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(Testimony of Joseph Rossi)
Mr. Rossi.
merchant, I told him that I knew Jack and I didn't think that it was Communist inspired or through Cuba or anything and I spoke to him for about 20 minutes, generally speaking, but I could not make that man believe it. The man's comments to me were, "I don't care if you slept with the man or anything, as far as I am concerned, I know this was all brought about through Cuba and the Communists and everything."
He says, "You might know the man, but you may not know him close enough. He may have been a Communist all of his life."
I says, "Well, he could have been, but just from what I know and when I knew him, I never would have suspected or even thought of it and I still don't."
Now, in the newspapers here locally, when I came back to Dallas, there was quite a bit of feeling of animosity about Jack Ruby, so I never made any comments to anybody about my knowing anything or knowing him personally. In other words, I just kept it to myself, and when the trial was going on, I could have gone ahead and offered some testimony on Ruby's behalf, or on just the general behalf of what I knew, but I stayed away, then, because just as Judge Sarah Hughes said, there is a lot more behind all of this and Dallas was guilty
of part of it, but that I didn't want to stick my neck out and have the people jumping on me, because it would have hurt me businesswise, and what have you.
Emotionally, they were all still quite upset and it wasn't because of what Jack did. I believe it was because Jack had denied them the privilege of knowing just why Harvey Lee Oswald did it.
Mr. Griffin.
Now, this, of course, is something that is not within our province to speculate about here.
Mr. Rossi.
Right.
Mr. Griffin.
Our job is to find out what the facts are, and as to who did what and where and when, and then try to arrive at some conclusions.
Mr. Rossi.
Well, Ruby was very well known by the police. He was a friend to them. Whenever he had the opportunity to be he was a friend to them, because he tried to be ingratiated in their field or area.
I know of one or two little incidents where he would contribute to their welfare funds or what have you and I think then when they had him there at the city hall and they caught him after the shooting, and the remark was made, "You know me, I'm Jack Ruby"; it wasn't that he wasn't an important man, but I believe he was trying to say, "You know me, I am Jack Ruby. I am your friend, I don't hate cops. I was doing this to help you because your hands were tied."
And I had heard comments made to the effect that many more people said if they had a chance they would get Oswald. I had even heard this comment made in the coffee shops and down in the valley there, that the assassination was set up by Johnson.
Mr. Griffin.
Well, as I say, this speculation which we really can't indulge in but I appreciate your wanting to offer this to us.
Mr. Rossi.
Well, I am offering it because I think I have studied it and looked at it and I know it and I feel like I know about it, but I don't know--I may be completely 100 percent all wet.
Mr. Griffin.
I think we will all be able to form a lot better impression of this after we have gathered all the facts and we are able to sit down and inform the people after we have evaluated it, and I know that from what you have said you will probably be very interested in knowing that we are developing these facts and we are going to publish it in--650 pages--we are working toward, but I want to thank you very much for coming here tonight, Mr. Rossi.
Mr. Rossi.
All right. I feel it is a privilege and if I have been of any help--fine.
Mr. Griffin.
It has been a pleasure to have you, and again, we appreciate your cooperation in this matter.
Mr. Rossi.
I guess everybody is sorry it happened--and I am not a Democrat.
Mr. Griffin.
Well, I know there are a lot of people who are, are sorry that it happened.
Mr. Rossi.
Well, if I could go back and go three times and bring his back, because I think he was one of the finest young men we have had, at least, I felt that way, and I felt most of us felt that way and I think Ruby wanted to be
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