This episode centers on CIA Counterintelligence Chief James Angleton and his exceptionally close, largely unsupervised relationship with the Israeli government and its intelligence services. We trace Angleton’s rise inside the CIA, his exclusive liaison role with Mossad, the extraordinary authority he exercised with minimal oversight, and his deep personal ties to senior Israeli political, intelligence, and nuclear figures during the critical years leading up to 1963. We then turn to Israel’s secret nuclear program and the unresolved mystery of the missing highly enriched uranium from the NUMEC facility in Pennsylvania.

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In this episode, we begin a multi-part examination of Israel, focusing on whether serious and escalating policy disputes between the Kennedy administration and Israeli leadership could constitute motive.

This episode examines four major areas of conflict: Kennedy’s effort to enforce the Foreign Agents Registration Act on pro-Israel lobbying groups, his comparatively pro-Arab Middle East policies, disputes over UN Resolution 194 concerning Palestinian refugees, and—most critically—his confrontation with Israeli leaders over Israel’s secret nuclear weapons program at Dimona. Drawing from historical records, declassified materials, and firsthand accounts, this episode lays the groundwork for a deeper exploration of Israel’s potential role.

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In this bonus episode of Solving JFK, I’m joined by acclaimed JFK researcher and author Jim DiEugenio for a conversation that begins with reflections on the recent passing of Rob Reiner and Robert Tanenbaum, both of whom previously appeared on this podcast. Jim discusses his work with Reiner on the project that ultimately became the Who Killed JFK podcast, and why Reiner’s late-career involvement in the JFK case was significant.

The discussion then turns to Tanenbaum’s underappreciated role on the House Select Committee on Assassinations, before shifting into a rebuttal of several claims made in the recent Mafia series on Solving JFK. Jim critiques key sources, offers alternative interpretations, and lays out his overarching theory on the killing of Lee Harvey Oswald by Jack Ruby.

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In this Recap and Rebuttals Part 18, we turn our full attention to Jack Ruby, the man who silenced Lee Harvey Oswald, and ask two questions the official record never convincingly answered: how deeply was Ruby connected to organized crime, and why did he pull the trigger? Joining me is returning guest Don from the Fourth Reich Archaeology podcast, whose detailed work on the Warren Commission and Jack Ruby is stellar. Together, we synthesize what we’ve learned across Episodes 84 and 85 and stress-test the strongest arguments on all sides.

We trace Ruby’s life from his Chicago upbringing and early exposure to the Outfit, through his union work, nightclub ownership in Dallas, and extensive associations with known mob figures tied to Carlos Marcello, Santos Trafficante, and Johnny Roselli. The episode examines Ruby’s gun-running activities, informant roles, unexplained financial support, extraordinary law-enforcement tolerance, and the dramatic spike in long-distance calls and travel just weeks before the assassination. These facts collectively challenge the idea of Ruby as a lone, impulsive actor.

Finally, we confront Ruby’s sudden psychological collapse after examination by Dr. Louis Jolyon West, a psychiatrist deeply connected to CIA MK-Ultra programs. We weigh rebuttals from critics, analyze Ruby’s own recorded statements about “powerful people,” and discuss whether his killing of Oswald was spontaneous or planned. The result is a sober, evidence-driven assessment that leaves listeners to decide for themselves—but makes it increasingly difficult to accept the official explanation at face value.

In this 17th edition of Recap & Rebuttals, we take a comprehensive look back at the five-part Mafia series (Episodes 79–83) to assess what the historical record really tells us about organized crime’s potential role in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Joined by internationally bestselling author, television producer, and former Gambino crime family associate Lou Ferrante, we revisit the rise of the American Mafia, its clashes with the Kennedy brothers, and the high-stakes world of mob power, politics, and intelligence operations.

Together, we explore pivotal moments and figures including the Apalachin raid, the McClellan Committee, CIA-Mafia plots to assassinate Fidel Castro, and the tangled relationships involving Sam Giancana, Johnny Roselli, Santos Trafficante, Carlos Marcello, and Jimmy Hoffa. We also examine competing claims about foreknowledge and motive, the limits of official investigations like the HSCA, and why certain mob figures remain on the suspect board while others can likely be ruled out.

Journalist Dorothy Kilgallen was one of the earliest and most prominent national reporters to challenge the official story of the JFK assassination. Best known to the public from What’s My Line?, she was also a respected investigative journalist who covered major cases, interviewed Jack Ruby, and published columns openly criticizing the Warren Commission. In 1965, while actively pursuing new leads, she was found dead under disputed circumstances—and her JFK research file vanished.

In this bonus episode, Matt is joined by Sara Jordan Heintz, author of The Incredible Life & Mysterious Death of Dorothy Kilgallen, and her father, Larry Jordan, a longtime JFK researcher and the only journalist to develop a candid, years-long rapport with person of interest in the Kilgallen murder, Ron Pataky. Together, they discuss Dorothy’s reporting, the evidence she uncovered, Larry’s firsthand conversations with Pataky, and why they believe Kilgallen died.

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Programming Note: A new video-only episode—20 Dallas JFK Landmarks—is now live on YouTube as of December 3rd at 4pm Eastern. It includes a tour of Dealey Plaza, the Paine House, General Walker’s home, and other rarely visited JFK-related locations.

Click Here To Watch the Video

Upcoming episodes in the regular feed:

• December 10 – Bonus: Dorothy Kilgallen with Sara Jordan-Heintz
• December 14 – Patreon: Zooming Out with Tim Fattig and Tim Gardner
• December 17 – Recap & Rebuttals Part 17 (Episodes 79–83) with Lou Ferrante
• December 24 – Recap & Rebuttals Part 18 (Episodes 84–85) with Don from Fourth Reich Archaeology

Solving JFK merchandise is available at SolvingJFKPodcast.com

In the last episode, we rewound Jack Ruby’s life long before the basement of the Dallas Police Department and found a man deeply entangled with organized crime, Cuban gun-running, and people far more powerful than he let on.

This episode goes deeper into Ruby’s world and asks how far inside that orbit he really was. We explore Ruby’s stint as an FBI informant, his close relationship with casino manager Lewis McWillie, and the allegation that Ruby visited Mafia boss Santos Trafficante in prison. We also look at Ruby’s ties to Carlos Marcello and analyze the unusual series of long-distance calls he made in the weeks leading up to November 22, 1963.

Finally, we turn to one of the strangest chapters in the Ruby story: the involvement of psychiatrist Dr. Louis Jolyon West — a figure whose role feels stranger than fiction.