In Part 2, Jim DiEugenio continues his undressing of Sy Hersh. This time by using the work of John Newman, Lisa Pease and David Talbot to expose the prevarications of his source Sam Halpern, on both Bobby Kennedy and Charles Ford and the plots to kill Castro. We also look at the dubious claims about a 1962 Italy trip by both men and a final look at the problems with his Nord Stream claims.

Scott Reid reviews the case of David Christensen, who, like another serviceman, Eugene Dinkin, may have also been an “accidental witness to history, having had prior knowledge of the JFK assassination, alerting the appropriate authorities who then did nothing and failed to protect the President.”

Donald McGovern reviews Mark Shaw’s recent book Collateral Damage, largely about the deaths of Marilyn Monroe and Dorothy Kilgallen, and discovers that the author recklessly engaged in twisting the facts to suit his theories through the use of a fabricated friendship, peculiar and unreliable resources, discredited witnesses, and more in Part 1 of a two-part analysis.

After engaging with Matt Stevenson of CounterPunch in the past by countering his Vietnam myths, Jim DiEugenio now confronts a recent article of his referencing Mafia involvement in the election of 1960 and uses the opportunity to expose the lies from the underlying source, Double Cross.

Jim DiEugenio reviews Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro’s long and expensive new film, The Irishman, which propagates many of the myths surrounding Frank Sheeran found in Brandt’s book.

Jim DiEugenio exposes some serious problems with Charles Brandt’s I Heard You Paint Houses, casting doubt on the veracity of many of the key stories.

Shaw's book is largely a combination of recycling Kilgallen’s biographical material, his past writing about Melvin Belli, and trying to sell the reader on his remarkably unconvincing ideas about a Mob hit on JFK.

Paul Bleau’s critical review of a book which argues that Carlos Marcello led the effort to assassinate JFK, sending Lee Harvey Oswald to Washington as part of a team meant to shoot the president from the Willard Hotel.

Courtesy of Marie Fonzi and Dave Ratcliffe, at:  Ratical.org

Paul Bleau continues his exploration of failed plots and potential patsies, adding several candidates, discussing their profiles and drawing some tentative conclusions concerning the nature of their connections, particularly to the FPCC and SWP.