Did the FBI invent Jack Ruby’s ties to organized crime after the assassination of JFK?

[Jim Hargrove]

In a series of searches of a large newspaper database this morning, I found no evidence of published reports of “Jack Ruby” ties to organized crime in any U.S. newspaper published from 1930 to 11/21/63.  The specific results the search were:

Before the assassination:

1930-11/21/63; “Jack Ruby” --155 hits
1930-11/21/63; “Jack Ruby”; crime – 0 hits
1930-11/21/63; “Jack Ruby”; mafia –0 hits

After the assassination:

1964-2020; “Jack Ruby” – 25,016 hits
1964-2020; “Jack Ruby”; crime – 5,324 hits
1964-2020; “Jack Ruby”; mafia – 1,026

I’ll do a similar search for “Jacob Rubenstein” as time permits.  The 155 “Jack Ruby” hits prior to the assassination were mostly about the man who killed Oswald, but a few were odd combinations of the two names.   Some of the stories provided information about Ruby I’d never heard before.  One, for example, indicated that in 1956 Ruby was managing from Dallas a child star with a national reputation named Ben (“Little Daddy”) Braddix.

Not one of these stories that I can find published prior to the assassination of JFK ties Ruby to organized crime.  Can anyone here point to something I’ve missed?

Was this whole mafia business a smoke screen created by the FBI to direct attention away from what appears to have been Ruby’s CIA-protected gun running efforts in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean?
 

Edited June 5, 2020 by Jim Hargrove

[Joe Bauer]

FEDERAL BUREAU 0- commission Exhibit No . 1251 D , Dec . 7 - 1963 Mr . STEVE- GUTHRIE with -office at 820 Big Town, Mesquite, Texas, advisee that his name was formerly S . N . GUTHRIE but he had legally changed his name some years ago to STEVE GUTHRIE . Mr . GUTHRIE furnished the following information :

He was elected sheriff of Dallas County in July, 1946, and was to go into office in January, 1947 . He was an ex-policemen and had returned from the service a short time previous to his election . He served as sheriff of Dallas County in 1947 through 1948 . Shortly after his election in July, 1946, a man identified as PAUL ROLAND JONES,contacted him on a Dallas golf course and asked him how he would like to make some big money . He stated he told JONES he would be very interested . At that time, Dallas County was "wide open with prostitution and gambling and other vices running full steam and there were an average of 2 or 3 murders a month which looked like murders by gangs . JONES told GUTHRIE that between them they could make approximately $40,000 per month . This contact by JONES was made since he was spokesman for the "syndicate" out of Chicago and the 'Syndicate" was planning to move into Dallas and take over the vices .

There were approximately 25 "thugs" and hoodlums from Chicago in Dallas from time to time . GUTHRIE got in touch with Dallas Chief of Police HANSON, GEORGE BUTLER, a detective of the Dallas Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety to see if they could make bribery cases on the "thugs" who had planned to take over vice in Dallas .

With the assistance of these officers, they wired GUTHRIE's house for sound and made numerous recordings of conversations had in GUTHRIE's house with a number of hoodlums from Chicago . Included in the names was SONNY LABRIOLA and a LIPSKE . As a result of this investigation, a great number of records were made .

... unintelligible ... was a "small time peanut" with this group  were going to bribe GUTHRIE . RUBY'S name came up on numerous occasions, according to GUTHRIE, as being the person who would take over a very fabulous restaurant at Industrial and Commerce Streets in Dallas . The first floor of that building was to be a regular restaurant and the upper floor would be used for gambling . RUBY was to run this club . JACK RUBY never in person talked with GUTHRIE about this matter and, in fact, GUTHRIE and RUBY had no conversation during this investigation . However, according to GUTHRIE, RUBY's name constantly came up as being the person who would run the restaurant and GUTHRIE said if the records can still be heard, RUBY's name will be heard on numerous occasions . Texas Department of Public Safety has one set of these records and "DUB" NAYLOR, then a Texas Ranger, conducted a great deal of the investigation in that case .

