Texas Monthly article: "Scene of the crime"

[Douglas Caddy]

From the article:  My friend Bud Shrake, who shared an apartment with me on Cole Avenue in 1963, recently refreshed my memory. Ruby and other characters from the Carousel Club, including an unforgettable stripper named Jada, hung around our apartment. After the assassination Jada told us Ruby once introduced her to Lee Oswald at the Carousel. While they were having drinks, Beverly Oliver, a singer from the Colony Club next door, stopped by and was also introduced. For some reason, I chose to forget Jada’s story when I wrote about Ruby in 1975. Jada is dead now, but I phoned Beverly not long ago and asked if she remembered. “Sure do,” she said. Ruby introduced him as ‘my friend Lee from the CIA.’”

https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/scene-of-the-crime/

[James DiEugenio]

I was not aware of this, thanks.

I just looked up Conforto in Michael Benson's book.  He says that she told reporters that Ruby knew Oswald BEFORE he shot Oswald.

I was not aware of that either.  Is this accurate?

[Ron Bulman]

Gary Cartwright and Bud Shrake were both Texas and National treasures.

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/local-obituaries/1934-2017-texas-monthly-writer-gary-cartwright-dies-age/8qLenm6zS0gdNPLWs09J2I/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/09/AR2009050902425.html

Texas Monthly, once not afraid to take on anybody learned to tow the official line the last few years.  I didn't renew my subscription after the 50th anniversary in 2013 when they chose to use Operation Mockingbird agent Hugh Aynesworth (at the TSBD, Texas Theater, and Parkland as well as talking Marina out of Lee's diary) for their feature article on the subject.

Edited December 5, 2017 by Ron Bulman

[Ron Bulman]

As a result of this thread and another on Larry Crafard I got to thinking about things I read many years ago.  After the HSCA,  in the early 80's their director Robert Blakey led the way on the Mob did it theory with a Book.  Somewhere in there I came across Seth Kantors excellent and important book "The Ruby Cover-Up" along with other books like Contract on America and Mafia Kingfish.  I dug a little bit tonight.

Jada, Janet Adams Bonney Cuffari Smallwood Conforto was a stripper in New Orleans in the spring of 1963.  Jack Ruby went there June 5-8 reputedly looking for "talent".  He hired her from one of four reported clubs, maybe most likely the Sho Bar owned by Pete Marcello, son of Carlos.  He possibly met her manager first on one of three different occasions but made a 28 minute call to him before he left on the 5th.  It is suspected in these books that looking for strippers was cover for other purposes.  Kantor points out the FBI and in turn Warren Omission could find no records of him staying in any local hotels and that Jack was usually gregarious chatting it up with desk clerks, bellboy's and waitresses and giving out Carousel business cards to other patrons.  Yet no record of such found for this occasion.  Where was he?

My question is when Jack ruby disappeared to New Orleans June 5-6 wasn't Lee Harvey Oswald already there?  Might they have crossed paths?

What a milieu that city was that summer.  Bannister, Marcello.  Shaw/Bertrand, Ferrie.  DRE/FPCC, Joannidies/Birunger, FBI/CIA.  Ruth Paine passing through picking up Marina.  Lee to Mexico with a FBI escort???