‘The truth about who killed John F. Kennedy and why’

Author, historian Jim Gatewood presents theory on Kennedy’s assassination to Rock Ridge residents

Author and historian Jim Gatewood signs copies of his book, "Report of the Citizen’s Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy." Photos by Julie Anne White, Blue Ribbon News.

ROCKWALL, TX (August 7, 2014) Last week, Rock Ridge Assisted Living and Memory Care residents were treated to an inside scoop on the assassination of John F. Kennedy by author and historian Jim Gatewood.

Gatewood addressed a dining room packed with attentive listeners and gave his account of the true reasons he believes the former president was assassinated.

“By the end of my speech today, you will know the truth about who killed John F. Kennedy and why,” Gatewood began.

Gatewood believes the primary cause of the president’s death was a culmination of gang warfare between the Irish and Italian Mafias. He expands upon this theory in his book “Report of the Citizen’s Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy.”

Gatewood said JFK’s father Joe Kennedy was the leader of the Irish Mafia, and he felt that if his son were elected president, he could utilize the FBI to destroy his Italian adversaries. Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby were old friends both deeply intertwined in the Italian Mafia, and it was for this reason that Oswald assassinated Kennedy and Ruby murdered Oswald.

“Its simple if you do your history,” Gatewood said. “I’m not telling you anything I don’t have source for.”

Gatewood explained that his primary source of information on the Mafia’s involvement with the U.S. government comes straight from the Mafia itself.

“On July 19, 1975, Mafia Chieftain Sam Giancanna was murdered the night before he was to testify in front of a Senatorial Investigating Committee that the CIA was taking a ten percent skim on all Mafia drug money brought into the U.S.,” Gatewood said. “Sam’s brother Charles Giancanna was very angry, but he knew if he said anything he would get hit. He was later diagnosed with terminal cancer and he sang like a canary.”

One member of Gatewood’s audience took a particularly keen interest in his presentation because the topic hit so close to home. Rock Ridge resident Waymon Rose was a juror in the Jack Ruby trial.

Rose said as he reflects back on the spectacle surrounding the trial, he feels he was simply given a front row seat to a major cultural event.

“It was a very exciting experience; his name has become a media circus,” Rose said. “It was an event I had a ringside seat to observe.”

Rose said by the end of the trial, the jury had no problems making the decision to convict Ruby.

“It was a very simple thing,” Rose said. “The jury was unanimous, except for the penalty. There were a couple of holdouts who weren’t ready to go to the desk with the choices the court had given us. It was hinging on proof of his epilepsy.”

Rose said the jury reached a verdict in only 2 hours and 40 minutes.

“I felt particularly embarrassed because it was such a quick decision, but it was so simple,” Rose said.

Both before and after the presentation, Gatewood and Rose had the opportunity to talk about their experiences and Gatewood’s beliefs on the conspiracy surrounding the deaths of Kennedy, Oswald and even Ruby.

Aside from publishing a book and giving frequent speeches about JFK, Gatewood has spent the last four years teaching a history class at Richland College. He said he enjoys sharing some of his inside knowledge with his students each year.

“I like to think I’m getting more disciples,” Gatewood said.

Gatewood said he believes that many go to great lengths to keep the truth about JFK covered up, but he his passionate about sharing it with the world.

“The amount of money spent to pull us off the target is unbelievable,” he said. “But I’ve got a passion for this.”

By Blue Ribbon News staff writer and reporter, Julie Anne White. 

To share your good news and events, email .

Please click here to LIKE our Facebook page, so we can reach more people with news like this!