As a result of the investigation, PAUL ROLAND JONES was sentenced to a term of 3 to 5 years, according to GUTHRIE's memory, and ROMEO JACK KNAPPI was indicted by the grand jury . KNAPPI was believed to be related to JACK NETTI, well known Chicago hoodlum ; however, Dallas authorities were never able to get custody of KNAPPI .

GUTHRIE advised he has never heard a good thing about JACK RUBY to the best of his knowledge . He believes RUBY has operated some prostitution activities and other vices in his club since RUBY has been in Dallas . GUTHRIE further informed he has heard and believes it is fairly well known around Dallas that either mayor CABELL or City Manager CRULL ordered Chief of Police CURRY to "put on the show for TV" of transporting OSWALD from the City Jail to the County Jail. He said as a result of this, CABELL will not discharge CURRY since CURRY was acting under orders . COMMISSION EXHIBIT

Edited June 6, 2020 by Joe Bauer

[George Govus]

Nobody buys the "Bookhaut impersonated Ruby" theory? Asking for a friend.

[Ron Bulman]

9 hours ago, Joe Bauer said:

FEDERAL BUREAU 0- commission Exhibit No . 1251 D , Dec . 7 - 1963 Mr . STEVE- GUTHRIE with -office at 820 Big Town, Mesquite, Texas, advisee that his name was formerly S . N . GUTHRIE but he had legally changed his name some years ago to STEVE GUTHRIE . Mr . GUTHRIE furnished the following information :

He was elected sheriff of Dallas County in July, 1946, and was to go into office in January, 1947 . He was an ex-policemen and had returned from the service a short time previous to his election . He served as sheriff of Dallas County in 1947 through 1948 . Shortly after his election in July, 1946, a man identified as PAUL ROLAND JONES,contacted him on a Dallas golf course and asked him how he would like to make some big money . He stated he told JONES he would be very interested . At that time, Dallas County was "wide open with prostitution and gambling and other vices running full steam and there were an average of 2 or 3 murders a month which looked like murders by gangs . JONES told GUTHRIE that between them they could make approximately $40,000 per month . This contact by JONES was made since he was spokesman for the "syndicate" out of Chicago and the 'Syndicate" was planning to move into Dallas and take over the vices .

There were approximately 25 "thugs" and hoodlums from Chicago in Dallas from time to time . GUTHRIE got in touch with Dallas Chief of Police HANSON, GEORGE BUTLER, a detective of the Dallas Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety to see if they could make bribery cases on the "thugs " who had planned to take over vice in Dallas .

With the assistance of these officers, they wired GUTHRIE's house for sound and made numerous recordings of conversations had in GUTHRIE's house with a number of hoodlums from Chicago . Included in the names was SONNY LABRIOLA and a LIPSKE . As a result of this investigation, a great number of records were made .

... unintelligible ... was a "small time peanut" with this group  were going to bribe GUTHRIE . RUBY'S name came up on numerous occasions, according to GUTHRIE, as being the person who would take over a very fabulous restaurant at Industrial and Commerce Streets in Dallas . The first floor of that building was To be a regular restaurant and the upper floor would be used for gambling . RUBY was to run this club . JACK RUBY never in person talked with GUTHRIE about this matter and, in fact, GUTHRIE and RUBY had no conversation during this investigation . However, according to GUTHRIE, RUBY's  name constantly came up as being the person who would run the restaurant and GUTHRIE said if the records can still be heard, RUBY's name will be heard on numerous occasions . Texas Department of Public Safety has one set of these records and "DUB" NAYLOR, then a Texas Ranger, conducted a great deal of the investigation in that case .

As a result of the investigation, PAUL ROLAND JONES was sentenced to a term of 3 to 5 years, according to GUTHRIE's memory, and ROMEO JACK KNAPPI was indicted by the grand jury . KNAPPI was believed to be related to JACK NETTI, well known Chicago hoodlum ; however, Dallas authorities were never able to get custody of KNAPPI .

