JACK RUBY'S GAYDAR READING: Assassin's pal Breck Wall tells all
Breck Wall — the man dubbed ‘Jack Ruby’s queer ex-roommate’ — says Oswald’s killer was 'too ugly to be gay'
RUBY'S OL' LUNCH DATE: Sheriff Bill Decker provided security so Breck Wall could visit Jack Ruby at the Dallas County Jail. (Photo: Daniel Kusner.)
By DANIEL KUSNER
LAS VEGAS — A few miles east of the Sunset Strip, Breck Wall welcomes me into his ranch-style house.
Inside, it’s a busy morning.
A technician just fixed the DSL line. And as the AT&T employee leaves, Wall gives him a Chihuahua.
"Tanner was left behind by a titty dancer who was staying in my spare bedroom. When she moved, she couldn’t take care of him. But Tanner and my dog aren’t getting along," Wall explains, as we sit down in his living room, which also serves as a photo gallery of his famous friends: Sammy Davis Jr., Joan Rivers, Johnny Mathis, Liberace… .
At 74, Breck Wall is a legendary casino show impresario.
His most famous credit is "Bottoms Up!" a bawdy burlesque revue that ran in Las Vegas for four decades.
But before "Bottoms Up!" moved to Nevada, Wall opened the show in 1959 at the Century Room inside The Adolphus Hotel.
Across the street from The Adolphus was Jack Ruby’s Carousel Club.
And for about a year-and-a-half, Ruby and Wall ate lunch together almost every day at The Copper Cow restaurant on Commerce Street.
LAS VEGAS — A few miles east of the Sunset Strip, Breck Wall welcomes me into his ranch-style house.
Inside, it’s a busy morning.
A technician just fixed the DSL line. And as the AT&T employee leaves, Wall gives him a Chihuahua.
"Tanner was left behind by a titty dancer who was staying in my spare bedroom. When she moved, she couldn’t take care of him. But Tanner and my dog aren’t getting along," Wall explains, as we sit down in his living room, which also serves as a photo gallery of his famous friends: Sammy Davis Jr., Joan Rivers, Johnny Mathis, Liberace… .
At 74, Breck Wall is a legendary casino show impresario.
His most famous credit is "Bottoms Up!" a bawdy burlesque revue that ran in Las Vegas for four decades.
But before "Bottoms Up!" moved to Nevada, Wall opened the show in 1959 at the Century Room inside The Adolphus Hotel.
Across the street from The Adolphus was Jack Ruby’s Carousel Club.
And for about a year-and-a-half, Ruby and Wall ate lunch together almost every day at The Copper Cow restaurant on Commerce Street.
WESTERN LUNCH: Ruby and Wall chowed at The Copper Cow, which boasted a "Yucatan stone" wall and suspended staircase.
Wall is a minor figure in the Ruby-Oswald saga.
In 1964, the Warren Commission questioned Wall about his friendship with Ruby.
And when New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison pieced together his conspiracy theory about gay businessman Clay Shaw, Garrison described Wall as "Ruby’s queer ex-roommate."
"Garrison was a real jerk. Everyone hated him," Wall says. "Every day, his staff would make up absolute lies — about me, about Jack. We were never roommates. I lived at The Adolphus. And Jack Ruby never visited me there. And I never went over to Jack’s apartment. I don’t think Jack ever allowed anyone to visit him at home."
In 1964, the Warren Commission questioned Wall about his friendship with Ruby.
And when New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison pieced together his conspiracy theory about gay businessman Clay Shaw, Garrison described Wall as "Ruby’s queer ex-roommate."
"Garrison was a real jerk. Everyone hated him," Wall says. "Every day, his staff would make up absolute lies — about me, about Jack. We were never roommates. I lived at The Adolphus. And Jack Ruby never visited me there. And I never went over to Jack’s apartment. I don’t think Jack ever allowed anyone to visit him at home."
Wall watched JFK's motorcade from The Adolphus where 'Bottoms Up' was staged in the Century Room. (Photos: Bryan Amann)
Wall says Ruby always carried a gun, "and big wad of cash."
"I don’t think he used a bank account," Wall says. "Jack was a character. He thought he was funny and wanted to be a comic. He talked like an Easterner and acted like a thug. He wanted to be in the Mafia. But they didn’t want him because he had such a big mouth."
