A 63 year lie that needs to be exposed!
The Mafia rigging the 1960 election for JFK is just another in a long line of character assassination myths that can easily be debunked!
There are so many myths about the Kennedys, that it is really hard to debunk all of them. The one that really bothers me, because it is a complete lie, is the legend that Joe Kennedy Sr. made a deal with the Mafia to fix the election for JFK in 1960. Author and researcher John Binder wrote a book titled "The Chicago Outfit," for which he did extensive research on the 1960 presidential election. Binder found out that many of the authors who made these outrageous claims received their information from sources that have been totally discredited and deemed unreliable. These people are what I like to call "Jackals."
According to an FBI report, "The Outfit" in Chicago controlled only 5 of the 50 political wards in the city. This is far too little to make any kind of a significant impact as people claim. Also, Teamster President Jimmy Hoffa hated the Kennedys, and he publicly endorsed Richard Nixon. This eliminates any possibility of Teamster unions around the country helping JFK in the election.
One problem I always had with this myth is why would the Mafia help JFK when he and his brother Robert Kennedy were attacking the mafia relentlessly on the McClellan Committee before the 1960 election. They put pressure on the mafia that was unpresented and was sure to continue, or even get worse, with a JFK presidency.
Binder did a ton of research on the voting for each ward, and he found that only in one Ward was there evidence of unusually strong Democratic voting that might be due to organized crime. Even if Organized Crime was the reason, this one ward would not be close enough to sway the election. He also found that the wards controlled by the outfit had a fewer democratic votes than usual, indicating that the Mob was most likely backing Richard Nixon in Chicago, much like they clearly were in cities all over the country.
Another overlooked fact is that the Cook County Democratic Party Machine led by Richard J. Daley was heavily backing JFK. This was far more important and impactful to winning the election than having the Mafia back him. Joe Kennedy was smart enough to understand this. Lastly, all the rumors and myths surrounding Joe Kennedy Sr and the Mafia can easily be discredited and most trace back to Nixon hatchet men.
I caution people who listen to Gangsters who have podcasts on this issue, especially criminals that were not "made" or involved with the mob until long after 1960. After researching the mob for many years, I understand how they operate, and low-level soldiers would not have this kind of information. The Mafia is much like an intelligence agency in that they rely on keeping the people at the top "buffered" from those below them. I know 60 years of lies is hard to confront, but I do my best to get out the truth!
