MTG--
But what are the links between LHO and the Mob?
David Ferrie was a Marcello operative. Oswald had relatives who were in the Mafia. There is decent evidence Oswald and Ruby knew each other, and Ruby had all kinds of Mafia ties. However, I don't think the Mafia was controlling Oswald. I think the Mafia's main role was killing Oswald and aiding in the cover-up in Dallas, New Orleans, and Miami.
Senator Schweiker was correct when he said "the fingerprints of intelligence" are all around LHO.
LHO in Atsugi, then considered an asset by the KGB chief in Minsk, then meeting with KGB'ers in MC, possibly with G-2'ers in MC, and in N.O. In N.O., LHO appeared to be under CIA surveillance.
Oswald was an intelligence operative, at the very least. He was definitely working in intelligence in the Marine Corps. I think it's obvious he was a false defector.
On the Mob side, Lee Harvey Oswald’s uncle in New Orleans was Charles "Dutz" Murret. But there is no indication LHO became "mobbed up." There is no history of LHO running Mob errands, smuggling for the Mob, etc.
Murret, plus Ferrie and Ruby. But, yes, I agree that he was not a Mafia asset.
Blakey was a smart guy, but he was also a lifelong mob-hunter, the author of the RICO act. Do you think that biased Blakey?
But remember that Blakey completely changed his mind about possible CIA involvement in 2014, after he learned how badly the CIA had misled the HSCA. See his 2014 statement “The HSCA and the CIA: The View from the Top."
Quote from: Lance Payette:
But wait, Ruby didn't get the job done until Oswald had been in custody and under intense interrogation for hours and hours. If Ruby had shot Oswald on Friday night, when he had an opportunity, we might at least have something to talk about. But he didn't.
This is what happens when you deign to try to engage on the evidence.
Ruby started stalking Oswald on Friday night. Gee, why do you suppose he did that? He was supposed to shoot Oswald on Friday night when Oswald was talking with reporters. He was in the room and had a gun on him, but he backed out. Later, he tried to warn the DPD that Oswald would be killed, but they ignored him. The HSCA concluded that Ruby lied about his whereabouts that weekend, lied about how he entered the basement, and lied about why he killed Oswald. The HSCA's polygraph experts found indications that Ruby was lying on his polygraph when he denied aiding Oswald in the assassination:
In fact, the reactions to the preceding question--(Did you assist Oswald in the assassination?)--showed the largest valid GSR [galvanic skin response] reaction in test series No. 1. In addition, there is a constant suppression of breathing and a rise in blood pressure at the time of this crucial relevant question. From this test, it appeared to the panel that Ruby was possibly lying when answering "no" to the question, "Did you assist Oswald in the assassination?" This is contrary to Herndon's opinion that Ruby was truthful when answering that question. (8 HSCA 217-218)Ruby was a nervous wreck before he heard that Oswald had died. He was visibly relieved when he heard the news of Oswald's death. Clearly, Ruby was worried about the consequences if Oswald lived.
Two documents released in 2017 reveal that Ruby knew about the assassination in advance and that he was in Dealey Plaza during the shooting. The documents reveal that shortly before the shooting, Ruby invited a man named Bob Vanderslice to watch JFK’s motorcade with him and to “watch the fireworks.” Ruby did not know that Vanderslice was an informant for the Intelligence Division of the Dallas office of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). When Vanderslice saw news reports in early 1977 that the HSCA was going to reinvestigate the JFK assassination, he decided he should tell his IRS contact about the incident, and he did so in February.
The following month, March 1977, the chief of the Dallas IRS Intelligence Division sent a memo about Vanderslice’s account to the Dallas FBI office. An FBI agent from the Dallas FBI office interviewed the IRS agent who had spoken with Vanderslice. The Dallas FBI office then sent a detailed report on the matter to FBI HQ. Here is part of the Dallas FBI report on the incident:
Vanderslice told him [Vanderslice’s Intelligence Division contact] that on the morning of the assassination, Jack Ruby called him on the telephone and asked him if he would like to go to the Presidential Parade with him, and if he would like to “watch the fireworks.” Vanderslice said that he was with Jack Ruby and standing at the corner of the Postal Annex Building facing the Texas School Book Depository building at the time of the shooting. Immediately after the shooting, Ruby left and headed toward the area of the Dallas Morning News building, without saying anything to him. The Dallas FBI report noted that the IRS agent said Vanderslice was a reliable informant. The report also noted that Vanderslice’s undercover work involved gathering info on the “criminal element” in Dallas, and that he had known one of Jack Ruby’s nightclub strippers.