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544 Camp Street in New Orleans was a HUB
for "Anti-Castro Activities by Anti Castro Cubans who were subsidized by
the CIA.
Below are pages from Volume X of the HSCA.
 
 
 
 
544 CAMP STREET
POSNER (p. 141): "There simply
is no credible evidence that Oswald ever had an office at
544 Camp Street
or, much less, that he knew Guy Banister." Posner notes: 1. The HSCA
"questioned six other individuals who worked for Guy Banister during the
summer of 1963, and none of them recalled seeing Oswald at 544 Camp." (p.
139). The HSCA (X p. 128) lists seven witnesses who didn't see Oswald there: 4
worked there in the summer of 1963, one left in 1958, one left in January 1962,
and one was a visitor who visited only through 1962. "Several witnesses
recommended the Committee speak with Jack Martin or Delphine Roberts since they
were in most contact with Banister." (HSCA X p. 129)Posner dismisses the
following: 1. Oswald's leaflets were stamped "
544 Camp St.
," the address of the building in which Banister's office was housed.
Posner correctly notes that Sam Newman, the building's owner, told the FBI he
never rented to Oswald (HSCA X p. 123). This avoids the question of whether
someone else rented an office for him, which is what might be expected if Oswald
was working for Banister. 2. The testimony of Jack Martin, who said he saw
Oswald with David Ferrie in Banister's office in 1963 (HSCA X p. 130). He was a
not particularly reliable drunk who worked as an investigator for Banister. Sam
Newman told HSCA that Martin was in Banister's office "90 percent of the
time; every day almost" and he "kept up with all that
stuff."(HSCA X p. 135, note 104) 3. The testimony of Delphine Roberts,
Banister's secretary and mistress, that Banister kept a file on Oswald that
"was kept out of the original files" (the Louisiana State Police
confirmed Banister had a file on the FPCC and Oswald: HSCA X p. 131), that
Banister was angry Oswald stamped 544 Camp St. on his leaflets, and that Oswald
came into the office "on several occasions."(HSCA X p. 129) She also
said Banister told her, when she reported Oswald's leafletting to him, that
"He's with us. He's associated with the office." (Anthony Summers,
Conspiracy, 1991 ed., p. 295) Posner notes that she is extreme right-wing, a
religious nut and was paid for her interview with Anthony Summers (pp. 140-41),
none of which proves she was lying. Banister friend and associate Ivan Nitschke
told HSCA:"If you were trying to explore this to the fullest extent, I
would say that Delphine would be No. 1."(HSCA X p. 135, note 104). Roberts
told Summers Oswald worked for Banister. (Conspiracy, op. cit., pp. 294-5).He
ignores the following: 1. James Arthus' statement to the Secret Service that a
man whose name he didn't recall had tried to rent an office at
544 Camp Street
. (HSCA X p. 125); he gave them the name of the woman who had dealt with the
man, but she was never questioned. (Just as Banister was never asked about
Oswald.) 2. The statement of Ross Banister, Guy's brother, that he knew Guy had
an interest in Oswald, though he didn't think they were connected (HSCA X p.
128). 3. The statement of Ivan Nitschke, the Banister friend and associate, that
Banister had some of Oswald's handbills in his office (HSCA X p. 128). 4.
