 Speaker 3: like knocked over his mailbox with like a small bat 316 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 3: and a convertible, they would have done that. 317 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:04,440 Speaker 2: We'll get someone to like snap his bras straps in 318 00:16:04,440 --> 00:16:05,440 Speaker 2: the hallways exactly. 319 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:07,280 Speaker 3: Put a kick me sign on the back of Cuba. 320 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:08,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'll get them. 321 00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:11,880 Speaker 3: So Castro has been known to give super long speeches 322 00:16:11,880 --> 00:16:13,720 Speaker 3: to his people, and I mean super long, like seven 323 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:16,480 Speaker 3: eight hour, nine hour long speeches. Right, So in August 324 00:16:16,520 --> 00:16:19,200 Speaker 3: nineteen sixties, CIA is like, that's our plan. We'll get 325 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:21,960 Speaker 3: them while he's talking. So this is a few months 326 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:24,600 Speaker 3: before the Kennedy Nixon election in nineteen sixty. We're in 327 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:27,800 Speaker 3: August nineteen sixty, right, CIA they planned for quote, a 328 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:30,600 Speaker 3: scheme to contaminate the air of the radio station where 329 00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:33,400 Speaker 3: Castro broadcast his speeches with an aerosol spray of a 330 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:36,080 Speaker 3: chemical that produces reactions similar to those of like surgic 331 00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:38,760 Speaker 3: acid LSD. So they're going to try to get him 332 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:40,680 Speaker 3: while he's on the radio and have him freak out. 333 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:42,960 Speaker 1: Vapors breathing in aerosolized LSD. 334 00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:44,640 Speaker 3: Yeah exactly, and then have them have like a bad 335 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:45,560 Speaker 3: trip live on the air. 336 00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:46,000 Speaker 1: Okay. 337 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:48,440 Speaker 3: So somewhere along the way of them like loading up 338 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:51,560 Speaker 3: their acme brands bugspray cannon with LSD, They're like, you 339 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:53,640 Speaker 3: know what, this is a dumb idea. So then they 340 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:55,080 Speaker 3: were like, okay, let's move on a new plane. 341 00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:57,640 Speaker 1: And then now they got all these cans of LSD spray. 342 00:16:57,720 --> 00:17:00,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, just sitting around. They're like, what we do about this? Well, 343 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:02,680 Speaker 3: it's probably still in their warehouse. Yeah, just kicking back 344 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:05,080 Speaker 3: there with like the I don't know, the Ark of 345 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:07,639 Speaker 3: the Covenant, just a big warehouse, yeah, next to the 346 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:11,199 Speaker 3: LSD for Cuba. So uh, let's see after that, what 347 00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:12,679 Speaker 3: did they do? Do you know what? They move on 348 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:15,560 Speaker 3: to more pantsing. They go, what if we made his 349 00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:18,360 Speaker 3: beard fall off? That would totally get him. 350 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:19,560 Speaker 1: Probably in the shampoo. 351 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:22,040 Speaker 3: Yeah. Basically they're like, so the CIA is like, uh, 352 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:23,639 Speaker 3: you know, his beard is like a it's like a 353 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:26,879 Speaker 3: symbol of power for him. It's talismanic. We need to 354 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:29,080 Speaker 3: get rid of that. So they turned to New Jerseys 355 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:31,119 Speaker 3: find his chemical makers, Like what do you got? Boys? 356 00:17:31,119 --> 00:17:33,880 Speaker 3: Got right? They're like, oh, we got this new stuff fallium. 357 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:36,280 Speaker 3: They're like, tell me more about it. So the CIA 358 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:40,400 Speaker 3: quote the idea was to dust thallium powder into Castro's 359 00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:42,480 Speaker 3: shoes when they were put out to be shined. The 360 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:45,399 Speaker 3: scheme progressed as far as procuring the chemicals and testing 361 00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:48,920 Speaker 3: it on animals. So they're rubbing fallion on animals to 362 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:51,120 Speaker 3: see if that would work on Castro's feet to make 363 00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:54,320 Speaker 3: his beard fall off. Right now, the idea was Castro 364 00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:55,720 Speaker 3: was going to go to the UN to speak in 365 00:17:55,760 --> 00:17:58,320 Speaker 3: New York in nineteen sixty the Sea. They planned to 366 00:17:58,359 --> 00:18:00,800 Speaker 3: sneak into his hotel. They would find his room and 367 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:03,080 Speaker 3: then they would find his shoes left outside his room 368 00:18:03,119 --> 00:18:05,800 Speaker 3: to be shined. Then they would, like the spy would 369 00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:08,320 Speaker 3: dump some thallium powder in his shoes outside of the 370 00:18:08,359 --> 00:18:09,000 Speaker 3: hotel room. 371 00:18:09,080 --> 00:18:10,879 Speaker 1: Does he strike you as the shoes shine? Kind of? 372 00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:14,359 Speaker 3: It's so ridiculous. It's like they're trying to poison their dad. 373 00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:17,879 Speaker 2: How long does it take for the to kick in? 374 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:19,680 Speaker 2: And I mean I would assume all of us here 375 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:20,520 Speaker 2: it's not just a beard. 376 00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:22,879 Speaker 3: Removing exactly would be like a full depilatory. 377 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:24,480 Speaker 1: So yeah, he's got. 378 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:28,920 Speaker 3: He'd be losing armpit hair. I have no idea. I 379 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:29,879 Speaker 3: didn't go into the research. 380 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:31,320 Speaker 1: Can't imagine that. 381 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:32,399 Speaker 3: I imagine a couple of days. 382 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:34,639 Speaker 1: Oh, I would think it'd be longer than that, but 383 00:18:34,840 --> 00:18:36,360 Speaker 1: I don't think. I mean, I'm no scientist. 384 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:39,959 Speaker 3: Do you work at Dow Chemicals? Sometimes anyway, the CIA 385 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:41,920 Speaker 3: they move on to their next plan because they're like, 386 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:44,200 Speaker 3: all right, Castro's beard is safe for now, what should 387 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:47,200 Speaker 3: we do next? So what is their next plan? Exploding cigars? 388 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:48,480 Speaker 1: Oh, you're kidding. 389 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:52,560 Speaker 3: They're like the wiley eye wiley coyote of Assassin. 390 00:18:52,640 --> 00:18:54,359 Speaker 1: They went to like a magic shop and. 391 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:59,040 Speaker 3: Hand could we use a double sided coin flip? 392 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:01,600 Speaker 2: And he gets he's gonna sit down at the un 393 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:04,440 Speaker 2: and their loudest fart sound you ever heard. 394 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:07,680 Speaker 3: Will lean out whipp be cushioned darts will fly out 395 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:12,040 Speaker 3: of they They turned to uh, basically, you know, James 396 00:19:12,119 --> 00:19:14,679 Speaker 3: Bond has quh So the CIA is like, who's our 397 00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:16,880 Speaker 3: quarter master? So they're like they go find the guy 398 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:20,760 Speaker 3: and deepen the CA bowels of the basement. They're like, hey, 399 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:23,360 Speaker 3: are you the quartermaster. Guy's like, nobody ever comes down 400 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:26,080 Speaker 3: here anymore, not since the war. They're like, oh, we 401 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:28,359 Speaker 3: got a plan for you, buddy. So they have this 402 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:31,080 Speaker 3: guy and his name is Edward Gunn. Edward Gunn, that's 403 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:32,240 Speaker 3: gun with two ends. 404 00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:33,399 Speaker 1: I love it. 405 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:35,200 Speaker 3: I think he got the job just because of his name. 406 00:19:35,480 --> 00:19:37,520 Speaker 3: They're like, Edward Gunn, you're hired, Eddie gun you were 407 00:19:37,520 --> 00:19:40,920 Speaker 3: working at the CIA, buddy. So, Teddy gun he's the 408 00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:43,359 Speaker 3: head of the CIA's R and D department, Right, the 409 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:45,359 Speaker 3: CIA has a good I guess, a big R and 410 00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:45,920 Speaker 3: D department. 