I knew Jack Ruby

[Tim Gratz]

As dictated to Tim on June 2, 2005:

I do not want to reveal my real name but I read Tim's articles about the assassination in the Key West newspaper and I happened to mention to him that I lived in Arlington (right outside of Dallas) in 1963 (and moved to Dallas in 1964).

I was a guitarist in a band that played in clubs in Dallas and surrounding central Texas communities. We played in places such as Houston and Austin but mostly in Dallas, where we also recorded.

I once dated a girl who had lived with Chris Colt (billed as Chris Colt and her 45s (not refering to pistols, however) when she performed at Ruby's Carousel Club). My friend's best female friend was named Tricia and she was living with the house drummer at the Cellar at Fort Worth (where the secret service agents partied the night before the assassination).

I am not sure if I ever formally met Jack Ruby but everyone in the club business knew who Jack Ruby was. There were many rumors that Jack Ruby had mob connections. He was not considered as "well connected" as much as two brothers Tony and Sammy Ventura, who owned a very nice upscale club called Gringo's on Oak Lawn Avenue. I had personally seen Ruby in this club.

Ruby was considered kind of a "bottom figure"in the Mob. We had to be very careful about talking about these people since many of them operated the clubs at which we played. We were not aware of any Mob-connected people other than the ones we met in the night club business.

We would run into Ruby at several of the clubs at which we were performed but he paid little attention to us.

I vaguely remember hearing that there had been some Cuban people with Ruby at Ruby's club and it seemed unusual since there were so few Cubans in Dallas.

I never heard any rumors connecting Ruby with Oswald. I had never heard of Oswald until after the assassination.

Not sure if this is of any help to you but Tim thought it might be worth posting on your Forum.

Edited June 3, 2005 by Tim Gratz

[Greg Parker]

Tim,

wouldn't this have been more accurately titled, "I knew OF Jack Ruby" (READER of Tim's articles)?

In any case, there are FBI reports in the volumes which indicate Mexicans frequented the Carousel. Anorther says that Korean War vets drank for free there.

And I'm sure you're aware of the number of cops who went there above and beyond any call of duty to do so.

One even married one of the strippers. Another (Leavelle) had a nephew who was married to one of the strippers.

Any of it can be woven into multiple scenarios.

[Tim Gratz]

I agree what this gentleman knows is apparently not much, other than his observations on organized crime, which is only through the rumor-mill anyway.

He did tell me the incident definitely involved Cubans as opposed to Mexicans or Hispanics.