For a few months, "Bottoms Up!" left The Adolphus and moved across the street to the Carousel Club. Wall co-managed "Bottoms Up!" with his lover, Joe Peterson.
"But Jack was really hard to work with. He wanted to be the boss," Wall says. "Finally, I told him, ‘Jack, I can’t take this anymore.’ At the time, we had a chance to go back to The Adolphus. Jack got so mad that he exploded. Instead of going at me, he knocked Joe down the stairs and broke his tooth. We didn’t speak for a month."
Did Ruby apologize?
"I don’t think he used a bank account," Wall says. "Jack was a character. He thought he was funny and wanted to be a comic. He talked like an Easterner and acted like a thug. He wanted to be in the Mafia. But they didn’t want him because he had such a big mouth."
For a few months, "Bottoms Up!" left The Adolphus and moved across the street to the Carousel Club. Wall co-managed "Bottoms Up!" with his lover, Joe Peterson.
"But Jack was really hard to work with. He wanted to be the boss," Wall says. "Finally, I told him, ‘Jack, I can’t take this anymore.’ At the time, we had a chance to go back to The Adolphus. Jack got so mad that he exploded. Instead of going at me, he knocked Joe down the stairs and broke his tooth. We didn’t speak for a month."
Did Ruby apologize?
HOTHEAD: Wall says his lover was beat up by Jack Ruby, pictured.
"I never saw him sorry about anything. That stuff about worrying over Jackie dealing with Oswald’s trial was more like Jack saying, ‘Isn’t that terrible? Someone should blow that guy’s head off.’"
In 1992, the National Archives provided access to Ruby’s FBI files.
At various times, FBI agents were ordered by the headquarters' brass to investigate Ruby’s subversive activities and whether Ruby had homosexual tendencies or other "sex perversions."
Did Wall think Ruby was gay?
"No. I don’t think he liked men. Besides, he was too fucking ugly. There was a woman, but I don’t think they ever had sex. Who would dare? Jack was too concerned about Jack Ruby to be interested in anyone else," Wall says. "But I liked Jack. He was entertaining. He didn’t have many friends, though. I think he was used to being alone and he was a little sad about it. I thought there was something good about him. But I also knew he was dangerous."
On the day Kennedy was shot, Wall and his lover watched the motorcade drive by The Adolphus.
By the time they went back upstairs to their room, the TV news broke in with a special bulletin about Dealey Plaza.
"After that, the entire city of Dallas was shut down. All the lights went black," Wall remembers.
So Wall drove to Galveston to visit friends.
He told The Adolphus’ front desk to call him in Galveston if the Century Room was up and running again.
Like everyone else in the country, Wall saw Ruby shoot Lee Harvey Oswald on live TV.
Within five minutes, reporters were calling Galveston for quotes about Ruby.
Wall immediately drove back to Dallas and snuck back to The Adolphus to lay low.
The following Saturday, Dallas County Sheriff Bill Decker called Wall and told him Ruby was depressed and not talkative.
Decker thought Ruby’s lunch buddy might perk him up.
"I panicked. I thought they were going to arrest me," Wall said.
Three cop cars arrived at The Adolphus.
After Ruby killed Oswald, downtown Dallas was besieged with onlookers and Kennedy mourners.
The police station was only five blocks away. But Wall had to lay down in a back seat of the squad car as the car slowly snaked its way to the police station where four policemen escorted Wall to Ruby’s cell.
He only spent about 20 minutes talking to Ruby inside his "bulletproof tank. Jack had all these telegrams taped up — people congratulating him. I said, ‘Jack, what did you do?’ He said, ‘I’m a hero. Look at all these telegrams,’" Wall recalls. "I said, ‘Jack, you’re not a hero. You shot the man who killed the president before he could talk.’"
Wall shows me a letter Ruby sent from the Dallas County Jail on Dec. 24, 1963.
The letter is addressed to Wall’s lover, Joe, thanking him for "how wonderful" Joe spoke of Ruby in an interview.
He writes "Thank Breck for visiting with me. What do you think of all these crazy things in the newspapers? Everyone [is] taking a shot at me."
Wall doesn’t believe Ruby was involved in any conspiracy.
Wall thinks Ruby impulsively fired at Oswald — the same way the mercurial hustler exploded and broke Joe's tooth.
"When Jack saw Oswald, he got so mad, he just pulled out his gun and shot him," Wall says. "Without any warning."
