John Kohlert was a young piano tuner in the 1920s. In old age he recalled the time he got a job to tune the piano strings at the Cicero, Illinois home of a certain Chicago mob boss – Al Capone. “How would you like to stay for spaghetti?” asked Capone. “That’s fine,” said Kohlert. In time, Capone’s other dinner guest arrived. “This is Joe Kennedy,” Capone told Kohlert, “and we have a little business deal to make at supper. I hope you don’t mind.”
The deal involved the sale of good Irish whisky to Capone, the transaction being completed in the middle of Lake Michigan. It was just one of many business deals made by the multifaceted Joseph Patrick Kennedy. He made a killing through insider trading as a stockbroker on Wall Street, millions from movie making in Hollywood and tons of cash in real estate. Kennedy took financial opportunities wherever he found them and with whomever it proved profitable. Whatever else was said of him, Joe was no snob.
Joe Kennedy left his sons trust funds to keep them in the lap of luxury. Easy money, even dirty money, left Edward Kennedy not knowing the value of a dollar – especially the value hard-working Americans place on their dollars. And the “Liberal Lion” made a career separating them form as much of their money as it took to buy power for his party. Now his party hopes to save failing ObamaCaare by wrapping it around his memory.
Ted Kennedy's party could learn something from Joe Kennedy: “I've had a tough time learning how to act like a congressman,” Joe once said, “today I accidentally spent some of my own money.”
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