411 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:47,040 Speaker 1: Bigger than Search and development. 412 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:49,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, bigger than Batman I'm imagining. Right, So he's the 413 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:53,080 Speaker 3: one in charge of inventing the exploding cigar. So he 414 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:57,760 Speaker 3: Teddy Gun, my man, Edward. He decides to exploding guitar, sorry, 415 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:01,760 Speaker 3: exploding guitar, exploding cigar. How do I make an exploding cigar? 416 00:20:02,119 --> 00:20:04,160 Speaker 3: He's like, that's kind of impractical, but I can do it. 417 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:06,679 Speaker 3: So he's like he's trying. He's trying. He's like, you 418 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:08,440 Speaker 3: know what, No, this doesn't work as a chemist. This 419 00:20:08,560 --> 00:20:10,520 Speaker 3: is just too difficult. I'm going to go on to 420 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:12,119 Speaker 3: the simpler poison. The cigar. 421 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:14,080 Speaker 1: They yeah, So he's. 422 00:20:13,920 --> 00:20:15,600 Speaker 3: Like, no, he didn't have Google back then, so he 423 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:17,119 Speaker 3: had to figure out how much poison do I have 424 00:20:17,119 --> 00:20:18,919 Speaker 3: to put in the cigar to do this? Right? So, 425 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:22,520 Speaker 3: once again returning to the secretized only files of the CIA, 426 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:26,000 Speaker 3: Teddy Gunn quote has a notation that on August sixteenth 427 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:28,600 Speaker 3: in nineteen sixty he received a box of Cuban cigars 428 00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:31,119 Speaker 3: to be treated with a lethal material. He understood them 429 00:20:31,160 --> 00:20:34,440 Speaker 3: to be Fidel's favorite brand. So now that the CIA's 430 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:36,680 Speaker 3: Q has a box of Fidel's favorite cigars, and what 431 00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:38,560 Speaker 3: does he do with them? Well, he decides, with the 432 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:41,639 Speaker 3: help from the CIA's chemist, what's the best poison to 433 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:42,200 Speaker 3: put into this? 434 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:42,320 Speaker 2: All? 435 00:20:42,359 --> 00:20:46,200 Speaker 3: Right, So they decide shellfish poison, that's the one. Wait, yeah, 436 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:48,080 Speaker 3: they're like shellfish poison, that'll get them, right. But there's 437 00:20:48,119 --> 00:20:50,960 Speaker 3: a problemgic, it's just one of the strongest poison. It's 438 00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:53,720 Speaker 3: like like blowfish poisons, like one of the strongest poisons. Right, 439 00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:56,200 Speaker 3: So they're like this, this will work for Castro. Right, 440 00:20:56,280 --> 00:20:58,639 Speaker 3: there's a problem with it because Castro would have had 441 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:00,560 Speaker 3: to have been sucking on the cigar like it was 442 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:03,120 Speaker 3: a McDonald's shake just to get enough of that poison 443 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:05,720 Speaker 3: into him. So the CIA moved on to a poison 444 00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:07,240 Speaker 3: that would be a little simpler, just so they could 445 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:11,760 Speaker 3: transfer over the skin really easily. And that one was botox, well, 446 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:15,880 Speaker 3: not actually botox, it was the active ingredientlinus toxin. Yeah, 447 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 3: so Teddy Gun his boys at the chem lab, quote, 448 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:21,080 Speaker 3: they did contaminate a full box of fifty cigars with 449 00:21:21,119 --> 00:21:24,800 Speaker 3: botulinus toxin, a virulent poison that produces a fatal illness 450 00:21:24,840 --> 00:21:27,760 Speaker 3: some hours after ingestion. So now the kem lab has 451 00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:30,520 Speaker 3: doused the cigars, so that quote, the cigars were so 452 00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:33,640 Speaker 3: heavily contaminated that merely putting one in the mouth would 453 00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:35,919 Speaker 3: do the job. The intended victim would not actually have 454 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:38,440 Speaker 3: to smoke it. So now they're like, no flame necessary, 455 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:41,359 Speaker 3: kill stick, right, so they're all excited. Teddy Gun he 456 00:21:41,359 --> 00:21:43,720 Speaker 3: takes his poison cigars, hands them over to the director 457 00:21:43,720 --> 00:21:45,800 Speaker 3: of the CIA, who then puts them in a safe 458 00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:47,200 Speaker 3: and forgets all about them. 459 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:50,480 Speaker 1: What I thought he was gonna be likeny pop one 460 00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:51,080 Speaker 1: in his mouth. 461 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:52,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, I know, right, So he took him home and 462 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:57,399 Speaker 3: his children got into him. No, nothing like that, Teddy Gun. 463 00:21:57,760 --> 00:22:02,040 Speaker 3: He he goes off, you know, and working on other projects. Meanwhile, 464 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:04,280 Speaker 3: the Kennedy years and the Nixon years, they go through 465 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:06,840 Speaker 3: different phases of how are we going to kill Castro? So, 466 00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:09,480 Speaker 3: like in nineteen sixty three, the CIA entered what I'm 467 00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:14,560 Speaker 3: calling it's underwater assassination period. So that's like Picasso's blue period. Yeah, 468 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:16,480 Speaker 3: so this was when the agency tried to create an 469 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:21,920 Speaker 3: exploding seashell. Yeah. So the CIA so comical, exactly those 470 00:22:22,040 --> 00:22:25,280 Speaker 3: ridiculous stuff. Ever, the CIA knew that Castro loved to 471 00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:27,320 Speaker 3: go scuba diving, so they're like, we can kill him there. 472 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:30,159 Speaker 3: So they're like, what do we do? So some spies 473 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:32,400 Speaker 3: were like, what if we made a seashell that's secretly 474 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:33,000 Speaker 3: a bomb? 475 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:34,120 Speaker 1: Oh my god. 476 00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:36,119 Speaker 3: Some people were like, oh, I love that man. So 477 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:39,000 Speaker 3: they decided they'll hide an exploding seashell in the sea 478 00:22:39,080 --> 00:22:41,199 Speaker 3: just where Fidel will find it. But not just anywhere. 479 00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:42,879 Speaker 3: It has to be somewhere that Fidel's scuba dives. So 480 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:44,880 Speaker 3: the first they've got to like watchhere Fidel scuba dives, 481 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:47,800 Speaker 3: or they're just like following Fidel for a while. They decide, okay, 482 00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:49,439 Speaker 3: we know the place where he's going to be. So 483 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:51,560 Speaker 3: they just tried, how are we going to place it. 484 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:53,639 Speaker 3: This is when they run into a problem. Quote. The 485 00:22:53,680 --> 00:22:56,240 Speaker 3: scheme was soon found to be impracticable. None of the 486 00:22:56,240 --> 00:22:59,240 Speaker 3: shells that might conceivably be found in the Caribbean area 487 00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:02,360 Speaker 3: was both spec tacular enough to be sure to attract 488 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:05,960 Speaker 3: Castro's attention and large enough to hold the needed volume 489 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:07,479 Speaker 3: of explosives. 