In 1992, the National Archives provided access to Ruby’s FBI files.
At various times, FBI agents were ordered by the headquarters' brass to investigate Ruby’s subversive activities and whether Ruby had homosexual tendencies or other "sex perversions."
Did Wall think Ruby was gay?
"No. I don’t think he liked men. Besides, he was too fucking ugly. There was a woman, but I don’t think they ever had sex. Who would dare? Jack was too concerned about Jack Ruby to be interested in anyone else," Wall says. "But I liked Jack. He was entertaining. He didn’t have many friends, though. I think he was used to being alone and he was a little sad about it. I thought there was something good about him. But I also knew he was dangerous."
On the day Kennedy was shot, Wall and his lover watched the motorcade drive by The Adolphus.
By the time they went back upstairs to their room, the TV news broke in with a special bulletin about Dealey Plaza.
"After that, the entire city of Dallas was shut down. All the lights went black," Wall remembers.
So Wall drove to Galveston to visit friends.
He told The Adolphus’ front desk to call him in Galveston if the Century Room was up and running again.
Like everyone else in the country, Wall saw Ruby shoot Lee Harvey Oswald on live TV.
Within five minutes, reporters were calling Galveston for quotes about Ruby.
Wall immediately drove back to Dallas and snuck back to The Adolphus to lay low.
The following Saturday, Dallas County Sheriff Bill Decker called Wall and told him Ruby was depressed and not talkative.
Decker thought Ruby’s lunch buddy might perk him up.
"I panicked. I thought they were going to arrest me," Wall said.
Three cop cars arrived at The Adolphus.
After Ruby killed Oswald, downtown Dallas was besieged with onlookers and Kennedy mourners.
The police station was only five blocks away. But Wall had to lay down in a back seat of the squad car as the car slowly snaked its way to the police station where four policemen escorted Wall to Ruby’s cell.
He only spent about 20 minutes talking to Ruby inside his "bulletproof tank. Jack had all these telegrams taped up — people congratulating him. I said, ‘Jack, what did you do?’ He said, ‘I’m a hero. Look at all these telegrams,’" Wall recalls. "I said, ‘Jack, you’re not a hero. You shot the man who killed the president before he could talk.’"
Wall shows me a letter Ruby sent from the Dallas County Jail on Dec. 24, 1963.
The letter is addressed to Wall’s lover, Joe, thanking him for "how wonderful" Joe spoke of Ruby in an interview.
He writes "Thank Breck for visiting with me. What do you think of all these crazy things in the newspapers? Everyone [is] taking a shot at me."
Wall doesn’t believe Ruby was involved in any conspiracy.
Wall thinks Ruby impulsively fired at Oswald — the same way the mercurial hustler exploded and broke Joe's tooth.
"When Jack saw Oswald, he got so mad, he just pulled out his gun and shot him," Wall says. "Without any warning."
WACTH THIS CAMEO
Breck Wall with Carousel Lounge dancer "Jada," (a.k.a. Janet Conforto).
Breck Wall with Carousel Lounge dancer "Jada," (a.k.a. Janet Conforto).
POST-SCRIPT
Literary dream come true
Kusner's a source for conspiracy theorists
Kusner's a source for conspiracy theorists
WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS: Breck Wall, pictured, spins tales about Sammy, Joan, Liberace and “titty dancers.” (Photo: Daniel Kusner.)
I came across this tidbit, below, from Adam Gorightly’s “Caught in the Crossfire: Kerry Thornley, Oswald and the Garrison Investigation.”
TIDBIT: As for Breck Wall (he was a transvestite who appeared in a cross-dressing revue called Bottoms Up that played at the Adolphus Hotel), which was located across the street from the Carousel Club.
Quoted in Reitzes’ article was Daniel Kusner, who said that following Jack Ruby’s arrest, “Wall had to lay down in a backseat of the squad car as it slowly snaked its way to the police station, where policemen escorted Wall to Ruby's cell.”
Three years later, Wall was the last person to speak with Ruby prior to his death.
Quoted in Reitzes’ article was Daniel Kusner, who said that following Jack Ruby’s arrest, “Wall had to lay down in a backseat of the squad car as it slowly snaked its way to the police station, where policemen escorted Wall to Ruby's cell.”
Three years later, Wall was the last person to speak with Ruby prior to his death.
— “Caught in the Crossfire,” by Adam Gorightly
