Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 876 › Conversation 876-008

Nixon, Kleindienst & Devine on War on Drugs and Law Enforcement

Monday, March 12, 1973 · 12:21 PM–12:46 PM ET · Oval Office · 13 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kleindienst, Richard G.; Shepard, Geoffrey C.; Ingersoll, John E. ("Jack"); Devine, Thomas; Devine, Thomas (Mrs.); Devine, Thomas, Jr.; Devine, Michael; Devine, Mary Rita; Devine, Lawrence M.; Devine, W. Robert; Tummillo, Samuel; Tumillo, Clara; Tummillo, Mary Ann; Fletcher, Connie; Statita, CarlaConversation876-008 on Tape 876StartMonday, March 12, 1973 at 12:21 PMEndMonday, March 12, 1973 at 12:46 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 876-008 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon hosted a meeting with family members of Frank Tummillo and federal agent Thomas Devine to present the Henry L. Manfredi Award and honor the service of law enforcement officers in the war on narcotics. During the ceremony, Nixon drew parallels between the fight against drug traffickers and the war in Vietnam, emphasizing the importance of legislative measures, including potential death penalty provisions for drug pushers. Following the departure of the families, Nixon and Attorney General Richard Kleindienst transitioned to a brief discussion regarding upcoming administrative scheduling and the status of pending crime legislation.

War on Drugs
Law Enforcement
Henry L. Manfredi Award
Crime Legislation
Capital Punishment

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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Hi, how are you?

Hi.

All right, let it run around.

Cease the birds.

Hold on, Mr. President.

I know that you're in a way aware of me.

There are two very...

Well, Mrs. Miller, I want you to know that a black is, of course, very little to, in any way, behave with the loss of a son.

people of the country, your son, Mr. Devine, all the other agents who have worked in this particular activity, as a result of what they have done, as a result of the sacrifices they have made, there are perhaps hundreds of thousands of young people who will not become victims of the drug culture.

And we're very proud of the kind of men that have made these kind of sacrifices.

We appreciate their service.

fighting a war that is just as evil as far as the consequences of this country are concerned.

And it's a war with an enemy like the Arabian Sea and the continent's survival.

So we express the appreciation of the nation.

or any one who...

We don't do this out of any sense of vengeance, but we do say this, that I think it's the lowest form of life for people who engage in this kind of activity and who would destroy the lives of young people.

I think frankly it's the most admirable form of life.

Thank you.

Well, Mr. Ryan, we're glad you could be here.

We know that you're fascinated with that chair, but I've often found that not so many veterans of the wars, which of course is my responsibility as my honor in this office, have often found that when an individual has gone through what you've gone through, when he has a handicap, that all it does is simply

Thank you.

Do all the women have mothers, fathers, and sisters?

All right.

We'll get them to the end there.

So there's your mother.

Now, look down here.

See that green edge?

Now we're going to get this right out to her, if you'd like.

Thank you.

Yes.

Thank you.

This is the famous road sign.

That's for officials.

Yeah.

Thank you.

We're going to make them go.

And on that note, the Democrats are in public.

We're going to talk to them several times.

They're going to do a good job.

We're going to talk to them.

Thank you.

See you tomorrow, Dick.

Thank you.

I can't be here.

Oh, I've got to pitch in for night.

What can I do?

I have to go to Indiana tomorrow.

That's all right.

I'm going to have to see you in Santa Maria.

Oh, sure.

That's all right.

It's just to read the legislation.

I want to give the leader something.

That'll be four.

That'll be four, then.

I think they'll shoot everybody.

Good.

Okay, Dick.

Good luck in Jacksonville.

Okay.

Give them our love.

Yes, sir.

NARA Description

On March 12, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Richard G. Kleindienst, Geoffrey C. Shepard, John E. ("Jack") Ingersoll, Thomas Devine, Mrs. Thomas Devine, Thomas Devine, Jr., Michael Devine, Mary Rita Devine, Lawrence M. Devine, W. Robert Devine, Samuel Tummillo, Clara Tumillo, Mary Ann Tummillo, Connie Fletcher, and Carla Statita met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:21 pm and 12:46 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 876-008 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 876-8

Date: March 12, 1973
Time: Unknown between 12:21 and 12:46 pm
                                           -38-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                           Conversation No. 876-8 (cont’d)

Location: Oval Office

The President met with Samuel Tummillo, Clara Tummillo, Mary Ann Tummillo, Connie
Fletcher, Thomas Devine, Mrs. Thomas Devine, Thomas Devine [Jr.], Michael Devine, Mary
Rita Devine, W. Robert Devine, Richard G. Kleindienst, Jack Ingersoll and Geoffrey
Shepard/the White House photographer was present at the beginning of the meeting.

      Boehm birds

      Frank Tummillo
           -Circumstances of death
           -Awards

      Presentation of Henry L. Manfredi Award

      Photograph

      Frank Tummillo
           -Loss to family
           -Sacrifice
                 -Significance

      War on narcotics
           -Importance
           -Comparison to war against North Vietnam
           -Significance
                 -Future generations
           -President's speech on law enforcement
                 -Death penalty
                        -Death of officer
                        -Pushers
           -Thanks

      Award to Thomas Devine
          -Appreciation
          -Handicap
                -Comparison to war veterans

      Photographs
                                              -39-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                               Conversation No. 876-8 (cont’d)

             -Arrangements

       White House tour
            -Accommodations for Franklin D. Roosevelt

       Rose Garden
            -Flowers

       Children
             -Age

       Frank Tummillo characterized

       Crime legislation
            -Congress
                   -Passage
            -Nelson A. Rockefeller's crime bill
            -Meeting with Republican leaders

Samuel Tummillo, et al., left at 12:34 pm; Kleindienst remained.

       Schedule
            -Kleindienst
                  -Rogers C. B. Morton
                  -Donald Santarelli

Kleindienst left at an unknown time before 12:46 pm.

Also recorded on March 12, 1973

876-006 12:20 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:20 pm and 12:21 pm.
876-007 12:20 PM · 22 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:20 pm and 12:21 pm.
876-009 12:34 PM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:34 pm and 12:46 pm.
876-014 12:34 PM · 34 sec — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:34 pm and 3:06 pm.
037-094 12:46 PM · 22 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:46 pm and 1:16 pm.
419-001 12:46 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:46 pm and 1:16 pm.
419-002 12:46 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:46 pm and 1:16 pm.
419-003 12:46 PM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:46 pm and 1:16 pm.

All 27 conversations from March 12, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 876-008, March 12, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/876-008 (accessed October 5, 2026).