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Cryptonym: GFGESTETNER

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Definition:
Herbert Manell, chief of anti-Soviet operations in Mexico City station from 1959-1964.
Status:
Documented
Discussion:
He also used the aliases Paul Dillon and Francis Coigne
Sources:

104-10015-10306: CABLE - PLS POUCH PHOTO OSWALD.

10/15/63 from GFGESTETNER to Director: "Please pouch photo Oswald."

104-10419-10212: MEMO: COMMENTS ON AN ASSOCIATED PRESS ARTICLE "EX-CIA AIDE DOUBTS OSWALD LINK TO CUBA" PUBLISHED IN THE WASHINGTON POST OF 17 MARCH

3/22/77, Memorandum for the Record by Russell Holmes: In this memo, the author of the Oct 8 memo (LADILLINGER) is identified as contract employee Barbara Murphy Manell, the wife of Herbert Manell (chief of Soviet operations in Mexico City).

180-10141-10228: 180-10141-10228

3/21/78 HSCA interview with both of the Manells. Page 2 makes it clear they changed their names just slightly from “Gerald F. Gestetner” to “Herbert Gestetner”, and from “L.A. Dillinger” to “Barbara Dillenger”: "His main duty was to get information on Soviet personnel and their activities for recognition purposes and for espionage/counter-espionage activities. In line with these goals Mr. Gestetner was responsible for processing the product of telephone, photographic, and physical surveillance of the Soviet embassy and Soviet personnel." pp. 8-9: "Dillenger and Gestetner remembered that information from the taps would usually have been reported within a day or two of receipt of the transcripts...the photo operation attempted to get a picture of every foreigner in contact with the (Soviet) Embassy." At page 14: "Melvin Beck was an outside agent involved in the recruitment and running of agents. He worked for Gestetner."

104-10086-10396: COPY 4 OF A DUPLICATE FILE ENTITLED, "GOODPASTURE."

11/22/63 memo from Gestetner to Director: "Request priority pouch photo Oswald so that station can check all recent LIEMPTY coverage for iden. Forwarding soonest copies of only visitor to SOVEMB (Soviet embassy) 28 Oct (crossed out and changed to 1 Oct) who could be identical with Oswald."

104-10218-10022: NIKOLAY SERGEYEVICH LEONOV

By late 1964, he had left Mexico City and was serving as P.L. Dillon, C/SR/CI/KGB.

104-10168-10368: CABLE: PROBLEM OF ROBERTO DE VARONA BECOMING ACUTE AS INDICATED FOLLOWING PARA

During October 1960, "Gestetner" joined Shryock/Tom Hazlett in debriefing William Felder, American businessman in Mexico, re his contacts with Roberto de Varona and AMHAWK/Tony Varona.

https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/2018/180-10131-10334.pdf

Identified Gestetner as Herb Manell at p. 89 of 106.

See Also:
Contributors:
Bill Simpich

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