Bernie Houghton

Maurice Bernard Houghton (1920, Texas The Bourbon and Beefsteak was founded in October 1967, a month before the first US servicemen arrived, with the support of Australian property magnate Sir Paul Strasser. Houghton's connections to the intelligence community, whilst unclear, were strong enough that when he arrived in Australia in 1972 without a visa, he called the state director of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, who vouched for him to enable entry.

In 1975 Houghton flew to Washington, D.C., with two Nugan Hand Bank employees as part of supporting Michael Jon Hand's efforts to arrange arms deals supplying weapons to groups in southern Africa. As part of this venture Houghton made direct contact with Edwin P. Wilson, then working for the Office of Naval Intelligence.