Overview

Frank Angelo Fiorini, known as Frank Sturgis (1924-1993), was an American soldier of fortune, anti-Castro militant, and alleged intelligence operative who was one of the five men arrested inside the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex on June 17, 1972. Sturgis had one of the most colorful and controversial backgrounds of any Watergate figure, with connections spanning the CIA, anti-Castro Cuban exile groups, and organized crime. Sturgis served in the U.S. Marine Corps and Army during World War II and the Korean War. He initially supported Fidel Castro's revolution, running guns to the rebels and briefly serving as a security official in the new government before turning against Castro and becoming one of the most active anti-Castro operatives in southern Florida. He participated in numerous anti-Castro raids and plots throughout the early 1960s and was repeatedly linked to CIA operations, though the precise nature and extent of his agency relationship remains disputed. Sturgis was recruited for the Watergate break-in by Bernard Barker and E. Howard Hunt. Like the Cuban exile members of the team, Sturgis reportedly believed the operation was related to national security rather than domestic political espionage. He was arrested alongside Barker, Virgilio Gonzalez, Eugenio Martinez, and James McCord inside the DNC offices. Sturgis pleaded guilty to conspiracy, burglary, and wiretapping in January 1973 and was sentenced to one to four years in prison. He served approximately 14 months. After his release, Sturgis became the subject of intense speculation about his potential involvement in other covert operations, including the assassination of John F. Kennedy, though no credible evidence supported these theories. He died in 1993.

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Related Investigations (1)

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Sources & Documentation

3 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports