Author: Carter McLellan – Date:

Contents

1. Early life, 1918-1950
2. New Orleans, 1951-1963
3. The JFK assassination saga, 1963-1967
4. Allegations and associations
5. Notes

Early life, 1918-1959

David William Ferrie was born in Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio, USA, on March 28, 1918. His family was Catholic Scottish-Irish and his parents were James Howard Ferrie (b. 1890 – d. 1950) and Burdette Couts Goldrick (1879-1962). (1) David’s paternal grandfather, Patrick Thomas Ferrie (b. 1864 – d. 1949) joined the Cleveland Fire Department in 1894, and later served was the Fire Warden for 20 years. David’s father served 23 years with the Cleveland Police Department. His uncle, William R. Ferrie served for 50 years with the Cleveland Fire Department. (2)

David’s sister Parmely Thomas was born on October 30, 1924. The Ferrie family was living at 5411 Clark Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio. The Ferrie family moved in 1928 to 17302 LaVerne Drive, Cleveland, Ohio. In 1928, the Ferrie family moved to 17302 LaVerne Drive, Cleveland, Ohio. From 1929 to 1932, David reportedly visited St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, where he served as an altar boy, was on the choir, and was allegedly molested by a priest. In 1931, he allegedly failed to implicate this priest for immoral conduct, but was labeled as a liar.

He reportedly became physically and emotionally ill by 1930, and dropped out of school as a result in 1931. He was apparently suffering from alopecia and depression, and his father wrote a note stating his son was treated with ultraviolet radiation and quartz light treatment, which was not useful for his condition. David reportedly remained ill into 1932 and plays the piano. About the age of 14, a priest restores his faith and he practices on an organ at church and returns to school, attending St. Ignatius High School. He graduated at the age of 18, having written for the school newspaper, served on the debate team and was into theater.

In September 1935, David enters John Carroll University, a Jesuit institution. He was e prominent member of the Tiffin Glee Club, wrote for The Carroll News and was on the debate team. Due to certain emotional issues, he was forced to repeat a year. Instead of graduating his senior year, he enters the Saint Mary Seminary in September 1938, attending for two years. The rector considered him unsuitable for the priesthood because of brashness, compulsive leadership complex, excessive criticism of superiors, and “came to be regarded among his associates as rather antinomian” (one who believes that faith alone is enough for salvation, moral code unnecessary. He was asked to leave the seminary, stress and depression causes him hair loss and allegedly he claimed his homosexuality became fully developed in this period. He attempted to reapply but was rejected.

In 1940, David’s father got him into Baldwin-Wallace College, where his prior credits were transferred and he intended to obtain a law degree. He reportedly worked a part-time job pumping gas at a station. From 1940 to 1941, he was a teacher at Rocky River High School. Frances McKee, a supervisor, described Ferrie as a poor teacher, trickster, bluffer, shrewd, and probably a liar; complaints were received of him psychoanalyzing his students, but no moral complaints.

On June 9, 1941, David graduated from Baldwin-Wallace with a BA in Philosophy. From 1941 to 1944, still wanting to be a priest, David applied and attended the Society of the Precious Blood at St. Charles Seminary in Carthagena. Rev. Francis B. Sullivan, professor of philosophy, recalled Ferrie to have been preconditioned psycho, impresses people by pretending to be an expert, and talent for character assassination. Ferrie allegedly claimed to have been sexually assaulted by a priest.

Around December 1941, Ferrie began taking flying lessons at the new Civil Air Patrol (CAP) squadron in Ohio and remains associated with CAP. In late 1943, Ferrie was told that he will not become a Perpetual Member in the Society, he was warned that he needed to radically change his behavior and submission to authority. Upon questioning, he allegedly described incidents at the seminary of a high level priest’s sexual demands or face expulsion. He needs psychiatric treatment.

