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Jack Ruby: The Many Faces of Oswald's Assassin
Jack Ruby changed history with one bold, violent killing accused presidential assassin Lee Harvey Oswald on live TV two days after the November 22, 1963, murder of President John F. Kennedy. But who was Jack Ruby—and how did he come to be in that spot on that day?
As we approach the sixtieth anniversaries of the murders of Kennedy and Oswald, Jack Ruby’s motives are as maddeningly ambiguous today as they were the day that he pulled the trigger.
The fascinating yet frustrating thing about Ruby is that there is evidence to paint him as at least two different people. Much of his life story points to him as bumbling, vain, violent, and neurotic; a product of the grinding poverty of Chicago’s Jewish ghetto; a man barely able to make a living or sustain a relationship with anyone besides his dogs.
By the same token, evidence exists of Jack Ruby as cagey and competent, perhaps not a mastermind, but a useful pawn of the Mob and of both the police and the FBI; someone capable of running numerous legal, illegal, and semi-legal enterprises, including smuggling arms and vehicles to both sides in the Cuban revolution; someone capable of acting as middleman in bribery schemes to have imprisoned Mob figures set free.
Cultural historian Danny Fingeroth's research includes a new, in-depth interview with Rabbi Hillel Silverman, the legendary Dallas clergyman who visited Ruby regularly in prison and who was witness to Ruby’s descent into madness. Fingeroth also conducted interviews with Ruby family members and associates. The book’s findings will catapult you into a trip through a house of historical mirrors.
At its end, perhaps Jack Ruby’s assault on history will begin to make sense. And perhaps we will understand how Oswald’s assassin led us to the world we live in today.
As we approach the sixtieth anniversaries of the murders of Kennedy and Oswald, Jack Ruby’s motives are as maddeningly ambiguous today as they were the day that he pulled the trigger.
The fascinating yet frustrating thing about Ruby is that there is evidence to paint him as at least two different people. Much of his life story points to him as bumbling, vain, violent, and neurotic; a product of the grinding poverty of Chicago’s Jewish ghetto; a man barely able to make a living or sustain a relationship with anyone besides his dogs.
By the same token, evidence exists of Jack Ruby as cagey and competent, perhaps not a mastermind, but a useful pawn of the Mob and of both the police and the FBI; someone capable of running numerous legal, illegal, and semi-legal enterprises, including smuggling arms and vehicles to both sides in the Cuban revolution; someone capable of acting as middleman in bribery schemes to have imprisoned Mob figures set free.
Cultural historian Danny Fingeroth's research includes a new, in-depth interview with Rabbi Hillel Silverman, the legendary Dallas clergyman who visited Ruby regularly in prison and who was witness to Ruby’s descent into madness. Fingeroth also conducted interviews with Ruby family members and associates. The book’s findings will catapult you into a trip through a house of historical mirrors.
At its end, perhaps Jack Ruby’s assault on history will begin to make sense. And perhaps we will understand how Oswald’s assassin led us to the world we live in today.
352 pages, Hardcover
Published November 21, 2023
19 people are currently reading
2077 people want to read
About the author
Danny Fingeroth
329 books24 followersDaniel Fingeroth (/ˈfɪŋɡərɔːθ/) is an American comic book writer and editor, best known for a long stint as group editor of the Spider-Man books at Marvel Comics.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
November 7, 2023
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Danny Fingeroth, and Dreamscape Media for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
As the sixtieth anniversary of the JFK assassination will soon be upon us, I eagerly reached for this biography by Danny Fingeroth. While much of the attention is usually focused on the slain president or his assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, time and analysis should also include the actions Jack Ruby took two days later. Fingeroth offers up a strong foundation and backstory about the man who shot Oswald during the police transfer, as well as the fallout of the act, the myrder trial, and Ruby’s fate thereafter. Fingeroth captivates the reader from the opening pages until all is summarised in this thorough piece. A great addition to the hoopla the age-old mystery tends to garner.
Jack Ruby’s fame came from a specific moment, captured on television for the world to see. However, as Danny Fingeroth explores in this biography, there was much more to the man and his actions. There appears to be two different men who emerge throughout Ruby’s life and the actions that led to him to a small window of fame. As Fingeroth explores throughout this biography, Ruby was a man whose Jewish faith and culture were dear to him, though he was keen to explore life and business choices that may stray from a strict adherence to the faith.
While Ruby grew up in the North, it was his discovery of business opportunities in Dallas that led him down to Texas. He wanted his name in lights and accepted that this would mean owning various adult establishments, where drink and striptease would be front and centre. While many scoffed at his ability to succeed, Ruby made a name for himself by owning and growing his nightclubs over a period of time. As Fingeroth examines, he was not always liked, both for his violent tactics and Jewish background, but Jack Ruby refused to let this deter him.
