JFK, The Mafia, and the Betrayal That Led to His Death
Gary WhittakerRighteous Reads Featured Series
Part 3: The Mafia’s Role — From Helping the Kennedys to Betraying Them
Last revised: January 17, 2026
Main Series Hub: JFK Files: The Secrets They Reveal
Publisher’s Note: This series is built to be read like an investigation, not a slogan. Part 3 focuses on organized crime influence networks, retaliation motives, and the long-running controversy surrounding Mafia intersections with intelligence operations. If you’re here to research, bring sources—not just conclusions.
Introduction: When Friends Become Enemies
John F. Kennedy’s assassination wasn’t just a political murder—it remains one of the most contested power collapses in modern history.
For years, organized crime was widely believed to have a complicated relationship with the Kennedy orbit—one shaped by business, influence, election-era allegations, and later open conflict.
This part of the series explores the most debated elements of that relationship:
- Joseph P. Kennedy and long-running allegations of underworld intersections
- Claims that organized crime helped deliver leverage in the 1960 election
- Robert Kennedy’s aggressive crackdown on organized crime figures
- The historically documented overlap between anti-Castro operations and organized crime contacts
So what went wrong?
Many researchers argue the Mafia felt double-crossed. Others believe the Kennedy era created threats to entrenched systems of influence that included more than just criminals.
In 1963, three names consistently appear in later investigations and public debate: Carlos Marcello, Sam Giancana, and Santo Trafficante Jr.
This part does not claim to “solve” the assassination. It explains why organized crime remains one of the most durable motive frameworks in assassination research.
The Mafia’s Role in JFK’s Presidency and Assassination Debate
1) Joseph P. Kennedy and Organized Crime Allegations
Before JFK became president, his father, Joseph P. Kennedy, was already surrounded by long-running allegations and speculation about the methods used to build wealth and political power in the early 20th century.
- Prohibition-era allegations: Some accounts claim Joseph Kennedy’s business rise intersected with bootlegging-era networks.
- Organized crime proximity claims: Reporting and public debate have referenced names such as Frank Costello and Meyer Lansky as part of broader underworld influence narratives of the era.
- Election-era controversy: Allegations persist that Mafia influence played a role in delivering votes or leverage during the 1960 election.
Whether fully true, partially true, or exaggerated, one point matters for this series:
If influential criminal networks believed they helped elevate political power, they would expect protection in return.
But instead of protection, the Kennedy administration delivered something else.
It delivered Robert Kennedy.
What This Suggests in Hindsight
- If the Mafia believed it invested in the Kennedy rise, RFK’s crackdown would be interpreted as betrayal.
- Even the perception of “broken deals” can create retaliation motives in criminal networks.
- Joseph Kennedy’s alleged intersections may have planted long-term leverage threats over the Kennedy presidency.
Key Question: If key players believed the Kennedys turned on them, was retaliation inevitable?
2) Robert Kennedy’s Crackdown: The Conflict That Escalated Everything
As Attorney General, Robert F. Kennedy became one of the most aggressive political enemies organized crime had ever faced.
- RFK expanded federal pressure on organized crime beyond prior administrations.
- He targeted Mafia figures that had been politically untouchable for years.
- Wiretaps and testimony from the era fueled the perception that anger toward RFK was widespread inside organized crime circles.
- Three names repeatedly surfaced in later narratives: Marcello, Giancana, and Trafficante.
Critics of the “lone gunman” narrative often argue JFK’s assassination benefited those who were under pressure from RFK—and that motive is hard to ignore even decades later.
What This Suggests in Hindsight
- The crackdown created motive structures grounded in self-preservation.
- JFK’s death removed political cover and changed prosecution realities.
- The assassination restructured power dynamics in a way that aligned with the interests of multiple threatened networks.
Key Question: Did organized crime see JFK as the target—or as the leverage point to stop RFK?
3) Intelligence Operations and Organized Crime: A Partnership With Consequences
The Mafia wasn’t the only force that wanted Castro removed from power. U.S. intelligence entities also pursued aggressive anti-Castro operations during the Cold War.
Formal investigations and historical reporting have discussed CIA contact with organized crime figures connected to anti-Castro activity. This remains one of the most disturbing intersections of the era—because once you pull criminals into covert power, they gain leverage.
- Covert overlap: The record includes historical references to CIA contact with organized crime assets in anti-Castro planning.
- Sabotage and destabilization: Accounts include poison concepts, explosives concepts, and other covert disruption strategies.
- Leverage risk: Once criminal networks become “partners,” secrets become bargaining chips.
By 1963, critics argue that certain actors “knew too much” about too many operations—and that pressure could create incentives to close narratives, not expand them.
What This Suggests in Hindsight
- Criminal-intelligence overlap creates shared motive risk.
- The operational secrecy of Cuba policy created long-term narrative instability.
- Once secrets become leverage, retaliation and silence become real options.
Key Question: Was JFK’s assassination a Mafia move, an intelligence move, or the collision of both incentive systems?
The Open Case: What’s Still Missing?
Even with newly declassified material, the public record remains incomplete in the areas that matter most to this line of inquiry.
- Some FBI and CIA records remain redacted or incomplete in key categories.
- Historical reporting includes claims of destruction or loss of records tied to sensitive connections.
- Some rumors (including alleged “hit list” stories) circulate without hard verification.
- A number of insiders died before giving full testimony, and some deaths remain the subject of speculation.
Central Question: If the organized crime angle is fully false, why do key documentation gaps keep fueling it?
2026 Research Note: Help Expand This Investigation
I want to push deeper into these files in 2026—especially around what has been confirmed, what appears manipulated, and what may have been engineered to protect systems of influence.
If you’ve studied this case seriously, I want your input.
What I’m Looking For From You
- What evidence (documents, transcripts, archives) supports or weakens the Mafia motive theory?
- What claims do you think are exaggerated, falsified, or strategically planted?
- What names, documents, or timelines should be reviewed next?
- If you have public source links (archives, scans, official releases), share them.
Standard for discussion: bring evidence, reasoning, and document references—not just conclusions.
Next in the Series
Continue to Part 4:
The Warren Commission’s Cover-Up
Back to the Main JFK Files Hub
JFK Files: The Secrets They Reveal
Earn Rewards for Reading
You can earn discounts and perks for reading and leaving feedback on the content you already use.
Step 1: Join or Sign In
Join Righteous Rewards Program
Step 2: Review and Earn
After you sign in, earn points by leaving quick reviews on ebooks and free guides here: