Kennedy, Sinatra and the Mafia (Channel 4)

I’m not a great one for a Channel 4/5 conspiracy documentary which tends to be more speculation to grab the headlines but not bolstered by hard evidence.

However this one made a plausible case.

This was that Jack Kennedy befriended Frank Sinatra, who arranged glamorous Hollywood film stars for him, but it went further.

Sinatra had Mob connections, in particular Chicago boss Sam Giancana who organised Kennedy’s campaign in the city.

Kennedy’s Catholicism – it was thought – might deter Mid-West voters.

Kennedy, of course, beat Richard Nixon in 1960 and Sinatra organised the gala dinner.

Things went wrong as Bobby Kennedy, as Attorney General, was determined to bust the Mafia.

Sinatra and Jack Kennedy then became estranged and the Mob bore Kennedy a grudge.

Here we get into speculation as all the players are long deceased, but the conjecture was that the Mob had every reason to assassinate Kennedy and did so.

However incredible this seems, Kennedy – who presented to the world this clean cut family image whilst being a massive philanderer – actually shared a mistress with Giancana.

In those days the press corps were more acquiescent and few knew of Kennedy’s womanising.

One person who did was my uncle Arnie, who despised Joe Kennedy for his dishonesty – he was both a bootlegger and a share insider dealer as well – in being a Nazi sympathiser when America’s UK war time ambassador but I could scarcely believe what he told me.

I find it hard to believe that the Mafia would assassinate a President however bitter they felt and – whilst the assassination by Lee Harvey Oswald might seem bizarre – it is possible and there is no one around to contradict it.

And what if there had been no assassination in November 1963?

The US had 5,000 “technical advisors” in Vietnam, so Kennedy might have been committed to a war that mired LB Johnson.

The civil rights and Medicare legislation might have saved his Presidency sufficiently to beat Barry Goldwater in 1964 and in 1968 Hubert Humphrey would still contest the election with Nixon.