Post by Rob Caprio on Apr 21, 2022 15:59:50 GMT -5
All portions ©️ Robert Caprio 2006-2024
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The House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) would look into many things the Warren Commission (WC) did not bother to address as well as expound on things they did address in a limited fashion. A key person in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy (JFK) was Jack Ruby as he had connections to many people, and, of course, would be accused of shooting JFK’s alleged assassin Lee Harvey Oswald (LHO). This made his actions and associations of utmost importance, but the WC only bothered to look into these things in a cursory fashion. Why?
The HSCA would examine the telephone records of Jack Ruby that the WC had looked at, but they would go further in trying to find out more about what this may mean in the big picture.
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The HSCA would tell us right away what the WC did with the telephone records of Jack Ruby and others.
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(794) During the Warren Commission's investigation, counsels Burr W. Griffin and Leon D. Hubert had recommended in a memorandum that steps be taken to obtain and preserve a large number of telephone records involving Jack Ruby and numerous associates. Specifically, they asked that the FBI be instructed to secure the records and that Commission Chairman Earl Warren address a letter to the various telephone companies to assure that the records not be destroyed. While the Warren Commission and the FBI did obtain some of the records, an extensive effort to collect them was not carried out. Griffin stated that Commission general counsel Lee J. Rankin vetoed their full request because the effort would have been too burdensome and was too far-reaching. The Commission and the FBI failed to analyze systematically and to develop the data in those records which were obtained.
(795) In a subsequent memorandum, Griffin and Hubert advised that they were in need of further assistance in evaluating the records, saying that they would need the services of additional personnel to undertake a competent analysis. It was suggested by Rankin at one point that Chief Justice Warren's security guard might be able to devote some time to the project. In the end, the actual analysis contemplated by Griffin and Hubert was never fully conducted because of limited time and resources. (HSCA IX, pp. 188-189)
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So this very important evidence that could have produced who knows how many leads was only examined in a limited way due to “limited time and resources.” The same group would have time to evaluate LHO’s pubic hair and Jack Ruby mother’s dental records however. It would be laughable that the only help that was recommended to Griffin and Hubert was Earl Warren’s security guard if we were NOT looking into the murder of JFK, Dallas police officer J.D. Tippit (JDT) and LHO. The largest investigation in U.S. history couldn’t muster up some additional help to make sure these records were thoroughly searched and examined to find leads? Especially when we remember that Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) had said in his book The Enemy Within how important telephone records are for making associations between people you may not have known knew each other or worked together. Sure, there was no cover-up going on here.
Here is who the telephone records showed were involved in phone calls with Jack Ruby according to the HSCA.
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(796) The committee obtained the records acquired by the Warren Commission, as well as others from various sources, including the FBI, former New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison, and the telephone company (A. T. & T.). These records encompassed a broad range of persons both known and unknown to Jack Ruby (but speculatively associated with him), as well as individuals associated with Lee Harvey Oswald, and others. Among the records acquired and reviewed by the committee were those of:
Ruby and his brothers and sisters; Associates of Ruby, such as Lawrence Meyers, Alexander Gruber, and Lewis J. McWillie;
Individuals called by Ruby in 1963, such as Barney Baker and Frank Goldstein; The companies which in 1963 employed Baker (Chicago Loop Auto Refinishing Co.) and Myers (Ero Manufacturing Co.); J.D. Tippit, the Dallas policeman slain by Lee Harvey Oswald after the President's assassination;
Bruce and Karen Carlin (Mrs. Carlin worked for Jack Ruby under the stage name of Little Lynn); Carlos Marcello, an important organized crime figure; David Ferrie, an individual linked with both Marcello and Lee Harvey Oswald; Robert Maheu, Sam Giancana and John Roselli, individuals involved in CIA plots to assassinate Fidel Castro in the early 1960's; and "Dutz" Murret, the uncle of Lee Harvey Oswald.
(797) This list is only partial, and in many instances the records obtained included phone calls for only a portion of the 1963 period. In some instances, the committee's requests for telephone records could not be accommodated. The committee also had access to and used fragmented telephone numbers and numbers whose subscribers were unknown. (Ibid., p. 189)
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Even this partial list shows the number of people Jack Ruby might hade made contact with who have been linked to the assassination in some way. We see the names of Carlos Marcello, David Ferrie, Robert Maheu, Sam Giancana, Johnny Roselli and LHO’s uncle “Dutz” Murret. He also had phone calls with JDT. Is this all a coincidence? I doubt it and one can see from this partial list why the WC could not find the time and resources to examine these fully as they would lead to many places they did NOT want to go. These people only lead to one destination—conspiracy—and the WC could NOT have that as they had a “lone nut” to frame.
The HSCA said the major area of interest for them in the 1963 telephone records of Jack Ruby involved his “alleged contacts and associations with organized crime figures.” (Ibid, p. 190) The HSCA explained how Jack Ruby’s phone calls increased in October and November of 1963.
