Kennedy Myths and Legends
Was Joseph P. Kennedy, the father of JFK, RFK and Teddy Kennedy, a bootlegger? Was he anti-Semitic or a Nazi sympathizer? How did he make his millions? David Nasaw examines the legends and exposes the many myths surrounding the Kennedy patriarch. Nasaw is a professor of history at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, and also the author of the best-selling biography The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy.
To the disappointment of Kennedy haters everywhere, Nasaw debunks the myth that Joe made a fortune via bootlegging during Prohibition. In fact, those stories about Kennedy Sr., who passed multiple security checks by the FBI while serving multiple presidents, only surfaced in the late ’60s when JFK assassination buffs tried to tie the family to the mob.
Nasaw discusses his book with Nick Gillespie from Reason TV.