490 00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:08,760 Speaker 1: Just like the big round bomb with the it's like 491 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:10,040 Speaker 1: you see a scallop with the. 492 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:14,840 Speaker 3: Fuse, it's actually burning underwater. So they can't find a 493 00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:17,320 Speaker 3: seashell sexy enough for Castro, So they're like, what are 494 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:19,200 Speaker 3: we going to do? Oh? I forgot. There was also 495 00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:22,119 Speaker 3: a midget submarine that they had developed, and that was 496 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:24,240 Speaker 3: how they were going to place the exploding seashell. But 497 00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:26,400 Speaker 3: the ca is a little midget sub It was basically 498 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:28,040 Speaker 3: like a leash of keys. It just didn't have the 499 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:32,239 Speaker 3: range right it had. It needed too much fuel to 500 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:33,720 Speaker 3: be able to make the trips. So they're like, oh, 501 00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:34,640 Speaker 3: this isn't going to work. 502 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:39,720 Speaker 2: So and the director's kids smoking cigars the piloting exactly. 503 00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:40,800 Speaker 3: If they've been road testing it forever. 504 00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:43,600 Speaker 2: It's like they just get like a really lovely shell 505 00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:45,880 Speaker 2: from like the South Pacific and just put it out there. 506 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:48,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, then he'd think what where did this come from? 507 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:50,000 Speaker 1: And then you're obviously going to go. 508 00:23:53,359 --> 00:23:55,800 Speaker 3: I should So the CIA, without your help, they move 509 00:23:55,880 --> 00:23:58,680 Speaker 3: on to poisoned wetsuits, and they're like, this is will 510 00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:02,240 Speaker 3: we need is a lethal suit. So they started developing 511 00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:04,200 Speaker 3: this This mind you is at this point where after 512 00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:07,399 Speaker 3: the post Bay of Pigs, Right, so the Kennedy brothers, 513 00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:10,600 Speaker 3: Bobby and JFK they have had had their plan to 514 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:14,160 Speaker 3: invade Cuba fail, and they're now taking a few months 515 00:24:14,160 --> 00:24:16,080 Speaker 3: off to rethink their plans, so they don't try to 516 00:24:16,160 --> 00:24:18,199 Speaker 3: kill a castro for a couple months, and then they 517 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:20,480 Speaker 3: get right back to it. Yeah, so like we got 518 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:22,800 Speaker 3: to get back on our old energy. So they're like, okay, 519 00:24:22,800 --> 00:24:24,400 Speaker 3: what are we gonna do. They go to this guy, 520 00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:27,000 Speaker 3: James Donovan. He's a lawyer who that the US has 521 00:24:27,040 --> 00:24:30,080 Speaker 3: in charge of negotiating with Cuba for the release of 522 00:24:30,119 --> 00:24:32,600 Speaker 3: the prisoners from Bay of Pigs, from the whole fiasco. 523 00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:34,840 Speaker 3: So the CIA is like they approached this guy and 524 00:24:34,840 --> 00:24:37,280 Speaker 3: they're like, came in, you're the prisoner exchange Lary. He's 525 00:24:37,280 --> 00:24:38,760 Speaker 3: like yeah, I'm going down and he's like, you're gonna 526 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:40,160 Speaker 3: talk to Fidel and all that. He's like, yeah, yeah. 527 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:42,240 Speaker 3: They're like, care would you give him a poisoned wetsuit 528 00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:45,080 Speaker 3: as a gift And he's like what now? From the 529 00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:48,639 Speaker 3: Secret Eyes Only file, I quote, the technique involved dusting 530 00:24:48,680 --> 00:24:50,520 Speaker 3: the inside of the suit with a fungus that would 531 00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:54,600 Speaker 3: produce a disabling and chronic skin disease madua foot and 532 00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:59,480 Speaker 3: contaminating the breathing apparatus with tuberculo basillai. So the poisoned 533 00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:01,920 Speaker 3: wetsuit was brilliant. They're like, this is it. We finally 534 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:05,679 Speaker 3: got it right, and it's really bad. Exactly. The skin's 535 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:08,720 Speaker 3: gonna get all itch. He's gonna be terrible. So they decide, okay, 536 00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:11,119 Speaker 3: let's go to do this. But this plan also goes nowhere. 537 00:25:11,119 --> 00:25:14,840 Speaker 3: Why Elizabeth, you're the one telling the story. The lawyer's 538 00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:18,000 Speaker 3: too smart for him, Donovan, he refuses to do wet 539 00:25:18,119 --> 00:25:22,440 Speaker 3: work for the CIA. He's like no. He finds out 540 00:25:22,760 --> 00:25:25,080 Speaker 3: exactly they're whole planned to give for Fidel, and he's like, Okay, 541 00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:27,280 Speaker 3: I know I'm gonna do. He gives Fidel a non 542 00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:30,080 Speaker 3: poisonous sweatsuit of his own, so that would be suspicious 543 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:34,080 Speaker 3: if he gives him a second websuita darn it. He 544 00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:39,080 Speaker 3: out bought us prisoner exchange lawyer one CIA zero. So 545 00:25:39,200 --> 00:25:41,399 Speaker 3: after all these early failed attempts to SEEIA moved on 546 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:44,399 Speaker 3: to its most effective assassination campaign. And do you know 547 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:47,960 Speaker 3: what that one was? They asked Fidel's mistress to kill Castro. 548 00:25:48,280 --> 00:25:51,119 Speaker 3: Oh right, finally they get their like their brains together, 549 00:25:51,240 --> 00:25:53,639 Speaker 3: like somebody's actually gonna be close to him, right sometimes 550 00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:56,800 Speaker 3: right next to him. So twenty sixteen, Vanity Fair, they 551 00:25:56,800 --> 00:25:59,080 Speaker 3: sat down with this woman. Her name is Marita Lorenz, 552 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:02,560 Speaker 3: and she was with Elslilmer, Lover and Homegirl. Laid out 553 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:04,679 Speaker 3: just whopper of a story, right, I'm telling you, Like 554 00:26:04,760 --> 00:26:06,639 Speaker 3: most of it seems to be true. Some of it is, 555 00:26:06,640 --> 00:26:08,800 Speaker 3: like are you surreal? But it doesn't matter. You know, 556 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:11,960 Speaker 3: who cares whether it's fact or fiction. We know most 557 00:26:11,960 --> 00:26:13,280 Speaker 3: of this is true because it shows up in a 558 00:26:13,560 --> 00:26:15,360 Speaker 3: CIA file. So for the rest of it, who knows 559 00:26:15,359 --> 00:26:18,080 Speaker 3: who cares. But according to Marita Lorenz, she was just 560 00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:21,560 Speaker 3: minding her own business, being young and German and fabulous. 561 00:26:21,680 --> 00:26:25,560 Speaker 3: It's just this self possessed woman of wealth and family connections, right, 562 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:27,800 Speaker 3: She's out in the big wild world all by herself. 563 00:26:28,040 --> 00:26:31,520 Speaker 3: She's there in Miami and she meets this man named Eduardo. 564 00:26:31,760 --> 00:26:34,679 Speaker 3: Right now, she says, this man, he's an a memorable man, right. So, 565 00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:37,639 Speaker 3: he always wore white suits. He had the air of money. 566 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:40,359 Speaker 3: He was very quiet and elegant. From her guests, he 567 00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:43,240 Speaker 3: was the money man for this clandestine operation that was 568 00:26:43,280 --> 00:26:46,119 Speaker 3: going on that she only knew the veguest outlines of right, 569 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:48,560 Speaker 3: But much later on she would recognize this man and 570 00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:51,280 Speaker 3: and his white suits when he was constantly on television. 571 00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:55,000 Speaker 3: About a decade later during the Watergate hearings, this man 572 00:26:55,080 --> 00:26:57,879 Speaker 3: was e. Howard Hunt of the Watergate break infat Oh, 573 00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:01,040 Speaker 3: so how did the inside man for Nick Sin's bungle 574 00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:04,399 Speaker 3: get chummy with Fidel's Castro's lover? Right? Well, it's a 575 00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:06,840 Speaker 3: small world, Elizabeth, and when you're rich and powerful, it's 576 00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:10,239 Speaker 3: even smaller. So Howard Hunt was chummy with the head 577 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:13,679 Speaker 3: of the CIA, Alan Dallies. And the common link between Dallas, 578 00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:16,919 Speaker 3: Hunt and Marita was a man named Frank Sturgis. Now 579 00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:19,679 Speaker 3: he would also become later known and famous as one 580 00:27:19,680 --> 00:27:22,760 Speaker 3: of Nixon's plumbers, one of the break in men for Watergates. So, 581 00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:26,280 Speaker 3: this early pre Watergate team is getting the band together 582 00:27:26,359 --> 00:27:28,719 Speaker 3: before they make it big. And prior to all this, 583 00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:31,760 Speaker 3: prior to meeting Marita, Sturgis had worked for the mafia. 