◆ SpookStack

Cech defector slips coding machine to ‘gerbagemen’ photographs, might enable the NSA to break the code. Two sources said that the FBI actually smuggled out an entire coding machine about fifteen years ago. Borrowing a truck and uniforms from a garbage- collection company, agents drove into the yard of the Czech Embassy in Wash- ington and waited near an open window, through which a Czech defector passed not only the machine but nearly a truck- load of files. “They were so excited that they forgot to pick up the garbage,” said one source. The next moming, the FBI filmed the results from a hide-out. “One of the funniest things you'd ever see,” the source said, “was the film of the Czech deputy chief of security going to the Soviet Embassy with his hat in his hand. The Crechs couldn’ t even wr ire at 02 FO] q ever Prague to ‘tell thern what had happened. They had to go to the Soviet Embassy and use the Soviet machines.” Salute: This same source and another agreed that in the late 1950s and early TOA. the FRI alen hrole intn the Polich ees EN 2 ae EO NS Age ER a anced and Yugoslav embassies in Washington. . At least three separate bureau sources agreed that there was “no way” for agents to penetrate the Soviet Embassy, so instead they targeted Soviet satellite eauntrice Euan alliac corph ac France ar COU TISS., YO ales, Such as france oF Japan, were occasional targets, as were the Arab states. “All the Arab embassies were easy,” said one bureau source. “The only problem was tripping over the Israelis already inside.’ He said that in at least one case. FB! agerits breaking i into an Arab mission found themselves face to face with Israeli agents. What happens in such cases? “You salute each other and walk away,” the source said, “No- body wants any trouble.” anere Were enough problems as it was. Once, in a mob headquarters in the Midwest, an agent planting a micro- phone slipped on a joist in the attic and thrust his "bo t through the ceiling of the room below. The agents had to wake up the owner ofa hardware store and get plaster to repair the ceiling before dawn. During the late 1950s, two sources said, an agent had a heart attack and died while help- ing with a bag job in one of the Eastern European em- bassies. And sometimes local police stumbled onto an FBI break-in. When that hap- pened, * "You hit the cop and you ran,” said one former agent. Said another: “There were some nasty confronta- tions in back alleys.” Two sources recailed a case ten years ago in which FBI agents had earlier plant- eda bug in the office ofa mob attomey and had * “gone back in to juice it up.’ ’ One agent drop pped something that he shouldn't have been carrying anyway-~either his creden- tials or areport with his name on it—and when the lawyer came in next morming, it was clear the FRI had heen there. As the sources recalled it, the agent was fired, There were cases in which local police concealed the FBI's tracks. More than a decade ago, a former New York City noliceman recalied, the FRI hroke into pees FOU est ha, Se fara SPPURe frlitt the apartment of a Soviet diplomat as- signed to the United Nations. As usual, there was an agent on watch in the lobby of the apartment, but the Russian—who had forgotten some theater tickets— somehow returned without being snot- Seeees ose ee a a Oo ted. When he discovered the agents, their only recourse was to pretend that they really were burglars. They hit him, knocked him down and hurriedly ran- sacked the room. The Russians called the cans who came tn invectiqata hut later Ups, waiyy Da Gir see CSL RG, Geen ame that night the FBI told the detectives not robe too hard. The detectives were unhappy about it because they had to fill out monthly status reports on the “un- solved" case. Om ane aeeasinn haweve Sh WEE VALE, aUWEVEr, the FBI unwittingly helped the New York police. An FBI agent was breaking into the apartment ofa mobster while a lookout and a getaway man waited in sepa- rate cars. The plan was-for the “burglar” to come out and signal to the lookout, who would honk twice; the getaway car would drive up and s u gpeed the “bur- they \ wi ent at 90 giar” away. said a fom ner miles per hour, agent. “About six blocks away, the driver looks at the passenger and says, “Who the f-~ are you?” The passenger looks at the driv- er and answers, ‘Who the f--- are you?" The passenger, it seemed, was a police “burglar” whose target was another apart- ment in the same building—and whose getaway signal was also two honks of a horn. a it ey | (3° - NEW YORK: MAC the Knife Two crises ago—as New reckons time these days—Ci Carey and the New York Stati ture created the Municipal 2 Corporation to help the Biz Ap bankruptcy. That was hack in Big Mac, as it was immediate Is quickly prepared to take on p city’s staggering 86 billion } short-term debts. The MEAC w long-term bonds of its own—l specially earmarked city sale while watching over the tra gimmick-ridden City Hall making process. Politicians, un and financial leaders heaved relief—but that proved prema city resumed its gimmickn. Bi a tepid welcome in the bond 1 eand New York was faced last v the most distasteful dose of fis cine it has yet had to swallow. Image: With its first $] bill issue not completely sald and » billion still to offer, Big Ma Mayor Abe Beame to the City. Only weeks before, Beame ha massive layoffs of city wark 19,000 of which were still sipy effect despite additional taxi: Pare. ARE Goth authorized for the city to help crisis (NEWSWEEK, July 14). painful experience—inclaudin: day garbage strike—had done r than good to the city’s imave w tial investors, Reame was tole! chairman Thomas D. Flvun board directors. “The Big Mic came back from their road shov and discouraged about the cit around the country,” one ci said. “They couldn't believe th Sai. aan} CUMULUS Aerts to the city and its life-st-le— tuition at City University to capitulation to city unions. Without Big Mac’s bonds a om 4 i 7h Veodinet re. 7 _ Beame and Flynn: A matter of peych