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

第二章 With the assistance of Agent in Charge Sorrels of the

This chapter compiles an investigative profile of Jack Ruby assembled with assistance from the FBI’s Agent in Charge Sorrels in Dallas. It documents Ruby’s record of arrests and regulatory violations from 1949 through November 24, 1963; examines the nature and extent of his associations with members of the Dallas Police Department; reviews his contacts with underworld figures, gamblers, and professional criminals; and traces his known travels between 1947 and the assassination, with particular attention to a 1959 trip to Havana. A subsequent section characterizes Ruby’s personality and interests, detailing his family relationships (especially with his sister Eva Grant), social relationships, fondness for dogs, Jewish religious observance, physical regimen and history of violence as an unofficial bouncer, and his generosity to friends coupled with a strong need for personal recognition. The chapter concludes with the opening of Appendix XVII, which describes Ruby’s repeated requests for a polygraph examination and the preliminary defense arrangements to obtain one.

Arrests and Violations

Between 1949 and November 24, 1963, Jack Ruby was arrested eight times by the Dallas Police Department on charges including disturbing the peace, allegedly carrying a concealed weapon, violating State liquor laws, permitting dancing after hours, simple assault, and ignoring traffic summonses; outcomes ranged from fines and dismissals to an acquittal for simple assault in February 1963. He also accumulated roughly 20 motor vehicle violations and was placed on six months’ probation as a traffic violator in 1956 and again in 1959. Separately, the Texas Liquor Control Board suspended Ruby on multiple occasions—most notably for moral turpitude, obscene striptease performances, allowing a drunkard on his premises, dishonored checks, and permitting on-premises solicitation of alcoholic beverages—with suspensions ranging from three to ten days.