584 00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:34,159 Speaker 3: He was their man in Cuba. He was the He 585 00:27:34,160 --> 00:27:36,600 Speaker 3: worked for the Mayor Lansky outfit. So he was big 586 00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:39,520 Speaker 3: in the casino business under Battista. And he's like, you 587 00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:43,160 Speaker 3: know this, he's basically like hanging with Cuba's tourist population. Yeah, 588 00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:46,040 Speaker 3: fleecing them. Nobody cares, right, not nobody in Cuba because 589 00:27:46,040 --> 00:27:49,440 Speaker 3: they're all like, oh, we're all exploiting everybody. It's a party. 590 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:52,680 Speaker 3: Water's great. So Sturgis, he can smell this change in 591 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:54,639 Speaker 3: the winds, right, So what does he do In nineteen 592 00:27:54,680 --> 00:27:58,240 Speaker 3: fifty seven, He gets close with Comandante Fedel and he 593 00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:02,280 Speaker 3: starts running guns to the island through his organized crime contexts, 594 00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:04,240 Speaker 3: and then that puts him in go with Fidel. So 595 00:28:04,480 --> 00:28:07,280 Speaker 3: this is just in time for the Cuban Revolution to occur, 596 00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:08,959 Speaker 3: and now he's on the right side of history. 597 00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:11,480 Speaker 2: So he's running guns that are going to toss out 598 00:28:11,480 --> 00:28:13,240 Speaker 2: the casinos that were his lifelood. 599 00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:14,960 Speaker 3: Well, he didn't really see it as that way because 600 00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:17,159 Speaker 3: nobody understood what Fiddel was going to do it In 601 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:19,320 Speaker 3: the early years because he didn't really come off as 602 00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:22,200 Speaker 3: a communist early. He was just a revolutionary working against imperialism. 603 00:28:22,280 --> 00:28:25,000 Speaker 3: He was an anti imperialist more so than a communist 604 00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:27,840 Speaker 3: at first. So the mafia was fine working with him, right, 605 00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:29,880 Speaker 3: They were like, oh, maybe he'll give us a better 606 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:32,920 Speaker 3: deal than Batista. Then he did about so Castro ap 607 00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:35,320 Speaker 3: points Sturgis the head of the casino industry in Cuba, 608 00:28:35,800 --> 00:28:38,200 Speaker 3: So this is like early on. So then he eventually 609 00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:40,200 Speaker 3: sturg just gets made the head of the Air Force 610 00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:43,560 Speaker 3: intelligence for Cuba. Really, yeah, Fidel's going whole hog on this. 611 00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:45,720 Speaker 3: He's like, yeah, mafia run everything. I don't care. It 612 00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:48,440 Speaker 3: turns out though Sturgis was secretly a CIA spy. 613 00:28:48,760 --> 00:28:49,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, so he is. 614 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:52,160 Speaker 3: Sturg just told Vandy fair quote, I was a double agent. 615 00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:54,520 Speaker 3: I was recruited by the CAIA in nineteen fifty eight 616 00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:57,360 Speaker 3: and stayed in Havana until June thirty, at nineteen fifty nine. 617 00:28:57,600 --> 00:29:00,480 Speaker 3: So he's like running at like, yeah, past this, the 618 00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:03,960 Speaker 3: six months past a successful revolutions boom, because it was 619 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:05,920 Speaker 3: a what do you call it? New Year's Day nineteen 620 00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:08,080 Speaker 3: fifty nine when the revolution basically wins. So he's there 621 00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:10,600 Speaker 3: till June thirtieth of that same year. But in that 622 00:29:10,720 --> 00:29:14,240 Speaker 3: time he meets Marita, whose family had interests in Cuba, 623 00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:16,760 Speaker 3: so he gets charmed by her. She's this, you know, 624 00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:20,920 Speaker 3: bon Vivan, successful, wealthy, beautiful young woman. Surgis does the 625 00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:23,520 Speaker 3: next logical thing. He introduces her to his buddy, this 626 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:27,080 Speaker 3: notorious ladies man, Fidel Castro. The two hit it off. 627 00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:32,000 Speaker 3: They start this tempestuous love affair. Later a CIA assassination attempt. 628 00:29:32,040 --> 00:29:35,720 Speaker 3: So on November eighteenth, nineteen sixty three, Marita gets a 629 00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:37,760 Speaker 3: call from Sturgis. He wants her to come meet him 630 00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:40,360 Speaker 3: at a hotel in Miami. She assumes this is more 631 00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:42,360 Speaker 3: of his gun running business, which she's familiar with, so 632 00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:44,440 Speaker 3: she agrees to come along. This is where she meets 633 00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:46,760 Speaker 3: future JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. 634 00:29:46,840 --> 00:29:48,840 Speaker 1: Oh you're kidding, yes. 635 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:51,320 Speaker 3: Marina recalled it. The group of gun runners and conspirators 636 00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:53,640 Speaker 3: took three cars. They drive from Miami to Dallas. She 637 00:29:53,760 --> 00:29:56,240 Speaker 3: rides with Sturgis and another car was Lee Harvey Oswald. 638 00:29:56,600 --> 00:29:59,680 Speaker 3: The caravan stops at some shabby little motel in Dallas. 639 00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:03,160 Speaker 3: The group gets two adjoining rooms. Marina told Vanity fair quote, 640 00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:05,280 Speaker 3: I thought we were going to hit an armory like 641 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:08,240 Speaker 3: we were here to do in operation. I thought they 642 00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:10,000 Speaker 3: were going to use me as a decoy, That's what 643 00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:12,160 Speaker 3: I was told. Star just brings in the bag with 644 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:16,040 Speaker 3: disguises and another bag with automatic weapons and starts clipping 645 00:30:16,040 --> 00:30:18,600 Speaker 3: them together. It seemed different this time because of the 646 00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:22,719 Speaker 3: instructions Frank give. Nobody can make phone calls, no brods, 647 00:30:22,760 --> 00:30:26,320 Speaker 3: no booze, no contacts with the outside. So while they 648 00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:28,480 Speaker 3: are in this crummy little hotel room putting together of 649 00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:31,960 Speaker 3: their guns, Marita she sees Oswald for the first time. 650 00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:35,200 Speaker 3: Now before this, this is obviously before he's going to 651 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:36,800 Speaker 3: get famous. She has no idea who he is, so 652 00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:39,400 Speaker 3: she just happens to stick in her memory because of 653 00:30:39,440 --> 00:30:42,480 Speaker 3: how memorable he is. She said, quote, this guy comes 654 00:30:42,520 --> 00:30:45,120 Speaker 3: into the room. He's like a little mob punk. Hey, 655 00:30:45,160 --> 00:30:47,880 Speaker 3: a short, balding guy with a cocky hat, heavy set, 656 00:30:47,920 --> 00:30:50,640 Speaker 3: with a cleft on his chin. Elizabeth, you'd later know 657 00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:53,880 Speaker 3: this guy is Jack Ruby. Let me tell you. Apparently 658 00:30:54,160 --> 00:30:56,840 Speaker 3: he Jack Ruby was a charmer because he took two 659 00:30:56,880 --> 00:31:01,040 Speaker 3: steps inside, saw me lounging and said, who's that broad? 660 00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:05,200 Speaker 3: I said, you'll punk. So they don't hit it off 661 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:07,720 Speaker 3: right now, she wants to leave the shabby motel. I 662 00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:09,600 Speaker 3: was furious. Hell he spoke to me. I had been 663 00:31:09,640 --> 00:31:13,880 Speaker 3: sitting in crowded car. I have PMS. I said this, Frank, 664 00:31:13,920 --> 00:31:17,680 Speaker 3: I'm going home. Give me some plane fare. So he's busy. 665 00:31:17,840 --> 00:31:20,160 Speaker 3: Frank sturge is busy trying to keep Jack Ruby happy. 