As one of the most powerful mobsters in the US, Trafficante was invited to the Havana Conference in December 1946. I dont think he actually wanted to kill Oswald. And ignoring the main point, which is my question as to what this shady, sleazy character with over 20 arrests (usually for violent crimes) in his background was doing interrupting the DA in the middle of his press conference, a press conference to which he should never have been admitted. [19], In 2005, Lamar Waldron and Thom Hartmann's book Ultimate Sacrifice said that Trafficante was behind an aborted plot to kill Kennedy in Tampa on November 18, 1963. Phase 1: Conspiracy Agreement and Motive to Kill JFK; Phase 2: The Means to Recruit and Organize Personnel; Phase 3: Logistics & Planning; Phase 4: Propaganda and Media Control (JFK & Oswald); Phase 5: Oswalds Legend and Doppelgangers (Sheep-dipping in New Orleans, Mexico, and Dallas); Phase 6: Wet-Work Mechanics; Phase 7: Dealy Plaza Murder/Coup detat; Phase 8: Body Theft by Proxy (Secret Service); Phase 9:The Extraction of Bullets Autopsy; Phase 9.5; Suspect/Witness Extinction (ongoing); Phase 10: Obstruction of Investigation by Secret Service, FBI CIA, Military, and Dallas Police; Phase 11: Formation of LBJs Official Whitewash Commission. Josephine Marchese Trafficante Born Tampa, Florida March 24, 1920 Departed this Life May 13, 2015 Josephine Marchese Trafficante, 95, died peacefully in her sleep, Wednesday morning at her home. I feel as though Ruby, who was actually almost mugging it up with everyone and his brother at the DPD conferences, to his visit to the actual interrogation room doorway, was doing all he could do to NOT have to kill Oswald. This is a tactic of the CIA compartmentalization. I feel that, in the end, Ruby was pretty sure he missed the transfer and he entered the basement. November 25, 2007, United States House Select Committee on Assassinations, "Deitche, Scott. So the Laredo reference is not related to the use of it as a code name by Richard Case Nagell? [9], As of November 25, 2007, Vincent LoScalzo was in his 70's and considered a semi-retired mobster and just a "regular Joe" according to Scott Deitche, author of Cigar City Mafia. (his wiki site suggests that he even discussed Oswalds transfer and the potential for disaster.). Interestingly, all that Oswald had to do was walk all the way down Zang to get to the Texas Theater yet, and obviously, he detoured TOWARD Jack Rubys Apartment (on S. Ewing). Maybe Ruby got someone else to shoot Tippit? The CIAs association with the CIA in certain black ops would make elements of the agency possibly suspect in the assassination of JFK, if not to simply tarnish their reputation and subject them to sanctions. Doesnt seem too subtle. In THE STRENGTH OF THE PACK, a history of the DEA, author Doug Valentine said that he interviewed a DEA special agent who had conducted an internal affairs review of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN, the forerunner of the DEA)involvement in the CIAs MKULTRA program. But he seems to be hinting quite strongly at Trafficante, pointing out the fact (I have no idea if it is so) that Giancana was killed by a gun purchased in Miami. Why has so little known information about LHO been submitted to designated investigations ? committee. Even Burt Griffin thought it was BS and he suspected that Pat Dean, DPD chief of security that day, was lying about how Ruby got in. "They told me to go to the draft board and sign up. [4] During the late 1940s, Trafficante Sr. came under constant police surveillance and attempted to avoid the unwanted attention by making Salvatore "Red" Italiano his acting boss. Many former employees of JR provided accounts that described JR and LHO as knowing each other on a practical basis. [10], In 1976, Cuban exile and FBI informant Jose Aleman told The Washington Post that in September 1962, Trafficante had offered him a loan of $1.5million to replace Aleman's three-story "ramshackle motel with a 12-story glass wonder. A native and lifelong resident of Tampa, Mr. Traffi-cante is survived by his loving family, wife, Ger [13] He stated that he was concerned for his safety and was not certain that he had ever correctly heard or understood Trafficante's comment. "[citation needed], In 1978, Trafficante was called to testify before the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations investigating possible links between Lee Harvey Oswald and anti-Castro Cubans, including the theory that Castro had President John F. Kennedy killed in retaliation for the CIA's attempts to assassinate Castro.