The Quiet Americans: Four CIA Spies at the Dawn of the Cold War—A Tragedy in Three Acts

by Scott Anderson

one man’s degenerate criminal, another’s invaluable sidekick. Due both to his French lineage and his brief military service under the Tricolor, Lou Conein had a natural entree to the French military and civilian communities that still dominated most every aspect of South Vietnam society, communities that despised the American interlopers in general and Ed Lansdale in particular. As a dedicated drinker, Conein’s links were especially strong with the Corsican bar owners and bartenders who presided over much of Saigon’s nightlife. Like barmen everywhere, those in Saigon had unparalleled knowledge of what was happening beneath the surface of the city, and since Corsicans tended to be regarded by their fellow Frenchmen in much the same way that Lou Conein had always been regarded—that is, as uncouth, unpleasant and primitive—a natural rapport developed. This made “The Thug” an invaluable member of Lansdale’s team, his conduit into Saigon’s extraordinarily powerful underworld. It was a status Conein didn’t hesitate to exploit.