666 00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:22,120 Speaker 3: And because they're not too far from where Marita is 667 00:31:22,160 --> 00:31:25,080 Speaker 3: standing in the motel parking lot waiting to go to 668 00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:27,680 Speaker 3: the airport or wherever, sturgees is leaning on the trunk 669 00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:29,720 Speaker 3: of a car, talking in low tones to Jack Ruby. 670 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:31,960 Speaker 3: At this point, Jack Ruby leaves in a huff. Right, 671 00:31:32,160 --> 00:31:35,200 Speaker 3: who shows up? E Howard Hunt. She claims he gives 672 00:31:35,200 --> 00:31:37,480 Speaker 3: Surgis money and then he went and he spoke with 673 00:31:37,520 --> 00:31:40,760 Speaker 3: another guy at the motel, Lee Harvey Oswald. Oh my god, 674 00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:43,800 Speaker 3: the door was opened between the two rooms. Oswald was 675 00:31:43,800 --> 00:31:46,040 Speaker 3: sitting in the other room with the other guys on 676 00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:49,480 Speaker 3: the bed, just casually sitting there waiting for instructions. That 677 00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:52,600 Speaker 3: was the last time I saw him, that is until 678 00:31:52,600 --> 00:31:54,320 Speaker 3: a few days later when his face was all over 679 00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:57,400 Speaker 3: the news. Right anyway, That's how Rita explains how she 680 00:31:57,440 --> 00:31:59,680 Speaker 3: met E. Howard Hunt and he connected her with the 681 00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:02,640 Speaker 3: CIA and set her up to kill Castro. Oh my god, 682 00:32:02,840 --> 00:32:04,240 Speaker 3: So do you want to take a little break and 683 00:32:04,280 --> 00:32:28,080 Speaker 3: then I'll tell you to kill Castro? Yes? All right, Elizabeth, 684 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:31,160 Speaker 3: we're back. Yes, how was that role call of nineteen sixties? 685 00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:33,840 Speaker 1: Names? 686 00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:35,880 Speaker 3: Right? I mean? And by the way, this is like 687 00:32:36,080 --> 00:32:40,480 Speaker 3: the the JFK assassination. There's a trove of documents that 688 00:32:40,480 --> 00:32:43,880 Speaker 3: the CIA had and they released under President Trump, and 689 00:32:43,920 --> 00:32:46,040 Speaker 3: so I pulled for a lot of this from these documents. 690 00:32:46,080 --> 00:32:49,240 Speaker 3: This is all CIA stuff except for what her quotes. 691 00:32:49,280 --> 00:32:52,200 Speaker 3: Those are the only things that are not from the CIA. 692 00:32:52,360 --> 00:32:55,320 Speaker 3: So back to the story. Let's see how Marita Lorenz 693 00:32:55,320 --> 00:32:58,440 Speaker 3: decides to kill Castro. Yes, okay, So now that they say, 694 00:32:58,480 --> 00:33:01,400 Speaker 3: have their amateur assassin to see, handed Marita Lorenz some 695 00:33:01,440 --> 00:33:04,160 Speaker 3: poison pills that they had developed to kill Castro. Right, 696 00:33:04,200 --> 00:33:06,800 Speaker 3: so she says, the agency also gave her these confidence pills, 697 00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:08,040 Speaker 3: which she called gut pills. 698 00:33:08,960 --> 00:33:10,280 Speaker 1: They gave her confidence pill. 699 00:33:10,400 --> 00:33:13,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, apparently there's like some speed pills, like she said, 700 00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:16,520 Speaker 3: and I quote, it's some kind of the CIA gives 701 00:33:16,520 --> 00:33:20,120 Speaker 3: you that makes you feel very strong and courageous, indifferent 702 00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:24,880 Speaker 3: like speed. With her two handfuls of the pills, she 703 00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:26,800 Speaker 3: goes down to Cuba, and but she doesn't know if 704 00:33:26,840 --> 00:33:28,880 Speaker 3: she can kill her world famous lover yet she's like 705 00:33:28,960 --> 00:33:32,920 Speaker 3: on the fence about can I don't know. So well, 706 00:33:32,920 --> 00:33:35,640 Speaker 3: that's not exactly true. She knew almost immediately that she 707 00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:38,040 Speaker 3: couldn't do it. She was hoping that she could. That 708 00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:40,000 Speaker 3: was really how I guess the best way to put it. 709 00:33:40,320 --> 00:33:42,400 Speaker 3: So she says, and I quote, I knew the men 710 00:33:42,480 --> 00:33:45,200 Speaker 3: that I saw the outline of Havannah. I couldn't do it. 711 00:33:45,480 --> 00:33:47,520 Speaker 3: I hopped in the jeep and went to the Hilton, 712 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:51,280 Speaker 3: just simply walked in, said hi to the personnel at 713 00:33:51,280 --> 00:33:54,480 Speaker 3: the desk, and went upstairs to the suite room too 714 00:33:54,480 --> 00:33:58,120 Speaker 3: far to zero eight. I went in and waited. So 715 00:33:58,160 --> 00:34:01,120 Speaker 3: now she's waiting to kill Castro in the Aana Hilton 716 00:34:01,760 --> 00:34:02,520 Speaker 3: nineteen sixty three. 717 00:34:03,080 --> 00:34:05,960 Speaker 1: Say oh yeah, so it just gonna be like chaos city. 718 00:34:05,800 --> 00:34:06,640 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, globally. 719 00:34:06,720 --> 00:34:06,920 Speaker 1: Yeah. 720 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:09,160 Speaker 3: So she's there waiting for Fidell, sent by the CIA 721 00:34:09,239 --> 00:34:11,080 Speaker 3: to kill him. Fidel thinks she's there to love him 722 00:34:11,160 --> 00:34:13,239 Speaker 3: up right, because last time they saw each other it 723 00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:16,520 Speaker 3: was passionate awesomeness. Right, So Marita she waits and she waits, 724 00:34:16,520 --> 00:34:18,000 Speaker 3: and she has no one feels going to get there. 725 00:34:18,520 --> 00:34:21,799 Speaker 3: Finally Fidel arrives. Right, his first question is he wants 726 00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:23,719 Speaker 3: to know why she was so quick to leave the 727 00:34:23,760 --> 00:34:26,080 Speaker 3: last time he saw her. Oh, so it's like a 728 00:34:26,080 --> 00:34:30,000 Speaker 3: whole romance novel for Fidel. Right. So meanwhile, Marita and 729 00:34:30,040 --> 00:34:32,400 Speaker 3: I returned to her quotes. I tried to play it cool. 730 00:34:32,560 --> 00:34:34,880 Speaker 3: The most nervous I have ever been was in that 731 00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:38,400 Speaker 3: room because I had agents on standby and had to 732 00:34:38,520 --> 00:34:41,680 Speaker 3: watch my timing. I had enough hours to stay with him. 733 00:34:42,200 --> 00:34:45,440 Speaker 3: Ordre Emil killed him and prevent him from making a 734 00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:49,200 Speaker 3: speech that night, which was already pre announced. That's her plan, 735 00:34:49,440 --> 00:34:53,000 Speaker 3: so Neil kill him, ditch speech exactly. There's one problem 736 00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:54,920 Speaker 3: she she can't do it. She can't kill him. She 737 00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:58,160 Speaker 3: just loves them. She loves Fidel. Right. He was very 738 00:34:58,239 --> 00:35:01,080 Speaker 3: tired and wanted to sleep. He was chewing a cigar 739 00:35:01,200 --> 00:35:03,680 Speaker 3: and he laid down on his bed and did you 740 00:35:03,760 --> 00:35:06,759 Speaker 3: come here to kill me? Just like that? He says, Oh, God, 741 00:35:06,840 --> 00:35:10,000 Speaker 3: Fidel knows she's the assassin, so he knows why she 742 00:35:10,080 --> 00:35:11,880 Speaker 3: came back to Q. But it wasn't to love him up. 743 00:35:11,880 --> 00:35:14,440 Speaker 3: It was to lug him down right right into the ground. 744 00:35:14,920 --> 00:35:17,480 Speaker 3: So he knows the CIA center. So what is Marie 745 00:35:17,480 --> 00:35:20,000 Speaker 3: to do? Well, what is the best? She says. I 746 00:35:20,080 --> 00:35:22,040 Speaker 3: was standing at the edge of the bed. I said 747 00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:25,080 Speaker 3: I wanted to see you, and he said that's good. 748 00:35:25,239 --> 00:35:28,120 Speaker 3: That's good. Then he leaned over, pulled out his forty 749 00:35:28,160 --> 00:35:31,399 Speaker 3: five and handed it to me. Fidel hands her. Is gone, right, 750 00:35:31,440 --> 00:35:33,879 Speaker 3: Fidel's like the Steve McQueen of world leaders. Right. It's 751 00:35:33,920 --> 00:35:36,560 Speaker 3: just too cool for school. But so is Marina because 752 00:35:36,600 --> 00:35:39,840 Speaker 3: she cocks the handgun Fidel handed her. I flipped the 753 00:35:39,960 --> 00:35:42,960 Speaker 3: chamber out and hit it back. He didn't even flinch, 754 00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:46,040 Speaker 3: and he said, you can't kill me. Nobody can kill me, 755 00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:48,680 Speaker 3: and he kind of smiled and chewed on his cigar. 