[7]. I didnt mean to imply Ruby had no ties to the mob, national or local. James DiEugenio: I think that one of the more telling photographs of that weekend is that which captured Jim Leavelles reaction as Ruby lunges forward. In 1950, Senator Kefauver began an investigation organized crime and held hearings, during the hearings Tampa mobster Charlie Wall, was called in to testify, to avoid testifying both Trafficante Sr. and his son fled to Cuba. Second, to Ken S, as someone else said above, the whole Carl Mather,Collins Radio, Texas Theater matter is dealt with well in Jim Douglass book, pgs. By the 1930s, Antinori and Wall were in a bloody decade-long war, which would later be known as "Era of Blood". 6th Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza Oral taped interviews. New York: Barricade Books. April 17, 2008 - PRLog -- On a Monday afternoon November 14, 1977 at 2:15 PM an . Tippits Dad was told he was hunting O. Quite an answer. Oops. I have no idea if this is true, though it does seem solid that the WCC was used for various purposes, including as a stop-gap covert action agency during the time between the disbandment of the OSS and the growth of CIA operational power. Sam is the cousin of Tampa mob boss Santo Trafficante Sr, and the son of old-school Tampa mobster Joseph "Jo-Jo" Cacciatore. Ruby apparently lived nearby. Gonzalez said he didn't immediately have any other details. Santo Jr. succeeded his father as the boss of Tampa upon his death. Father Francesco "Frank" Cacciatore Trafficante(1910-1971) Record information. 291-98. Would it clear up that situation if folks beneath Dulles pulled off the crime knowing that it was in the ballpark of Dulles wishes, leaving him with the nervous desire to save his agency by misdirecting the country? Garcia Bango stayed in Madrid. By the early 1930s, Santo Sr. was considered one of the top Mafia powers in Tampa. September 3, 2014 @ 11:59pm. After the hearings ended the Trafficante's returned to Tampa to find out that Italiano had just fled to Mexico, leaving Jimmy Lumia the biggest mobster in the city. ST. Petersburg Times. Why have the FBI/CIA/Intelligence Services never submitted much of the history of JR to the Warren Commission/ HSCA/ Church Commitee/ and ARRB ? If I was him, I wouldnt either. It just seems odd that the very person who hours later was allowed into a secure area in order to shoot Oswald would the the source of clarification for Wade. I also think that some were tied up with some nasty extremist types, whether by word or deed or both; the Klan or the Birch Society for example. It involves a bevy of characters including James Jesus Angleton!!! I do like Dulles for an individual complicit in the assassination, but I have a hard time swallowing the idea that he would allow himself to be put on the committee. Thanks for the reply. [11] According to Aleman, when he told Trafficante that President John F. Kennedy would likely be re-elected, Trafficante replied, "No, Jose, he is going to be hit. Thought Id read some years ago that Ruby dined there with O or someone after a trip to Houston. its far less likely that a strip club manager running back and forth from place to place would have. Well all keep digging. [5][6] Cuba was one of the Apalachin topics of discussion, particularly the gambling and narcotics smuggling interests of La Cosa Nostra on the island. Are you familiar with the fact that someone made calls to the Dallas Sheriff, Dallas PD and FBI early in the morning of November 24 warning that if the plans to transfer Oswald were not changed, We will kill him? According to Larry Crafards testimony, it was unusual for Ruby to be carrying his revolver, but somehow the idea of Ruby stalking Oswald has never resonated with me. Federal investigators brought racketeering and conspiracy charges against him in the summer of 1986. yes, in the coverup demonstrably, maybe some planning. Peter Janneys book is pretty awful, but it includes some interesting interview material with Toni Shimon, Joes daughter. RIP. Trafficante admitted his anti-Castro activities to the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations in 1978, and vehemently denied allegations that he had knowledge of a plot to assassinate President John F. Kennedy. [12] Trafficante