GUTHRIE advised he has never heard a good thing about JACK RUBY to the best of his knowledge . He believes RUBY has operated some prostitution activities and other vices in his club since RUBY has been in Dallas . GUTHRIE further informed he has heard and believes it is fairly well known around Dallas that either mayor CABELL or City Manager CRULL ordered Chief of Police CURRY to "put on the show for TV" of transporting OSWALD from the City Jail to the County Jail. He said as a result of this, CABELL will not discharge CURRY since CURRY was acting under orders . COMMISSION EXHIBIT

Jim, it all gets a lot deeper than the WC exhibit Joe link's here.  You won't find any mafia related arrests or news stories about Ruby because he was the payoff guy in Dallas for the Chicago mob to police and other city officials.  Guthrie also told the FBI in 1964 that Paul Roland Jones told him in 1946 that Ruby would be the "payoff guy".  he was protected by the people he paid off.  

We need to go back further for context.  In early 1946 sheriff of Dallas county for many years Schmid was lackadaisical about running against a inexperienced city cop.  Deputy sheriff Bill Decker ran the department for Schmid, took the payoff's from Benny Binion for dice and policy wheel games, as likely well those from Civello/Campisi regarding the drug trade and other gambling in particular.  Binion was clearing a million a year, in the 1940's. 

Paul Roland Jones came to town in early 1946 with associates telling Decker they would take care of Binion and others, offering bribes.  Decker arrested four of the top ones for vagrancy including Jones.  After keeping them in jail over night he drove them to the county line, kicked them out and said don't come back.  Schmid lost the election, they also got a new police chief and DA.  Binion took off for Vegas, under indictment with a million in cash, established the Horseshoe, discovered poker and that part's history.

Jones came back with more friends and money, tried to bribe new sheriff Guthrie.  He couldn't figure out how he could hide $40,000 on a $7,000 a year salary.  So he called the DPD chief, DA and Texas Rangers.  They dug a hole under sheriff Guthrie's living room and installed a recording device / microphone beneath the floor boards.  Poor quality, on vinyl records before tapes.  But Ruby's name was heard multiple time as operator of the restaurant/upstairs gambling hall.  Guthrie told the FBI in 1964 he was told in 1946 Ruby would be the paymaster.

According to Ian Griggs interview of Ruby stripper Shari Angel he was.  Vice squad members and detectives went to his office for payment.

There's a FBI report of a known traveling gambler whose name escapes me Ruby financed on a set up of a football bet with H L Hunt in the mid 50's.

Another of one of his waitresses husband getting clearance from Ruby to participate in the Dallas drug trade, in the mid 50's.

He associated with Campisi, the Miller brothers and other known syndicate members.

From Santa Anita race track back to Chicago, the waste handlers union, scalping tickets at Soldier Field (knocked out by police and arrested) running numbers with future welter weight champ Barney Ross for Al Capone, he was mobbed up from way back.  Though he could never be a made man because he was Jewish.  I think that bothered him, but he understood the code.

[Jim Hargrove]

15 hours ago, Joe Bauer said:

FEDERAL BUREAU 0- commission Exhibit No . 1251 D , Dec . 7 - 1963 Mr . STEVE- GUTHRIE with -office at 820 Big Town, Mesquite, Texas, advisee....

 

4 hours ago, Ron Bulman said:

Guthrie also told the FBI in 1964 that Paul Roland Jones told him in 1946 that Ruby would be the "payoff guy".  he was protected by the people he paid off.  

Guthrie told the FBI in 1964 he was told in 1946 Ruby would be the paymaster.

According to Ian Griggs interview of Ruby stripper Shari Angel he was.  Vice squad members and detectives went to his office for payment.

There's a FBI report of a known traveling gambler whose name escapes me Ruby financed on a set up of a football bet with H L Hunt in the mid 50's.....