He returned to the seminary and spends a year trying to reestablish himself, but faculty votes to turn down his request to return for a fourth year. His father James, at some point, wrote to the seminary mentioning his medical problems, including hyperthyroid condition. He also had high blood pressure and exopthalmia and alopecia. On November 27, 1944, Ferrie left St. Charles Seminary because of emotional instability, after he was told to leave.

Ferrie eventually obtains a pilots license and began teaching aeronautics at Benedictine High School, but later fired for several infractions including taking boys to a house of prostitution. He reportedly also became an insurance inspector. He reportedly suffered from another nervous breakdown, at some point, and allegedly attempts suicide. He is given emergency psychiatric care at a hospital, and the incident is “hushed up”.

In 1946, one report alleges, Ferrie joined the Blyorussian Liberation Front and was ordained a priest in the Old Catholic Orthodox Church of North America. In 1947, Ferrie joined the CAP as an adult Senior Member with the Fifth Cleveland Squadron at Hopkins Airport.

New Orleans, 1951-1963

Sometime in 1951, David Ferrie moved from Cleveland, Ohio, to New Orleans, Louisiana, and began working for Eastern Airlines. His CAP activities were transferred to the New Orleans Cadet Squad at Lakefront Airport, where he served as an Instructor and later Commander.

In December 1954, a Ferrie-trained cadet died resulting in Ferrie’s CAP reappointment being declined. He was asked to be a guest aerospace instructor for a smaller squadron at Moisant Airport. From June to September 1955, Ferrie was a lecturer at Moisant Airport.

It was in this period that Ferrie apparently came into direct contact with Lee Harvey Oswald. On July 27, 1955, Oswald joined the CAP squadron at Moisant Airport. By 1956, Ferrie had allegedly recruited Oswald into the FBI’s Division Five.

In March 1958, a former cadet invited Ferrie back to the New Orleans CAP squadron where he served unofficially. At some point, Ferrie became interested in the Cuba situation. Initially he had been supportive of the anti-Batista movement led by Fidel Castro, but by mid-1959 had become convinced Castro was a communist and joined the anti-Castro movement.

In September 1959, Ferrie was reinstated as executive officer for the New Orleans CAP squadron. However, by June 1960, Ferrie quit the New Orleans CAP after a disagreement during a bivouac. In September 1960, Ferrie started his own unofficial CAP squadron called Metairie Falcon Cadet Squadron. An offshoot was the Internal Mobile Security Unit, which was a group formed to join the fight against Castro.

Things began to get increasingly parapoltical after this point. By 1960, Ferrie allegedly teamed with Eladio Del Valle in fire bomb raids in Cuba. From 1960 to 1961, Ferrie also allegedly worked for Guy Banister. By easy 1961, Ferrie began working with Sergio Arcacha Smith, head of the Cuban Democratic Revolutionary Front backed by the CIA.

In July 1961, Ferrie was interviewed for a magazine. He reportedly gave an anti-Kennedy speech to the New Orleans chapter of the Military Order of World Wars, then was asked to leave the podium.

In August 1961, Ferruie was fired from Eastern Air Lines following two arrests over morals charges. His CAP group eventually folds. Over the years he had used his official and unofficial CAP groups to develop improper relationships with boys from ages 14 to 18.

At some point in 1961, Ferrie had reportedly been involved in a Schlumberger arms depot raid in Houma, alongside Guy Banister, Sergio Arcacha Smith, and Gordon Novel. The arms had reportedly been intended for the OAS, which was attempting to assassinate French President Charles de Gaulle. The arms were said to have been dropped off at Ferrie’s home, Novel’s office building and Guy Banisters office. Furthermore, in 1961, Herbert R. Wagner, Jr. recalled meeting Ferrie and Arcacha Smith, who was needing a loan. Wagner was later threatened. 

In February 1962, Banister helped Ferrie with his legal issues in a dispute with Eastern Airlines involving charges by the airline and police of crimes against nature and extortion. Since 1962, Ferrie started working for G. Wray Gill, the lawyer for mob boss Carlos Marcello. Supposedly, Ferrie was the pilot who flew Carlos Marcello back to the US from Guatemala, in February 1962.