also stated that he had no recollection of meeting Oswald or Oswald's assassin, Jack Ruby. Apparently White, while he was a district director for the FBN in Chicago in 1945 recruited Ruby as his informant. What have they got to hide? She was born on March 24, 1920. Check out the testimony from Kay and Johnny about the conversation with Ruby late Friday night/early Saturday morning. Plus, the DPD kept a key witness away from Griffin, Sgt. New York: Barricade Books. From the very generalised way that Olsen answered questions, it appeared quite clear he had no intention of devulging much in the way of conversations he had with Ruby on the days leading up to Rubys assassination of Oswald. From there, I believe that the dye was cast. Dean failed his: EVEN THOUGH HE WROTE HIS OWN QUESTIONS! I feel he kept putting off, almost begging to get caught at best or, at the very least, not be in the same place as Oswald on Sunday. This was immediately after Oswald was shot. (AP) - Dm daughters of deceased Mafia boss Santo Trafficante Jr. broke decades of si lence this . Those few that pull the unwitting levers of injustice or drawstrings that cover it up, have plausible deniability. Notes on organized crime and anti-Castro activities. Jack Ruby seems to have been all over the place after the assassination. There was a spaghetti dinner with a North. [10], On August 5, 2008, the Tampa and New York FBI indicted John A. "Sam" was a supervisor of the Bolita rackets of the Trafficante operation. His actions would fit with that. Without that separation, Ruby could not have killed Oswald, at least not there. No. "The Mob" April 26, 2001", "Witness denies assassination, Cuba tied", "Entire John "Junior" Gotti Tampa Gambino Crime Family Indictment", "The American Mafia - Tampa Crime Bosses", "FLORIDA MAFIA FIGURE "BIG SAM" CAROLLO GONE AT 83, ONE OF THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS IN TRAFFICANTE CLAN", "Old Florida Mafia Looses Veteran Shot Caller To Father Time, Alleged Tampa Mobster Jimmy Valenti Dies At 91", Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia, Rick Porrello's American Mafia: Tampa, Florida, Dieland Mob: The Trafficante Family (Tampa), American Gangland:Trafficante Crime Family, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Trafficante_crime_family&oldid=1151897290. Do it or your dead. He acted erratically, he stalked Oswald, he had been spotted outside the interrogation room when Oswald was inside.etc. Santo Trafficante Sr. was a Florida mobster who survived a series of vicious gang wars to become the leader of a powerful Mafia crime family based in Tampa. [18] He claimed three witnesses could support his statement that he met Trafficante in Tampa, but refused to name them, adding: "One guy is afraid of retaliation. [8] As the new boss LoScalzo maintained control of criminal interests in illegal gambling, prostitution, narcotics, union racketeering, hijacking and fencing stolen goods. 2 The remarkable story of the last American spy of the Cold War: Aldrich "Rick" Ames, the most destructive traitor in the history of the Central Intelligence But by the mid-1960s, Sam Giancana's fate would take a distinct downturn. Some possibilities for Tippits unanswered phone call: the 3126 Harlendale Ave Alpha 66 Cubans were slipping out of town, and might have sent a member to 404 E. 10th St. to meet Tippit; or he could have been calling Barbara Davis next door to 404 to leave a message or get some info and the line was busy. Why, as a trained law enforcement officer didnt Leavelle lurch forward to impede Ruby or at least attempt to pull or push Oswald out of harms way? There is no real argument for the existence of Badgeman, certainly not Tippit. Why was JR never questioned/detained/charged/arrested for his gun running activities between 1952 and 1961 ? Anyone familiar with Dallas County in those years knows that the wealth resided in the Swiss Ave. / Highland Park area, the immediate North Dallas corridor, AND far North Dallas vis a vis Precincts 2 and 3 home of two major military contractors, Collins Radio and Texas Instruments. It flowed without restraint, like a script. Thus far hidden information that will help explain the history, circumstances and connections will aide the pursuit of truth. [13], The HSCA had previously quoted Aleman as stating that he thought Trafficante's use of the phrase "he is going to be hit" meant that the mob boss knew Kennedy was going to be killed. But, hey, it doesnt mean much if the guy was just the unfortunate idiot in the position he was in. Trafficante again escaped conviction. His only rival for criminal rackets in the Tampa Bay area was Italian Mafia boss Ignacio Antinori.