John Simkin Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 I thought it might be worth starting a thread about Lenny Patrick. As a young man he became friendly with Jack Ruby and Dave Yarras. Patrick became a member of the Chicago Outfit and during the 1930s he was imprisoned for a bank robbery in Indiana. Patrick, considered to be the prime suspect in several gangland killings, including that of Ben Zuckerman on 14th January, 1944. In 1947 Patrick was arrested in 1947 for the murder of James M. Ragen, the national manager of the Continental Press Service, an organization that was in conflict with Mafia leader, Carlos Marcello. G. Robert Blakey and Richard Billings pointed out in their book, The Plot to Kill the President: "Four witnesses identified Lenny Patrick, Dave Yarras, and William Block as the gunmen, but after one witness was murdered, two recanted, and another fled, the indictment was dropped." Patrick was released and no charges were ever brought against him for the killing. When the Kefauver Senate Committee later investigated the murder of Ragen, something they regarded as a landmark syndicate event), another key witness in the case was murdered. In 1955 The Chicago Tribune reported that Patrick was employed by Sam Giancana and that he was considered to be one of "two top lieutenants". During this period Patrick became the owner of a restaurant in Chicago. It has been claimed that this became the base of one of the largest bookmaking operations in the city. According to the U.S. Senate, Organized Crime and Narcotics Report (1963-64) Patrick was an "expert on gangland executions" and was credited by the police with "masterminding some of the Syndicate's most important liquidations." The historian, David Kaiser, pointed out in The Road to Dallas (2008) that Patrick was linked to Sam Giancana: "Bugs and phone taps revealed his associations with hit men Lenny Patrick and David Yaras of Chicago (both childhood friends of Jack Ruby)." According to a FBI informant, Patrick and Dave Yarras were responsible for the killing of City Alderman, Benjamin F. Lewis on 13th February, 1963. Lenny Patrick was interviewed by the FBI after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. He was asked about his long-time friend, Jack Ruby. Patrick acknowledged having known Ruby as "a neighborhood chum" but denied he was connected to the Mafia. Patrick claimed: "No matter how much you investigate, you'll never learn nothing, as he (Ruby) had nothing to do with nothing." Jack Ruby's sister, Eva Rubinstein Grant, told the Warren Commission that Patrick and Dave Yarras, were two of his closest friends in Chicago. This evidence was ignored and General Counsel J. Lee Rankin told Commission members that Ruby only had links to "the minor underworld". In a 1965 U.S. Senate report on organized crime, Patrick was identified as the "syndicate overlord of the 24th and 50th wards" whose activities included "extortion, mayhem and murders". The report went onto say that Patrick's business interests included "hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, liquor stores, aluminum products, a disposal service, vending machines, insurance and industrial uniforms". It was also pointed out that he had been arrested 28 times. Dave Yarras was murdered in 1974. Lenny Patrick gave a deposition in 1978. He claimed he did not have any relevant information on Jack Ruby. However, he did accept that his friend, Yaras, "was closer to Ruby than he was". In 1992, Patrick agreed to become a government witness following his indictment for racketeering charges. His testimony would result in the arrest of Gus Alex and several other key figures involved in the rackets run by the Chicago Outfit. Patrick died on 1st March, 2006. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/JFKpatrickL.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Bulman Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 (edited) So Patrick, identified as a "syndicate overlord" by the U S Senate said Ruby only had links to "the minor underworld". Ruby was a bit player who could be used by the "Major" underworld? To cover up an intelligence mistake? Edited February 2, 2020 by Ron Bulman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Clark Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 Thanks for bumping this, Ron. Patrick, Yaras, DeSimone and the Cali mob are a an angle that is very compelling to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Clark Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 On 11/3/2009 at 12:57 PM, John Simkin said: Gus Alex IIRC, There is quite a large number of Docs on Gus Alex in the 2017-18 releases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Clark Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 On 6/27/2018 at 8:56 PM, Michael Clark said: Has anyone heard of Gus Alex? https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32556613.pdf https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32556615.pdf https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32556616.pdf https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32556617.pdf https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32556618.pdf https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32556619.pdf https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32556620.pdf https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32556625.pdf