Thanks, Joe and Ron; the replies are appreciated!

The sources you have both offered as evidence, though, appear to have been published AFTER the assassination of President Kennedy.

I’m searching for an indication, even a hint, that Ruby was, for example, a “payoff guy” from a source that was on the public record prior to November 22, 1963.

The newspaper database I searched includes, for example, the Dallas Morning News, which has quite a few pre-assassination articles mentioning Ruby, but none also mentioning crime (which should, for example, cover “organized crime”) or the mafia.

I just did another pre-assassination search for Jack Ruby and “payoff,” and, although I did get a few hits, they were just false positives in which Ruby’s name and the word “payoff” appeared on the same page of a newspaper.  Not one of those stories suggested Ruby was a “payoff guy,” or anything like that.

Again, can anyone show me evidence on the public record prior to 11/22/1963 indicating Jack Ruby associated with organized crime figures?  
 

[Pete Mellor]

50 minutes ago, Jim Hargrove said:

Again, can anyone show me evidence on the public record prior to 11/22/1963 indicating Jack Ruby associated with organized crime figures?  

Jim, Can you find anything on the appearance of Ruby when he was called before the Kefauver Senate Rackets Committee in 1950 to discuss underworld activities in his former home base of Chicago.

According to Ruby's lawyer Luis Kutner who represented Ruby at the above, his appearance was contingent upon the condition that the Kefauver Committee stay away from investigating organised crime in Dallas.

 

[Steve Thomas]

2 hours ago, Jim Hargrove said:

Again, can anyone show me evidence on the public record prior to 11/22/1963 indicating Jack Ruby associated with organized crime figures?  

 

Jim,

I don't know about crime "figures", but I was interested in the 1947 iron pipe/heroin smuggling case for a while.

HSCA vol. 9 pp. 522-523

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=955#relPageId=531&tab=page

HSCA vol. 9, page 1154

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=955#relPageId=1162&tab=page

HSCA vol. 9, page 522

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=955#relPageId=530&tab=page

WC testimony of Eva Grant

http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/grant_e1.htm

 

“Mrs. GRANT. I don't think he ever saw him as far as I know, but I want to tell you that Roland Jones went to Chicago during the period of those 6 months and he did meet my brother Hyman. I don't know what conversation my brother had--my brother thought he was a nice guy--we didn't know anything about his background.
Mr. HUBERT. Do you know what happened to him?
Mrs. GRANT. Oh, yes; he went to jail for something about narcotics from Turkey or something like that.”

WC testimony of Eva Grant

http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/grant_e1.htm

 

Mrs. GRANT. We were buying metals, at least we were trying to buy metals and materials to sell to--in fact, gas companies--one is--I have the files, believe me, and I think it's at Jonesboro--is it in Arkansas or Oklahoma? Well, we got the specifications and Paul Roland Jones brought me a piece of metal, maybe 6 inches long--it's a certain type of pipe, rather, he brought me, and this man didn't want it, so I sent it on to Chicago to my brother.
Mr. HUBERT. Which brother?
Mrs. GRANT. It seems to me I sent it to my older brother, Hyman, and he says he knew somebody that might be able to use the amount of footage we had at this place, and we were going to make what you call a finder's fee or broker's fee, but little did we know of Paul Roland Jones' connection, because I'm going to tell you. This man told me several things-- "I'm not fit to be in the night club business, I'm not the caliber of a person."
Mr. HUBERT. Who was that--Jones told you that?
Mrs. GRANT. Yes; and he seemed to be a very nice fellow and he used my phone for a long distance call to Ardmore, Okla., and I know he paid me $2 or $3 in change when he did it, and I didn't know a thing about this.
Mr. HUBERT. About what, ma'am?
Mrs. GRANT. Well, wait a minute, I pick up the headlines and they got Paul Roland Jones in jail somewhere in Fort Worth. I no sooner picked this up--this paper, the paper of this city, my brother is calling me from Chicago that the FBI or some organization, one of your organizations went to the Congress Hotel where Jack was staying and they are questioning him about whether--about what he knew about Paul Roland Jones. I don't think Jack ever heard me mention the name.