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(800) A chronological consolidation of the telephone calls made by Ruby from the five separate business and home telephones he used uncovered a significant increase in the number of calls made in October and November 1963. The average number lept from around 25 to 35 in the months of May through September to approximately 75 in October and approximately 96 during the first 3 1/2 weeks of November. In an effort to determine possible reasons for this significant increase in calls during the months immediately preceding the assassination, the committee closely evaluated Ruby's activities during that period. It looked at whom Ruby was calling and who was calling him, why he was in contact with those people, whether he had had previous contact with them, and what the significance of such contacts was. (Ibid., p. 190)
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We see a more than double increase in his telephone calls from the May-September time frame to October and November. Other than the assassination, what could have been going on to account for this incredible increase in phone calls?
The HSCA would say a large number were placed to Ruby’s business partner—Ralph Paul—who was part-owner in the Carousel Club and Ruby’s closest friend. They said calls were made on a regular basis to family members like his brothers Earl Ruby, Hyman Rubenstein, and his sisters Mrs. Marion Carroll and Mrs. Eileen Kaminsky. The calls to Earl Ruby should come as no surprise since he told the HSCA in his testimony that he lent Jack Ruby around $15,000 dollars and he believed at least $6,000 of it went into the Carousel Club.
Mr. McDONALD. Did you have occasion to make loans to Jack?
Mr. RUBY. Yes, I did.
Mr. McDONALD. How many times?
Mr. RUBY. Several times.
Mr. McDONALD. And how much did you loan him?
Mr. RUBY. Well---
Mr. MCDONALD. Total?
Mr. RUBY. The total was approximately $15,000, but the last amount that I sent him was $6,000. That was to be an investment more than a loan in a nightclub.
Mr. MCDONALD. Do you recall the nightclub?
Mr. RUBY. I think it was the Carousel. At that time though, it was the Sovereign. They changed the name.
Mr. MCDONALD. When you made the investment you were investing in the Sovereign Club?
Mr. RUBY. I think so. Before I knew it they were bankrupt. I think they overspent the money on furnishings and business just didn't materialize as they had planned, and so then I was more or less out of the picture.
So we see Earl Ruby was investing in the Carousel Club with this loan, therefore, calls to him would have an explanation. Another large number involved club related calls to inquire and obtain acts and club related business. These included an increasing number of phone calls to the American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA) who he had dispute with.
One of the more interesting names the HSCA mentions is of Irwin S. Weiner. Here is what they wrote about him.
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(813) Irwin S. Weiner.--On October 26, 1963, Jack Ruby place long distance call to Weiner in Chicago; he spoke with him for 12 minutes. Though the Warren Commission had been aware of this telephone call, it had never sought to have Weiner questioned, nor did it explore his background and associations.
(814) Weiner was a prominent underworld bondsman who was closely associated with such men as James R. Hoffa, Sam Giancana and Paul and Allen Dorfman. According to Federal and State law enforcement files, Weiner had served as a key functionary in the relationship between the Chicago Mafia and various corrupt union officials, particularly while Hoffa was president of the Teamsters Union. As recently as April 1978, Weiner had been described in a Jack Anderson column as "the underworld's major financial figure in the Midwest."
(815) In the days following the assassination of President Kennedy, the FBI sought to question Weiner about the call he had received from Ruby. A November 28, 1963, teletype states that Weiner refused to respond to questioning by FBI agents in Chicago and declined to assist the investigation in any way. (Ibid., p. 193)
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Weiner now shows us a tie to Jimmy Hoffa as well as Sam Giancana. He was a key figure in the mafia’s network in the Midwest, but he was able to avoid the WC’s attention and tell the FBI he would not be interviewed and refused to assist the investigation in any way. Whom else could have said this? We see everyone who was called by the WC or contacted by the FBI or Secret Service (SS) cooperate, but NOT Weiner. Why? Where could this lead have lead if it was pursued?
Supposedly during an executive session with the HSCA Weiner claimed Ruby’s call to him may have been in regard to his AVGA dispute, but if we believe that how do we accept his refusal to be interviewed by the FBI and cooperate in any way back in 1963/1964? This claim also flew in the face of what he told a reporter before he appeared in private before the HSCA as he said the call had NOTHING to do with a labor issue. (Ibid.)
Another name that pops up on Jack Ruby’s telephone records is that of Nofio Pecora (alias Joseph O. Pecoraro) Pecora had been a former heroin smuggler and an associate of mob boss Carlos Marcello. Here is what the HSCA wrote about him.
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(818) …The FBI, Justice Department, and Metropolitan Crime Commission of New Orleans identified Pecora as one of Carlos Marcello's associates, with various members of the Pecora family being in contact with Marcello's family. The committee's computer telephone project noted, for example, that Marcello placed a call to Nofio Pecora on June 24, 1963, at the same trailer office number that Ruby had called 4 months later.
