Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

Nightclub Operations Except for a brief period around 1953, when he managed the Ervay Theater, Ruby’s primary occupation and interest was running nightclubs and dance halls. Arriving in Dallas in 1947, he and Eva Grant jointly managed the Singapore Supper Club; he later renamed it the Silver Spur Club. In 1952, borrowing $3,700 from Ralph Paul, he acquired a half interest in the Bob Wills Ranch House with Martin Gimpel, a former Spartan Novelty Co. associate. Financial reverses in 1952 led him to abandon the Ranch House and transfer the Silver Spur to Gimpel and Willie Epstein. After a period of depression and a six-week stay in Chicago, Ruby reacquired the Silver Spur. In 1953, he obtained an interest in the Vegas Club, which he operated with Joe Bonds, and which Ruby still owned at the time of his arrest; Eva Grant assumed management of the Vegas in 1959. In late 1959, Ruby partnered with Joe Slatin to establish the Sovereign Club, a private club selling liquor to members, but Slatin withdrew in early 1960. Ruby obtained additional capital from Ralph Paul and, after a disagreement over the club’s operating model, renamed the Sovereign the Carousel Club, featuring striptease shows. The Carousel became one of three downtown Dallas burlesque clubs, serving champagne, beer, setups, and pizza, with net receipts averaging about $5,000 per month.

Employee Relationships

Employee Relationships Ruby’s employees reacted in widely varying ways to his management style. Long-term employees who became accustomed to his violent temper and constant threats of discharge generally described him sympathetically and reported genuine interest in their welfare, but considerable evidence also showed that he dominated his employees, sometimes resorted to violence, publicly embarrassed them, attempted to cheat them of pay, and delayed salaries. Numerous violent incidents are documented: in 1950, Ruby struck an employee with a blackjack; in 1951, a scuffle with guitarist Willis Dickerson led to the amputation of the top half of Ruby’s left index finger; in approximately 1955, he beat a musician with brass knuckles; in 1960, he struck Joe Peterson and knocked out a tooth; in September 1962, he severely beat handyman Frank Ferraro; and in March 1963, he threatened to throw a cigarette girl down the Carousel’s stairs. Ruby also had a long-running dispute with the American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA) over its “amateur” stripper policy, which he believed his competitors were exploiting. He enlisted acquaintances, including known criminals, to pressure AGVA on his behalf. In June 1963, he obtained the stripper “Jada” in New Orleans, but contract disputes, absenteeism, and concerns about her deliberately provocative performances culminated in her firing at the end of October 1963.