A grudge had reportedly developed between Jack Martin, who worked for Banister, and Ferrie since June 1963, when Martin failed to obtain a job for Gill.

In September 1963, Oswald was allegedly seen in Clinton, LA, with Ferrie and others. Delphine Roberts, who worked for Banister, alleged Oswald was interviewed for the position of undercover agent at Banister’s office and attended rifle training camp with Ferrie. But claim was found to be unreliable.

The JFK assassination saga, 1963-1967

Almost immediately after the JFK assassination on November 22, 1963, at 12:30 pm, approximately 2 hours 50 minutes afterwards, Ferrie and two friends decide to drive to Vinton, Louisiana, to Houston and then Galveston, TX, to visit the Winterland Skating Rink. Various reasons given for the trip have included an effort to obtain information about ice skating rinks in order to open one in New Orleans. He reportedly spoke to a rink manager Chuck Roland. Another reason was to go geese hunting.

Ferrie was almost immediately implicated in the JFK assassination within days. On November 25, Jack Martin had apparently told the FBI that Ferrie might have hypnotized Oswald into committing the assassination. New Orleans DA Jim Garrison arrested Ferrie and two others on vacancy charges and held for investigation by the FBI and USSS on the same day. However, Ferrie was released the following day on November 26. The FBI questioned Ferrie on November 27, during which time Ferrie showed them his library card. Following this, Ferrie had attempted to visit Oswald’s former landlady in New Orleans and a neighbor, he also contacted several former CAP associates to obtain information about Oswald, including any photos of Oswald in his squadron. Roy McCoy told FBI about this.

Between 1963 to 1964, it was reported that Ferrie as piloted a plane that carried Clay Shaw of the ITM and Richard White of Freeport Minerals to Cuba on business for a nickel ore deal to a Canadian “front” company. Guy Banister hired Ferrie and Jack Martin to investigate the deal and had files on it.

Several years passed, but by 1967 DA Garrison had launched is own investigation into the JFK assassination in which Ferrie came up as a suspect. On February 18, 1967, Ferrie told the press that Garrison was out to get him and had him pegged as an Oswald getaway pilot. He denied involvement in a conspiracy. Lou Ivon said Ferrie called him stating he was a deadman.

On February 22, 1967, Ferrie died by suicide or natural causes. Garrison believed it was a suicide and thought two notes were suicide notes. One note was found in a pile of papers stating it was a sweet prospect to die. Another was a note to Al Beauboeuf to whom he bequeathed all his items. Dr. Nicholas Chetta, who apparently had aided the Garrison investigation, and Robert A. Welsh determined it was natural causes from a ruptured blood vessel at the base of the skull “beury aneurysm”. Initially, Chetta allegedly thought he smelt poison. Chetta was known for selling “natural causes” verdicts.

Chetta ruled the time of death before midnight, but reporter Lardner claimed he had been with him until just before 4am. Garrison had apparently been preparing to arrest Ferrie. Inside of Ferrie’s mouth was said to have been burned. Many believed Ferrie was murdered, including Wendall Roache, Benton Wilson and John Wilson. RFK reportedly called Chetta to inquire about Ferrie’s death.

Allegations and associations

Interesting Contacts

Besides coming from a locally influential Irish-Catholic family from Cleveland, Ohio, David Ferrie earliest known intriguing connection came through his involvement in the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). It was here that Ferrie evidently had Lee Harvey Oswald back in 1955, when Oswald was around 15 years old. CAP has been described on this site on various occasions because of its parapolitical connections.

Ferrie had started to get involved in CAP while still in Cleveland, Ohio, back around December 1941, when the organization was founded. Intriguingly, a co-founder of CAP was Texas oilman D. Harold Byrd. Of particular interest is the fact that Byrd purchased the Southern Rock Plow Company building at 411 Elm Street, Dallas, TX, the building that would later be leased by 1963 to the Texas School Book Depository (TSBD). Infamously, Oswald was hired here in October 1963, and would go on to assassinate the President from the sixth floor of the TSBD.

