After a few preliminary questions by the prosecuting attorneycan you identify the defendant, how did you meet him, how long did you know him, etc.he was asked to identify his typewriter, which Goldfus had borrowed and then evidently used in the process of crafting his coded messages. He displayed a birth certificate from the state of Idaho which showed that he was born in Enaville on May 30, 1919, and, in the presence of a Vice Consul, he executed an affidavit in which he explained that his family had left the United States in 1928: I accompanied my mother to Estonia when I was eight years of age and resided with her until her death in 1941. Rudolf Ivanovich Abel ( Russian: ), real name William August Fisher (11 July 1903 15 November 1971), was a Soviet intelligence officer. He adopted his alias when arrested on charges of conspiracy by the FBI in 1957. WE WISH YOU SUCCESS. Somewhere beneath the infinite regression of all of these state-sanctioned masks lies Willie Fisher, also known as Martin Collins, and MARK, and Milton and Kayotis and Colonel Rudolf Abel of the KGB, but really just Emil Goldfusthe spy that was my fathers friend. Whats in question is the headline on the front of the paper that Silverman saw: TOP SPY. In the modest home of Hayhanen and his wife on Dorislee Drive in Peekskill, New York, FBI agents found such items as a 50 Markka coin from Finland. 1285 Elmwood Avenue On February 10, 1962 it was exchanged in Berlin. On May 28, 1957, agents observed a man resembling Mark on a bench in a park directly opposite the entrance to 252 Fulton Street. Abel heeds Donovan, ignoring a CIA functionarys command, and stays put until Pryor is freed. Calling him Colonel, they peppered him with questions about his identity and matters relating to espionage, warning him that a refusal to cooperate would result in his immediate arrest. He was also a frequent visitor to Silvermans studio, accruing a vast amount of knowledge just by spending time with him and watching him paint, saying nothing. of 1 Thank you. I wrote in Bernikows book (and I still believe this) that he was the enemy, but he was my friend, says Silverman. He wanted to defectto desert the Soviet camp. Now I need your help.. When this government carries my flag into the cauldron of dictatorships in South America; when Kissinger is involved with the death squads in Hondurasthats what I call a betrayal. The journalist didnt transcribe that part., Emils spying produced enormous conflict. But The National Hotel where we stayed had the reputationwhether that was real or a misinformation campaignof being a sort of auction house for rumors and secret agents from all over the continent. He returned to the Soviet Union in the 1920s, served in military intelligence in a variety of functions, joined the KGB after World War II, and was eventually sent to the United States as a mole. Goldfus alsoslowly, guardedlyshared a few bare-bones details about his life: how hed been a student in Boston, but had traveled around the country working as an accountant, then as an electrical engineer and finally as a photo finisher, though hed also spent some time inPacific Northwestlumber camps. It will try to explain why you are remembered so clearly by many of the people you met. Operating as a Soviet spy in New York City, he was imprisoned for espionage following a high-profile trial in 1957. Many things have happened to all of us since thento me, my friends Harvey and Dave, and to you as well. In 1972, a Western journalist visited his grave, and saw the name Willie Fisher had been added to the tombstonethe first time anyone outside of the Kremlin learned that Abel was an alias as well. - 2 Paintings, Fiction: Bernard Talks to Sydney [Laurie Fendrich], Multiple angles: Odili Donald Oditas political inquiries, Multi-dimensional: Eozen Agopians string paintings, Conrad Vogel, April 17, 1951 June 19, 2022. None could recall seeing a nickel or other coin quite like this one. Silverman asked why he hadnt called, that they were worried sick, and Goldfus brushed it off by saying it wasnt that big a deal, and that he didnt want to put anyone out. The FBI Story. This was the first time, however, that the FBI had ever encountered a nickel quite like this one. This spy, Reino Hayhanen, stated that he had just been ordered to return to Moscow. In Brooklyn. 1. According to Hayhanen, Mark was a colonel in the KGB and had been engaged in espionage work since approximately 1927. Three years later, in 1965, Silverman met a writer named Louise Bernikow who wanted to write a book about the alleged master spy. If Goldfus was very, very careful, Hayhanen was the opposite. It contained the following typewritten message: Nobody came to meeting either 8 or 9thas I was advised he should. While Goldfus was in Moscow, Silverman had no idea what had happened to his friend. Thats how Emil Goldfus remained true to himself in the midst of a life that was defined by deception; in which he was constantly playing a role. Terms and conditions for the use of this DrLamb.com web site are found via the LEGAL link on the homepage of this site. WebHayhanen pointed a pudgy finger at the expressionless, bird-faced man on trial for his life: Colonel Rudolf Ivanovich Abel, 55, a painter of modest talents, who was picked up by the FBI last summer, accused of being Russia's No. To clarify, theres zero doubt that Goldfus was engaged in espionage. The information which he provided was applied by FBI Laboratory experts to the microphotograph from the Jefferson nickel. I cant say for sure.. The moment his eyes fell upon a picture of Mikhail Nikolaevich Svirin, Hayhanen straightened up in his chair and announced, Thats the one. For my father, it was a moment of extreme unreality. Hindsight, and a changed political climate have made those decisions and that counsel seem excessively cautious or worse. It was so easy to slip into self-censorship.. CONSULT WITH US PRIOR TO INVESTING IT IN ANY KIND OF BUSINESS, ADVISING THE CHARACTER OF THIS BUSINESS.3. I realize the enormous difficulty of such a reunion. The certificate in the name of Collins was a forgery. A smile seemed to curl around the edges of his mouth and he nodded. His entry into the US illegally came in 1949. EVERYTHING IS ALL RIGHT WITH THE FAMILY. When the New York detective contacted him, Jimmy handed over the hollow nickel and the photograph it contained. Your continued use of this site indicates your acceptance of the terms and conditions specified. Though he was aware of the F.B.I.s desire to validate both