◆ SpookStack

sf BISSELL also speculated that underworld figures were seeking to build up credit with the U.S. Government against possible Federal prosecution in the future. According to the "Las Angeles Times" and “Los Angeles Herald Examiner" on July 31, 1975, ROBERT A. . MAHEU testified before the CHURCH committee on July 30, if 1975. Following his two days of testimony behind closed ‘{ doors, he told reporters that he once helped the CIA . develop plans to poison CASTRO because "I felt we were involved in 4 just war". MAKEU told reporters that he had recruited ROSELLI and GIANCANA in 1960 at the suggestion of two CIA officials. MAHEU said he was also approached on the CASTRO matter in 1960 by JAMES J. O'CONNELL, a CIA supervisor who had previously served as his contact. MAHEU told reporters that O'CONNELL asked him to contact JOHN ROSELLI in Los Angeles and asked ROSELLI if he would assist the CIA iu 2 program 7 for removing CASTRO. MAHEU told reporters that ROSELLI was reluctant to participate but later agreed to help “when I explained this would be on behalf of his govern- ment, unpleasant as it may sound". MAHEU told reporters that the value of ROSELLI and GIANCANA was their contacts and sources of information in Havana where they pre- viously had interests in lucrative gambling casinos closed down by CASTRO. MAHEU said the assassination plan he knew about was a scheme to poison CASTRO that O'CONNELL discussed at a series of meetings at Miami's Fontainebleau Hotel in early 1961. ROSELLI was to deliver poison capsules to one of CASTRO's cooks or domestics, “who would be in a position to administer them if the CIA gave us the ‘go’ signal". MAHEU said that O'CONNELL — showed him the capsule in a white envelope and stated that as far as he knew, the CIA never gave the “go" signal. MAHEU said that after the CIA sponsored the Bay of Pigs Invasion in April of 1961, he phased out his cooperation with the CIA, 34.