[2]. But Griffin was right on this. Record information. During the early 1920s, Charlie Wall created an organized crime syndicate in Tampa, where he controlled a large number of illegal gambling rackets and corrupted many Tampa government officials through bribery. He offered to pay $150,000 to have Castro killed, but Roselli declined any pay and introduced Maheu to two men he referred to as "Sam Gold" and "Joe." He knew Ruby. Santo Trafficante Jr. (November 15, 1914 - March 17, 1987) was among the most powerful Mafia bosses in the United States. The Friday night discussions with Olsen could have been of any way to get out of it, or, how to do it. [12] On September 27, 1978, Aleman reiterated to HSCA investigators that Trafficante had complained to him for hours in June or July 1963 about Kennedy's crackdown on organized crime at a meeting to discuss a business loan. Jack Ruby's Attempt To Get Santo Trafficante Out Of a Cuba Prison. Tippit failed to carry out the assignment earlier. [8], On October 26, 2000, federal authorities arrested Steven Raffa, along with eighteen members of Trafficante family's Miami faction. Johnston would proceed to spend the remainder of the day, integrally involved in the unfolding events including the arraignment of Lee Harvey Oswald. He dropped out of high school before the 10th grade. Ruby killing him is when the wheels really fell off. John, you are right. Their daughters Mary Jo Paniello and Sarah Valdez recently sold the house and contracted with Magnani to. [12] During his testimony, Trafficante also admitted for the first time that he had worked with the CIA from 1960 to 1961 for an attempt to poison Castro but stated that his role was only as an interpreter between CIA officials and Cuban exiles. The first boss of the Tampa Mafia, Ignazio Italiano, died in 1930. Patient May 17, 1960. And dont forget about Ruby having dinner with Joe Campisi the night before he killed Oswald. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The analysis by tomnln is sound, and the commentary below it is entertaining. The name as Wade gave it out was similar to that of an anti-Castro group supported by people such as Henry and Clare Boothe Luce. The fingerprints of the assassination and cover-up, I believe, are clearly those of the military, the S.S., and the DPD. Smart move on Trafficantes part. Henry Gonzalez of Tampa, a longtime friend and attorney, said Trafficante died late Tuesday at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, where he had gone for heart surgery. I do believe they were involved at a minimum to force Ruby to do LHO, and, probably to lean on the DPD, and Deckers sherrifs office in the (non) preparations. The assassination was a high stakes operation. On March 8, 1938, Wall's closest associate, Evaristo "Tito" Rubio, was shot on his porch. That wasnt gonna happen and didnt. I suggest it might have been the reverse. Just a layman trying to sort through History I remember a very little of and have limited knowledge of. After Trafficante died in 1987, his widow lived in their home until her death last year. Had Oswald been transferred as intended, the circle of control would have been broken. At some point over the weekend Ruby becomes frantic, acting very different, more emotionally distraught. I also remember an assistant parish attorney in new Orleans who once said that someone who believed was Oswald came to his office inquiring about the legality of some drug, LSD I think it was. Mafialand is a revelatory and dramatic true-life thriller spanning much of the twentieth century, a page-turning chronicle of an elaborate Mafia plan to 'invade' Europe using 1960s London as a bridgehead.The capital city of the Swinging Sixties was also a world of gambling, guns and gangsters. Two comments, its amazing that McAdams is still marketing in unqualified terms that LBJ tale about RFK wanting Dulles on the commission. Warren wanted B.S. A lawyer reviews the forensic evidence and concludes conspiracy. From Admin Folder N1. FBI Files: Press clippings relating to Trafficante. 