Some thoughts on the last years of Johnny Rosselli:

Johnny maintained a close relationship with one of the probable CIA operatives involved in the JFK assassination, Bill Harvey, and probably had the same political leanings. Rosselli's story to Jack Anderson in 67 about a CIA hit team that was turned around by Castro and sent to kill JFK, was all part of the conspirators efforts to point the finger at Castro to instigate a US retaliatory invasion (that was why Oswald was instructed to pose as a representative of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee).

By the late sixties, Rosselli was in a lot of legal problems: he'd been implicated in the Friar's Club cheating scandal and was facing deportation, as the FBI had discovered that he wasn't born in the states, as Rosselli claimed. He eventually went to prison, and spent much of his time in Springfield Mo, in the feds medical facility.

When he got out in the early 70's, he was a shell of a man. Friends who spent time with him during that time told me that he was drinking heavily (something he never used to do), and was being a little too talkative when he did.

When Rosselli's statements to Anderson stirred up the firestorm that would eventually hobble the CIA, Johnny was called to testify to Congress. In that testimony, I found it very interesting that the only Mafia guy he implicated in the CIA/Mafia plots was Trafficante.

I can think of a couple of reasons why he might do that: First, Rosselli, who was committed to the effort to kill Castro, knew that Trafficante had more than likely taken sides with Fidel, and in return for being allowed to continue his narcotics operation in Cuba, Santo informed Castro about the numerous botched attempts on his life. Second, Rosselli, who was a sick old man by this time, was in constant pain,and was ready to pack it in. He didn't want to die in bed, struggling to breath. He knew that implicating Trafficante would be punishable by death, and he knew Santo wouldn't hesitate, especially because Johnny was preparing to testify at the upcoming hearings looking at the JFK assassination.

Johnny was skilled in evasive testimony, as most of the mob survivors of that day had to be. He knew what he was saying, and he knew the implications.

I would be very careful about taking Bill Bonnano at face value when it comes to Rosselli. There were long-standing problems between the Bonnanos and Rosselli, dating back to the time when Joe came to Rosselli, looking for help in making a move in LA, against Commission guidelines. Rosselli was known for being a "Commission" guy who was close to Frank Costello, and I believe Meyer Lansky, and Johnny told Frank about Bonnano's overtures. When the Bonnanos became ostracized, I'm sure some of the blame fell on Rosselli. So, when Bill claims that he saw and talked to Rosselli in prison in the early 70's, and Johnny supposedly told him that he'd been on of the JFK shooters, firing from the storm drains, I'd keep a salt shaker handy.