Eugene Hale Brading/James Henry Dolan

[Jim Dolan]

All- I have just recently signed on the forum, having been aware of it for several years from the post re: my father, James Henry Dolan.  I sign on mainly to contribute what I can, but perhaps even more so, to learn what I can from those who might be ahead of me in my understanding of my dad's history. FYI, I will be doing some presentations this fall regarding what I know of him and his connections at a couple JFK forums here in Dallas.  

I think one of the most striking things in my dad's history is this: from gov't records, I learn that Brading and my dad (Doc) were in contact personally in Phoenix in 1951 when my parents lived there, and apparently the FBI learned that Brading wanted to convince him to join him in the con trade. Whatever came of that is not documented, but I do know that my dad worked cons for many years, and actually right up to his death in December 1984.  The intriguing thing about this contact is that 12 years later on November 22, 1963, one of the first people to be picked up and questioned was Brading as he was leaving the School Book Depository. At this point, my family had lived in Dallas for about 9 years, Doc included.  Has anyone ever gotten deeper into this? 

Many thanks

Edited August 21, 2017 by Jim Dolan
grammar

[Larry Hancock]

If you have not already read it I would recommend long time LA investigator Pete Noyes inquiry into Brading...it should give you some good background and context.

https://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Doubt-Did-Mafia-Kill/dp/1449998496

 

 

 

[Jim Dolan]

ordered the book...thanks.

[Jason Ward]

11 hours ago, Jim Dolan said:

All- I have just recently signed on the forum, having been aware of it for several years from the post re: my father, James Henry Dolan.  I sign on mainly to contribute what I can, but perhaps even more so, to learn what I can from those who might be ahead of me in my understanding of my dad's history. FYI, I will be doing some presentations this fall regarding what I know of him and his connections at a couple JFK forums here in Dallas.  

I think one of the most striking things in my dad's history is this: from gov't records, I learn that Brading and my dad (Doc) were in contact personally in Phoenix in 1951 when my parents lived there, and apparently the FBI learned that Brading wanted to convince him to join him in the con trade. Whatever came of that is not documented, but I do know that my dad worked cons for many years, and actually right up to his death in December 1984.  The intriguing thing about this contact is that 12 years later on November 22, 1963, one of the first people to be picked up and questioned was Brading as he was leaving the School Book Depository. At this point, my family had lived in Dallas for about 9 years, Doc included.  Has anyone ever gotten deeper into this? 

Many thanks

Hi Jim,

I'm glad you are interested in talking about your father.      Brading at the TSBD and DalTex buildings while your dad lived iin Dallas is intriguing.

What do you know of your dad's connection to Trafficante and Charles Meeker?

regards

Jason

 

Edited August 22, 2017 by Jason Ward

[Ron Bulman]

Here's a little deeper thread on Jim Braden. 

Particularly informative are long posts by Bernice Moore on page1 and Bill Kelly on pages 3, 4, and 5.  Two days of closed session testimony before the HSCA is interesting.  As well as his living in New Orleans the summer of 63.  I thought he sued or threatened to do so over the Noyes book but didn't see that mentioned.  Oh yeah, a guy named Dolan is mentioned in there somewhere.

[Jim Dolan]

what jumps out at me, in the excerpt of FBI files regarding my father, is the mention of the 'Italian from Boston, Known only as Johnny Williams'-- I recall a mysterious, disquieting episode from somewhere in the 1961/62 range when we had an important visitor to our home for dinner, an 'Italian' from Boston, i learned, somehow, i don't remember how.  he was dark skinned, wore a dark suit, seemed very polite, but very professional and didn't say much.  we all sat at table with him, and my mother made her best, and served him wine as well, which seemed exotic and way far out of our typical fare. he fascinated and mystified me. and, it was clear that his business there was professional, not personal, and his focus was entirely on my father. it was clearly about business of some kind, but i was never told what, only that he was there to 'speak to your father'...no explanation ever, and he left soon after dinner.  

perhaps 40 or more years later, i was reminiscing with my mother, and she said she remembered it clearly, and that she came to realize, somehow (how exactly, she didn't say) that the visitor was actually John Gotti, Sr. and that he had advised my father, in light of his lovely wife and three kids that he should get out of the game, give it up and live a normal life.  i do not know how she knew these things, and she would not say. i'd love to ask her more now, but she is gone.

re: Charles Meeker, there was a period where he was mentioned frequently in our home. he provided tickets to Dallas Summer Musicals so that my brother, sister and i could each be taken individually to see the shows, which for me was an exciting and glamorous event. he also gave my dad a stereo record player, and there were other favors as well.  when i was 16, mr. meeker knew who to call to secure me a job working on the rides at six flags over texas, a job i held for two years.  i also remember all the blather about Bottoms Up! and i recall we had an LP of the show music.  long gone now.  

this has been very helpful. i've got a lot of reading to do re: Brading.  

[Jason Ward]

3 hours ago, Jim Dolan said:

what jumps out at me, in the excerpt of FBI files regarding my father, is the mention of the 'Italian from Boston, Known only as Johnny Williams'-- ....my mother, and she said she remembered it clearly,....was actually John Gotiti, Sr....

re: Charles Meeker, there was a period where he was mentioned frequently in our home. he provided tickets to Dallas Summer Musicals so that my brother, sister and i could each be taken individually to see the shows, which for me was an exciting and glamorous event. he also gave my dad a stereo record player, and there were other favors as well.  when i was 16, mr. meeker knew who to call to secure me a job working on the rides at six flags over texas, a job i held for two years.  i also remember all the blather about Bottoms Up! and i recall we had an LP of the show music.  long gone now.  

this has been very helpful. i've got a lot of reading to do re: Brading.  

Hi Jim,

1. Well obviously 'Johnny Williams' is a fake name and really it's almost laughably fake; but given Gotti's fame it's obviously suspicious that anyone says he was in their house.  Even so, it hardly matters now either way.  You may find connections to the NY crime families - or not - but so far it seems from what you know that Gotti has no essential part, although he might later.

2. If you're interested in more FBI files, there are about a dozen or so that reference your dad at Mary Ferrell's site.  I do archival work there (effective this week) but you can find it all just by going to the website and searching your dad's name.  Let me know if you want some tips about using that tremendous resource.  Also you may or may not be able to find the identity of the informations (i.e. T-16) mentioned in those FBI reports.  Sometimes the informants identity can illuminate matters; sometimes not; again I can help you there if you like.

3. I would really like to get more info on Meeker.  I have a connection to him in a non-JFK-assassination research project I've got going on.  He is a difficult character to pin down, as in, What is he doing in Dallas exactly besides his kind of impresario show biz work?    He seems to be connected to both criminals and politicians.  He's described as 'legendary' in 1940s-1950s Dallas for putting on musicals or other shows. But obviously he has a hidden side, right? Here's his son I guess:

http://meekerwine.com/the-meeker-story/charlies-story/

4. I can't believe you mentioned Bottoms Up!   What is the connection of this show and/or it's producers to your dad, the assassination or Meeker?   As I mentioned, I'm working with the Mary Ferrell archives, and back in the day (1960s probably); Ferrell kept very close track of the Bottoms Up! producers during the time of the assassination; I mean she tried to reconstruct their moves with precision.   They were staying the Adolphus hotel, if I recall correctly they locked themselves in their room for hours on end around 22Nov 63.   I can't figure out why Ferrell made a big deal of recording information about them as it must mean they're connected to the assassination somehow...any thoughts?

I've got more to ask and say but I tend to get too wordy, so I'll leave this for now, I look forward to your response.

regards

 

Jason

 

[Jim Dolan]

Jason- thanks for ALL of that- many directions to follow there.  RE: my mom's Gotti 'recollection'...I almost fell off my chair when she said that, and obviously don't repeat it here as the God's-honest-truth, but only as her recollection. That entire episode has always stood out in my memory, utterly mysterious and never even the slightest explanation from either parent until my mom's statements decades later.  Who that gentleman really was will no doubt be forever a mystery. Less doubtful to me is what my mom said was the content of the conversation, which was that the visitor told my dad he should 'get out'....

Doc was all kinds of involved with Bottoms Up! because at the time he was the local American Guild of Variety Artists head man, so he was on the lookout to make sure maximum use of AGVA people in the cast and crew. I would also have to imagine that he turned it into a protection scam as well, 'leaning' on the right people in return for cash.  He was in that position at AGVA until 1961, at which point he wasn't any more, for reasons never revealed. 

I recall the name Charles Meeker being spoken frequently in the AGVA days. To my child's eyes, he was a kind of benefactor and it seemed there was often a favor of some kind delivered.  Like I said, he made the calls to get me my first job at Six Flags.  I think I met him once, and it seemed like he and my dad were great friends.  This also came from a period when we visited Town and Country Restaurant in downtown Dallas, a business often mentioned in these JFK connections.  Those days came to an end when my mother finally jettisoned her trouble making husband.

[Jason Ward]

11 hours ago, Jim Dolan said:

 

Doc was all kinds of involved with Bottoms Up! because at the time he was the local American Guild of Variety Artists head man, so he was on the lookout to make sure maximum use of AGVA people in the cast and crew. 

SO-----

Meeker is connected to Jack Ruby.

Jack Ruby has a multi-year dispute with the AGVA over whether amateur strippers are union-covered entertainers entitled to 15 minute breaks and other union-mandated benefits.   I'm going to go out on a limb here and say money changed hands between Ruby and Meeker so that Ruby could run his club without too many union hassles.

Interesting.....

Jason

[Ron Bulman]

1 hour ago, Jason Ward said:

SO-----

Meeker is connected to Jack Ruby.

Jack Ruby has a multi-year dispute with the AGVA over whether amateur strippers are union-covered entertainers entitled to 15 minute breaks and other union-mandated benefits.   I'm going to go out on a limb here and say money changed hands between Ruby and Meeker so that Ruby could run his club without too many union hassles.

Interesting.....

Jason

Ja.