Community Corner

Westport’s Ties to JFK, the Mafia and Marilyn Monroe

John Reznikoff, owner of a Westport business, was featured in the This American Life radio show. It's the second consecutive episode that featured Westport.

In 1997, John Reznikoff thought the Kennedy family and the mob was out to get him. The collector of rare historical items felt he inadvertently made some powerful enemies when he came across documents linking John F. Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe and the mob together.

“I’m thinking that someone’s going to kill me, basically,” said Reznikoff. “That’s what’s going to happen, that this stuff was not supposed to be released.”

The only problem is that the documents turned out to be fabricated. His best friend who unearthed the documents turned out to be a con man.

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Reznikoff is the owner and founder of University Archives on 49 Richmondville Ave. He told his gripping tale of paranoia, betrayal and history on the popular “This American Life” radio show. For two weeks in a row, the most popular podcast in the world has . The latest episode is 427: Original Recipe.

Last year, Reznikoff purchased a Jeep Grand Cherokee once owned by Barack Obama. He recently sold the vehicle and kept the spare parts. A single spark plug fetched a high price $500. At the time of the JFK controversy, his office was based in Greenwich.

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To listen to the latest episode of This American Life, go to the official website. The Reznikoff segment begins 26 minutes into the episode.


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