756 00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:51,400 Speaker 3: So there it is. This is the closest the CIA 757 00:35:51,480 --> 00:35:54,200 Speaker 3: has gotten to actually killing Fidel, and Fidel's mocking the 758 00:35:54,200 --> 00:35:57,960 Speaker 3: assassin to their face. But the assassin, she loves the target, 759 00:35:58,040 --> 00:35:59,960 Speaker 3: So even with gun in her hand, she still can't 760 00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:02,719 Speaker 3: do it. She's like, I felt deflated. He was so 761 00:36:02,800 --> 00:36:05,680 Speaker 3: sure of me. He just grabbed me. We made love. 762 00:36:06,040 --> 00:36:09,040 Speaker 3: I contemplated staying to start talking to him later after 763 00:36:09,080 --> 00:36:11,640 Speaker 3: his speech, but it would be too late because he 764 00:36:11,760 --> 00:36:14,880 Speaker 3: rambles on for like eight ten twelve hours. That was 765 00:36:14,920 --> 00:36:17,560 Speaker 3: the hardest part. I wanted him to beg me to stay, 766 00:36:17,600 --> 00:36:19,520 Speaker 3: but he got dressed and left and I just sat 767 00:36:19,560 --> 00:36:21,640 Speaker 3: there by myself a while. I left him, not I 768 00:36:21,640 --> 00:36:25,520 Speaker 3: told him I would be back. She doesn't actually go back, 769 00:36:25,520 --> 00:36:27,440 Speaker 3: but anyway, she doesn't kill him the next time she 770 00:36:27,440 --> 00:36:30,440 Speaker 3: sees him. Right at this point, Elizabeth, we're somewhere now 771 00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:32,840 Speaker 3: the high four to five hundred range of attempts on 772 00:36:32,880 --> 00:36:34,880 Speaker 3: his life, and none of them have worked. Right, And 773 00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:37,120 Speaker 3: this is as closest we've gotten. Gun in hand. Assassin 774 00:36:37,239 --> 00:36:39,640 Speaker 3: in a room with him still fails because Fidel like 775 00:36:39,960 --> 00:36:40,960 Speaker 3: loves up the assassin. 776 00:36:41,080 --> 00:36:43,360 Speaker 1: Confidence pills just pumping through her body. 777 00:36:43,239 --> 00:36:47,880 Speaker 3: Exactly speed love. So anyway, who can the CIA turn to? 778 00:36:48,160 --> 00:36:52,600 Speaker 3: Now entered La Cosa Nostra aka the American Mafia, the 779 00:36:52,680 --> 00:36:55,840 Speaker 3: Old School Mob. So this plot dated back to JFK, 780 00:36:56,000 --> 00:36:58,520 Speaker 3: Bobby Kennedy and the Bay of Pigs. But after they 781 00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:01,400 Speaker 3: were embarrassed on the world stage, Kennedy brothers wanted Castro 782 00:37:01,520 --> 00:37:03,200 Speaker 3: taken out and they were willing to work with the 783 00:37:03,239 --> 00:37:05,600 Speaker 3: Mob to make their dark dream come true. They're like 784 00:37:05,600 --> 00:37:07,919 Speaker 3: embarrass us with the Bay of Pigs. We're taking them out. 785 00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:11,160 Speaker 3: So According to the CIA files quote under five nine 786 00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:14,040 Speaker 3: sixty two, Kennedy discussed with the director a number of matters, 787 00:37:14,040 --> 00:37:17,040 Speaker 3: including admissioned by CIA that Robert Mayhew had been hired 788 00:37:17,080 --> 00:37:19,120 Speaker 3: by the agency to approach sam g and Conna to 789 00:37:19,120 --> 00:37:21,640 Speaker 3: have Castro assassinated at a cost of one hundred and 790 00:37:21,640 --> 00:37:25,080 Speaker 3: fifty thousand dollars. So the mob boss, the CIA approached 791 00:37:25,080 --> 00:37:26,680 Speaker 3: sam Gy and Conna. He was the head of the 792 00:37:26,760 --> 00:37:30,319 Speaker 3: Chicago family huge, right. He was also Sinatra's guy. Sam 793 00:37:30,360 --> 00:37:33,560 Speaker 3: Giacana was the guy that daddy Joseph Kennedy, the old 794 00:37:33,600 --> 00:37:36,800 Speaker 3: school Irish bootleg mobster. He reached out to sam g 795 00:37:36,880 --> 00:37:38,080 Speaker 3: and Connie. He's like, look, I need you to help 796 00:37:38,120 --> 00:37:41,279 Speaker 3: me secure my son's a nineteen sixty presidential election. Right, 797 00:37:41,320 --> 00:37:44,120 Speaker 3: because he was at the time, John Kennedy was not 798 00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:46,640 Speaker 3: the presumptive favorite. He was a young senator. He was 799 00:37:47,680 --> 00:37:49,560 Speaker 3: the dark horse, if you will, right, But his daddy 800 00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:51,640 Speaker 3: was a mobster. So he's like, look, so he approaches 801 00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:53,000 Speaker 3: sam g and Conny. He's like, look, I need to 802 00:37:53,040 --> 00:37:55,920 Speaker 3: win the West Virginia primary. So Samji and conn is like, okay, 803 00:37:55,920 --> 00:37:58,600 Speaker 3: we can make that happen. And according to everybody in 804 00:37:58,640 --> 00:38:01,360 Speaker 3: the know, Frank Sina true was the go between between 805 00:38:01,400 --> 00:38:04,080 Speaker 3: San Giancanna and Joe Kennedy who made this happen. He 806 00:38:04,160 --> 00:38:07,320 Speaker 3: puts together the Democratic nomination by having to get a 807 00:38:07,400 --> 00:38:10,520 Speaker 3: victory in the West Virginia primary. Sinatra gets the favor 808 00:38:10,520 --> 00:38:12,880 Speaker 3: from Sam Giancana. So what did the Kennedy brothers do 809 00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:15,040 Speaker 3: now that they get the White House? They returned the 810 00:38:15,080 --> 00:38:19,040 Speaker 3: favor by initiating reco investigations on the mob out of 811 00:38:19,080 --> 00:38:22,120 Speaker 3: boom So. Anyway, but Ciangi and Coana wasn't the only 812 00:38:22,160 --> 00:38:24,680 Speaker 3: mob boss the Ceia worked with. They also had Santo 813 00:38:24,719 --> 00:38:29,000 Speaker 3: Trafficante from the family which was big yes in Atlantic City, Philadelphia. 814 00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:31,240 Speaker 3: And also he was the head of the Miami Cuba family, 815 00:38:31,320 --> 00:38:35,480 Speaker 3: so he helpfully spoke Spanish. That was good. He also 816 00:38:35,520 --> 00:38:37,960 Speaker 3: wanted to control of the Cuban casinos back, so that 817 00:38:38,120 --> 00:38:39,360 Speaker 3: was his move, and he wanted to get rid of 818 00:38:39,360 --> 00:38:42,120 Speaker 3: the communists. He was a virulent anti communist. Third man 819 00:38:42,200 --> 00:38:45,440 Speaker 3: on this job was la mob fixer who was busy 820 00:38:45,440 --> 00:38:48,680 Speaker 3: working the Hollywood unions against the studio bosses. A dude 821 00:38:48,760 --> 00:38:50,280 Speaker 3: named handsome Johnny Rosselli. 822 00:38:50,640 --> 00:38:53,560 Speaker 1: Oh johnnysell Roselli you know now. 823 00:38:53,560 --> 00:38:56,200 Speaker 3: He would later become the Chicago's mob guy in Vegas 824 00:38:56,360 --> 00:38:59,640 Speaker 3: and Gi and Con and Johnny Rosselli went way back. 825 00:38:59,680 --> 00:39:03,759 Speaker 3: They actually started out together with al Capone's outfit, so 826 00:39:04,239 --> 00:39:06,600 Speaker 3: they had been like deep in the gangster world, right, 827 00:39:06,960 --> 00:39:08,680 Speaker 3: So they'd also worked together in Cuba and they put 828 00:39:08,680 --> 00:39:10,759 Speaker 3: the casinos, and they'd worked in Vegas and so now 829 00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:13,880 Speaker 3: they were working the White House together. So, by the way, 830 00:39:13,960 --> 00:39:16,080 Speaker 3: this plan for the CIA and the Mob to team up, 831 00:39:16,520 --> 00:39:19,480 Speaker 3: it kind of predated Kennedy. It had started with Eisenhower 832 00:39:19,840 --> 00:39:22,400 Speaker 3: and in September nineteen sixty the plan becomes real. This 833 00:39:22,480 --> 00:39:25,320 Speaker 3: is before Kennedy is elected, so it's definitely pre dates Kennedy. 834 00:39:25,480 --> 00:39:28,480 Speaker 3: But the agency had used a CIA cutout to contact 835 00:39:28,480 --> 00:39:31,120 Speaker 3: the mob. This guy was the Robert Mayhew, who was 836 00:39:31,160 --> 00:39:34,520 Speaker 3: also a fixer for Howard Hughes. So when he wasn't 837 00:39:34,520 --> 00:39:36,480 Speaker 3: doing errands for the CIA, that's what he worked for. 838 00:39:36,600 --> 00:39:38,800 Speaker 3: So this cat Mayhew, he reaches out to Sam G 839 00:39:38,920 --> 00:39:41,839 Speaker 3: and Kanna and Handsome Johnny. Like I said, small world, right, 840 00:39:42,080 --> 00:39:43,799 Speaker 3: once you were so powerful, it's like still a very 841 00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:47,160 Speaker 3: small roll. The decks epently, So Howard hues this fixer. 842 00:39:47,160 --> 00:39:49,080 Speaker 3: He reaches out to Sam G and Kana handsome Johnny. 843 00:39:49,120 --> 00:39:50,400 Speaker 3: He goes, hey, I'll give you guys one hundred and 844 00:39:50,400 --> 00:39:52,560 Speaker 3: fifty thousand dollars to kill Castro. By the way, that's 845 00:39:52,560 --> 00:39:55,280 Speaker 3: CIA money, so that's guaranteed. And they're like, okay, okay. 846 00:39:55,360 --> 00:39:57,600 Speaker 3: The gangsters consider their offer. They're like you know what, No, 847 00:39:58,080 --> 00:39:59,560 Speaker 3: and they're like, what do you mean No. He's like, no, no, 848 00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:02,560 Speaker 3: we'll do but we'll do it for free. I'm like yeah, 849 00:40:02,600 --> 00:40:04,440 Speaker 3: because the mob would. They want to consider it a favor, 850 00:40:04,480 --> 00:40:07,080 Speaker 3: because it's like, you know, someday, and that day may 851 00:40:07,120 --> 00:40:09,680 Speaker 3: never come. I may come to you, the US government 852 00:40:09,719 --> 00:40:12,440 Speaker 3: and ask you for a favor. So of course the 853 00:40:12,480 --> 00:40:14,759 Speaker 3: worst thing that can happen happens. What's the worst thing 854 00:40:14,800 --> 00:40:17,719 Speaker 3: can happen? J Edgar Hoover finds out about the CIA's 855 00:40:17,800 --> 00:40:20,000 Speaker 3: deal with the mob. All right, No, because the CIA 856 00:40:20,080 --> 00:40:22,360 Speaker 3: is plotting with the mob, and the FBI just happens 857 00:40:22,400 --> 00:40:25,359 Speaker 3: to stumble upon it. They aren't aware, nobody tips them off. 858 00:40:25,560 --> 00:40:27,560 Speaker 3: But here the best way for me to tell you this, Elizabeth, 859 00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:29,600 Speaker 3: picture it. Yeah, please close your. 860 00:40:29,520 --> 00:40:30,640 Speaker 1: Eyes, yes and picture it. 861 00:40:30,719 --> 00:40:36,480 Speaker 3: Yes. It's nineteen sixty one. You are a maid working 862 00:40:36,520 --> 00:40:39,440 Speaker 3: the Sands Casino in Las Vegas. You've left behind your 863 00:40:39,440 --> 00:40:41,840 Speaker 3: previous life as a dog groomer to the Hollywood stars. 864 00:40:42,160 --> 00:40:44,040 Speaker 3: It was getting to be a bore. Not the dogs, 865 00:40:44,080 --> 00:40:46,400 Speaker 3: the stars. So now you're laying low, working as a 866 00:40:46,440 --> 00:40:48,480 Speaker 3: maid as you plot your next move. You're pushing your 867 00:40:48,560 --> 00:40:52,000 Speaker 3: cart down a long and quiet hallway. The lush casino 868 00:40:52,360 --> 00:40:56,120 Speaker 3: carpeting swirls and flourishes beneath your feet. You gaze into 869 00:40:56,200 --> 00:40:59,520 Speaker 3: its ornate patterns of color. It splashes overwrought design. Is 870 00:40:59,520 --> 00:41:02,560 Speaker 3: your feet rhythmically plod along the wheels. They also have 871 00:41:02,600 --> 00:41:05,080 Speaker 3: their own rhythm. You plan to start at the end 872 00:41:05,120 --> 00:41:08,360 Speaker 3: of the hallway. You reach the corner room. You're well practiced. 873 00:41:08,360 --> 00:41:10,600 Speaker 3: Hand opens the hotel room door without even a jingle 874 00:41:10,600 --> 00:41:12,360 Speaker 3: from your pass key. You push open the door with 875 00:41:12,400 --> 00:41:14,319 Speaker 3: your backside and you back into the hotel room. But 876 00:41:14,360 --> 00:41:17,400 Speaker 3: you hear voices, oh, you freeze. You spin around. The 877 00:41:17,480 --> 00:41:20,400 Speaker 3: room is not empty. You see three guys in flashy 878 00:41:20,480 --> 00:41:23,520 Speaker 3: shark skin suits. One is seated, Two other guys are 879 00:41:23,560 --> 00:41:25,920 Speaker 3: standing behind him like sentries, kind of flanking him. The 880 00:41:25,960 --> 00:41:28,160 Speaker 3: guy in the sharkskin suit is talking with two other 881 00:41:28,239 --> 00:41:30,640 Speaker 3: men in gray flannel suits, which is odd choice for 882 00:41:30,760 --> 00:41:33,040 Speaker 3: Vegas since of the weather but whatever. The guys in 883 00:41:33,040 --> 00:41:35,440 Speaker 3: the gray flannel suits they look like complete squares. The 884 00:41:35,480 --> 00:41:38,279 Speaker 3: others look like mobsters. The guy in the sharkskin suit, 885 00:41:38,280 --> 00:41:40,040 Speaker 3: he doesn't see you at first, so he keeps talking. 886 00:41:40,280 --> 00:41:43,279 Speaker 3: Look simple, it's real simple. You bug Dan Rowan's room. 887 00:41:43,600 --> 00:41:45,520 Speaker 3: You see, I just want to know if he's getting 888 00:41:45,520 --> 00:41:48,120 Speaker 3: handsy with that dame from the Maguia sists phyllis. It's 889 00:41:48,120 --> 00:41:51,719 Speaker 3: a little small favor from mister Ginkhana. So the guy 890 00:41:51,719 --> 00:41:54,400 Speaker 3: in the sharkskin suit stops talking. He turns to see you. 891 00:41:54,680 --> 00:41:56,520 Speaker 3: And what the others are all looking at? Which is you? 892 00:41:56,880 --> 00:41:58,680 Speaker 3: So now everyone is staring at you and no one 893 00:41:58,719 --> 00:42:00,720 Speaker 3: is speaking. You're all just staring at each other. Clearly 894 00:42:00,760 --> 00:42:02,560 Speaker 3: you were not supposed to be in this room, Elizabe 895 00:42:02,600 --> 00:42:05,040 Speaker 3: I would say, you quickly apologize to everybody in the room. 896 00:42:05,040 --> 00:42:06,560 Speaker 3: You spin around and you screw it out of the room. 897 00:42:06,560 --> 00:42:08,839 Speaker 3: You push your maker through the doorway and quickly follow it. 898 00:42:08,880 --> 00:42:12,080 Speaker 3: The hotel door closes behind you. You're out. You're free. 899 00:42:12,400 --> 00:42:15,160 Speaker 3: Oops eazy, you say to yourself, and then you decide 900 00:42:15,160 --> 00:42:17,520 Speaker 3: to go start in the other room across the hall again. 901 00:42:17,600 --> 00:42:19,200 Speaker 3: You open the door, you push it open. You know 902 00:42:19,200 --> 00:42:21,120 Speaker 3: this room is empty because you saw the vacancy on 903 00:42:21,160 --> 00:42:23,080 Speaker 3: the room charts. So you push open the door and boom. 904 00:42:23,080 --> 00:42:25,759 Speaker 3: Two guys in short sleeve button down shirts are sitting there. 905 00:42:25,840 --> 00:42:28,360 Speaker 3: Both guys wearing ties like idiots, you know, like that 906 00:42:28,400 --> 00:42:31,520 Speaker 3: desert business casual. So they freeze in place like the 907 00:42:31,600 --> 00:42:36,240 Speaker 3: last room. I'm telling you, they're wearing headphones. They're shocked. 908 00:42:36,360 --> 00:42:39,120 Speaker 3: They stare back at you from their little eavesdropping field station. 909 00:42:39,719 --> 00:42:42,440 Speaker 3: You don't say a word, neither do they. You slowly 910 00:42:42,480 --> 00:42:44,560 Speaker 3: back out of the room as if you were never there, 911 00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:46,879 Speaker 3: and the door shuts behind you. This time, you decide 912 00:42:46,920 --> 00:42:50,080 Speaker 3: you'll start at the other end of the hallway. Elizabeth, 913 00:42:50,360 --> 00:42:53,000 Speaker 3: you've just been witnessed to the FBI listening in on 914 00:42:53,040 --> 00:42:55,400 Speaker 3: the mobsters as they convinced the CIA to do a 915 00:42:55,440 --> 00:42:57,759 Speaker 3: favor for Chicago mob boss to see if his side 916 00:42:57,760 --> 00:42:59,799 Speaker 3: piece was, in turn having an affair with her own 917 00:43:01,239 --> 00:43:04,359 Speaker 3: the guy from Martin and Rowans laugh in what so 918 00:43:04,440 --> 00:43:06,600 Speaker 3: Sam Jean kind of thought that Phyllis McGuire from the 919 00:43:06,640 --> 00:43:09,759 Speaker 3: McGuire sisters having an affair with Dan Rowan from laughing, and 920 00:43:09,800 --> 00:43:12,319 Speaker 3: so he asked the CIA, hey, bug that guy's room 921 00:43:12,360 --> 00:43:16,160 Speaker 3: in Vegas, say and they did it, and you, yes, exactly, 922 00:43:16,200 --> 00:43:17,640 Speaker 3: this is a favor. They may have to come to 923 00:43:17,640 --> 00:43:20,040 Speaker 3: you one day for So when the FB guys find 924 00:43:20,040 --> 00:43:23,319 Speaker 3: out that they've been surveilling CIA guys working with the Mob, 925 00:43:23,760 --> 00:43:26,080 Speaker 3: they are giddy as a schoolgirl and they go running 926 00:43:26,080 --> 00:43:29,359 Speaker 3: DEAFBI director Jaygar Hoover now he's super geek to get 927 00:43:29,400 --> 00:43:32,759 Speaker 3: the CIA operatives on charges of collaborating with the Mob. 928 00:43:32,840 --> 00:43:36,919 Speaker 3: This will embarrass everybody. He loves it. CIA is like, wait, wait, wait, look, 929 00:43:37,080 --> 00:43:40,919 Speaker 3: we're guilty with an explanation. So, in the CIA's own 930 00:43:40,920 --> 00:43:43,200 Speaker 3: words from an internal memo, we know, quote, can we 931 00:43:43,280 --> 00:43:47,279 Speaker 3: plausibly deny that we plotted with gangster elements to assassinate Castro? No, 932 00:43:47,440 --> 00:43:50,600 Speaker 3: we cannot. So they're just like, we have no possible 933 00:43:50,600 --> 00:43:52,279 Speaker 3: deniability and we're gonna have to go with our old 934 00:43:52,280 --> 00:43:55,680 Speaker 3: school why so, the CIA was also like, look, chill, 935 00:43:55,800 --> 00:43:59,439 Speaker 3: Jay Hagger, can we talk just agency to agency? We 936 00:43:59,520 --> 00:44:01,640 Speaker 3: need Sam g and Conn and Handsome Johnny. They're the 937 00:44:01,640 --> 00:44:04,200 Speaker 3: ones who are helping us to kill Castro and Jaeger 938 00:44:04,239 --> 00:44:10,160 Speaker 3: Hoover's like, oh, killing commies. Why didn't you say you're 939 00:44:10,239 --> 00:44:15,560 Speaker 3: speaking my lad? Carry on? So Attorney General Bobby Kennedy, though, 940 00:44:15,600 --> 00:44:18,239 Speaker 3: finds out from a memo from a Giddy, I have 941 00:44:18,320 --> 00:44:21,400 Speaker 3: a secret Jaegger Hoover, right, so he goes. When Bobby 942 00:44:21,400 --> 00:44:23,359 Speaker 3: finds us out, he's pissed because now he's gonna make 943 00:44:23,360 --> 00:44:25,239 Speaker 3: the Kennedy brothers look bad. And they barely got in 944 00:44:25,239 --> 00:44:26,480 Speaker 3: the White House. They had to work with the Mob 945 00:44:26,520 --> 00:44:28,200 Speaker 3: to get there, so they're worried that this is going 946 00:44:28,280 --> 00:44:30,000 Speaker 3: to make them look bad. So what does he do. 947 00:44:30,600 --> 00:44:33,680 Speaker 3: He's furious, right, but at the same time he's like, 948 00:44:33,800 --> 00:44:35,480 Speaker 3: but still a good idea. You guys keep doing that, 949 00:44:35,600 --> 00:44:37,680 Speaker 3: So he gives his blessing to the idea he's super 950 00:44:37,719 --> 00:44:40,520 Speaker 3: mad about. Right. In fact, some like Richard Helms, who 951 00:44:40,560 --> 00:44:42,880 Speaker 3: was later the ambassador to Iran, but prior to that 952 00:44:42,960 --> 00:44:45,799 Speaker 3: was the director of the CIA. He said and testified 953 00:44:45,840 --> 00:44:48,439 Speaker 3: to the Church Committee that quote, the principal driving force 954 00:44:48,520 --> 00:44:51,040 Speaker 3: was the Attorney General Robert Kennedy. There isn't any question 955 00:44:51,080 --> 00:44:53,680 Speaker 3: about this. Oh wow, So it was Bobby Kennedy's mission. 956 00:44:53,760 --> 00:44:56,280 Speaker 3: So my favorite part about this super team up between 957 00:44:56,280 --> 00:44:58,360 Speaker 3: Mob and g men is how both groups wanted to 958 00:44:58,400 --> 00:45:01,520 Speaker 3: be like the other. So the they fantasized about the 959 00:45:01,560 --> 00:45:04,040 Speaker 3: Mob guys. They are talking about how they would kill Castro. 960 00:45:04,320 --> 00:45:06,120 Speaker 3: They wanted the Mafia to have a bunch of hitman 961 00:45:06,320 --> 00:45:08,920 Speaker 3: roll up with like Tommy guns and gun down Castro 962 00:45:09,080 --> 00:45:12,040 Speaker 3: in the street. Yeah, they wanted like the Saint Valentine's 963 00:45:12,080 --> 00:45:15,520 Speaker 3: past for Castro. Meanwhile, the Mafia, they're like, hey, we 964 00:45:15,560 --> 00:45:17,920 Speaker 3: want some of them James Bond super spy gadget. So 965 00:45:17,920 --> 00:45:19,600 Speaker 3: we wanted to give them to our assassins, so like, 966 00:45:19,640 --> 00:45:21,319 Speaker 3: come in there to see I was like, Oh, we 967 00:45:21,360 --> 00:45:24,520 Speaker 3: don't really do that, that's just the movies, guys. So 968 00:45:24,640 --> 00:45:27,520 Speaker 3: finally their plan comes together. They actually have a legit idea. 969 00:45:27,800 --> 00:45:30,239 Speaker 3: The Mob found the perfect man to do their wet work. 970 00:45:30,280 --> 00:45:34,000 Speaker 3: Who is it? Inside man high level Cuban bureaucrat re 971 00:45:34,360 --> 00:45:37,480 Speaker 3: enter Teddy gunn Cia s Q. He's like, what do 972 00:45:37,520 --> 00:45:40,120 Speaker 3: you guys need? So the Mob told them we want 973 00:45:40,120 --> 00:45:44,600 Speaker 3: a super spy assassination pen. So he's like, okay, superspy 974 00:45:44,680 --> 00:45:47,680 Speaker 3: assassination pen coming up. So he starts working on a 975 00:45:47,760 --> 00:45:50,040 Speaker 3: James Bond number four of them. Right, he rushes the 976 00:45:50,120 --> 00:45:52,600 Speaker 3: order because the assassin's gonna leave soon, so he has 977 00:45:52,640 --> 00:45:55,440 Speaker 3: to make this poison pen overnight. Oh wow, So he 978 00:45:55,520 --> 00:45:58,399 Speaker 3: stays up all night. Luca Brayton his butt buns off 979 00:45:58,440 --> 00:46:01,240 Speaker 3: trying to make this pen. He secrets a hypodermic needle 980 00:46:01,239 --> 00:46:03,760 Speaker 3: into a pen and just like the mobsters, it suggested 981 00:46:03,800 --> 00:46:06,799 Speaker 3: that maybe like a needle in, there was poison in 982 00:46:06,880 --> 00:46:08,560 Speaker 3: it was hid in the neck. He's like, perfect, I 983 00:46:08,560 --> 00:46:11,040 Speaker 3: got it. So they sent He sends over James Bond 984 00:46:11,120 --> 00:46:14,000 Speaker 3: kill pen over the CIA. They rushed to the airport. 