449

 

Mr. HUBERT. How long had you known Paul Roland Jones when this occurred?
Mrs. GRANT. Not too many months--if it was 6 months or 8 months--it was the longest.
Mr. HUBERT. Had you done any business with him?
Mr.s GRANT. No--never.
Mr. HUBERT. It was simply through meeting at the club?
Mrs. GRANT. Well this doctor brought him in one afternoon. He knew him because he went to him for treatment.
Mr. HUBERT. Well, that's the first meeting, but thereafter, what was the basis of the meeting?
Mrs. GRANT. Nothing. I mean, he came in, and I went to dinner with him and the doctor once, and we went for a ride, but I'll tell you, the doctor and I didn't know anything about his background.
Mr. HUBERT. He was ultimately charged, was he not, with the possession of narcotics?
Mrs. GRANT. Oh, yes; in fact, we read the story that night. We were shocked. We knew he took trips, we knew he was married to a dancer in New York, but this all came out--wait a minute, his wife came from New York that summer.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, we'll get into that later. Did Jack know Paul Roland Jones at that time?
Mrs. GRANT. If he did--no; I doubt if he ever even heard of him.
Mr. HUBERT. Jack had not come down here yet?
Mrs. GRANT. If he was, he didn't stay long.
Mr. HUBERT. But to your recollection he didn't know Jones at all?
Mrs. GRANT. I don't think he has ever seen him--well, wait a minute, he may have seen the man or heard about him.
Mr. HUBERT. I understand that, but at the time of this episode that you are telling us about?
Mrs. GRANT. I don't think he ever saw him as far as I know, but I want to tell you that Roland Jones went to Chicago during the period of those 6 months and he did meet my brother Hyman. I don't know what conversation my brother had--my brother thought he was a nice guy--we didn't know anything about his background.
Mr. HUBERT. Do you know what happened to him?
Mrs. GRANT. Oh, yes; he went to jail for something about narcotics from Turkey or something like that.
Mr. HUBERT. Did he have any other charges later against him? Do you know?
Mrs. GRANT. Do you want to know something--I went into a hotel here, and let me think, either the Whitmore or the Southland since he has been out, or when he got out, and this friend of mine said, "Guess who got out of jail?" He said "Paul Roland Jones," and I said, "That's nice."
Mr. HUBERT. How long ago was that?
Mrs. GRANT. This must be 7 years or 8 years--it seems like a long time ago.
Mr. HUBERT. Have you seen him since?
Mrs. GRANT. Yes; he was here 2 years ago, I think. He came through and he stopped by the Vegas Club one night. Oh, he says, he got in a cab and he was coming through--he probably was here other times but he didn't want anybody to know--he said he was coming through changing planes and he says he's sure going to be picked up and he says to say hello to Jack.
Mr. HUBERT. When was that?
Mrs. GRANT. Maybe a year and a half or 2 years ago.
Mr. HUBERT. Did you see him in November 1963?
Mrs. GRANT. Oh, no.
Mr. HUBERT. Did you talk to him on the phone?
Mrs. GRANT. No.
Mr. HUBERT. Did you know he was in Dallas?
Mr.s GRANT. No.
Mr. HUBERT. Is there anything you know that would indicate that your brother, Jack, knew he was in Dallas?
Mrs. GRANT. I don't know.
Mr. HUBERT. In November 1963?
Mrs. GRANT. I don't know. I'll tell you how I figure this out, if I can go

450

see my contract--you see, my band leader was making a record, you know, a record of music.
Mr. HUBERT. But so far as your recollection is concerned, it would be over a year from today?
Mrs. GRANT. Easy--easy.
Mr. HUBERT. And by "contact with him," of course, I mean--you know--telephone, letters, messages?
Mrs. GRANT. No; he came in--he told me that he knows people at Mercury Records and that if I send in the song he was going to make it, and truthfully, I was glad when he came in, when he left, for more reasons than one. We don't discuss his background or anything.
Mr. HUBERT. Now, that's over a year ago certainly.
Mrs. GRANT. It has been so long--I say a year and a half--the airlines would know quicker than I know because he said he just flew in and he was just there for the evening and going back out, at least that's what he told me. I don't discuss his background or anything like that--at least, that's what he told me.

