Who was Jack Ruby?

[Paul Trejo]

Chris, Jack Ruby was crazy like a fox. What he was telling Earl Warren was that I know you do not know Gordon McLendon, but you should. After Jack Ruby mentions Gordon McLendon, Dallas Police Officer Bill Decker, Rep. Gerald Ford and Warren Commissioner Arlen Spector enter the room and all talk about McLendon ceases. When Earl Warren left that jail cell without giving Ruby an out of Dallas card, he knew his days on this planet were numbered.

Chuck,

Not only Gordon McLendon, but Jack Ruby also mentioned General Walker to Earl Warren. Here's the citation:

------ BEGIN ABSTRACT OF JACK RUBY'S WC TESTIMONY, JUNE 7, 1964 --------------------

Mr. RUBY. There is an organization here, Chief Justice Warren, if it takes my life at this moment to say it, and Bill Decker said be a man and say it, there is a John Birch Society right now in activity, and Edwin Walker is one of the top men of this organization--take it for what it is worth, Chief Justice Warren ... Don't register with you, does it?

Chief Justice WARREN. No; I don't understand that.

------ END ABSTRACT OF JACK RUBY'S WC TESTIMONY, JUNE 7, 1964 --------------------

It appears to have slipped into one of Earl Warren's ears and out the other.

Regards,

--Paul Trejo

Edited October 12, 2016 by Paul Trejo

[Paul Trejo]

I don't understand. Why would anybody looking at this photo think, "Hey, that's jack Ruby!" Do people think he looks like Jack Ruby?

His eyebrows (or seeming lack thereof) are the same. Anything else?

Or has someone with knowledge of the photo said that the guy is Ruby?

Sandy,

No way does that look like Jack Ruby the pimp. But John Armstrong makes a living off of cases of mistaken identity.

The fact that Jack Ruby was a witness for HUAC in 1947 is irrelevant to anything -- since Jack Ruby always wanted to be in the limelight. These were the days when Hollywood movie stars were offering their witness for HUAC -- it was just an exhibition of so-called patriotism. Jack Ruby was a pimp in 1947 and he remained a pimp in 1963.

Seth Kantor knew Jack Ruby personally, and gave the most honest account of Jack Ruby ever in his book, Who Was Jack Ruby? (1978).

Regards,

--Paul Trejo

Edited October 10, 2016 by Paul Trejo

[Jim Hargrove]

No way does that look like Jack Ruby the pimp. But John Armstrong makes a living off of cases of mistaken identity.

What utter nonsense! John Armstrong is a VERY wealthy man who made his fortune in the oil business and later as a custom home builder. The many years of work he did on the Kennedy assassination was nothing but a major economic loss for him, but I'm sure you knew that already, eh?

What a coincidence it is that "Ruby the pimp" was so heavily involved in Cuban arms shipments but was never prosecuted. Why did the CIA protect "Ruby the pimp?"

What a coincidence it is that Ruby communicated before, during and after the assassination with Gordon McLendon, David Atlee Phillips' childhood friend and future business partner. So many coincidences for "Ruby the pimp!"

[Paul Trejo]

No, the fact that Jack Ruby did some gun-running to Cuba for the Mafia only proves that Jack Ruby did whatever the Mafia told him to do. Jack Ruby was also instrumental in getting Mafia boss Santos Trafficante out of a Cuban jail cell. Again, whatever the Mafia wanted.

Everybody knows that the CIA wanted to assassinate Fidel Castro, and that they temporarily used the Mafia to try to do that. It didn't work.

After the Chicago Mafia gave up on Cuba, they put Jack Ruby back to work in Dallas running two lavish brothels. This is documented by important residents of Dallas who knew Jack Ruby personally (unlike John Armstrong). I'm speaking of Dallas DPD Captain Will Fritz and Dallas Sheriff Bill Decker

In personal memoirs of a long and exciting career, Captain Fritz and Sheriff Decker include a chapter on Jack Ruby's luxurious brothels in Dallas -- the sites of many raids and shady deals.