(819) Earlier in 1978, when the committee investigators questioned Pecora about the October 30, 1963, telephone call, he declined to respond. In September 1978, however, he finally agreed to answer questions by the committee. He stated that he did not recall receiving any telephone call from Jack Ruby and did not in fact know Ruby or have any knowledge of him. Pecora believed that he was probably the only person who had access to his Tropical Court telephone in 1963, but that he might well have taken a telephone message for someone else who lived at the trailer park. He suggested his interview that Ruby might have called his office on October 30 in an attempt to locate some other party, but stated he did not believe he ever took a message from Ruby.
(820) The evidence indicates that Ruby did in fact have an associate who lived at the Tropical Court Tourist Park at that time-Harold Tannenbaum, a New Orleans nightclub manager. He had run several Bourbon Street clubs affiliated with Marcclio interests. In his committee interview, Pecora admitted that he was acquainted with Tannenbaum and that they were neighbors in the trailer court. He was not aware that Tannenbaum was a friend of Ruby.
(821) Harold Tannenbaum had met Ruby in the summer of 1963 and had discussed going into business with him. The computer telephone project established that Ruby and Tannenbaum were in regular contact by telephone from June until October 1963. The committee also found that 1 hour after the 1 minute call from Ruby's office to Pecora's office, Tannenbaum himself placed a call to Ruby. This sequence could thus be interpreted as consistent with what Pecora suggested that Ruby called his trailer court office simply to relay a message to another party. Nevertheless, Pecora did not recall relaying any long-distance telephone message from Ruby to Tannenbaum or anyone else in the trailer park. (Ibid., p. 194)
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This could be all true or perhaps Tannenbaum was the go-between for Ruby and Pecora as the direct connection had implications no one wanted to discuss or explore. Wouldn’t that make sense? Why would Ruby want to tip off that he was in touch with an associate of Mafia boss Carlos Marcello? Even if you choose not to believe this then explain to me the odds of Ruby being friends with a man who just happens to share a phone with Nicofa Percora who is an associate of Carlos Marcello. Finally, notice it said that Marcello used the SAME NUMBER to call Pecora four months earlier, so again, what are the odds of Ruby calling that number expecting to reach Tannenbaum?
We see another connection to the mob via Jimmy Hoffa as on November 7, 1963, Ruby received a collect call from Robert “Barney” Barker which lasted 17 minutes. Barker was an associate of Hoffa’s as detailed by RFK during the McClellan Committee in the late 1950s. The HSCA said RFK wrote the following in 1960, “…sometimes the mere threat of his [Baker's] presence in a room was enough to silence the men who would otherwise have opposed Hoffa's reign." (Ibid, pp. 194-195) It would appear Ruby was a stranger to Barker and the old excuse of the labor dispute would appear again as the reason for the call.
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(823) Baker was questioned by the FBI in Chicago on January 3, 1964. He stated that Ruby was a complete stranger to him until the very day he spoke with him, November 7, 1963. Ruby had called him earlier that day, and, in his absence, Baker's wife had taken a message instructing him to call Ruby's nightclub in Dallas. (873) This call did not appear in the telephone records gathered by the committee. Baker told the FBI that Ruby had not used his real name, but had instead instructed him to call back and ask for "Lou," which he did. This was the reason Baker gave for placing a collect call to Ruby''s number. Baker told the FBI that the purpose of Ruby's call was to seek assistance in the labor dispute Ruby was having with his nightclub competitors in Dallas. (Ibid., p. 195)
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Why would you spend seventeen minutes on the phone with a “complete stranger” as Barker did on November 7? Why would an associate of Jimmy Hoffa’s be able to help Ruby with his labor dispute with AVGA? Does this make any sense to you? How long does it take to say, “I can’t help you with that issue?”
Obviously there is more to this story, but as usual we will never know what it is for sure since neither the WC or the HSCA saw fit to find out what was really going on here, especially, when we consider that the next day Ruby made a call to another Hoffa associate.
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(824) Dusty Miller.--On November 8, 1963, the day after Ruby had received a call from Baker, he placed a call to Murray W. (Dusty) Miller at the Eden Roc Hotel in Miami, Fla., a call lasting 4 minutes. Dusty Miller was another assistant of Hoffa and head of the southern conference of the union. As such, he was regarded as a possible successor to Hoffa . Miller was also said to be associated with numerous underworld figures.
(825) In a 1978 interview with the committee, Miller stated that he had had no contact with Jack Ruby before the November 8, 1963, telephone call, during which Ruby had asked for assistance in his labor problems. Ruby had stated something to the effect that "Barney Baker gave me your number and told me that maybe you could help me out." Miller, upon hearing the reference to Baker, quickly ended the conversation, as Miller viewed Barney Baker as a man with questionable associations, and he did not wish to be involved in any dealing that Baker himself might be involved in.
(826) Miller told the committee that he had assumed from the substance of his conversation with Ruby that Ruby and Baker were friends. He was surprised that Baker had given his telephone number to Ruby, though he never discussed the incident with Baker. Miller stated that he had no further knowledge of Jack Ruby, nor had he ever been contacted again by Ruby. (Ibid.)
