What happened to the cast of a political drama
The drama that was Watergate had a cast of hundreds. Some have remained on the fringe of public attention; others have retreated to the obscurity of private lives. Here are some of the players, their roles and what they are doing now:
The Intruders
E. Howard Hunt, 63, White House leak-plugging plumber who helped plan burglary and bugging of Democratic National Committee headquarters at Watergate complex. Pleaded guilty. Served 33 months in prison. Released in February 1977. Has cleared his debts (including $387,000 in legal fees), partly by writing novels. Of 56 books he has written, his autobiography, Undercover, "did the least well," he says. Hunt's first wife died in 1972 plane crash. He has remarried. Last year he won $650,000 libel suit against right-wing Liberty Lobby, which had falsely linked him to John Kennedy's assassination. Now lives in Miami.
G. Gordon Liddy, 51, Hunt's partner and co-leader of burglary team. Privately took blame for botched job, volunteered to be shot. Refused to cooperate with prosecutors, thus spent more time in prison (52 months) than any other Watergate figure. His 1980 autobiography, Will, was bestseller (125,000 hard-cover copies). Popular on college lecture circuit, where he gets $4,500 per appearance. Lives with wife in Fort Washington, Md. Works as consultant to corporations on how to protect industrial secrets.
Other Members of Team: Bernard Barker, 64, retired last January from $18,512 job as building inspector in Miami after city investigators accused him of working fewer hours than he claimed. Virgilio R. Gonzalez, 56, master locksmith, runs general discount store in Miami with his wife. Eugenic Martinez, 60, heads leasing department of Miami Chevrolet dealer. James McCord, 63, electronics expert whose letter to Judge John Sirica began to unravel coverup, runs small solar-energy firm in Fort Collins, Colo. Frank Sturgis, 57, self-styled "Communist fighter," sells videotapes in Miami. Claims "Watergate financially destroyed me." Plotted bizarre attempt by Cuban exiles to invade U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay last year and establish "free" Cuban government there. No invader reached base.
The Conspirators
Charles Colson, 50, special counsel to President. Considered toughest, meanest of Nixon's hardball political advisers. Pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice. Served seven months. Although cynics sneered, he claimed to have been born again; few now doubt his religious sincerity. Has led full-time Prison Fellowship program, promoting Christianity among convicts, fighting for better prison conditions and more effective rehabilitation. Lecturer. Wrote autobiography that sold more than 3 million copies. Lives in McLean, Va.