Again -- Fritz and Decker confirm the perception of Seth Kantor -- Jack Ruby was a pimp. Period.

Regards,

--Paul Trejo

Edited October 12, 2016 by Paul Trejo

[Joe Bauer]

All strip joints back in the 50's and 60's were fronts for prostitution.

That was their main income. They sure didn't pay the bills - strippers and musicians and rent and other employees - on their beer income.

The strip show is meant to get the guys in the audience so sexually worked up ( and with a few drinks to boot to lose their inhibitions ) they would be running to spend whatever they had to, to indulge their cravings.

The hookers would line up outside of the lowest class strip joints, but in the classier places they might be sitting in the lounge or a pimp would make a call.

I am sure that many of Dallas's highest society and wealthy ( and some police ) indulged themselves in this way through Ruby's clubs and the others too.

Ruby would have had a lot of sex scandal dirt on these people. And therefor he ( and his bosses ) would have also had protection and influence with them as well.

Edited October 11, 2016 by Joe Bauer

[Paul Trejo]

All strip joints back in the 50's and 60's were fronts for prostitution.

That was their main income. They sure didn't pay the bills - strippers and musicians and rent and other employees - on their beer income.

The strip show is meant to get the guys in the audience so sexually worked up ( and with a few drinks to boot to lose their inhibitions ) they would be running to spend whatever they had to, to indulge their cravings.

The hookers would line up outside of the lowest class strip joints, but in the classier places they might be sitting in the lounge or a pimp would make a call.

I am sure that many of Dallas's highest society and wealthy ( and some police ) indulged themselves in this way through Ruby's clubs and the others too.

Ruby would have had a lot of sex scandal dirt on these people. And therefor he ( and his bosses ) would have also had protection and influence with them as well.

Joe,

These are all excellent points. Jack Ruby's very close relationship with the Dallas Police is entirely explained by his criminal intentions. Jack Ruby wanted to be on their good side as far as possible. They got free drinks at his bar. They got loans when they were cash-strapped. They got free sandwiches at times from Jack.

Eva Grant, Jack's sister, once said she saw Jack riding around with J.D. Tippit in the front seat of Tippit's police car.

Jack Ruby had a very close relationship with the police. Also, J.D. Tippit's wife -- like Roscoe White's wife -- worked for Jack Ruby at one point. So, Jack would bend over backwards to befriend Dallas Police -- it was a pimp's cost of doing business in Dallas.

For this reason at least (and there may have been others even more personal) Jack Ruby was in a position to do more favors for Dallas Police -- actually, anything they wanted. A cop-killer is a special, emotional pull on all Police. It seems to me that Jack Ruby could be called upon by Dallas Police to participate in mob-justice in Dallas. Maybe Jack was promised that he would get off easy, or that he would be a hero and get off entirely. They put pressure on Jack Ruby, their friend.

That makes sense to me, but that is also the account given by Seth Kantor in his 1978 book, Who Was Jack Ruby?

Edited October 11, 2016 by Paul Trejo

[David Andrews]

Ruby would have had a lot of sex scandal dirt on these people. And therefor he ( and his bosses ) would have also had protection and influence with them as well.

Which, if not in Dallas then in larger cities, would be accessible to intelligence agencies.

[Jim Hargrove]

No, the fact that Jack Ruby did some gun-running to Cuba for the Mafia only proves that Jack Ruby did whatever the Mafia told him to do. Jack Ruby was also instrumental in getting Mafia boss Santos Trafficante out of a Cuban jail cell. Again, whatever the Mafia wanted.

Do you seriously expect us to believe that Ruby's gunrunning activities to Cuba went unnoticed by the CIA? Will your CIA excuse du jour involve total incompetence or something different? Why was Jack Ruby protected by the CIA?