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We again see the excuse of Ruby calling a Hoffa associate to help him with his “labor issues” with AVGA, but Hoffa was the head of the AFL-CIO which had nothing to do with the entertainment business. Why would Ruby think they could help him with his labor issues? Also, note that Miller said Ruby and Baker were FRIENDS, but Baker claimed they were “strangers” when questioned about his call with Ruby. What should we make of this? To add more to the confusion we see that Ruby called Baker back just 31 minutes after he hung with Miller and would spend a further 14 minutes with Baker who he supposedly didn’t even know if we believe Baker!
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(827) Barney Baker. --Telephone records indicate that on November 8, 1963, at 5:22 p.m., Jack Ruby placed another call to Barney Baker in Chicago. This occurred 31 minutes after the Ruby-Miller call and lasted for 14 minutes.
(828) Baker said that he terminated the November 7 call by "firmly declining to offer any assistance" in Ruby's labor difficulties. In his 1964 FBI interview and 1978 committee deposition, Baker made no mention of the fact that Ruby had called him back on November 8 and indicated that he had had no further contact with Ruby. (Ibid.)
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Why would Ruby call Baker back IF he had firmly told him he could NOT help him and declined any assistance in the matter? Why did Baker not tell the FBI and the HSCA that he had spoken with Ruby a SECOND time? What was he hiding? Clearly, there is more to this story.
Another key person that could not be determined to have talked with Ruby was Lenny Patrick. Ruby’s sister, Eva Grant, said Ruby had called him in the summer of 1963, but unfortunately the records did not show this call in his records. However, as the HSCA points out he could have used another phone, thus, it would NOT be on his personal records. That would be a good idea when you read the background of Patrick.
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(830) …Lenny Patrick was one of the Chicago Mafia’s leading assassins and was responsible, according to Federal and State law enforcement files, for the murders of over a dozen victims of the mob. In later years, Patrick was to become a lieutenant of Chicago leader Sam Giancana. (Ibid., p. 196)
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Clearly Ruby would NOT want a call to this type of person to show up on his personal records IMO, therefore, the use of another phone to contact him is quite realistic. Remember, Ruby was seen making phone calls from a downtown parking garage over the weekend following JFK’s assassination. He was seen using a phone in other public locations as well so he could have called from one of these types of places to Patrick.
The HSCA spent some time looking into these calls that were supposedly to help him with his “labor dispute” and this shows how ridiculous it is to think people associated with Jimmy Hoffa (AFL-CIO) could help him with his AVGA issues.
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(852) Several days later, Ruby called Frank Goldstein, a resident San Francisco who was involved in gambling activities. Goldstein had known Ruby in Chicago, and Eva Grant may have known and worked with Goldstein in San Francisco but he was surprised to hear from "Sparky," as this was only the first or second time Ruby had ever called him. Ruby wanted somebody who had an "in" with the union. Goldstein told him that his union associations were in the news media field and not the entertainment business. (Ibid., p. 199)
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This shows us that in the union/labor field (like law or medicine) there are specialties and different areas of expertise and experience, therefore, the excuse of Ruby calling for help with his AVGA problems is silly and not the real reason for the calls IMO. These calls have led researchers for years to speculate that Ruby was using his underworld connections to pass on and receive information that related to the assassination of JFK. If this was not the case then the WC had a right to show us it was not right, but as usual they never addressed the issue. Why would they ignore such an important issue if they were a “fact-finding” commission searching for the truth as they claimed? While the HSCA claimed many of the calls related to the AVGA issue, they said that all of them could NOT be tied to this issue alone.
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(863) It appears that Ruby's problems with AGVA were constant, often open-ended and unresolved, with few victories for Ruby. Most importantly, his labor problems with AGVA were real and even provided a plausible explanation for at least most of his actions, movements, and telephone calls in 1963. Indeed, testimony given to the committee supported the conclusion that most of Ruby's phone calls during late 1963 were related to his labor troubles. In light of the identity of some of the individuals with whom Ruby spoke, however, the possibility of other matters being discussed could not be dismissed. The explanations provided by several of the organized crime connected figures Ruby was in touch with have not been corroborated and seem to have lacked credibility. While there can be no doubt that Ruby’s difficulties with AGVA played an important part in his actions in 1963, his labor problems do not necessarily explain all significant aspects of his actions and associations during that period. (Ibid., p. 201)
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Clearly in the selected records the HSCA reviewed we see that there was some cause for concern if you are trying to claim Ruby had no connections to the underworld or any participation in the events of November 22 to November 24, 1963, that went beyond the claimed role he played. What would the FULL records have shown? It should also be considered and remembered that Ruby could have used telephones that were unknown to those seeking his records so who knows how many calls he made or received that did not get tracked. Despite this, we see enough to warrant the question—why did the WC show NO interest in this area of the case at all? What were they afraid of finding out? IF LHO shot and killed JFK as claimed all by himself, and the evidence supported this claim, why was the WC afraid to pursue this issue? What are your thoughts on this topic?
Clearly Ruby had many connections to the underworld as we have seen in previous posts in this series, and if we believe what Sam Giancana supposedly said (as reported in the book Double Cross), he was NOT what the media claimed he was. He was a much more polished and deadly individual.
