Over the past 60 years there have been countless
books, articles, and conspiracy theories about the Kennedy assassination. Interest in this tragic event has likely
piqued on its 60th anniversary although most people today were not
yet born in 1963. Danny Fingeroth, known
as a cultural critic, comics writer, editor, educator and commentator, just
wrote a detailed biography of Jack Ruby, the killer of Kennedy assassin Lee
Harvey Oswald. He is noted as the
biographer of Stan Lee best known for his work with Marvel Comics. Danny was ten years old at the time of the
murder of Oswald and, like millions of others, viewed it on live TV.
He interviewed some of Ruby’s nieces and nephews and
Rabbi Hillel Silverman who knew him quite well. Many of the books written about
the assassination and its aftermath were consulted. It took Danny about ten years to research and
write the book. He describes Ruby’s
early years in Chicago, his relationship with his family and Rabbi Silverman,
and his business ventures before the historic events in Dallas. Danny details
the actions of Ruby in the two days after the assassination, his murder of
Oswald, his trial, and the events after the trial. He succeeded in refreshing my memory of those
events. Ruby’s lawyers tried to use the
insanity defense to acquit Ruby, but he was convicted and sentenced to
death. There was a successful appeal
with a new trial at a location outside of Dallas. Ruby died in January 1967 before a second
trial could be held.
There are still many unanswered questions about the
Kennedy assassination, but nobody has definitively proven a conspiracy. The uniqueness of this book is the comprehensive
study of Ruby’s life. Danny is to be
commended for a fine book. Younger
people should read the book to learn about the tragic events that changed
history.
I became acquainted with Danny Fingeroth through a Bob
Dylan video chat group that meets monthly.
There are a few Dylan references in the book including his recent song
Murder Most Foul.
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