Not only was Ruby instrumental in getting Trafficante out of jail, he also tried to get Jake Lansky released. Everyone knows how the CIA and the Mob worked together in those Good Ole Days! Why did Jack Ruby communicate so often, even on the very day of the assassination, with David Atlee Phillips' close friend Gordon McLendon?

[Thomas Graves]

No, the fact that Jack Ruby did some gun-running to Cuba for the Mafia only proves that Jack Ruby did whatever the Mafia told him to do. Jack Ruby was also instrumental in getting Mafia boss Santos Trafficante out of a Cuban jail cell. Again, whatever the Mafia wanted.

Do you seriously expect us to believe that Ruby's gunrunning activities to Cuba went unnoticed by the CIA? Will your CIA excuse du jour involve total incompetence or something different? Why was Jack Ruby protected by the CIA?

Not only was Ruby instrumental in getting Trafficante out of jail, he also tried to get Jake Lansky released. Everyone knows how the CIA and the Mob worked together in those Good Ole Days! Why did Jack Ruby communicate so often, even on the very day of the assassination, with David Atlee Phillips' close friend Gordon McLendon?

Maybe Ruby wasn't working with / informing to the CIA per se, but the FBN, instead?

-- Tommy

Edited October 11, 2016 by Thomas Graves

[Paul Brancato]

It seems more and more unlikely to me that Ruby's involvement began when, after Oswald's arrest, he:

1 - got religious and, on his own initiative decided at some point in the next two days to kill Oswald for the reasons he stated.

2 - he was told by someone, presumably a mobster but could have been anyone whose offer he could not refuse, to kill Oswald.

As an alternative to these two choices I'd like to propose a 3rd option - that Ruby was already involved in the assassination in some way. If this was the case we could safely eliminate his first explanation for killing LHO. The second explanation might still be true. But once we presume the 3rd option it opens the door to other possibilities. One is that Ruby's dramatic act might have been taken because if Oswald had lived it might have been Ruby who paid the price for what Oswald knew. Self preservation is a powerful motivator.

We have not given enough attention to the idea that Ruby was part of the conspiracy. I've seen the eye witness accounts that suggest he might have been a shooter, that he might have killed Tippett, or placed the magic bullet on the stretcher. What other ideas are out there? What do you suppose was the truth behind Ruby's murder of Oswald?

[Chris Newton]

Paul,

I agree, somewhat.

I think Ruby was involved with and in communication with a rogue operation that involved both elements of organized crime and the intelligence community.

I feel that Oswald surviving being captured was unplanned and that forced the act by Ruby. What's more serious murder or treason?

I also think that the McLendon connection may reveal a conduit from Phillips to Ruby.

Speculation: Could some radio messages be predetermined i.e. sent with the free "plugs" to communicate with Ruby?

[Jim Hargrove]

It seems more and more unlikely to me that Ruby's involvement began when, after Oswald's arrest, he:

1 - got religious and, on his own initiative decided at some point in the next two days to kill Oswald for the reasons he stated.

2 - he was told by someone, presumably a mobster but could have been anyone whose offer he could not refuse, to kill Oswald.

As an alternative to these two choices I'd like to propose a 3rd option - that Ruby was already involved in the assassination in some way. If this was the case we could safely eliminate his first explanation for killing LHO. The second explanation might still be true. But once we presume the 3rd option it opens the door to other possibilities. One is that Ruby's dramatic act might have been taken because if Oswald had lived it might have been Ruby who paid the price for what Oswald knew. Self preservation is a powerful motivator.

We have not given enough attention to the idea that Ruby was part of the conspiracy. I've seen the eye witness accounts that suggest he might have been a shooter, that he might have killed Tippett, or placed the magic bullet on the stretcher. What other ideas are out there? What do you suppose was the truth behind Ruby's murder of Oswald?