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The House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) would look into many things the Warren Commission (WC) did not bother to address as well as expound on things they did address in a limited fashion. A key person in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy (JFK) was Jack Ruby as he had connections to many people, and, of course, would be accused of shooting JFK’s alleged assassin Lee Harvey Oswald (LHO). This made his actions and associations of utmost importance, but the WC only bothered to look into these things in a cursory fashion. Why?
The HSCA would examine the telephone records of Jack Ruby that the WC had looked at, but they would go further in trying to find out more about what this may mean in the big picture.
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The HSCA would tell us right away what the WC did with the telephone records of Jack Ruby and others.
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(794) During the Warren Commission's investigation, counsels Burr W. Griffin and Leon D. Hubert had recommended in a memorandum that steps be taken to obtain and preserve a large number of telephone records involving Jack Ruby and numerous associates. Specifically, they asked that the FBI be instructed to secure the records and that Commission Chairman Earl Warren address a letter to the various telephone companies to assure that the records not be destroyed. While the Warren Commission and the FBI did obtain some of the records, an extensive effort to collect them was not carried out. Griffin stated that Commission general counsel Lee J. Rankin vetoed their full request because the effort would have been too burdensome and was too far-reaching. The Commission and the FBI failed to analyze systematically and to develop the data in those records which were obtained.
(795) In a subsequent memorandum, Griffin and Hubert advised that they were in need of further assistance in evaluating the records, saying that they would need the services of additional personnel to undertake a competent analysis. It was suggested by Rankin at one point that Chief Justice Warren's security guard might be able to devote some time to the project. In the end, the actual analysis contemplated by Griffin and Hubert was never fully conducted because of limited time and resources. (HSCA IX, pp. 188-189)
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So this very important evidence that could have produced who knows how many leads was only examined in a limited way due to “limited time and resources.” The same group would have time to evaluate LHO’s pubic hair and Jack Ruby mother’s dental records however. It would be laughable that the only help that was recommended to Griffin and Hubert was Earl Warren’s security guard if we were NOT looking into the murder of JFK, Dallas police officer J.D. Tippit (JDT) and LHO. The largest investigation in U.S. history couldn’t muster up some additional help to make sure these records were thoroughly searched and examined to find leads? Especially when we remember that Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) had said in his book The Enemy Within how important telephone records are for making associations between people you may not have known knew each other or worked together. Sure, there was no cover-up going on here.
Here is who the telephone records showed were involved in phone calls with Jack Ruby according to the HSCA.
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(796) The committee obtained the records acquired by the Warren Commission, as well as others from various sources, including the FBI, former New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison, and the telephone company (A. T. & T.). These records encompassed a broad range of persons both known and unknown to Jack Ruby (but speculatively associated with him), as well as individuals associated with Lee Harvey Oswald, and others. Among the records acquired and reviewed by the committee were those of:
Ruby and his brothers and sisters; Associates of Ruby, such as Lawrence Meyers, Alexander Gruber, and Lewis J. McWillie;
Individuals called by Ruby in 1963, such as Barney Baker and Frank Goldstein; The companies which in 1963 employed Baker (Chicago Loop Auto Refinishing Co.) and Myers (Ero Manufacturing Co.); J.D. Tippit, the Dallas policeman slain by Lee Harvey Oswald after the President's assassination;
Bruce and Karen Carlin (Mrs. Carlin worked for Jack Ruby under the stage name of Little Lynn); Carlos Marcello, an important organized crime figure; David Ferrie, an individual linked with both Marcello and Lee Harvey Oswald; Robert Maheu, Sam Giancana and John Roselli, individuals involved in CIA plots to assassinate Fidel Castro in the early 1960's; and "Dutz" Murret, the uncle of Lee Harvey Oswald.
(797) This list is only partial, and in many instances the records obtained included phone calls for only a portion of the 1963 period. In some instances, the committee's requests for telephone records could not be accommodated. The committee also had access to and used fragmented telephone numbers and numbers whose subscribers were unknown. (Ibid., p. 189)
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Even this partial list shows the number of people Jack Ruby might hade made contact with who have been linked to the assassination in some way. We see the names of Carlos Marcello, David Ferrie, Robert Maheu, Sam Giancana, Johnny Roselli and LHO’s uncle “Dutz” Murret. He also had phone calls with JDT. Is this all a coincidence? I doubt it and one can see from this partial list why the WC could not find the time and resources to examine these fully as they would lead to many places they did NOT want to go. These people only lead to one destination—conspiracy—and the WC could NOT have that as they had a “lone nut” to frame.
The HSCA said the major area of interest for them in the 1963 telephone records of Jack Ruby involved his “alleged contacts and associations with organized crime figures.” (Ibid, p. 190) The HSCA explained how Jack Ruby’s phone calls increased in October and November of 1963.