While not a great fan of the Democratic Party or John F. Kennedy, Jack Ruby was excited to know that President Kennedy would be coming to Dallas in the fall of 1963 on an apparent pre-election tour. The excitement that grew amongst locals was mirrored by Ruby, though he was less enamoured with the man than by the position. Ruby readied himself for events and. watched eagerly as the presidential motorcade drove through Dealey Plaza on the afternoon of November 22, 1963. Hearing of the assassination, Ruby is said to have turned sullen and angry at the same time, vowing to react in some form.
While Ruby was upset by the assassination, he was still an avid businessman and kept his clubs running on the day after events. He was heard by many as saying that Oswald should be killed for his actions, which was foreboding for the event that would catapult Ruby into stardom or infamy, depending on one’s point of view. When, on the morning of November 24th, 1963, Lee Harvey Oswald was being transferred from local to state police officials, Jack Ruby leapt out and shot Oswald in the stomach, eventually killing him. Panic and pandemonium ensued before Ruby was himself arrested for the attack, which would eventually be deemed a murder.
What follows by Fingeroth is an assessment of Jack Ruby and the swift (by today’s standards), case of murder. While Ruby had no recollection of events, he did feel as though the killing of Oswald might be justified as an act for the country. However, Ruby’s lack of memory and paranoia that he would be deemed a scapegoat for the Jewish population led to lawyers on both sides to act quickly, arguing either for complete exoneration or the death penalty.
Politically, the assassination was also garnering much press and the Warren Commission was created to examine events and come to a final conclusion. In an interesting bit of fate, Ruby was one of the key witnesses that the Commission interviewed and his testimony, as well as numerous sidebar conversations, are included in the biography’s latter chapters. Danny Fingeroth’s detailed exploration of these events prove useful the reader to better understand how impactful Jack Ruby’s constant paranoia became, as well as how he held onto this and sought not to be painted with a generaised brush so as to harm his ‘people’.
When the legal machine finally offered up its fate for Jack Ruby, many were split on the result Ruby had shown a great deal of malice towards Oswald and the actions that turned the United States on its head. However, it also came in the heart of a state where law and order were cornerstones of daily life. That Jack Ruby died in 1967, still seen in two ways by many elves to shape the legacy that he has left many who remember events of that fateful day in November 1963, or at least the reader who has taken the time to educate themselves on everything that took place.
While there are some interesting legal moments in the biography, I extracted most from the paranoid man who was one a pillar of Dallas’ nightclub community. His passion for ensuring his name was not sullied was soon turned on its head with the killing of Oswald, though Ruby went to his grave espousing that he was not culpable for the actions, due to a momentary insanity upon seeing them man in police custody. Danny Fingeroth depicts this in a steller manner and left me wanting to know more about the man, the fallout of the shooting, and how the world saw him at the time, as well as now, side decades later.
While I have not read anything by Danny Fingeroth before this piece, I was quite impressed. He tackled this issue head-on and developed some strong arguments that all can enjoy with ease. There is little that is left unexplored and the detailed chapters offer up a great deal of information to help better educate the layperson such as myself. I learned more than I thought I might with this piece and am eager to find more when time permits. Fingeroth offers up a chronological assessment of events and provides strong support for his assertions, while also relying on the expertise of many others, particularly those who were present at the time.
While this book does not decry solving the mystery of what happened on November 22, 1963, it does fill many cracks in what I knew about events, as well as the fallout of the shooting of the suspected assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, the morning of November 24th. I will certainly be scouring the bibliography of this book and seeking to better educate myself on the subject matter, when time permits.
Kudos, Mr. Fingeroth, for this unique and highly entertaining biography.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
As the sixtieth anniversary of the JFK assassination will soon be upon us, I eagerly reached for this biography by Danny Fingeroth. While much of the attention is usually focused on the slain president or his assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, time and analysis should also include the actions Jack Ruby took two days later. Fingeroth offers up a strong foundation and backstory about the man who shot Oswald during the police transfer, as well as the fallout of the act, the myrder trial, and Ruby’s fate thereafter. Fingeroth captivates the reader from the opening pages until all is summarised in this thorough piece. A great addition to the hoopla the age-old mystery tends to garner.
Jack Ruby’s fame came from a specific moment, captured on television for the world to see. However, as Danny Fingeroth explores in this biography, there was much more to the man and his actions. There appears to be two different men who emerge throughout Ruby’s life and the actions that led to him to a small window of fame. As Fingeroth explores throughout this biography, Ruby was a man whose Jewish faith and culture were dear to him, though he was keen to explore life and business choices that may stray from a strict adherence to the faith.
While Ruby grew up in the North, it was his discovery of business opportunities in Dallas that led him down to Texas. He wanted his name in lights and accepted that this would mean owning various adult establishments, where drink and striptease would be front and centre. While many scoffed at his ability to succeed, Ruby made a name for himself by owning and growing his nightclubs over a period of time. As Fingeroth examines, he was not always liked, both for his violent tactics and Jewish background, but Jack Ruby refused to let this deter him.
While not a great fan of the Democratic Party or John F. Kennedy, Jack Ruby was excited to know that President Kennedy would be coming to Dallas in the fall of 1963 on an apparent pre-election tour. The excitement that grew amongst locals was mirrored by Ruby, though he was less enamoured with the man than by the position. Ruby readied himself for events and. watched eagerly as the presidential motorcade drove through Dealey Plaza on the afternoon of November 22, 1963. Hearing of the assassination, Ruby is said to have turned sullen and angry at the same time, vowing to react in some form.
While Ruby was upset by the assassination, he was still an avid businessman and kept his clubs running on the day after events. He was heard by many as saying that Oswald should be killed for his actions, which was foreboding for the event that would catapult Ruby into stardom or infamy, depending on one’s point of view. When, on the morning of November 24th, 1963, Lee Harvey Oswald was being transferred from local to state police officials, Jack Ruby leapt out and shot Oswald in the stomach, eventually killing him. Panic and pandemonium ensued before Ruby was himself arrested for the attack, which would eventually be deemed a murder.
What follows by Fingeroth is an assessment of Jack Ruby and the swift (by today’s standards), case of murder. While Ruby had no recollection of events, he did feel as though the killing of Oswald might be justified as an act for the country. However, Ruby’s lack of memory and paranoia that he would be deemed a scapegoat for the Jewish population led to lawyers on both sides to act quickly, arguing either for complete exoneration or the death penalty.
Politically, the assassination was also garnering much press and the Warren Commission was created to examine events and come to a final conclusion. In an interesting bit of fate, Ruby was one of the key witnesses that the Commission interviewed and his testimony, as well as numerous sidebar conversations, are included in the biography’s latter chapters. Danny Fingeroth’s detailed exploration of these events prove useful the reader to better understand how impactful Jack Ruby’s constant paranoia became, as well as how he held onto this and sought not to be painted with a generaised brush so as to harm his ‘people’.
When the legal machine finally offered up its fate for Jack Ruby, many were split on the result Ruby had shown a great deal of malice towards Oswald and the actions that turned the United States on its head. However, it also came in the heart of a state where law and order were cornerstones of daily life. That Jack Ruby died in 1967, still seen in two ways by many elves to shape the legacy that he has left many who remember events of that fateful day in November 1963, or at least the reader who has taken the time to educate themselves on everything that took place.
While there are some interesting legal moments in the biography, I extracted most from the paranoid man who was one a pillar of Dallas’ nightclub community. His passion for ensuring his name was not sullied was soon turned on its head with the killing of Oswald, though Ruby went to his grave espousing that he was not culpable for the actions, due to a momentary insanity upon seeing them man in police custody. Danny Fingeroth depicts this in a steller manner and left me wanting to know more about the man, the fallout of the shooting, and how the world saw him at the time, as well as now, side decades later.
While I have not read anything by Danny Fingeroth before this piece, I was quite impressed. He tackled this issue head-on and developed some strong arguments that all can enjoy with ease. There is little that is left unexplored and the detailed chapters offer up a great deal of information to help better educate the layperson such as myself. I learned more than I thought I might with this piece and am eager to find more when time permits. Fingeroth offers up a chronological assessment of events and provides strong support for his assertions, while also relying on the expertise of many others, particularly those who were present at the time.
While this book does not decry solving the mystery of what happened on November 22, 1963, it does fill many cracks in what I knew about events, as well as the fallout of the shooting of the suspected assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, the morning of November 24th. I will certainly be scouring the bibliography of this book and seeking to better educate myself on the subject matter, when time permits.
Kudos, Mr. Fingeroth, for this unique and highly entertaining biography.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
November 14, 2023
Format Read: Audiobook (from NetGalley 11/21/23)
Review: This has a lot on interesting historical information and some that made my mind drift with boredom, but only because I can only take so much history. Many parts were engrossing and educational.
Recommended For: Any one interesting in knowing more about Jack Rudy and things they certainly didn’t learn in school.