 

Steve Thomas

 

[Joe Bauer]

Reading Eva Grant's testimony above kind of reminded me of J.D. Tippit witness Helen Markham whose own testimony was so scattered, disjointed and self-contradictory it was cringing to read and hear.

The more one reads through Ms Grant's own scattered and contradictory testimony in this criminal affair, her claims of complicity innocence through ignorance are hard to accept as a result.

Does anyone really think Jack Ruby's sister Eva and Ruby's brother Hyman were honestly unaware that drug trafficker Paul Jones's pipe sale scheme was just about pipe?

And their reimbursed part in this scheme was simply as some type of facilitators where they would get a "finder's fee?" A finder's fee? Please.

Ruby's family was so much more connected to Chicago crime figures than is generally known. 

Which reinforces the probability of Jack Ruby being more connected himself. IMO.

[Jim Hargrove]

Thanks to all for these great responses.  This is exactly the kind of detailed research I was hoping to collect. A few specifics....

Joe Bauer,

Thanks for the analysis. I don’t mean to be dismissive, but please tell me if I’m missing something here: The pre-11/22/1963  evidence that Jack Ruby was associated with organized crime consists of someone suggesting  that his *sister* purchase pipe that *might* be used to hide contraband?  

Steve Thomas,

You always present these original source documents so beautifully!  Still, all of your material appears to come through the WC and the HSCA.  It does reference a few sources that pre-date the assassination, but nothing in them that I read gives real evidence that Jack Ruby/Jacob Rubenstein associated with organized crime, including the pipe business.

I would think this stuff would be easy to find in the public record prior to 11/22/63, but it doesn’t appear to be so.  Have you found anything more conclusive?

Pete Mellor,

The Kefauver Committee is a solid lead.  Thank you!

I did a search for Jack Ruby AND Kefauver as well as Jacob Rubenstein AND Kefauver in U.S. papers published before 11/22/1963 and got zero results.  The database I used claims to have archives “from over 13,000 newspapers….”

The 133-page Kefauver Committee Final Report  (Aug. 31, 1951) makes no mention of Jack Ruby or Jacob Rubenstein.  There is, however, a single hit on “Ben Rubenstein” and one instance of “Ruby Kolod,” neither of which is our man.

A Google internet search produces claims that Ruby cut a deal with Kefauver staffers not to talk about certain things, but so far I've found no pre-11/22/1963 evidence for this in the public record.  The Kefauver report mentions hundreds and hundreds of names, none of which are Jack Ruby or Jacob Rubenstein.

I’ll keep looking for more Kefauver Committee evidence, but so far I have nothing. Thanks again.

[Steve Thomas]

2 hours ago, Jim Hargrove said:

Steve Thomas,

You always present these original source documents so beautifully!  Still, all of your material appears to come through the WC and the HSCA.  It does reference a few sources that pre-date the assassination, but nothing in them that I read gives real evidence that Jack Ruby/Jacob Rubenstein associated with organized crime, including the pipe business.

I would think this stuff would be easy to find in the public record prior to 11/22/63, but it doesn’t appear to be so.  Have you found anything more conclusive?

 

Jim,

Footnote 1505 in Paragraph 1145 of the HSCA material refers to a 1947 Federal Bureau of narcotics interview of Jack Ruby and an Affidavit taken of Hyman Ruby.