Banister's widow Mary confirmed this to Andrew Sciambra of Jim Garrison's office
(Anthony Summers, Conspiracy, op. cit., p. 292). She found a supply of the
leaflets in her late husband's storeroom (Warren Hinckle and William Turner,
Deadly Secrets, p. 234). 5. Banister employees Allen and Daniel Campbell. Daniel
reported that Oswald came into Banister's office and used the desk phone. Allen
reports that instead of reacting with his usual anger at pro-Castro activities,
Banister merely laughed when Oswald's leafletting was mentioned. (Conspiracy,
op. cit., p. 293). 6. Another young Banister employee, George Higginbothan, said
he kidded Banister "about sharing a building with people papering the
streets with leftist literature." Banister responded:"Cool it--one of
them is mine." (Hinckle and Turner, Deadly Secrets, pp. 234-5) 7. Adrian
Alba, whose office Oswald regularly visited, reported seeing Oswald in Mancuso's
restaurant, on the ground floor of
544 Camp St.
(Conspiracy, op. cit., p. 296). The restaurant was frequented by Banister. The
restaurant's owner described Banister, David Ferrie and Jack Martin as regular
customers.(HSCA X p. 125). 8. CIA operative William George Gaudet reported
seeing Oswald with Banister. (Conspiracy op. cit., p. 444). 9. Southern
Louisiana
University historian Michael Kurtz knew that Oswald and Banister twice visited
the
Louisiana
State
University
campus together and engaged in heated discussions with students; he was, at the
time, one of the students. He also saw the two together at Mancuso's (Kurtz,
Crime of the Century, 1993 edition, p. 203, xxxix). Witnesses he interviewed for
an earlier article reported seeing Oswald and Banister together at Mancuso's
"with David Ferrie and Carlos Quiroga"; Oswald was seen entering
Banister's office "several times"; one of Oswald's co-workers at the
Reily Coffee Co. saw Oswald and Banister walking together on Camp St.; another
witness reported the two attended a White Citizens' Council meeting (reminiscent
of the meetings Oswald is known to have attended in Dallas). (Kurtz, "Lee
Harvey Oswald in New Orleans: A Reappraisal," Louisiana History vol. 21,
Winter 1980). 10. Another intriguing confirmation comes from Chuck Giancana,
brother of Chicago Mafia boss Sam Giancana, who reported Sam told him that
Banister was affiliated with the Chicago Mob from his FBI days in
Chicago
: "We know [him]...real well." (Sam and Chuck Giancana, Double Cross,
p. 211) He was transferred to Marcello in
New Orleans
(ibid., p. 255), where the Chicago-affiliated roving Mob ambassador Johnny
Rosselli kept in touch with him and approved his manipulation of Oswald (ibid.,
pp. 332-3). 11. Further confirmation comes from Through the Looking Glass: The
Mysterious World of Clay Shaw by William Davy: New Orleans attorney Tommy
Baumler, formerly an infiltrator of left-wing college groups for Banister, told
interviewers in 1981 that
"Oswald worked for
Banister." .
LHO-BANNISTER
Kurtz may
have included his account in his earlier Lousiana History
article. In the book he tends to avoid using himself as a
witness,
perhaps feeling there was already enough evidence tying
Oswald and
Banister (hardly an "explosive" claim by 1982), but
he added the account
in his introduction to the paperback edition.
I don't
know if Andrews is credible or not. He may be on some things.
Banister/Leaflets:
Hinckle and Turner report that widow Mary
Banister, gathering up Guy's effects at
544 Camp St.
after his death,
found a "large stack" of Fair Play leaflets.
Delphine Roberts, who knew
Banister's office as well as anyone (being his secretary and
mistress),
told Anthony Summers that Fair Play leaflets were kept in an
office
upstairs from the regular office, as Banister didn't want
them in his
normal business office. Her daughter confirmed that Oswald
had an office
there where he kept political literature. Summers says Andrew
Sciambra's
interview of Mary Banister indicated she found "a number
of" the
leaflets.
However
many leaflets Banister had, it's ludicrous to continue to
act as though no Banister-Oswald connection has been proven.
Here is a
summary of the evidence:
1.
Oswald's leaflets were stamped "
544 Camp St.
," the address of the
building in which Banister's office was housed. Posner
correctly notes
that Sam Newman, the building's owner, told the FBI he never
rented to
Oswald (HSCA X p. 123). This avoids the question of whether
someone else
rented an office for him, which is what might be expected if
Oswald was
working for Banister.
2.
The testimony of Jack Martin, who said he saw Oswald with David
Ferrie in Banister's
office in 1963 (HSCA X p. 130). He was a not
particularly reliable drunk who worked as an investigator for
Banister.
Sam Newman told HSCA that Martin was in Banister's office
"90 percent of
the time; every day almost" and he "kept up with
all that stuff."(HSCA X
p. 135, note 104)
3.
The testimony of Delphine Roberts, Banister's secretary and
mistress,
that Banister
kept a file on Oswald that "was kept out of the original
files" (the
Louisiana
State
Police confirmed Banister had a file on the
FPCC and Oswald: HSCA X p. 131),
that Banister was angry Oswald stamped
544
Camp St.
on his leaflets, and that Oswald
came into the office "on
several occasions."(HSCA X p. 129) She also said
Banister told her, when
she reported Oswald's leafletting to him, that "He's
with us. He's
associated with the office." (Anthony Summers,
Conspiracy, 1991 ed., p.
