Mafia Kingfish: Carlos Marcello and the Assassination of John F. Kennedy

This engrossing, startlingly detailed biography of a Mafia don is based on material obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. Carlos Marcello's rise from street thug to undisputed boss of the oldest Mafia family in the country, and his subsequent reign over a vast criminal empire in the Gulf States, is superbly narrated. His 50-year career in crime ended in 1983 after the FBI nailed him in the largest undercover operation ever mounted against an individual. Davis ( The Kennedys , etc.) also presents a well-organized summary of the large body of circumstantial evidence pointing to Marcello as mastermind of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The material indicates that the authorities were virtually powerless to cope with the conspiracy because several politicians and law enforcement officials at local, state and federal levels had been compromised in their dealings with Marcello and his associates. According to evidence offered in these pages, the Mafia chieftain had two compelling motives: revenge and self-protection. Attorney General Robert Kennedy had not only offended his Sicilian pride in a very personal way, but was threatening to put him and his operation out of business. Photos. (Nov.)