Final_Judgment

[34] Final Judgment 95
The Giancanas also say that it was Sam Giancana who smoothed things
over with Frank Costello on Joe Kennedy's behalf after Ambassador
Kennedy had snubbed the New York mobster. According to the Giancanas,
Kennedy was concerned about his son's burgeoning political career and it
was at that point that he agreed to cut a deal with organized crime in order to
ensure smooth sailing—and in order to get Frank Costello, in Kennedy's
words, "off my back." 60
A PROMISE TO THE MOB
After Joe Kennedy begged for Giancana's assistance at a meeting in
Chicago, Giancana reportedly said, "I've heard nothing today that leads me
to think that you can promise me anything in return for my assistance."
Kennedy responded: "I can. And I will. You help me now, Sam, and I'll see
to it that Chicago—that you—can sit in the godamned Oval office if you
want. That you'll have the President's ear. But I just need time."
Kennedy told Giancana, "He'll be your man. I swear to that. My son—
the President of the United States—will owe you his father's life. He won't
refuse you, ever. You have my word." 61
JFK, THE MAFIA AND MEYER LANSKY
It was during the 1960 Democratic Presidential primary campaign that the
Kennedys once again turned to Giancana for critical Mafia support. In fact,
according to the Giancanas, the Kennedys—father and son—actually met
with Sam Giancana to work out a joint agreement of mutual support, before—
and after—the election. As Giancana summarized the agreement: "I help get
Jack elected and, in return, he calls off the heat. It'll be business as usual." 62
Mafia money poured into critical primary states such as West Virginia
(where many local political leaders were on the Mafia "pad") and by
convention time, JFK was virtually assured the presidential nomination.
Although New Orleans Mafia boss Carlos Marcello preferred Texas Senator
Lyndon Johnson, an agreement was cut, and a Kennedy-Johnson ticket was
set in place. The Democratic ticket was ready for the fall election. 63
(In Chapter 10 we shall explore the relationship between Carlos
Marcello and Meyer Lansky in detail. Marcello, in fact, was a protégé of
Lansky—his New Orleans front man, pure and simple.)
It turns out, too, that JFK himself was busy with other mob figures
other than Sam Giancana, although the history books have discreetly
ignored JFK's other crime connections, preferring instead to focus on the
Italian-American "Mafia" figures.
According to FBI documents and wiretaps, JFK himself had "direct
contact" 64 with Meyer Lansky himself during the 1960 presidential
campaign, presumably for the purpose of shoring up mob support for his
presidential campaign—a pact that would ultimately prove to have been a
proverbial deal with the devil.