The 1947 Bureau of Narcotics interview of Jack Ruby and Affidavit of Hyman Ruby is CE 1708 pp. 203-204.

https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=1139#relPageId=235&tab=page

 

That aside, if you want to look at organized crime, you might want to explore the 1939 murder of Leon Cooke of the Chicago Waste Handler's Union and Ruby's association with Paul Dorfman. Ruby was a suspect in that case.

I was just interested in the iron pipe business.

Steve Thomas

[Ron Bulman]

The iron pipe business was part of a FBI investigation, which is part of the public record that happened prior to 1963.  As is Jacks affiliation with the Kefauver Committee.  Why were they interested in his information if he was a know nothing, uninvolved nobody?

Regarding his namesake, Leon Cooke.

"The shooting of Leon Cooke was front page news in Chicago and Jack Rubenstein's picture appeared in conjunction with it in The Chicago Tribune.  ...  But all records of the incident disappeared from police files...  George Bliss, late Pulitzer Prize winning reporter for the Tribune explained... arrest record and fingerprints would disappear.  No trace of of an arrest record for Jack Rubenstein, going back to his 1927 ticket (arrest) for scalping, or the 30 day sentence he received in 1930 for selling pirated music sheets."  The Ruby Cover-Up, Seth Kantor, pg. 198.

"The report states that Ruby was arrested on the day of the shooting... Chicago Tribune article allegedly pegged Martin as the killer. ...  Tribune article reveals that the source of the article was Ruby."

"David Byron an industrial manager and neighborhood acquaintance of Ruby Ruby in Chicago.  Byron told the FBI he remembered reading a Chicago newspaper that Ruby had been

'president of some Junk Dealers Union" in Chicago . . .  A shooting occurred and Rubenstein was charged with killing a man.  He was arrested, convicted and sentenced in Chicago on this charge and served in prison . . . for a little over a year." 78.  Most likely mistaken about the conviction and prison but he remembers what he does from the Newspaper.

[Jim Hargrove]

20 hours ago, Steve Thomas said:

That aside, if you want to look at organized crime, you might want to explore the 1939 murder of Leon Cooke of the Chicago Waste Handler's Union and Ruby's association with Paul Dorfman. Ruby was a suspect in that case.

 

10 hours ago, Ron Bulman said:

Regarding his namesake, Leon Cooke.

"The shooting of Leon Cooke was front page news in Chicago and Jack Rubenstein's picture appeared in conjunction with it in The Chicago Tribune.  ...  But all records of the incident disappeared from police files...  George Bliss, late Pulitzer Prize winning reporter for the Tribune explained... arrest record and fingerprints would disappear.  No trace of of an arrest record for Jack Rubenstein, going back to his 1927 ticket (arrest) for scalping, or the 30 day sentence he received in 1930 for selling pirated music sheets."  The Ruby Cover-Up, Seth Kantor, pg. 198.

"The report states that Ruby was arrested on the day of the shooting... Chicago Tribune article allegedly pegged Martin as the killer. ...  Tribune article reveals that the source of the article was Ruby."

Steve and Ron,

Thank you for what appears to be a solid lead in my search for descriptions of Ruby mob ties on the public record prior to the assassination of JFK.  In pursuit of the story above, I searched the Chicago Tribune archives for the years 1938 to 1945 looking for references to Jacob Rubenstein, Jack Rubenstein, or Jack Ruby. Here are the results:

Jacob Rubenstein – 0 hits
Jack Rubenstein – 0 hits
Jack Ruby – 6 hits.

Here is an image of the “Jack Ruby” hits at the Chicago Tribune archives from 1938-1945:

Let’s consider each of these stories.  The first, the only one of the six not behind a paywall, is about a Chicago hotel owner named Harry Rubenstein, who was 50 years old in 1945. This is obviously not our Jack Ruby, but you can read the story HERE. 

The second story from the top is an obituary.

The only relevant reference in the third story is to a “Mrs. Jack Ruby.”