There are all kinds of leads detailing possible actions of Ruby on 11/22/63… but of course they weren’t properly investigated by the FBI. One of the most intriguing is the following:

This is clearly a twice-removed hearsay report, but it is simply unbelievable that the FBI failed to interview the women who, according to Mrs. Harris, told Lucy Lopez that they had seen Jack Ruby hand a pistol to “Lee Harvey Oswald” in front of the Book Depository immediately after the assassination. TSBD employee Victoria Adams also told the Warren Commission that she saw a man who may have been Ruby near the building a few minutes after the hit.

(Also, about Oswald speaking Spanish in the report above, please note: Texas Employment Commission employee Laura Kittrell said she interviewed two similar-looking but different young men who both claimed to be “Lee Harvey Oswald” in October, 1963. The man she believed to be an impostor--but who was actually American-born LEE Oswald--indicated he spoke Spanish.)

There is also a credible report that Ruby and Oswald were together at the B & B Restaurant, just two doors from Jack Ruby's Vegas Club, in the wee hours of 11/22/63:

Head waitress Mary Lawrence knew Jack Ruby well, but, of course, she might have been mistaken about seeing Oswald (it would have to have been American-born LEE Oswald, not Russian-speaking HARVEY). But what adds credence to her report is that she said her life was threatened a few days after the hit. In January 1964, when the DPD report was made, Mary Lawrence couldn’t have known how many suspicious deaths would eventually pile up around witnesses connected to the Kennedy Assassination.

There are a number of other leads about Ruby’s possible actions on 11/22/63 but, of course, the FBI wasn’t interested in any of them. Not nearly as important as, say, Marguerite’s dental records. They certainly weren’t interested in his ties to Gordon McLendon, David Atlee Phillips’ closest friend.

[Dawn Meredith]

Hey...good old Ralph Cinque is now on facebook saying that it was a "Ruby lookalike" who shot Oswald.

[Paul Brancato]

That's very weird

[Paul Trejo]

There are all kinds of leads detailing possible actions of Ruby on 11/22/63… but of course they weren’t properly investigated by the FBI. One of the most intriguing is the following:

This is clearly a twice-removed hearsay report, but it is simply unbelievable that the FBI failed to interview the women who, according to Mrs. Harris, told Lucy Lopez that they had seen Jack Ruby hand a pistol to “Lee Harvey Oswald” in front of the Book Depository immediately after the assassination. TSBD employee Victoria Adams also told the Warren Commission that she saw a man who may have been Ruby near the building a few minutes after the hit.

(Also, about Oswald speaking Spanish in the report above, please note: Texas Employment Commission employee Laura Kittrell said she interviewed two similar-looking but different young men who both claimed to be “Lee Harvey Oswald” in October, 1963. The man she believed to be an impostor--but who was actually American-born LEE Oswald--indicated he spoke Spanish.)

There is also a credible report that Ruby and Oswald were together at the B & B Restaurant, just two doors from Jack Ruby's Vegas Club, in the wee hours of 11/22/63:

Head waitress Mary Lawrence knew Jack Ruby well, but, of course, she might have been mistaken about seeing Oswald (it would have to have been American-born LEE Oswald, not Russian-speaking HARVEY). But what adds credence to her report is that she said her life was threatened a few days after the hit. In January 1964, when the DPD report was made, Mary Lawrence couldn’t have known how many suspicious deaths would eventually pile up around witnesses connected to the Kennedy Assassination.

There are a number of other leads about Ruby’s possible actions on 11/22/63 but, of course, the FBI wasn’t interested in any of them. Not nearly as important as, say, Marguerite’s dental records. They certainly weren’t interested in his ties to Gordon McLendon, David Atlee Phillips’ closest friend.

All of those reports, IMHO, are merely "mistaken identity" reports. Every murder case has several "mistaken identity" reports, and murder cases involving famous people have many times the normal. The murder of JFK has provided so many cases of "mistaken identity" that a fiction writer like John Armstrong could weave them all into a science-fiction scenario like "Harvey and Lee".

But that's what happens when the CIA-did-it theorists fail to find closure after fifty years. Plain nonsense.

Regards,

--Paul Trejo

Edited October 12, 2016 by Paul Trejo