1946. http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segreti_di_Stato_(film). Santo Trafficante Jr. (centro) con autoridades policiales en La Habana. Evidently, McAdams does not want to deal with that evidence. With reports of ejected automatic shells and a standard description for Oswald floating about from sources unknown, one wonders if the Tippit murder was just to set up Oswald as the patsy. Those who argue that Oswald was a lone assassin frequently take facts out of context, and this is a prime example. After that point during the weekend, he was. This was all glossed over in the final Report, while Hubert and Griffin were not even included in the June 1964 interview of Ruby at the Dallas county jail. In addition, "on January 23, 1958 the Cuban Department of Investigation, Havana, Cuba notified the Bureau of Narcotics that Santo Trafficante was registered in their Alien Office under No. The drug was SOMA (brand name) Carisoprodol (generic name) a skeletal muscle relaxant. AD, JJA, through a cut out of course? The Question: Why did Ruby Kill Oswald? IMHO, he had already been ordered to kill him. Thank you very much. legacy.com Santo Jose TRAFFICANTE Obituary: View Santo TRAFFICANTE's Obituary by TBO.com Online obituary or memorial for Santo TRAFFICANTE. In 1992, LoScalzo was arrested at the Tampa International Airport for carrying a loaded .38-caliber pistol in his brief case. Then he walked through a locked door from only one side and we can all see what happened next. Rubys phone records and his behavior tell a lot more that something was going on. This is not a unique argument but, just suppose that Ruby was looking for an excuse to blame the authorities in charge of Oswald for his missing him. Theres no way anyone wanted Oswald in custody. Especially in light of his not being able to explain the sighting of his car with Oswald in it on about 2:00 on 11/22/63. He was standing right across the street from the ramp and Vaughn. On March 17, 1987, Trafficante died at the age of 72 at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston where he had gone for heart surgery. They are very determinedly walking in the opposite direction, the woman in front and matching strides with the older man. Dusty, toss Laredo and Mexico into your post and it will be near perfect. After his father died in 1954, he became the head in Tampa and took over his fathers interests in Cuba. [21], United States House Select Committee on Assassinations, Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, "With Santo Trafficante, an era is ending", "SANTO TRAFFICANTE, REPUTED MAFIA CHIEF, DIES AT 72", "Why mob bigs who met to crown a king had to run like roaches", "For Sale, a House WithAcreage.Connections Extra;Site of 1957 Gangland Raid Is Part of Auction on Saturday", "20 Apalachin Convictions Ruled Invalid On Appeal", "Narcotic Traffic Called Topic In Apalachin Talks", Memorandum for the Director of Central Intelligence, Subject: Roselli, Johnny, "Witness denies assassination, Cuba tied", "Mafia Linked In JFK Probe; By Cuban Exile", "Hoffa Lawyer: Jimmy Recruited Mob for JFK Hit", "Lawyer Says Hoffa Told 2 Mob Bosses to Have President Kennedy Killed", "Frank Ragano, 75, Lawyer for Mob and Hoffa", "The Sins of the Godfather? It seems strange that a conspiratorial Ruby wouldve made that correction at the press conference. But that cant substitute for the actual historical sources. The next day he was stabbed. [1] During the 1950s, Trafficante Jr. maintained a narcotic trafficking network with Tommy Lucchese, the boss of the Lucchese crime family in New York City. She says that her father was in meetings with Harvey, Angleton, Rosselli, and others during 1963, and that at one point Joe confided in her that LBJ had requested an increase in his personal security detail that spring. [citation needed] "It was like World War II" he told the committee. In mid-October, U.S. As to Croy, he should have gotten a hard look, especially in re his activities where Tippit was killed. Seth Kantor had a good take on Rubys roller coaster weekend. But it just happened to be Ruby with glasses on (he didnt normally wear), pad and pen in hand acting like a reporter, with a gun in his pocket). He headed the . He was like an uncle to Santo Trafficante Jr., who took over the syndicate and grew it into the largest in the state and one that extended into Cuba. And other than potential embarassment for the agency, why not? In this episode, we will discuss the fascinating life of Tampa's most powerful mobster: Santo Trafficante Jr.