James Files

[John Simkin]

Excellent post on the Files story, John. I would be interested in your thoughts on the following:

1) From Davis, Blakey, Scheim to Waldron and Hartmann, why do you think the "Mafia did it" theory has had

such staying power?

2) Do you think certain elements within Organized Crime had foreknowledge?

3) Generally speaking, do you think Jack Ruby's ties to the Mafia have been overstated or understated?

4) Could elements within the Mafia have been set up to take the fall, if the Warren Commission had not

been able to convince the American public that Oswald was a lone assassin?

5) Beyond the Castro assassination attempts, and drug and weapons running, do you feel there was a

further relationship between the Mafia and the CIA?

6) Do you think the Mafia was in a position to blackmail the CIA, FBI, and/or US Government?

7) Many researchers have speculated that the actual assassination and the coverup were two separate

events. What are your thoughts on this?

1) I believe that the Cubans were not the only ones set-up as possible conspirators. Organized crime were always Plan B. The main figure linked to the assassination was John Roselli. It is no coincidence that Jack Anderson was given the Roselli story when Garrison began discovering the links between the assassination, the CIA, anti-Castro Cubans and New Orleans. The Roselli story was a “limited hangout”. It explained the links between JMWAVE and the assassination, but also emphasized the role of organized crime.

2) Unlikely. They were probably aware of plots against JFK but probably not of the one that killed him. Someone close to LBJ once said that he would never have used the Mafia to carry out any of his dirty tricks as it would give them power over him.

3) Definitely understated by the Warren Commission as at that time they were going with the Oswald did it theory. Maybe the Mafia was persuaded that Oswald did have information that linked them to the assassination and they did arrange for Ruby to kill him. If I was Morales or Jenkins, I would have wanted the Mafia to get rid of Oswald. Once they realized that LBJ was not going to invade Cuba, they would have instigated Plan B. This put the WC in a difficult position and had to reduce Ruby’s links to the Mafia.

4) Yes. I even think they had a Plan C. This was to blame the far-right for the assassination. I think this helps to explain the evidence against Bernard Weissman and Larrie Schmidt.

5) Unlikely. I think it was in their interests to use freelance assets. Individually, they had little power and could be removed at anytime by other freelancers.

6) Roselli did have a great deal of information that he could use against the CIA. I expect he was killed on the orders of the people who killed JFK. It was a win-win situation. It kept him from talking and pointed the finger once again at the Mafia. Of course, the Mafia had been blackmailing Hoover for years.

7) Separate but connected. William Sullivan (FBI) and James Jesus Angleton (CIA) carried out the investigation that was eventually published by the Warren Commission. I doubt very much if Sullivan and Angleton had pre-knowledge of the assassination but when they found the links between their organizations and the death of JFK, they were forced to cover it up. I suspect LBJ was in a similar position. When it was reported to him that Mac Wallace’s finger print was found in the TBSD he had to become committed to the lone-gunman theory. It is no coincidence that Richard Nixon was quick to appoint Sullivan to his staff when he was sacked by Hoover. It was probably the information from Sullivan that Nixon tried to use to blackmail the CIA during Watergate.

See:

http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=7041

[Jack White]

John... an excellent summary of a few of the main points against the MAFIA DID IT garbage.

Jack

[Thomas H. Purvis]

As requested I will give three reasons why I do not believe the confessions of James Files.

(1) A few years ago I was reading John Gilmore’s great book, Severed. It is an account of the famous “Black Dahlia” case that took place in 1947. Gilmore points out that in the first few weeks after the murder of Elizabeth Short, thirty different people confessed to the crime. The detectives knew that this sort of thing always happened in high-profile cases. Therefore, they did not make public certain aspects of the murder. In this way they were able to dismiss these thirty people from their investigation.

It is therefore no surprise that several people like James Files have confessed to the killing of JFK. It seems that in any high-profile case, people will always come forward and confess to the crime. These people clearly have personality disorders and are willing to risk imprisonment and even execution in order to get their names in the papers.

Does James Files suffer from a personality disorder? Maybe, but what other reason could he have for confessing? More importantly, what is he risking? What could he gain from such a confession?

In 1991 Files was arrested and charged with attempting to kill a policeman called David Ostertag. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Therefore, the loss of liberty is not one of those things that Files is risking. It seems that Files was a career criminal who liked to boast of his links to Mafia bosses. It must have been a blow to his ego to have been convicted for only “attempted murder”. One possible gain from this confession is increased status amongst the criminal fraternity. Although he would have to be satisfied in having an influence on only the less intelligent members of this group.

Maybe, he believes he could make some financial gain from this confession. Clearly, Wim Dankbaar has made a serious financial investment in the case. Wim cannot expect a return in this investment unless he can convince the public that James Files is telling the truth. That does not mean Files is not telling the truth. But it does provide motivation for both Wim to spend so much time and effort in trying to persuade serious researchers that Files is the killer of JFK. This he has failed to do. As far as I can see, only Jim Marrs is willing to say that Files is possibly telling the truth about what happened in Dallas in 1963. Even Judyth Baker can claim to have more supporters than James Files.

I am not saying that I reject all confessions. It depends very much on the circumstances and context of the confession. For example, I am willing to believe deathbed confessions when they are made to close friends and relatives (John Martino). I am willing to believe confessions when they are made it a fit of anger (David Morales). I am also willing to believe confessions when they are made in confidence to people who share their extremist political views (Carl Jenkins and Chi Chi Quintero). However, I find it extremely difficult to believe a man who is unlikely to leave prison. Especially, when he is part of some “business package”.

(2) The second reason I don’t believe James Files is that I completely reject the idea that the Mafia (organized crime) ordered the execution of JFK. The main reason for this position concerns a man called Arthur Flegenheimer (Dutch Schultz). In 1933 Schultz was a Mafia boss in New York. Fiorello La Guardia, the mayor of New York, instructed the city’s special prosecutor, Thomas Dewey, to investigate Schultz's business interests. When Schultz heard the news, he began making plans to have Dewey assassinated. Other gang leaders warned Schultz not to carry on with his murder plan. When he refused to take note of this demand, Louis Lepke Buchalter, one of New York's main gang leaders, paid Charlie Workman and Emmanuel Weiss to kill Schultz. On 23rd October, 1935, Dutch Schultz and three of his bodyguards, were killed while they were eating in a Newark restaurant.

Mafia bosses in the United States bribe politicians, they did not kill them. They know that politicians have the power to destroy them. They have to make it in the interests of politicians to protect them. The Mafia knew that if Schultz murdered Dewey, Fiorello La Guardia would have been forced to take all necessary action to wipe out the Mafia in New York.

There has never been an example of a high profile politician in the US being assassinated by the Mafia. This is a shrewd assessment of the political situation they found themselves in. All-out war on the Mafia would have followed if they had really been responsible for the assassination of JFK.

The one question that the “Mafia did it” group did it cannot explain is the cover-up. How did the Mafia manage that?

What we now know is that the original plan was to blame Castro for the assassination of JFK. It was hoped that this would trigger a US invasion of Cuba and the overthrow of Castro. LBJ refused to go along with this plan and instead J. Edgar Hoover, William Sullivan (head of the FBI investigation) and James Jesus Angleton (head of the CIA investigation) had to come up with the lone gunman theory.

Despite the best efforts of the Warren Commission, the American public refused to buy this story and by the time of the Jim Garrison investigation, the cover-up was in serious trouble. Therefore, it was decided to develop a new strategy, Oswald was part of a Mafia conspiracy to kill JFK. Dick Billings was dispatched to New Orleans to direct Garrison towards the new target (at the time Garrison was finding evidence of CIA agents and assets being involved in the conspiracy). Information was leaked to Jack Anderson implicating the Mafia in the killing of JFK. Anderson’s articles also helped to explain the CIA connection to the assassination via the original plan to murder Fidel Castro.

To his credit, Garrison refused to accept Billings redirection of the investigation. With this, Billings withdrew from New Orleans and began his smear campaign that Garrison was himself under the control of the Mafia.