985 00:46:14,040 --> 00:46:16,400 Speaker 3: They meet the diplomat at the airport, he gets the 986 00:46:16,440 --> 00:46:19,240 Speaker 3: assassination kit just before he boards his flight to Paris. 987 00:46:19,560 --> 00:46:22,279 Speaker 3: Hours later, he lands in Charles de Gaull Airport. Maybe 988 00:46:22,320 --> 00:46:24,680 Speaker 3: it was orally, doesn't really matter. Anyway, He's on his 989 00:46:24,719 --> 00:46:27,080 Speaker 3: way to Cuba. He meets someone at the airport, his 990 00:46:27,160 --> 00:46:29,680 Speaker 3: point man. Together they make fun of the poison pen 991 00:46:29,760 --> 00:46:32,880 Speaker 3: that the CIA gave him, and I quote from the CIA. 992 00:46:33,760 --> 00:46:36,160 Speaker 3: Hector Sanchez arrived in Paris on the morning of November 993 00:46:36,200 --> 00:46:39,280 Speaker 3: twenty second and met with the flipped Cuban bureaucrat Cubela 994 00:46:39,360 --> 00:46:41,799 Speaker 3: late that afternoon. Sanchez states that he showed the pen 995 00:46:41,920 --> 00:46:45,440 Speaker 3: syringe to Kubela and explained how it worked. Sanchez distinctly 996 00:46:45,440 --> 00:46:48,680 Speaker 3: recalls the Kubela didn't think much of the device. Also, 997 00:46:48,719 --> 00:46:51,120 Speaker 3: the CIA didn't include any poison in their poison pen. 998 00:46:51,640 --> 00:46:54,800 Speaker 3: He would be assassin was expected to source his own poison. 999 00:46:55,040 --> 00:46:58,560 Speaker 3: They did give him a recommendation, though quick Kubela was 1000 00:46:58,600 --> 00:47:01,680 Speaker 3: expected to supply his own and we merely suggested black 1001 00:47:01,760 --> 00:47:04,480 Speaker 3: leaf forty as an effective poison for use in the syringe. 1002 00:47:04,520 --> 00:47:06,920 Speaker 3: So it's just like, go find some black leave forty. 1003 00:47:07,960 --> 00:47:11,040 Speaker 3: So anyway, fate plays a hand because quote as they 1004 00:47:11,040 --> 00:47:13,239 Speaker 3: were coming out of the meeting, Sanchez and Coubela were 1005 00:47:13,239 --> 00:47:16,720 Speaker 3: informed that President Kennedy had been assassinated. Kubela was visibly 1006 00:47:16,760 --> 00:47:19,560 Speaker 3: moved over the news. Why do such things happen to 1007 00:47:19,600 --> 00:47:22,560 Speaker 3: good people? He asked, So there is our one percent 1008 00:47:22,600 --> 00:47:26,080 Speaker 3: in this story, President Kennedy. He gets assassinated. And perhaps 1009 00:47:26,320 --> 00:47:28,600 Speaker 3: the greatest irony of this is that many of the 1010 00:47:28,600 --> 00:47:31,920 Speaker 3: men who conspired to kill Castro met violent ends. JFK, 1011 00:47:32,160 --> 00:47:35,040 Speaker 3: Bobby Kennedy, sam Gy and Kanna and Johnny Rosselli all 1012 00:47:35,080 --> 00:47:35,600 Speaker 3: caught about it. 1013 00:47:36,080 --> 00:47:39,759 Speaker 2: So this the syringe was happening around the same time 1014 00:47:39,760 --> 00:47:40,680 Speaker 2: that the missive they. 1015 00:47:40,560 --> 00:47:42,960 Speaker 3: Were having multiple attempts. They weren't deserving one attempt, like 1016 00:47:42,960 --> 00:47:45,239 Speaker 3: they were basically both headed there at the same time. 1017 00:47:45,560 --> 00:47:48,520 Speaker 3: And then it just happened to be that Kennedy got killed, 1018 00:47:48,520 --> 00:47:51,080 Speaker 3: and that takes and then Castro goes out and makes 1019 00:47:51,120 --> 00:47:53,440 Speaker 3: a bunch of speeches basically ragging on the Americans for 1020 00:47:53,480 --> 00:47:57,120 Speaker 3: not seeing that coming. Surprisingly, also there is interesting stuff 1021 00:47:57,160 --> 00:48:00,960 Speaker 3: in the in the Kennedy stuff about possibly Castro's agents 1022 00:48:01,120 --> 00:48:04,040 Speaker 3: flipped the Kennedy assassins that were sent to kill Castro 1023 00:48:04,160 --> 00:48:05,840 Speaker 3: and he sent them back to kill Kennedy. There's a 1024 00:48:05,880 --> 00:48:08,800 Speaker 3: whole thing there, but we need to have more documents 1025 00:48:08,840 --> 00:48:11,319 Speaker 3: come out for confirmation on that, but it seems to 1026 00:48:11,360 --> 00:48:15,000 Speaker 3: be that there was people who flipped the other way. Anyway, Surprisingly, 1027 00:48:15,040 --> 00:48:18,200 Speaker 3: after the Church Committee's explosive report, there were new laws 1028 00:48:18,280 --> 00:48:21,600 Speaker 3: that prohibited the assassination of foreign leader. Reagan even signed 1029 00:48:21,640 --> 00:48:24,879 Speaker 3: one right. US presidents, though, still continue to try kill 1030 00:48:24,920 --> 00:48:28,359 Speaker 3: with Castro, even President Carter, which I surprised me because 1031 00:48:28,400 --> 00:48:29,920 Speaker 3: you know, he's kind of like the piece nick peanut 1032 00:48:30,000 --> 00:48:32,160 Speaker 3: farmer guy. But still he was out there. He's like, well, 1033 00:48:32,200 --> 00:48:35,080 Speaker 3: I'm not banging hammers into homes for humanity. I'm got 1034 00:48:35,120 --> 00:48:38,080 Speaker 3: there trying to kill Castro. Anyway, according to the former 1035 00:48:38,120 --> 00:48:40,239 Speaker 3: head of the Cuban intelligence called Jimmy, Carter clocked in 1036 00:48:40,280 --> 00:48:43,240 Speaker 3: his sixty four attempts, so that was big. Next Reagan, 1037 00:48:43,440 --> 00:48:45,360 Speaker 3: he broke the record one hundred and ninety seven attempts. 1038 00:48:45,360 --> 00:48:47,600 Speaker 3: We went over that, George Bush and Bill Clinton sixteen 1039 00:48:47,600 --> 00:48:50,799 Speaker 3: to twenty one respectively. And then Clinton. You know, he 1040 00:48:50,840 --> 00:48:52,759 Speaker 3: had the CAA go back to some of their greatest hits. 1041 00:48:52,760 --> 00:48:54,960 Speaker 3: He's like, can I get on that Kennedy energy. So 1042 00:48:55,120 --> 00:48:58,040 Speaker 3: he had them try to put pull an exploding podium 1043 00:48:58,040 --> 00:49:01,520 Speaker 3: move yeah, He's like yeah, So of course it failed, right. 1044 00:49:01,560 --> 00:49:04,319 Speaker 3: The British paper The Guardian reported quote as recentably as 1045 00:49:04,360 --> 00:49:06,799 Speaker 3: two thousand, when Castro was due to visit Panama, a 1046 00:49:06,840 --> 00:49:08,759 Speaker 3: plot was hatched to put two hundred pounds of high 1047 00:49:08,800 --> 00:49:11,240 Speaker 3: explosives under the podium where he was due to speak. 1048 00:49:11,480 --> 00:49:14,319 Speaker 3: Castro's personal security team carried out their own checks before 1049 00:49:14,360 --> 00:49:16,160 Speaker 3: he arrived and foiled the plot. 1050 00:49:16,320 --> 00:49:19,680 Speaker 1: Just because the podium had acme yes, exactly, it. 1051 00:49:19,840 --> 00:49:22,680 Speaker 3: Just like literally the drums or the but he got 1052 00:49:22,680 --> 00:49:25,440 Speaker 3: sticks of dynamite all bound together under the podium with 1053 00:49:25,520 --> 00:49:28,800 Speaker 3: the clock ticking and just like anyway. Finally, at the 1054 00:49:28,880 --> 00:49:31,400 Speaker 3: ripe old age of ninety, having outlived most all of 1055 00:49:31,400 --> 00:49:34,759 Speaker 3: his contemporaries except for Kissinger, many of the men who 1056 00:49:34,800 --> 00:49:37,640 Speaker 3: plotted to kill him. Castro finally kicked the bucket on 1057 00:49:37,719 --> 00:49:40,080 Speaker 3: November twenty fifth, twenty sixteen. And I can tell you 1058 00:49:40,160 --> 00:49:43,080 Speaker 3: one hundred percent with certainty that Cia had absolutely nothing 1059 00:49:43,080 --> 00:49:44,480 Speaker 3: to do with it. And how do I know this, 1060 00:49:44,560 --> 00:49:51,040 Speaker 3: Elizabeth hum because Castro died. So what's our ridiculous takeaway? 1061 00:49:51,520 --> 00:49:55,960 Speaker 2: My ridiculous takeaway is that if you think you're going 1062 00:49:56,040 --> 00:49:59,080 Speaker 2: to be clever, you're too clever, yes a half yeah. 1063 00:49:59,239 --> 00:50:01,840 Speaker 3: And Wiley Kai is a terrible sassiny model. 1064 00:50:01,640 --> 00:50:03,600 Speaker 1: Bad role model. 1065 00:50:03,920 --> 00:50:06,200 Speaker 3: Well, thanks for listening. You would always find us online 1066 00:50:06,800 --> 00:50:10,319 Speaker 3: at Ridiculous Crime dot com. That's our website, or you 1067 00:50:10,320 --> 00:50:12,240 Speaker 3: can find us on Twitter. Can you find us on Instagram? 1068 00:50:12,400 --> 00:50:14,160 Speaker 3: You can find us on the streets of Oakland at fast, 1069 00:50:14,200 --> 00:50:17,040 Speaker 3: but you can also email us at Ridiculous Crime at 1070 00:50:17,040 --> 00:50:26,360 Speaker 3: gmail dot com. Thanks for listening. Ridiculous Crime is hosted 1071 00:50:26,360 --> 00:50:29,319 Speaker 3: by Elizabeth Dutton and Zarain Burnett, produced and edited by 1072 00:50:29,360 --> 00:50:32,440 Speaker 3: Our Man and Havannah Dave Kustin, researches by Marissa the 1073 00:50:32,520 --> 00:50:36,560 Speaker 3: Librarian Brown and Andrea the Professor. Song Sharpened Tear, our 1074 00:50:36,600 --> 00:50:39,840 Speaker 3: theme song is by Thomas the Norseman Lee and Handsome 1075 00:50:39,880 --> 00:50:43,800 Speaker 3: Travis Dutton Executive produces our Ben Dwight Eisenhower tried to 1076 00:50:43,960 --> 00:50:47,439 Speaker 3: warn us Bowlin and Noel Scheckers Brown. 1077 00:50:52,120 --> 00:51:00,240 Speaker 1: Ridic say it one more time. Ridiculous crime is aroduction 1078 00:51:00,320 --> 00:51:01,040 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio