Mafia, JFK Assassination and James Henry Dolan

James Henry Dolan was associated with the top Mafia bosses during the time of the John F. Kennedy assassination. His son Jim Dolan will share his perspective on his father and those times at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 8 at the Allen Public Library.

Until the mid-1960s, the Dallas underworld enjoyed a tacit agreement with law enforcement. For a price, some officers looked the other way at drugs, alcohol, gambling and prostitution violations. When the reigning Dallas underworld boss Benny Binion departed Dallas for Las Vegas, Mafia interest in Dallas surged.

While in Dallas, James Henry Dolan worked for the American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA), a union for jugglers, strippers, and comics, and, more importantly, a front for the mob. Jim suspects his father’s assignment was to turn over the Dallas underworld to Carlos Marcello in New Orleans.

Dolan's aliases have included Jim de Lare, James Harry Dolan, Jim Dolan, Jimmy Dolan, and James Bradley.

During the days immediately before and after the JFK assassination, James Henry Dolan was not living with his wife and children at their home in Oak Cliff. After JFK was murdered, the FBI descended upon the Dolan house and searched it, but James Henry Dolan had vanished.

Jim Dolan notes, “I will present my memories of this period and we will walk through some of the material gathered by the government and other researchers into the period 1958-1963. Even after his death in 1984, details have emerged from my father's life which point to the dense cloud of coincidence that have caused many to conclude a conspiracy in the assassination.”

Jim is interested in talking to anyone who knew his father and has stories to share.

Sponsored by the Allen Public Library, the program is free. The library is located at 300 N. Allen Dr. Call 214-509-4911 for more information.

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