Review: This has a lot on interesting historical information and some that made my mind drift with boredom, but only because I can only take so much history. Many parts were engrossing and educational.
Recommended For: Any one interesting in knowing more about Jack Rudy and things they certainly didn’t learn in school.
December 7, 2023
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this audiobook.
This book was well researched with lots of interesting information. I think as the author disgusses, we will never truely know what happened to JFK and LHO. I personally believe that Jack Ruby was acting alone, and I think the author makes a good case for this. Jack Ruby sure led an interesting life.
This book was well researched with lots of interesting information. I think as the author disgusses, we will never truely know what happened to JFK and LHO. I personally believe that Jack Ruby was acting alone, and I think the author makes a good case for this. Jack Ruby sure led an interesting life.
Want to read
December 21, 2023Jack Ruby
Written By Danny Fingeroth
Published by Independent Publishers Group/Chicago Review Press
Release Date November 21, 2023
This is a story about Jack Ruby. Jack was somewhat of a complicated man who is well known for one thing, he killed Lee Harvey Oswald, the man who shot JFK. There is a lot to learn about Ruby’s life and how it was speculated that he had two different types of loyalty. One to the Mob and one to the police and FBI. This is a well toldstory that the author researched with precision.
Ruby was born to a Jewish family that in poverty lived in Chicago’s ghetto part of town. He did not have any friends and was not known to be smart, yet he was able to start several different ventures where he could make money. They were either legal or illegal but nonetheless Ruby could be known as competent in those ventures. The book has interviews with people who knew Ruby and what he was capable of. This book is based on true events that share with the reader the qualities of a murderer.
5 stars
Thank you to the author and publisher as well as NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.
Written By Danny Fingeroth
Published by Independent Publishers Group/Chicago Review Press
Release Date November 21, 2023
This is a story about Jack Ruby. Jack was somewhat of a complicated man who is well known for one thing, he killed Lee Harvey Oswald, the man who shot JFK. There is a lot to learn about Ruby’s life and how it was speculated that he had two different types of loyalty. One to the Mob and one to the police and FBI. This is a well toldstory that the author researched with precision.
Ruby was born to a Jewish family that in poverty lived in Chicago’s ghetto part of town. He did not have any friends and was not known to be smart, yet he was able to start several different ventures where he could make money. They were either legal or illegal but nonetheless Ruby could be known as competent in those ventures. The book has interviews with people who knew Ruby and what he was capable of. This book is based on true events that share with the reader the qualities of a murderer.
5 stars
Thank you to the author and publisher as well as NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.
October 28, 2023
Jack Ruby changed history by killing Lee Harvey Oswald on live tv two days after the November 22, 1963 murder of John F. Kennedy. I was actually watching tv that day with my father and saw him pop out in front and shoot Oswald. They showed Oswald as they were in a hallway bringing him to another area of the Dallas police station. Who was Jack Ruby and how did he come to be in that spot on that day? The book states that he was known by the police and a friend of the police so he probably had someone he knew let him in a side door.. He was a crazy person who wanted to make a name for himself. He was a friend of the mobsters and ran a nightclub with strippers. He was also known to be a friend of the FBI and ran numerous legal and illegal smuggling of arms and vehicles to both sides in the Cuban revolution. As he shot Oswald he yelled, "You know me! I'm Jack Ruby!' He was tried in Dallas and convicted of murder and ready to die for the murder. But he was re-tried in Wichita Falls, Kansas but he died from pneumonia, circulatory disease and cancer on January 3, 1967. There is much talk about a conspiracy in the murder of Kennedy but nothing yet has come from The National Archives. In December 2022 they noted that numerous documents relating to Kennedy's and Oswald's killings are too sensitive to be seen. There are those who believe that the government will forever hold back any documents that would reveal the "actual truth". If you like true crime then you would love to read this book.
December 30, 2023
A very interesting and well-researched book on the life of Jack Ruby, his trial and impact on American history in the days following the Kennedy assassination. The book does a good job debunking some of the wild conspiracy theories about Ruby, and the Hollywood glamorization of his life as well. In addition, the book illustrates a very complex volatile and complicated individual whose control over himself both in November 1963 and beyond was shaky at best. As a person who,loves history I enjoyed this book, I found it very interesting and readable.
November 27, 2023
I found this book very interesting, realized how little I ever knew about Ruby. The Kennedy assassination occurred when I was 13 years old and I really don't remember much about what came after.
November 23, 2023
I knew next to nothing about Jack Ruby prior to reading Jack Ruby: The Many Faces of Oswald's Assassin. Like any American, I have my own theories about what happened that day in Dallas. Of all the craziness surrounding the Kennedy assassination, who can deny the assassination of Oswald on live television as being particularly surreal? I think that's why Danny Fingeroth was able to do such a good job as author-- he's made his livelihood in comic books and superhero stories. Also, I can't help but believe that a Gentile wouldn't've had the same access to Rabbi Hillel Silverman.
It's been interesting watching all of the 60th anniversary retrospectives. Now that I've read Jack Ruby: The Many Faces of Oswald's Assassin, it's impossible not to compare Danny Fingeroth's work with what else is out there. Danny Fingeroth mentioned many different aspects of Jack Ruby's life and personality, but ultimately seemed to focus on one, and it's the one that I can't quite get out of my mind, either: the brain damaged (we have the EEGs to prove it), possibly mentally ill, possibly already stricken with the cancer that will ultimately spread into his brain and take his life, man who loved his Dachshunds so much that he considered them his family (long before the rest of the country started having fur babies). Jack Ruby was many things. He might have punched you in the face because he thought you were smirking inappropriately then give you the shirt off his back to mop up the blood.
You leave your dog in the car to run into the store and pick up a bottle of pop. You don't leave your most beloved dog in the whole wide world, the one you refer to as your wife, to run into a police station and shoot a man. Today would've been my Selene's 27th birthday. I get it, and that's why I don't get it. There's no way in the world I would've taken that kind of chance with Selene had I been in my right mind.
Plenty will go back to the YouTube footage of people supposedly in the know talking about a vicious gangster, Dallas's answer to Capone himself, and claim they know the answer. They won't know about Sheba sitting in the seat, waiting for her beloved to return. To them I offer nothing but apologies that their chosen theory might not be the whole truth. For everyone else I encourage them to read Jack Ruby: The Many Faces of Oswald's Assassin with an open mind and decide for yourself who Jack Ruby might've been.
I would like to thank Dreamscape Media for allowing me to experience this NetGalley audiobook.
It's been interesting watching all of the 60th anniversary retrospectives. Now that I've read Jack Ruby: The Many Faces of Oswald's Assassin, it's impossible not to compare Danny Fingeroth's work with what else is out there. Danny Fingeroth mentioned many different aspects of Jack Ruby's life and personality, but ultimately seemed to focus on one, and it's the one that I can't quite get out of my mind, either: the brain damaged (we have the EEGs to prove it), possibly mentally ill, possibly already stricken with the cancer that will ultimately spread into his brain and take his life, man who loved his Dachshunds so much that he considered them his family (long before the rest of the country started having fur babies). Jack Ruby was many things. He might have punched you in the face because he thought you were smirking inappropriately then give you the shirt off his back to mop up the blood.
You leave your dog in the car to run into the store and pick up a bottle of pop. You don't leave your most beloved dog in the whole wide world, the one you refer to as your wife, to run into a police station and shoot a man. Today would've been my Selene's 27th birthday. I get it, and that's why I don't get it. There's no way in the world I would've taken that kind of chance with Selene had I been in my right mind.
Plenty will go back to the YouTube footage of people supposedly in the know talking about a vicious gangster, Dallas's answer to Capone himself, and claim they know the answer. They won't know about Sheba sitting in the seat, waiting for her beloved to return. To them I offer nothing but apologies that their chosen theory might not be the whole truth. For everyone else I encourage them to read Jack Ruby: The Many Faces of Oswald's Assassin with an open mind and decide for yourself who Jack Ruby might've been.
I would like to thank Dreamscape Media for allowing me to experience this NetGalley audiobook.
July 5, 2024
This may be as close as we can get to understanding Jack Ruby. Danny Fingeroth takes you step by step from his difficult childhood in Chicago (alcoholic father, mentally ill mother, 7 siblings, poverty) to his entrepreneurial days in Dallas, to the fateful shot and his subsequent trials.
You can’t help but feel sorry for this man.
Did he act alone? While we will never know, Fingeroth gives evidence of Ruby’s hair trigger and his mafia connections. He could have acted in anger as he did many times as his own bouncer at his clubs when little things set him off. Fingeroth also shows his mob connections and those of his siblings. It is hard to tell how deep they run, but his trip to Santo Trafficante (in jail) in Cuba has never been explained.
Having left school at the age of 16, he appears to have done well in life. It was hard to keep track of which bars and supper clubs he owned, had owned, partially owned, or maybe swapped. The Carousel Club, the one most associated with him has had a seedy aura, but there is a reference to a bus boy (implies dining) and some reputable performers such as Tennessee Ernie Ford. Despite his efforts, he does not seem to have much money. At one point he owed the IRS $40,000 which implies that he had (or maybe had had) n significant income.