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(800) A chronological consolidation of the telephone calls made by Ruby from the five separate business and home telephones he used uncovered a significant increase in the number of calls made in October and November 1963. The average number lept from around 25 to 35 in the months of May through September to approximately 75 in October and approximately 96 during the first 3 1/2 weeks of November. In an effort to determine possible reasons for this significant increase in calls during the months immediately preceding the assassination, the committee closely evaluated Ruby's activities during that period. It looked at whom Ruby was calling and who was calling him, why he was in contact with those people, whether he had had previous contact with them, and what the significance of such contacts was. (Ibid., p. 190)
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We see a more than double increase in his telephone calls from the May-September time frame to October and November. Other than the assassination, what could have been going on to account for this incredible increase in phone calls?
The HSCA would say a large number were placed to Ruby’s business partner—Ralph Paul—who was part-owner in the Carousel Club and Ruby’s closest friend. They said calls were made on a regular basis to family members like his brothers Earl Ruby, Hyman Rubenstein, and his sisters Mrs. Marion Carroll and Mrs. Eileen Kaminsky. The calls to Earl Ruby should come as no surprise since he told the HSCA in his testimony that he lent Jack Ruby around $15,000 dollars and he believed at least $6,000 of it went into the Carousel Club.
Mr. McDONALD. Did you have occasion to make loans to Jack?
Mr. RUBY. Yes, I did.
Mr. McDONALD. How many times?
Mr. RUBY. Several times.
Mr. McDONALD. And how much did you loan him?
Mr. RUBY. Well---
Mr. MCDONALD. Total?
Mr. RUBY. The total was approximately $15,000, but the last amount that I sent him was $6,000. That was to be an investment more than a loan in a nightclub.
Mr. MCDONALD. Do you recall the nightclub?
Mr. RUBY. I think it was the Carousel. At that time though, it was the Sovereign. They changed the name.
Mr. MCDONALD. When you made the investment you were investing in the Sovereign Club?
Mr. RUBY. I think so. Before I knew it they were bankrupt. I think they overspent the money on furnishings and business just didn't materialize as they had planned, and so then I was more or less out of the picture.
So we see Earl Ruby was investing in the Carousel Club with this loan, therefore, calls to him would have an explanation. Another large number involved club related calls to inquire and obtain acts and club related business. These included an increasing number of phone calls to the American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA) who he had dispute with.
One of the more interesting names the HSCA mentions is of Irwin S. Weiner. Here is what they wrote about him.
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(813) Irwin S. Weiner.--On October 26, 1963, Jack Ruby place long distance call to Weiner in Chicago; he spoke with him for 12 minutes. Though the Warren Commission had been aware of this telephone call, it had never sought to have Weiner questioned, nor did it explore his background and associations.
(814) Weiner was a prominent underworld bondsman who was closely associated with such men as James R. Hoffa, Sam Giancana and Paul and Allen Dorfman. According to Federal and State law enforcement files, Weiner had served as a key functionary in the relationship between the Chicago Mafia and various corrupt union officials, particularly while Hoffa was president of the Teamsters Union. As recently as April 1978, Weiner had been described in a Jack Anderson column as "the underworld's major financial figure in the Midwest."
(815) In the days following the assassination of President Kennedy, the FBI sought to question Weiner about the call he had received from Ruby. A November 28, 1963, teletype states that Weiner refused to respond to questioning by FBI agents in Chicago and declined to assist the investigation in any way. (Ibid., p. 193)
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Weiner now shows us a tie to Jimmy Hoffa as well as Sam Giancana. He was a key figure in the mafia’s network in the Midwest, but he was able to avoid the WC’s attention and tell the FBI he would not be interviewed and refused to assist the investigation in any way. Whom else could have said this? We see everyone who was called by the WC or contacted by the FBI or Secret Service (SS) cooperate, but NOT Weiner. Why? Where could this lead have lead if it was pursued?
Supposedly during an executive session with the HSCA Weiner claimed Ruby’s call to him may have been in regard to his AVGA dispute, but if we believe that how do we accept his refusal to be interviewed by the FBI and cooperate in any way back in 1963/1964? This claim also flew in the face of what he told a reporter before he appeared in private before the HSCA as he said the call had NOTHING to do with a labor issue. (Ibid.)
Another name that pops up on Jack Ruby’s telephone records is that of Nofio Pecora (alias Joseph O. Pecoraro) Pecora had been a former heroin smuggler and an associate of mob boss Carlos Marcello. Here is what the HSCA wrote about him.
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(818) …The FBI, Justice Department, and Metropolitan Crime Commission of New Orleans identified Pecora as one of Carlos Marcello's associates, with various members of the Pecora family being in contact with Marcello's family. The committee's computer telephone project noted, for example, that Marcello placed a call to Nofio Pecora on June 24, 1963, at the same trailer office number that Ruby had called 4 months later.
(819) Earlier in 1978, when the committee investigators questioned Pecora about the October 30, 1963, telephone call, he declined to respond. In September 1978, however, he finally agreed to answer questions by the committee. He stated that he did not recall receiving any telephone call from Jack Ruby and did not in fact know Ruby or have any knowledge of him. Pecora believed that he was probably the only person who had access to his Tropical Court telephone in 1963, but that he might well have taken a telephone message for someone else who lived at the trailer park. He suggested his interview that Ruby might have called his office on October 30 in an attempt to locate some other party, but stated he did not believe he ever took a message from Ruby.