https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32556626.pdf https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32556627.pdf https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32556629.pdf https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32556631.pdf https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32556632.pdf https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32556633.pdf https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32556634.pdf https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32556643.pdf https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32556643.pdf https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32556645.pdf https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32556646.pdf https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32556647.pdf All from the following page, and I presume the docs on Alex continue from where I stopped https://www.archives.gov/research/jfk/release?page=16&_ga=2.18593977.1657956965.1509547456-224044424.1509547456&sort=asc&order=File Num Wikipedia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gus_Alex Gus Alex Gus Alex (April 1, 1916 – July 24, 1998) was a Greek-American mobster and high-ranking member of the Chicago Outfit, who succeeded Jake Guzik as the Syndicate's main political "fixer". Early lifeEdit According to William F. Roemer, "Gus, being Greek, could not be 'made,' but he had done it all. His dad had operated a small restaurant at Wentworth and 26th in Armour Square/Chinatown, which was frequented by many members of the Capone, and then the Nitti, mob. Gus and Strongy [Ferraro] had worked in the restaurant from an early age. Both were sharp guys and came to the attention of the boys. Gus had, therefore, been one of them almost since birth.[1] Working primarily for Al Capone's Jewish-American associate, Jake Guzik, Alex would later become his protégé as he rose through the ranks of the Chicago crime family. By 1930, he was suspected in the deaths of at least five unsolved murder cases. Two of the alleged victims, later dying of their injuries in hospital, identified Alex as their assailant as well as three others who were killed after reporting to police extortion and death threats sent by Alex. From Guzik's protege to Syndicate fixer Under Guzik's guidance, Alex became experienced in securing Syndicateprotection through bribery of city officials. By the mid-1940s, Alex was the main liaison between the Chicago Outfit and city hall officials. He granted control of the Loop's illegal gambling and prostitution operations, including a lucrative call girl operation out of prominent downtown hotels (of which many call girls were paid up to $500 to $1,000) Alex's operations brought in an estimated $1 million a month for the Syndicate. Described as "one of the wiliest and slickest crooks" within the Chicago Outfit,[citation needed] Alex would decline to answer questions under the Fifth Amendment over 39 times during his appearance before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the U.S. Senate Committee on Government Operations. During the 1960s, Alex would come under suspicion during his annual ski trips to Switzerland as the US government accused Alex of depositing Outfit money in unnumbered Swiss bank accounts. As a result of the US governments protest (although Illinois Senator Everett Dirksen and Congressman William L. Dawson opposed government action, calling to allow Alex to continue his "sporting trips"), Swiss officials banned Alex from entering Switzerland for 10 years. Later years Remaining a high-ranking member of the Chicago Outfit for over 30 years, Alex would retain his position throughout the reigns of Felice "Paul 'The Waiter' Ricca" DeLucia, Antonino "Tony," "Joe Batters" Accardo, and Salvatore "Sam," "Mooney" Giancana. Alex would continue to consolidate his political influence during the 1970s and 1980s not only within Chicago but expanding into the state capital Springfield, Illinois. An invaluable resource, Alex's political connections would ensure his position with the organization during the unstable leadership of the decade. During Outfit leader Joseph "Joey Doves" Aiuppa's imprisonment, Alex would share overseeing day-to-day activities with underboss Samuel "Wings" Carlisi(being supervised by former leader Accardo, based in Palm Springs, California). Alex died of a heart attack in federal prison after Leonard "Lenny" Patrick, a close Outfit associate, wore a "wire" and taped Alex for the FBI. Quote “It’s a sucker’s game. You can’t win out there, you understand. We got the percentages rigged all in our favor. The longer you stay, the more you play, the more chances you got of losing. I don’t let nobody around me who gambles. A couple thousand, okay, but no gambling!”[2] On Las Vegas casinos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Bulman Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 It is hard to believe the FBI questioned Patrick or Yaras about Ruby's organized crime ties after JFK's execution. The FBI knew all about both. Patrick arrested 28 times, Yaras 14. Both with arrests as murder suspects as well as being suspects in multiple other murders they weren't arrested for. What did they expect them to say about their associate from their teens in the 20''s through the 40's when he moved to Dallas in 1947? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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