His siblings, who also experienced childhood hardship, also did well in life. While it set them back considerably, they were able to pay for celebrity lawyer (Melvin Belli) for Ruby and various support teams for several years. One brother sold a chain of Laundromats for the cause.
Fingeroth shows the importance of Ruby’s faith and his identity as a Jew. He thought he would be celebrated as a hero for killing Oswald and expected to be released right away. Once he found the opposite he despaired that he was contributing to anti-Semitism… giving gentiles an excuse to hate Jews.
There is a good summary of the trial and the legal issues and the emotional toll they took on Ruby.
The last chapter on "Afterlife" shows what has happened to the people he knew, his club (razed) his bullets (sold to collectors) and his portrayal in popular culture.
There are some good photos of people in Ruby's orbit, Of course there is the classic photo of the shot (p.128). The index is very good and sources are clearly noted,
Kennedy's Avenger: Assassination, Conspiracy, and the Forgotten Trial of Jack Ruby by Dan Abrams details the trial and elaborates on how Belli’s arrogance undermined Ruby’s defense.
While this is not about the Kennedy assassination and sheds no light on any of the conspiracy theories those interested in this topic will still want to read this.
You can’t help but feel sorry for this man.
Did he act alone? While we will never know, Fingeroth gives evidence of Ruby’s hair trigger and his mafia connections. He could have acted in anger as he did many times as his own bouncer at his clubs when little things set him off. Fingeroth also shows his mob connections and those of his siblings. It is hard to tell how deep they run, but his trip to Santo Trafficante (in jail) in Cuba has never been explained.
Having left school at the age of 16, he appears to have done well in life. It was hard to keep track of which bars and supper clubs he owned, had owned, partially owned, or maybe swapped. The Carousel Club, the one most associated with him has had a seedy aura, but there is a reference to a bus boy (implies dining) and some reputable performers such as Tennessee Ernie Ford. Despite his efforts, he does not seem to have much money. At one point he owed the IRS $40,000 which implies that he had (or maybe had had) n significant income.
His siblings, who also experienced childhood hardship, also did well in life. While it set them back considerably, they were able to pay for celebrity lawyer (Melvin Belli) for Ruby and various support teams for several years. One brother sold a chain of Laundromats for the cause.
Fingeroth shows the importance of Ruby’s faith and his identity as a Jew. He thought he would be celebrated as a hero for killing Oswald and expected to be released right away. Once he found the opposite he despaired that he was contributing to anti-Semitism… giving gentiles an excuse to hate Jews.
There is a good summary of the trial and the legal issues and the emotional toll they took on Ruby.
The last chapter on "Afterlife" shows what has happened to the people he knew, his club (razed) his bullets (sold to collectors) and his portrayal in popular culture.
There are some good photos of people in Ruby's orbit, Of course there is the classic photo of the shot (p.128). The index is very good and sources are clearly noted,
Kennedy's Avenger: Assassination, Conspiracy, and the Forgotten Trial of Jack Ruby by Dan Abrams details the trial and elaborates on how Belli’s arrogance undermined Ruby’s defense.
While this is not about the Kennedy assassination and sheds no light on any of the conspiracy theories those interested in this topic will still want to read this.
October 28, 2023
Jack Ruby changed history by killing Lee Harvey Oswald on live tv two days after the November 22, 1963 murder of John F. Kennedy. I was actually watching tv that day with my father and saw him pop out in front and shoot Oswald. They showed Oswald as they were in a hallway bringing him to another area of the Dallas police station. Who was Jack Ruby and how did he come to be in that spot on that day? The book states that he was known by the police and a friend of the police so he probably had someone he knew let him in a side door.. He was a crazy person who wanted to make a name for himself. He was a friend of the mobsters and ran a nightclub with strippers. He was also known to be a friend of the FBI and ran numerous legal and illegal smuggling of arms and vehicles to both sides in the Cuban revolution. As he shot Oswald he yelled, "You know me! I'm Jack Ruby!' He was tried in Dallas and convicted of murder and ready to die for the murder. But he was re-tried in Wichita Falls, Kansas but he died from pneumonia, circulatory disease and cancer on January 3, 1967. There is much talk about a conspiracy in the murder of Kennedy but nothing yet has come from The National Archives. In December 2022 they noted that numerous documents relating to Kennedy's and Oswald's killings are too sensitive to be seen. There are those who believe that the government will forever hold back any documents that would reveal the "actual truth". If you like true crime then you would love to read this book.
December 10, 2023
Jack Ruby is a historical figure that is well known for eliminating JFK's killer - but what is known about him In Jack Ruby written by by Danny Fingeroth we see who exactly Jack Ruby was. This book is well researched and carefully written to bring Ruby to life. Ruby was a lower level gangster who owned a strip club. He also grew up in poverty in Chicago. He was also a Jewish American - and had to overcome a lot of anti-Semitism in his life.
The author takes a look at not only his upbringing, but looks at an interview with Rabbi Hillel Silverman, the legendary Dallas clergyman who visited Ruby regularly in prison. This book is perfect for any history lover. I especially loved learning who Jack Ruby was. In school, you are just taught that he is the man that killed Lee Harvey Oswald.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book - all thoughts are my own.
The author takes a look at not only his upbringing, but looks at an interview with Rabbi Hillel Silverman, the legendary Dallas clergyman who visited Ruby regularly in prison. This book is perfect for any history lover. I especially loved learning who Jack Ruby was. In school, you are just taught that he is the man that killed Lee Harvey Oswald.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book - all thoughts are my own.
March 29, 2024
A name I always knew, a man I never knew. This well-researched biography of Jacob Rubenstein takes the reader through the world (underworld) of an eccentric Dallas and Chicago character in the 50s and 60s. Ruby comes off in turns as comic, buffoon, misguided, frustrating and oddly sympathetic. Fingeroth flatly refuses to engage with the conspiracy theorists around Kennedy’s assassination and attempts to explain Ruby’s motives for killing Oswald. He attempts this because Ruby told so many different versions of his own story it’s hard to nail down.
I thoroughly enjoyed this. The book drew me in because of its mix of straight history and you-can’t-make-this-up madness surrounding the assassin’s assassin.
I thoroughly enjoyed this. The book drew me in because of its mix of straight history and you-can’t-make-this-up madness surrounding the assassin’s assassin.
December 21, 2024
“Jack Ruby: The Many Faces of Oswald’s Assassin” is indeed a deep dive into the interesting and complex life of the eccentric Jack Ruby. Rather than promote any particular conspiracy theory, the author does a remarkable job of clearly presenting us with an inside look at an infamous figure from history. I listened to it in audiobook format as read by the author and was completely hooked from start to finish. It’s not every day that a historical biography this well-researched and passionately written comes along. Danny Fingeroth is dedicated to the subject matter, and it truly, truly shows in this fine publication. It is clearly one of the best that I read in 2024, and I do hope that it continues to be well-received. An enthusiastic 5/5. Merry Christmas, everyone. 🎄
November 14, 2023
Jack Ruby
I thought that this was a great book from start to finish! It seems like the author took his time getting all of the facts and little details which made for a great Bio! I really didn’t know much about Jack Ruby going into this book which made it very interesting and easy to follow along!
I would recommend this to anyone who wanted to learn more about Jack Rubys life beyond just what you may have learned in school.
I had the audiobook and thought the narrator did awesome!
Thank you Dreamscape Media and Net Galley for this Audio ARC!
I thought that this was a great book from start to finish! It seems like the author took his time getting all of the facts and little details which made for a great Bio! I really didn’t know much about Jack Ruby going into this book which made it very interesting and easy to follow along!
I would recommend this to anyone who wanted to learn more about Jack Rubys life beyond just what you may have learned in school.
I had the audiobook and thought the narrator did awesome!
Thank you Dreamscape Media and Net Galley for this Audio ARC!
August 25, 2024
Detailed biography of Jack Ruby. Starting with his troubled childhood, and much about his hot temper in the world of nightclubs that he managed in the seedy neighborhoods of Chicago, Los Angeles and Dallas. His experience as a jew (his original name was Rubinstein) in a prejudiced America. What led him to shoot Lee Harvey Oswald, and the aftermath that took place in trials that sought to prove whether or not he was insane when he did it. Discussion of the popular conspiracy theories surrounding JFK's assassination.
August 4, 2025
Lost interest during the second half of the book. The first detailed all of the events that led up to the shooting of Oswald while the second half started discussing the trial and the fallout from this life changing moment. The book did a good job of discussing different theories of what happened and not sticking to one opinion of why he did what he did. Would’ve been better if the trial half of the book wrapped up a lot quicker.
DNF
3 stars
DNF
3 stars
November 2, 2023
Fingeroth's style is engaging and never dismissive of the multitude of potential theories surrounding the assassination of President Kennedy. He's simply fascinated by Ruby, who is a wild, complicated character, and Fingeroth paints a vivid portrait of the man who shot the man that may have shot JFK.
