LETTER TO WILLIAM J. CASEY FROM ALFONSE D AMATO

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87M01152R000100090019-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 8, 2010
• Sequence Number: 19
• Publication Date: February 26, 1985
• Content Type: LETTER

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FYI ONLY
ER 85-369/2
Office of Legislative Liaison
Routing Slip
3. Admin
4. Liaison
5. Legislation
FYI ONLY
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EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT
:.:.ROUTING SUP
EXDIR
D/ICS:
SA/IA
SUSPENSE 8 Mar 85
Remarks To OGC: Pis . provide ..direct response
with info copy
1V Mar 85
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y
ALFONSE M. D'AMATO
i NEW YORK
'?J CnUeb Ziaf ez Zenaf e
February 26, 1985
The Honorable William J. Casey
Director of Central Intelligence
Central Intelligence Agency
Washington, D.C. 20505
Executive Registry
5-
369/2
I deeply appreciate your swift and positive response to
my January 24, 1985 letter requesting a search for all
documents relating to Dr. Josef Mengele, the infamous Nazi
"Angel of Death" itz. The good work done by Stanley
Sporkin and of your staff was largely
responsible for the success of this effort.
I write again to ask your further assistance in this
case. Several of the documents provided reportedly contained
references to a man named Becker. His name was apparently
blacked out in the review process removing classified
information from the documents so they could be publicly
released. Please ask your staff to re-examine these documents
and review their conclusion that Becker's name and the name
of one of his associates, Morales or Morelli, be excised from
the released version of these documents. I believe these
names are very important leads in the search for Mengele and
should not have been censored.
Also, please ask your staff to search your records for
any documents pertaining to the following individuals who are
apparently associates of Mengele: Ricardo Riefenstahl;
Joachim Fieberkorn; Felix (possible middle name Rogelio)
Becker (possible matronym Macchi) (possible date of birth
April 2, 1935); a man named Varella, aka Varella Segovia, aka
Enio Anibal, aka Inio Varella, aka "Baby"; Jose Morales, aka
Morellus, aka Morelli (Morales, Morelli, and Varella could be
aliases for the same person); August Joseph Ricord, date of
birth April 26, 1911; Ceasar Bianchi; Pierre Gahou; Juan
Benitoz; Josep Caramian; and Renato Lestra.
Riefenstahl and Fieberkorn are apparently Paraguayans
who are presently in prison in West Germany on drug smuggling
charges. They were arrested in 1982, and were the subjects of
a recent Der Spiegel article. Becker, Varella, Morales,
Ricord, Bianchi, Gahou, Benitoz, and Lestra were arrested in
October, 1970, in New York for heroin smuggling. Becker and
Ricord served time in Federal prison. Varella and others,
reportedly escaped Federal custody, fleeing the West Street,
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The Honorable William J. Casey
February 26, 1985
New York, detention center in 1971. At least Becker is a
Paraguayan. Varella is known to have twenty aliases and nine
known associates. Varella is probably and Morales may also be
Paraguayan. Ricord is a Frenchman, as is Gahou. Additional
details on the others are unkown at this time, but are being
sought.
A key question which has emerged as a result of recent
developments is whether the Becker reportedly named in the
CIA and other agency documents released to me on February 21,
1985, is the same man as the Felix (Rogelio) Becker
(Macchi)referred to above. I would appreciate any assistance
you could provide in resolving this issue.
I hope your able staff will be also be successful in
this search. Under the terms of the Freedom of Information
Act, please prepare any documents you locate for public
release. If you do locate any documents on these individuals,
I would appreciate a private, personal briefing on them at
your earliest convenience.
Again, I appreciate your swift and enthusiastic
cooperation in this important effort.
Warm personal regards.
Sincerely,
lfonse D'Amato
United States Senator
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