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Tacoma for the trial and to act as a legal investigator for Riconosciuto for 10 days.* Their meeting, and the fruitless search for the alleged tape-recording of Peter Videnieks—a Justice Department official who had threatened Riconosciuto on tape over the Inslaw case—may have contributed to a certain disillu- sionment that Casolaro began to feel about "Danger Man" by the time he returned home. "That guy is nuts," he stated to a journal- ist after his Washington trip.* No such assessment of Riconosciuto's sanity was needed to determine that his statements + Tacoma for the trial and to act as a legal investigator for It is unclear whether or not Moyle kept contact with Casolaro, Riconosciuto for 10 days.* Their meeting, and the fruitless search although Casolaro's notes include references to Carlos Cardoen for the alleged tape-recording of Peter Videnieks—a Justice and the Iraqi missile deal. Casolaro knew about Alan May and he Department official who had threatened Riconosciuto on tape had also learned about Anson Ng's death shortly after it took over the Inslaw case—may have contributed to a certain disillu- place, while he was developing his Octopus thesis. He also sionment that Casolaro began to feel about "Danger Man" by the remembered the January murder of Alan Standorf. Riconosciuto time he returned home. "That guy is nuts," he stated to a journal- had introduced Standorf to Casolaro as an electronic intelligence ist after his Washington trip.* No such assessment of operative of the NSA, working at the Vint Hill military installa- Riconosciuto's sanity was needed to determine that his statements tion in Virginia that gathered information from espionage satel- were suspect. lites and other sources throughout the world. Casolaro agreed that In addition to life among the ufonauts, as documented in the Standorf had important information linking the Justice ast issue of NEXUS (vol. 3, no. 6), Riconosciuto failed to pro- Department to parts of the various scandals he was researching. duce an oft-requested passport to corroborate his claimed trips to After Standorf's death, Casolaro mentioned to a friend, Bill Iran. When asked by the CNN Moneyline program to describe Turner, that a key source had vanished." Peter Videnieks—whom he claimed to have met on several occa- Did Casolaro feel the tentacles tightening? If so, it was not sions and to have been threatened by on the reflected in his research notes. He was col- ost tape—Riconosciuto was unable to do lecting information on vicious killers and so. powerbrokers, but he gave no clue that he On 19th June 1991, four days after The fax included details thought they were coming after him. Tormer Nixon campaign ae Alan Michaci | Of the story of his cliemt, | yee iavyers and an investigator under wha May died in his home in San Francisco. Russbacher, concerning could be construed as mysterious circum- talked about May's involvement in tne | the October Surprise, | rrivace investigator conducting Insla-con October Surprise. The coroner's initial report anda page of nected work for Riconosciuto, was killed in attributed May's death to heart attack, but an . . Mason County, Washington. After Eisman's autopsy showed the presence of polypharma- information on the death, in April 1993 John Crawford, anoth- ceuticals in his body. ; Inslaw case, pointing Out | & attorney who worked with Riconosciuto, Anson Ng, a reporter for the Financial that an executive died suddenly of a heart attack in Tacoma." Times of London, pursued Jimmy The decomposed body of a third Hughes—a guard with Area 51's assistant to Senator Riconosciuto lawyer, Paul Wilcher, Wackenhut security service who was was found in Wilcher's Washington, central to the Alvarez murder case—to Robert Byrd (Democrat, DC apartment on 23rd June 1993. South America in an attempt to get an Wi Virgini Ww h Wilcher had also been an attorney interview. While in Guatemala during est g a), as t = for the pilot Guenther Russbacher who wife of Peter Videnieks who had threatened Riconosciuto. July 1991, Ng was murdered by a sin- claimed to have videotape proof and 16 gle bullet to the chest. His death was witnesses to his having flown George ruled a suicide. The Guatemalan Bush to one of the October Surprise Government was asked to retrieve Ng's meetings.’ Wilcher belonged to the floppy discs and personal papers American Patriot Fax Network and had regarding his investigation. It did so recently prepared an ambitious 155- and turned them over to a US intelli- page fax, summarising information on gence agency. In a press conference a circumstances leading to the fiery few weeks later, Senator Alan Cranston deaths of David Koresh and his follow- requested that these items be returned, but they never were. ers in April 1993, that he sent as a challenge to Attorney General More than a year earlier, on 31st March 1990, a British journal- Janet Reno. The fax included details of the story of his client, ist named Jonathan Moyle was found dead, hung in a hotel room Russbacher, concerning the October Surprise, and a page of infor- closet in Santiago, Chile. "Although Casolaro and Moyle were mation on the Inslaw case, pointing out that an executive stant probing different leads, their investigations involved some of the to Senator Robert Byrd (Democrat, West Virginia), was the wife same people," said columnist Jack Anderson.’ Moyle, an editor at of Peter Videnieks who had threatened Riconosciuto."” London's Defence Helicopter World, had been investigating the The mysterious death list also came to include the execution- weapons trade, specifically the alleged sale of non-military US style slaying of Ian Spiro, his wife and three daughters, in San helicopters to Iraq for refitting as attack choppers. The notes Diego on Ist November 1992. Spiro reportedly worked for US Moyle left behind contained reference to a sophisticated missile and British intelligence agencies on operations that included the guidance system that held Iraqi interest, although whether or not October Surprise, Iran-Contra and the hostage crisis in Lebanon. Iraq used the system in its disastrous Scud attacks during the Spiro spoke with Riconosciuto, whom he was helping collect doc- Persian Gulf War is unknown. Instrumental in the arms-dealing uments to present to a grand jury, only a few days before his Moyle had been investigating was Carlos Cardoen, the same man death." Ari Ben-Menashe identified as the intermediary between Iraq and Later, others would begin to develop lists of significant deaths Earl Brian for the PROMIS software deal.* Initial reports called related to the Inslaw case in much the same way. Many began Moyle's death a suicide, but evidence, including the presence of a making connections between the deaths of witnesses and others strong sedative in his system and possible asphyxiation, suggested associated with the JFK assassination 25 years earlier. In addition otherwise.’ to the Riconosciuto lawyers, the list included Vali Delahanty, Riconosciuto. 32 * NEXUS assistant to ‘Senator who had threatened DECEMBER 1996 - JANUARY 1997