the massive national security apparatus and the concurrent presence of the enemy, he was also keenly aware that siding with Goldfus could have very dangerous, real-world consequences, whether he was guilty or not. Near the tavern, he was told, he would find a signpost marked Horse Carts, You will let Mikhail know of your arrival by placing a red thumb tack in this signpost, a Soviet official told him. Goldfus wasnt wrong. FBI Laboratory experts examined this Finnish coin on May 17, 1957. Several former intelligence agents who had defected to the free world from communist-bloc nations were contacted. Burt Silverman met Emil Goldfus in the winter of 1954, in the elevator at Ovington Studios, a building where he and many of his friends and professional colleagues rented space on Fulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn. 5. From the long list of possible suspects, the most logical candidate appeared to be Mikhail Nikolaevich Svirin. They were sure that they were still being tailed, that the guy stopping to tie his shoe next to them while they made a call on a pay phone was concealing a recording device in his pocket. This guy isnt what Burt [Silverman] takes him to be.. Is time wrong? Its only in recollection, when you discover that your friend was a spy, that it stands out. One year laterJuly 28, 1952a passport was issued to Hayhanen as Eugene Maki at Helsinki. As he was leaving the stand, he caught Goldfuss eye. - 2 Paintings, Your email address will not be published. Crossing the street was an adventure, because they must have been at least fifty percent wider than Fifth or Madison Avenue. To an embassy official, the Russian espionage agent explained, Im an officer in the Soviet intelligence service. Let the Hazing Begin. (I hope you are aware that I have been trying to arrange a meeting with no success.) The woman with the stroller you see twice in the same day is following you. In the R of the word TRUST, there was a tiny holeobviously drilled there so that a fine needle or other small instrument could be inserted to force the nickel open. Count Two (Conspiracy to obtain defense information), 10 years imprisonment and $2,000 fine. You dont even know what questions you will be asked or if this too is part of a scheme to entrap you in this web of spies. The newsboy rested this coin, a nickel, on the middle finger of his hand. You can see a gallery of 20 Rudolf Abel Paintings To Celebrate The Season below. Hi. Required fields are marked *. After five years in the United States, he dreaded the thought of going back to his communist-ruled homeland. I dont know if the trip to Moscow changed him, but it seemed like he cared less and less about the idea of being undercover or maintaining a low profile. At 6:50 p.m., this man departed on footthe agents, certain their presence had not been detected, chose to wait rather than take a chance of trailing the wrong man. Rudolf Ivanovich Abel, real name Vilyam Willie Genrikhovich Fisher, (July 11, 1903 November 15, 1971) was a Soviet intelligence officer. In the 80s, a guy from the BBC interviewed me about Emil, and asked, How can you say he was your friend? Its the kind of incident that, under normal circumstances, wouldnt be memorable. Contributed by Jonathan Stevenson / Bridge of Spies begins and ends with a painting. Its impossible to say for sure what led Emil Goldfus to embed himself amongst ex-Communists and radicals. Heres a translation of microdotted messages that were left for Hayhanen by Goldfus, according to the F.B.I.s file on the case. Inside was a tiny photographapparently a picture of a series of numbers. In one of the dead drops mentioned by Hayhanena hole in a set of cement steps in Prospect ParkFBI agents found a hollowed-out bolt. A romantic might say that he was just tired of it all: the pointless, tedious, bureaucratic repetition of the job itself, the useless, incompetent co-workers, and the entire idea of countries being enemies. The first showed that he was Emil R. Goldfus, born August 2, 1902 in New York City. I hope that all of this will not cause you any difficulty. He adopted his alias when arrested on charges of conspiracy by FBI agents in 1957. Although Hayhanen assisted the FBI in solving the mystery of the hollow nickel, the information he furnished placed other critical challenges before the agents. Several weeks before he departed for America, Hayhanen was recalled to Moscow and introduced to a Soviet agent, Mikhail, who was to serve as his espionage superior in this country. Sorry, Jimmy, she said. The book about you will, I think, be a truthful and honest one. WebThe Soviet spy, Rudolf Abel, has written a note to James B. Donovan, his courtappointed defender in a 1957 espionage trial, thanking the lawyer for a copy of the book, Stranger WE WISH YOU SUCCESS. Edgar nominee Nathan Ward (The Lost Detective) tells the story of Rudolf Abel, the Russian agent depicted in Steven Spielberg's Oscar-nominated film "Bridge of Most of all, youre not sure if youll be able to look your friend in the eye. A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. With this data, the FBI Laboratory succeeded in breaking through the curtain of mystery which surrounded the coded message. Why was abel painting a portrait of himself? Arrested by the Immigration and Naturalization Service on an alien warrant based upon his illegal entry into the United States and failure to register as an alien, Mark displayed a defiant attitude. I have been in Moscow for ten days, and will probably leave this coming Thursday. At the time he related this information to FBI agents in May 1957, Hayhanen could not remember the Army sergeants name. The detective had received his information from another police officer whose daughter was acquainted with the newsboy. Months of determined probing by the FBIs scientists and investigative staff had led merely to one blind alley after another. Perched up there, the arena packed with thousands of subservient but still wildly cheering admirers, everyone from Nicholas Romanoff to the Commissars would feel invulnerable and impervious to change or the march of history. ENCIPHER SHORT LETTERS, BUT THE LONGER ONES MAKE WITH INSERTIONS. In the summer of 1948, Hayhanen was called to Moscow by the KGB. Fearing for his life, Hayhanen instead turned himself in at the U.S. Embassy in Paris, where he quickly gave up the goods on his boss. Was an adventure, because they must have been trying to arrange a meeting with no success ). 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