The establishment of the House Senate Committee on Assassinations in 1976 created another crisis for those behind the conspiracy. Especially when the incorruptible, Richard Sprague was appointed as chief counsel of the HSCA. Sprague was eventually removed and replaced by G. Robert Blakey, who had a background in fighting the Mafia. It was not therefore too difficult to persuade Blakey that the “Mafia did it”. However, just to make sure, Dick Billings was dispatched to the HSAC to help Blakey write his report. Later Blakey and Billings were to co-author the book, Fatal Hour: The Assassination of President Kennedy by Organized Crime.

The dominant ideology provides a choice: If you’re a lone-nutter person, you can believe in the findings of the Warren Commission, or if you are bright enough to work out that it was a conspiracy, organized crime was responsible.

(3) The final reason why I don’t believe James Files is the confession itself. Let us assume for a moment that Files is telling the truth that organized crime did kill JFK. According to Files confession, he arrived in Dallas with Charles Nicoletti at “shortly before ten o'clock” on the morning of the assassination. At “about 10:30, Mr. Nicoletti asked me how would I feel in supporting him... in backing him up on this... and he told me I wouldn't fire unless it became extremely necessary.” Files agrees and then Nicoletti asks “where would you position yourself at in Dealey Plaza?” Files replies “behind the tree behind the stockade fence on the high ridge by the knoll”. Surprisingly, Nicoletti appears a little bit shocked by this suggestion but is eventually convinced by the arguments put forward by Files. Nicoletti is so impressed by Files answer that the following exchange takes place: “He asked me then where do you think would be the best place for me? I said well, I think the Dal-Tex building... with the new change in it... I say I think the Dal-Tex building over there... that building would give you the best advantage point there. He said I think so too.”

If we accept Files confession to be true, we have to believe that Nicoletti arrives in Dallas on the morning of the assassination without considering the places where the gunmen will stand. Nor has he decided who is going to be his gunman. Files recruitment seems to be an afterthought. Without this inspired decision to put Files in charge of the operation, no gunman would have been placed in front of JFK when the firing began. Is there really anyone other than Wim Dankbaar who really believes that this is the way organized crime would have planned the assassination of JFK?

Then there is the issue of James Files being allowed to tell his story that organized crime killed JFK. As we know, Files is not the first “hired killer” to confess to assassinating JFK. In 1979 Charles Harrelson was paid $250,000 by drug dealers to assassinate John H. Wood. On 29th May, 1979, Wood was shot dead as he left his Alamo Heights townhouse. Wood, known as "Maximum John" for his tough sentences of drug traffickers, was the first federal judge to be murdered in the 20th century.

When he was arrested he confessed to being one of the gunman who killed JFK. He later withdrew this confession but he was eventually convicted of the murder of Wood and sentenced to two life sentences.

In 1988 Harrelson told the producer of The Men Who Killed Kennedy, Nigel Turner, that "on November 22, 1963, at 12.30, I was having lunch with a friend in a restaurant in Houston, Texas." He also told Turner that he would not have accepted such a contract as he knew that if he had, he would have ended up, like Lee Harvey Oswald, being killed by the Mafia.

Exactly, if Files had been daft enough to accept the contract on JFK, he would be dead before he had time to convince the likes of Bob Vernon and Wim Dankbaar that he was involved in the assassination.

As every serious researcher into the JFK case knows, James Files is a fraud. We also know why Dankbaar is so keen for us to believe his story. When we refuse he resorts to verbal abuse and accusations that we are disinformation agents under the control of the CIA.

Suprisingly! I totally agree in all aspects of the above statements.

John; You could be thrown off the forum for such clear, concise, and logical thinking.

Tom

[Norman T. Field]

There has never been an example of a high profile politician in the US being assassinated by the Mafia. This is a shrewd assessment of the political situation they found themselves in. All-out war on the Mafia would have followed if they had really been responsible for the assassination of JFK.

How about Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak? Frank Nitti's biggest hit. All that stuff about Cermak blocking a bullet for Roosevelt is a story that the two of them concocted in the weeks between Cermak's shooting and his death in return for Federal aid to Chicago.

Once Cermak tried to hit Nitti using a couple of policemen, only one response was forthcoming. Why was Cermak in Florida in the first place? He was hiding from the outfit.

While the Mafia clearly wanted JFK gone and could have killed him, they never could have managed the coverup that goes on to this day. That requires a different type of company.

[Mark Johansson]

John... an excellent summary of a few of the main points against the MAFIA DID IT garbage.

Jack

What is your theory, Mr. White? It’s rather obvious that the Mafia and the exile-Cubans had an important role in the assassination.

How can you otherwise explain that James Files, Chauncey Holt and Tosh Plumlee, without being influenced by each other, place the mafia and the exile-Cubans in Dealey Plaza the day of the assassination.

Johansson

[Jack White]

John... an excellent summary of a few of the main points against the MAFIA DID IT garbage.

Jack

What is your theory, Mr. White? It’s rather obvious that the Mafia and the exile-Cubans had an important role in the assassination.

How can you otherwise explain that James Files, Chauncey Holt and Tosh Plumlee, without being influenced by each other, place the mafia and the exile-Cubans in Dealey Plaza the day of the assassination.

Johansson

I mostly study photos and their authenticity or information. I seldom theorize,

although I sometimes make deductions from facts discerned.

In 1963 I did IMMEDIATELY THEORIZE that Lyndon Johnson was behind the

assassination. In studying the case for 43 years I later found that the bulk of the

evidence supported my initial theory. The LBJ "group" formulated the killing.

Details were left to their servants in the CIA and military. The CIA used

various assets at their command to carry out the details, including Cubans,

mafia, and others. Compartmentalization allowed LBJ and friends to

keep their hands clean of the dirty work. Lyndon imposed on other friends

to initiate the COVERUP, which is still in place.

Jack

[Jason Vermeer]

John... an excellent summary of a few of the main points against the MAFIA DID IT garbage.

Jack

What is your theory, Mr. White? It’s rather obvious that the Mafia and the exile-Cubans had an important role in the assassination.

How can you otherwise explain that James Files, Chauncey Holt and Tosh Plumlee, without being influenced by each other, place the mafia and the exile-Cubans in Dealey Plaza the day of the assassination.

Johansson

What is your theory Mr Johansson? Name the exiled Cubans in Dealey Plaza. Please.

Jason Vermeer

[Mark Knight]

I suspect Mr. Johansson will reply as soon as Wim gets back to him...and not a moment sooner.

Edited June 7, 2006 by Mark Knight

[Mark Johansson]

John... an excellent summary of a few of the main points against the MAFIA DID IT garbage.

Jack

What is your theory, Mr. White? It’s rather obvious that the Mafia and the exile-Cubans had an important role in the assassination.

How can you otherwise explain that James Files, Chauncey Holt and Tosh Plumlee, without being influenced by each other, place the mafia and the exile-Cubans in Dealey Plaza the day of the assassination.

Johansson

What is your theory Mr Johansson? Name the exiled Cubans in Dealey Plaza. Please.

Jason Vermeer

Mr. Vermeer

I won't get into any details since you already know my theory.

I believe Orlando Bosch, Lois Posada Carillies and the Novo brothers had an important role. Although there are indications of more Exile-Cubans present that day.

Johansson

Edited June 7, 2006 by Mark Johansson

[Mark Johansson]

Reaction from Wim here:

http://jfkmurdersolved.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=1925#1925

[Ryan Crowe]

Im sure most feel this way...

[Guest Stephen Turner]

LOL,right on Ryan..

[Mark Johansson]

Wim just posted this clip on his website:

http://jfkmurdersolved.com/film/jimmya.wmv

[Mark Johansson]

Part 2:

http://jfkmurdersolved.com/film/jimmyb.wmv

[Jason Vermeer]

Interesting stuff...This is a 1994 interview I believe. I saw on Wim's website that this is the approximate date. Remember, when Vernon initially got a hold of the story and actively promoting it, we were skeptical Files obtained the information in prison reading books? We were told this was absolutely not the case and that Files had no access to this information. It was supposed to lead credence to the story.....The following is another important gem....

It's 1994 and if you closely listen to the interview, Files says he sees Jackie "through the scope" attempting to retrieve a "piece of (JFK's) skull". Files is able to perform the kill shot and accurately see something laying on the rear hood AND medically discern this to be a skull fragment. Remember, we are told he has not been coached and has not read any JFK related material. He observed this and rendered his medical opinion that it was a skull fragment. All through his scope.

Jason Vermeer