295) Posner notes that she is extreme right-wing, a religious
nut and
was paid for her interview with Anthony Summers (pp. 140-41),
none of
which proves she was lying. Banister friend and associate
Ivan Nitschke
told HSCA:"If you were trying to explore this to the
fullest extent, I
would say that Delphine would be No. 1."(HSCA X p. 135,
note 104).
Roberts told Summers Oswald worked for Banister. (Conspiracy,
op. cit.,
pp. 294-5).
PLUS:
1.
James Arthus' statement to the Secret Service that a man whose
name he didn't recall had tried to rent an office at
544 Camp Street
.
(HSCA X p. 125); he gave them the name of the woman who had
dealt with
the man, but she was never questioned. (Just as Banister was
never asked
about Oswald.)
2.
The statement of Ross Banister, Guy's brother, that he knew Guy
had an interest in Oswald, though he didn't think they were
connected
(HSCA X p. 128).
3.
The statement of Ivan Nitschke, the Banister friend and
associate, that Banister had some of Oswald's handbills in
his office
(HSCA X p. 128).
4.
Banister's widow Mary confirmed this to Andrew Sciambra of Jim
Garrison's office (Anthony Summers, Conspiracy, op. cit., p.
292). She
found a supply of the leaflets in her late husband's
storeroom (
Warren
Hinckle and William Turner, Deadly Secrets, p. 234).
5.
Banister employees Allen and Daniel Campbell. Daniel reported
that Oswald came into Banister's office and used the desk
phone. Allen
reports that instead of reacting with his usual anger at
pro-Castro
activities, Banister merely laughed when Oswald's leafletting
was
mentioned. (Conspiracy, op. cit., p. 293).
6.
Another young Banister employee, George Higginbothan, said he
kidded Banister "about sharing a building with people
papering the
streets with leftist literature." Banister
responded:"Cool it--one of
them is mine." (Hinckle and Turner, Deadly Secrets, pp.
234-5)
7.
Adrian Alba, whose office Oswald regularly visited, reported
seeing Oswald in Mancuso's restaurant, on the ground floor of
544 Camp
St.
(Conspiracy, op. cit., p. 296). The restaurant was frequented by
Banister. The restaurant's owner described Banister, David
Ferrie and
Jack Martin as regular customers.(HSCA X p. 125).
8.
CIA operative William George Gaudet reported seeing Oswald with
Banister. (Conspiracy op. cit., p. 444).
9.
Southern
Louisiana
University
historian Michael Kurtz knew that
Oswald and Banister twice visited the
Louisiana
State
University
campus
together and engaged in heated discussions with students; he
was, at the
time, one of the students. He also saw the two together at
Mancuso's
(Kurtz, Crime of the Century, 1993 edition, p. 203, xxxix).
Witnesses he
interviewed for an earlier article reported seeing Oswald and
Banister
together at Mancuso's "with David Ferrie and Carlos
Quiroga"; Oswald was
seen entering Banister's office "several times";
one of Oswald's
co-workers at the Reily Coffee Co. saw Oswald and Banister
walking
together on
Camp St.
; another witness reported the two attended a White
Citizens' Council meeting (reminiscent of the meetings Oswald
is known
to have attended in
Dallas
). (Kurtz, "Lee Harvey Oswald in
New Orleans
:
A Reappraisal,"
Louisiana
History vol. 21, Winter 1980).
10.
Another intriguing confirmation comes from Chuck Giancana,
brother of
Chicago
Mafia boss Sam Giancana, who reported Sam told him
that Banister was affiliated with the
Chicago
Mob from his FBI days in
Chicago
:
"We know [him]...real well." (Sam and Chuck Giancana, Double
Cross, p. 211) He was transferred to Marcello in
New Orleans
(ibid., p.
255), where the Chicago-affiliated roving Mob ambassador
Johnny Rosselli
kept in touch with him and approved his manipulation of
Oswald (ibid.,
pp. 332-3).
11.
Further confirmation comes from Through the Looking Glass: The
Mysterious World of Clay Shaw by William Davy:
New Orleans
attorney
Tommy Baumler, formerly an infiltrator of left-wing college
groups for
Banister, told interviewers in 1981 that "Oswald worked
for Banister."
I
can be reached for Questions, Comments, Files Transfers or, Clarifications at
the following e-mail address.
tomnln@cox.net
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