(820) The evidence indicates that Ruby did in fact have an associate who lived at the Tropical Court Tourist Park at that time-Harold Tannenbaum, a New Orleans nightclub manager. He had run several Bourbon Street clubs affiliated with Marcclio interests. In his committee interview, Pecora admitted that he was acquainted with Tannenbaum and that they were neighbors in the trailer court. He was not aware that Tannenbaum was a friend of Ruby.
(821) Harold Tannenbaum had met Ruby in the summer of 1963 and had discussed going into business with him. The computer telephone project established that Ruby and Tannenbaum were in regular contact by telephone from June until October 1963. The committee also found that 1 hour after the 1 minute call from Ruby's office to Pecora's office, Tannenbaum himself placed a call to Ruby. This sequence could thus be interpreted as consistent with what Pecora suggested that Ruby called his trailer court office simply to relay a message to another party. Nevertheless, Pecora did not recall relaying any long-distance telephone message from Ruby to Tannenbaum or anyone else in the trailer park. (Ibid., p. 194)
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This could be all true or perhaps Tannenbaum was the go-between for Ruby and Pecora as the direct connection had implications no one wanted to discuss or explore. Wouldn’t that make sense? Why would Ruby want to tip off that he was in touch with an associate of Mafia boss Carlos Marcello? Even if you choose not to believe this then explain to me the odds of Ruby being friends with a man who just happens to share a phone with Nicofa Percora who is an associate of Carlos Marcello. Finally, notice it said that Marcello used the SAME NUMBER to call Pecora four months earlier, so again, what are the odds of Ruby calling that number expecting to reach Tannenbaum?
We see another connection to the mob via Jimmy Hoffa as on November 7, 1963, Ruby received a collect call from Robert “Barney” Barker which lasted 17 minutes. Barker was an associate of Hoffa’s as detailed by RFK during the McClellan Committee in the late 1950s. The HSCA said RFK wrote the following in 1960, “…sometimes the mere threat of his [Baker's] presence in a room was enough to silence the men who would otherwise have opposed Hoffa's reign." (Ibid, pp. 194-195) It would appear Ruby was a stranger to Barker and the old excuse of the labor dispute would appear again as the reason for the call.
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(823) Baker was questioned by the FBI in Chicago on January 3, 1964. He stated that Ruby was a complete stranger to him until the very day he spoke with him, November 7, 1963. Ruby had called him earlier that day, and, in his absence, Baker's wife had taken a message instructing him to call Ruby's nightclub in Dallas. (873) This call did not appear in the telephone records gathered by the committee. Baker told the FBI that Ruby had not used his real name, but had instead instructed him to call back and ask for "Lou," which he did. This was the reason Baker gave for placing a collect call to Ruby''s number. Baker told the FBI that the purpose of Ruby's call was to seek assistance in the labor dispute Ruby was having with his nightclub competitors in Dallas. (Ibid., p. 195)
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Why would you spend seventeen minutes on the phone with a “complete stranger” as Barker did on November 7? Why would an associate of Jimmy Hoffa’s be able to help Ruby with his labor dispute with AVGA? Does this make any sense to you? How long does it take to say, “I can’t help you with that issue?”
Obviously there is more to this story, but as usual we will never know what it is for sure since neither the WC or the HSCA saw fit to find out what was really going on here, especially, when we consider that the next day Ruby made a call to another Hoffa associate.
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(824) Dusty Miller.--On November 8, 1963, the day after Ruby had received a call from Baker, he placed a call to Murray W. (Dusty) Miller at the Eden Roc Hotel in Miami, Fla., a call lasting 4 minutes. Dusty Miller was another assistant of Hoffa and head of the southern conference of the union. As such, he was regarded as a possible successor to Hoffa . Miller was also said to be associated with numerous underworld figures.
(825) In a 1978 interview with the committee, Miller stated that he had had no contact with Jack Ruby before the November 8, 1963, telephone call, during which Ruby had asked for assistance in his labor problems. Ruby had stated something to the effect that "Barney Baker gave me your number and told me that maybe you could help me out." Miller, upon hearing the reference to Baker, quickly ended the conversation, as Miller viewed Barney Baker as a man with questionable associations, and he did not wish to be involved in any dealing that Baker himself might be involved in.
(826) Miller told the committee that he had assumed from the substance of his conversation with Ruby that Ruby and Baker were friends. He was surprised that Baker had given his telephone number to Ruby, though he never discussed the incident with Baker. Miller stated that he had no further knowledge of Jack Ruby, nor had he ever been contacted again by Ruby. (Ibid.)
