Sunday, July 4th 2010, 4:00 AM
They each had two faces - one harmlessly American, the other hardened by a Cold War devotion to the Kremlin.
The accused Russian spies secretly operating in the United States likely underwent years of training. They were chosen, experts say, because of their loyalty, patience and emotional stability.
And to some extent, they were actors - able to play the role of everyday Americans.
"They looked for people with a great sense of allegiance and duty," said Paul Joyal, a security analyst and expert on Russian intelligence agencies. "They want people who are satisfied to live a quiet and unassuming life but are prepared to act when activated."
Eight of the 11 suspects in the spy ring were teams that prosecutors say were handpicked and put together as married couples to cozy up to American policymakers.
Their arrests surprised a country that thought the Cold War was long over - and left many wondering how anyone could live two lives so well.
Cynthia and Richard Murphy set up shop in leafy Montclair, N.J. They have two daughters, ages 7 and 11. They hosted barbecues and went on hiking trips.
Cynthia, who holds master's degree from Columbia University, made cookies shaped like the Statue of Liberty. Richard, a stay-at-home dad, wore khakis and golf shirts and drank Coors Light.
They made blending in look easy, though they weren't really married.
"It's really something you are born with," said Jack Garcia, a retired FBI agent who spent much of his 24-year career working undercover. "You have to be that kind of person. It's an art form."
A carefully crafted duality is a hallmark of a training program that somehow survived the fall of the Soviet Union, experts said.
The chosen operators would drill for years to master American culture and create elaborate personal histories called "legends." Once ready, they were given high-quality false documents and dropped all over the U.S.
"You must work very hard to formulate an identity that will work, and then you work out how to make your way into your target group," Garcia said. "You can't just wing it."
Ten of the 11 suspects appeared in court last week in Virginia, Boston and Manhattan. Yonkers resident Vicky Pelaez, a columnist for El Diario, could be released on $250,000 bail as early as Tuesday. She was the only one granted bail. Her husband, who admitted using the fake name Juan Lazaro, declared his loyalty to Moscow.
Patricia Mills and Michael Zottoli, who were arrested in Alexandria, Va., lived as a married couple with two children. Court papers show they told authorities they were Russians living in the U.S. under false identities. Their real names are Natalia Pereverzeva and Mikhail Kutzik.
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