December 24, 2023
A very informative and entertaining read on the life of Jack Ruby (Lee Harvey Oswald’s assassin). Jack Ruby’s history is very murky and complex. Even after all the investigations a lot remains unknown. All these unknowns continue to add mystery to Oswald’s shooting of president Kennedy. I won this book on GoodReads and enjoyed it very much.
January 15, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and Real Nice Books for the audiobook ARC!
I definitely found myself repulsed by the events described in Doc Doc Zeus, which I think is kind of the point. It's sad that there are opportunistic evildoers in this world, and way too often they get away with it.
I definitely found myself repulsed by the events described in Doc Doc Zeus, which I think is kind of the point. It's sad that there are opportunistic evildoers in this world, and way too often they get away with it.
December 27, 2023
Thank you to LibroFM for the advanced listening copy.
It was interesting to understand more about Jack Ruby in this biography but I found it a little dry and plain, there was nothing wow about it.
It was interesting to understand more about Jack Ruby in this biography but I found it a little dry and plain, there was nothing wow about it.
March 10, 2024
Lots of detail and information but no AH HA! that satisfies the question of what really happened. Sometimes we want more than there is.
Audiobook narrated by the author
Audiobook narrated by the author
May 1, 2024
I really enjoyed the audiobook adaption of this book. It really helped to dive deep into a troubled person who had a tremendous role in history.
Currently reading
September 21, 2024I wish the author would stop referring to people as "the guy". Just poor writing etiquette and sloppy.
February 14, 2025
It is an okay book, but far from the best on Ruby.
September 24, 2025
Earlier this year, I listened to and reviewed an audiobook about Lee Harvey Oswald and his wife, Marina, titled, The Oswalds by Paul R. Gregory. Essentially, I wanted to learn more about the life of Lee Harvey Oswald and his role in the assassin of President John F. Kennedy.
After listening to The Oswalds by Paul R. Gregory, I wanted to learn more about life and times of Jack Ruby. Jack Ruby fatally shot Lee Harvey Oswald approximately 48 hours after Oswald's arrest for shooting President John F. Kennedy on live television. This happened while Lee Harvey Oswald was being transferred from the Dallas City Jail to the County Jail!
This has always brought up loads of questions for me. Like how did Jack Ruby gain access to a restricted area with a loaded gun when he wasn't a police officer or a reporter? Decades ago, I'd heard wild tales that Jack Ruby had been paid by the mob to act as a hitman to kill Lee Harvey Oswald to keep Oswald from testifying in court.
So, when I came across the audio version of Jack Ruby: The Many Faces of Oswald's Assassin by Danny Fingeroth, I figured why not listen to it and hopefully, learn more about Jack Ruby and perhaps his true motives for shooting Lee Harvey Oswald.
First off, Jack Ruby: The Many Faces of Oswald's Assassin is narrated by author, Danny Fingeroth. I've heard several authors narrate their own books before with success. However, I think Danny Fingeroth was a distraction. I wished someone else had narrated his book instead.
Although parts of Jack Ruby: The Many Faces of Oswald's Assassin by Danny Fingeroth were fascinating, I felt some parts of this book were lackluster. Additionally, I felt like Jack Ruby: The Many Faces of Oswald's Assassin was too long and could have been condensed for a more pleasurable read. There was just too much detail in sections for my liking.
After listening to The Oswalds by Paul R. Gregory, I wanted to learn more about life and times of Jack Ruby. Jack Ruby fatally shot Lee Harvey Oswald approximately 48 hours after Oswald's arrest for shooting President John F. Kennedy on live television. This happened while Lee Harvey Oswald was being transferred from the Dallas City Jail to the County Jail!
This has always brought up loads of questions for me. Like how did Jack Ruby gain access to a restricted area with a loaded gun when he wasn't a police officer or a reporter? Decades ago, I'd heard wild tales that Jack Ruby had been paid by the mob to act as a hitman to kill Lee Harvey Oswald to keep Oswald from testifying in court.
So, when I came across the audio version of Jack Ruby: The Many Faces of Oswald's Assassin by Danny Fingeroth, I figured why not listen to it and hopefully, learn more about Jack Ruby and perhaps his true motives for shooting Lee Harvey Oswald.
First off, Jack Ruby: The Many Faces of Oswald's Assassin is narrated by author, Danny Fingeroth. I've heard several authors narrate their own books before with success. However, I think Danny Fingeroth was a distraction. I wished someone else had narrated his book instead.
Although parts of Jack Ruby: The Many Faces of Oswald's Assassin by Danny Fingeroth were fascinating, I felt some parts of this book were lackluster. Additionally, I felt like Jack Ruby: The Many Faces of Oswald's Assassin was too long and could have been condensed for a more pleasurable read. There was just too much detail in sections for my liking.
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