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We again see the excuse of Ruby calling a Hoffa associate to help him with his “labor issues” with AVGA, but Hoffa was the head of the AFL-CIO which had nothing to do with the entertainment business. Why would Ruby think they could help him with his labor issues? Also, note that Miller said Ruby and Baker were FRIENDS, but Baker claimed they were “strangers” when questioned about his call with Ruby. What should we make of this? To add more to the confusion we see that Ruby called Baker back just 31 minutes after he hung with Miller and would spend a further 14 minutes with Baker who he supposedly didn’t even know if we believe Baker!
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(827) Barney Baker. --Telephone records indicate that on November 8, 1963, at 5:22 p.m., Jack Ruby placed another call to Barney Baker in Chicago. This occurred 31 minutes after the Ruby-Miller call and lasted for 14 minutes.
(828) Baker said that he terminated the November 7 call by "firmly declining to offer any assistance" in Ruby's labor difficulties. In his 1964 FBI interview and 1978 committee deposition, Baker made no mention of the fact that Ruby had called him back on November 8 and indicated that he had had no further contact with Ruby. (Ibid.)
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Why would Ruby call Baker back IF he had firmly told him he could NOT help him and declined any assistance in the matter? Why did Baker not tell the FBI and the HSCA that he had spoken with Ruby a SECOND time? What was he hiding? Clearly, there is more to this story.
Another key person that could not be determined to have talked with Ruby was Lenny Patrick. Ruby’s sister, Eva Grant, said Ruby had called him in the summer of 1963, but unfortunately the records did not show this call in his records. However, as the HSCA points out he could have used another phone, thus, it would NOT be on his personal records. That would be a good idea when you read the background of Patrick.
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(830) …Lenny Patrick was one of the Chicago Mafia’s leading assassins and was responsible, according to Federal and State law enforcement files, for the murders of over a dozen victims of the mob. In later years, Patrick was to become a lieutenant of Chicago leader Sam Giancana. (Ibid., p. 196)
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Clearly Ruby would NOT want a call to this type of person to show up on his personal records IMO, therefore, the use of another phone to contact him is quite realistic. Remember, Ruby was seen making phone calls from a downtown parking garage over the weekend following JFK’s assassination. He was seen using a phone in other public locations as well so he could have called from one of these types of places to Patrick.
The HSCA spent some time looking into these calls that were supposedly to help him with his “labor dispute” and this shows how ridiculous it is to think people associated with Jimmy Hoffa (AFL-CIO) could help him with his AVGA issues.
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(852) Several days later, Ruby called Frank Goldstein, a resident San Francisco who was involved in gambling activities. Goldstein had known Ruby in Chicago, and Eva Grant may have known and worked with Goldstein in San Francisco but he was surprised to hear from "Sparky," as this was only the first or second time Ruby had ever called him. Ruby wanted somebody who had an "in" with the union. Goldstein told him that his union associations were in the news media field and not the entertainment business. (Ibid., p. 199)
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This shows us that in the union/labor field (like law or medicine) there are specialties and different areas of expertise and experience, therefore, the excuse of Ruby calling for help with his AVGA problems is silly and not the real reason for the calls IMO. These calls have led researchers for years to speculate that Ruby was using his underworld connections to pass on and receive information that related to the assassination of JFK. If this was not the case then the WC had a right to show us it was not right, but as usual they never addressed the issue. Why would they ignore such an important issue if they were a “fact-finding” commission searching for the truth as they claimed? While the HSCA claimed many of the calls related to the AVGA issue, they said that all of them could NOT be tied to this issue alone.
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(863) It appears that Ruby's problems with AGVA were constant, often open-ended and unresolved, with few victories for Ruby. Most importantly, his labor problems with AGVA were real and even provided a plausible explanation for at least most of his actions, movements, and telephone calls in 1963. Indeed, testimony given to the committee supported the conclusion that most of Ruby's phone calls during late 1963 were related to his labor troubles. In light of the identity of some of the individuals with whom Ruby spoke, however, the possibility of other matters being discussed could not be dismissed. The explanations provided by several of the organized crime connected figures Ruby was in touch with have not been corroborated and seem to have lacked credibility. While there can be no doubt that Ruby’s difficulties with AGVA played an important part in his actions in 1963, his labor problems do not necessarily explain all significant aspects of his actions and associations during that period. (Ibid., p. 201)
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Clearly in the selected records the HSCA reviewed we see that there was some cause for concern if you are trying to claim Ruby had no connections to the underworld or any participation in the events of November 22 to November 24, 1963, that went beyond the claimed role he played. What would the FULL records have shown? It should also be considered and remembered that Ruby could have used telephones that were unknown to those seeking his records so who knows how many calls he made or received that did not get tracked. Despite this, we see enough to warrant the question—why did the WC show NO interest in this area of the case at all? What were they afraid of finding out? IF LHO shot and killed JFK as claimed all by himself, and the evidence supported this claim, why was the WC afraid to pursue this issue? What are your thoughts on this topic?
Clearly Ruby had many connections to the underworld as we have seen in previous posts in this series, and if we believe what Sam Giancana supposedly said (as reported in the book Double Cross), he was NOT what the media claimed he was. He was a much more polished and deadly individual.