The fourth story is about an East Coast local union chapter president named “Jack Ruby” and his wage squabbles with the Navy and Ford Motors.  This is not our Jack Ruby, but just to be thorough I’m including the story at the bottom of this post.  “Jack Ruby” is mentioned in the final paragraph.

The fifth story is just a false positive in which the surname “De Jack” is, separated by a comma, next to the first name “Ruby”.

The last hit is a reference to people named “Jack West” and “Ruby Morris" in close enough poximity to trigger a false hit.

If Jack Ruby was really associated with a 1939 murder described in front page stories in the Chicago Tribune, why is it not even mentioned in that newspaper between the years 1938 and 1945?

I’ll have access to the Tribune archives for just another few days.  If anyone has any suggestions for searches, I’ll try to find the time to do them. 

In the meantime, I’ve got to say I’m not impressed by much about so-called “mobster” Jack Ruby on the public record before the assassination of JFK.  Here is that Tribune story about the East Coast union man:

[Pete Mellor]

23 hours ago, Jim Hargrove said:

Pete Mellor,

The Kefauver Committee is a solid lead.  Thank you!

I did a search for Jack Ruby AND Kefauver as well as Jacob Rubenstein AND Kefauver in U.S. papers published before 11/22/1963 and got zero results.  The database I used claims to have archives “from over 13,000 newspapers….”

The 133-page Kefauver Committee Final Report  (Aug. 31, 1951) makes no mention of Jack Ruby or Jacob Rubenstein.  There is, however, a single hit on “Ben Rubenstein” and one instance of “Ruby Kolod,” neither of which is our man.

A Google internet search produces claims that Ruby cut a deal with Kefauver staffers not to talk about certain things, but so far I've found no pre-11/22/1963 evidence for this in the public record.  The Kefauver report mentions hundreds and hundreds of names, none of which are Jack Ruby or Jacob Rubenstein.

I’ll keep looking for more Kefauver Committee evidence, but so far I have nothing. Thanks again.

Jim, I thought your thread was an interesting idea so I did a search through some of my reading material.  The information on the Kefauver link came out of Michael Collins Piper's 'Final Judgment'.  I have this weird tome on Kindle & it comes with no Notes or references.  Take that for what its worth.  Don't want to lead you down any dark alleys.  Kutner's papers are archived at the Hoover Institute, if they are searchable on line.  He was a co-founder of Amnesty International & his bio doesn't fit with the Ruby character, or the charges of him in Piper's book.

[Ron Bulman]

Jim, the second part about Byron, after the fact, supposedly comes from WC CE1235 which doesn't just pop up in a quick search.  Why would the guy make this up to the FBI in 1964 based on a 1939 memory?  

If you've access to the Chicago Tribune archives you might search the name Leon Cooke and December 8-9-10-11-12 1939 as the 8th was when he was murdered by allegedly Ruby or Martin.  Keep in mind murders were not uncommon in Chicago at the time and the city had more than one newspaper at the time, E.G. the Chicago Defender and I believe at least one more.

I don't think Seth Kantor made up the part about Ruby's picture in the Tribune.  He was a well accredited journalist who spent 10 years writing his book.  Well after his word with Ruby on 11/22/63 at Parkland.  

 

[Ron Bulman]

5 minutes ago, Ron Bulman said:

Jim, the second part about Byron, after the fact, supposedly comes from WC CE1235 which doesn't just pop up in a quick search.  Why would the guy make this up to the FBI in 1964 based on a 1939 memory?  

If you've access to the Chicago Tribune archives you might search the name Leon Cooke and December 8-9-10-11-12 1939 as the 8th was when he was murdered by allegedly Ruby or Martin.  Keep in mind murders were not uncommon in Chicago at the time and the city had more than one newspaper at the time, E.G. the Chicago Defender and I believe at least one more.

I don't think Seth Kantor made up the part about Ruby's picture in the Tribune.  He was a well accredited journalist who spent 10 years writing his book.  Well after his words with Ruby on 11/22/63 at Parkland.