This might seem like an insignificant coincidence, but there are more ties here that raise intriguing questions. Byrd’s wife was on the board of a cystic fibrosis charity set up by George de Mohrenschildt, someone who was in direct contact with Oswald between 1962 to 1963. Furthermore, de a Mohrenschildt had reportedly worked for Byrd at some point, as well as for fellow Dallas Petroleum Club member Clint Murchison, Sr., someone who was close to Byrd.

Additionally, Byrd had maintained business relations with oil companies of the Rockefellers and Mellons. He was friends with LBJ, John Connolly and other prominent Texans. Other reported friends of Byrd included Allen Dulles and Charles Cabell, top brass of the CIA. Byrd had been a supporter, like Murchison, of the CIA controlled Crusade for Freedom, and he had attended Murchison’s Hotel Del Charro. Another attendee of Del Charro was reportedly the mob boss Carlos Marcello, whose lawyer G. Wray Gill hired Ferrie as an investigator. Interestingly, Oswald’s uncle Dutz Murret was said to have been linked to Marcello’s network through Sam Saia.

The circles of connections don’t end here. Take Byrd’s friend Charles Cabell, Deputy CIA Director, who among other speaking engagements, gave a speech to the Dallas Council on World Affairs, an organization of which de Mohrenschidlt was a member and where the Dulles brothers also have speeches. Furthermore, Cabell was said to have been in context is Ed Butler, Director of INCA, which was funded by the Murchisons. Butler also featured on a radio debate with Carlos Bringiuer of the CIA-backed DRE and Oswald. Prior to that debate, Oswald had attempted to infiltrate the DRE chapter. Another loop can be found through Oswald and his relationship with the Paines family, whose parents were friends with Dulles mistress Mary Bancroft. It was De Mohrenschildt who put the Oswald’s in contact with the Paines, and it Ruth Paine who helped land Oswald a job at the TSBD. These scenarios have been repeatedly mentioned on this site, and it remains a highly intriguing set of circumstances.

It might be interesting to note another CAP member from New Orleans, Berry Seal, who came up in drug trafficking allegations involving the Medellin Cartel from 1981 to 1986. This affair ties into the Mena, Arkansas, scandal as well as Iran Contra. Seal would end up shot to death in 1986, under questionable circumstances.

Through CAP back in Cleveland, Ferrie had met George E. Boesch Jr. in 1951. Boesch stated he had once flown with Ferrie to Cleveland to meet his family, and remembered the presence of George Piazza, who would end of dead in a tragic plane crash a month before the death of Ferrie. Piazza had worked for Jim Garrison in 1964, and became the lawyer of James Lewallen during the Garrison investigation. Lewallen had been a roommate of Ferrie in New Orleans and had also met him in Cleveland. Lewallen had at some point lived on Dauphine Street and met Clay Shaw. Furthermore, Lewallen had met Dante Marochini, who had worked at the Reilly Coffee Company, where Oswald was employed. The owners of the Reilly company would also later show up as financiers of Butler’s INCA.

Another highly intriguing relationship of Ferrie was with Guy Banister, who wound up dead by heart attack in 1964. Banister headed the Anti-Communism League of the Caribbean, which involved Maurice Brooks Gatlin (died by heart attack), and Felix Rodriguez, an anti-Castro Cuban reportedly acquainted with Barry Seal and later involved in Iran Contra. Banister had an office in the same building located at 544 Camp Street, an address that inexplicably appeared on Oswald’s pro-Castro FPCC literature.

Ferrie’s links to anti-Castro Cuban Sergio Arcacha Smith, is highly intriguing as well. Smith knew Butler of INCA and had rented space at 544 Camp Street for the CRC New Orleans branch. In 1961, Ferrie, Banister, Smith and Gordon Novel allegedly participated in a “raid” on a Schlumberger arms depot in Houma. The weapons had allegedly been intended for the OAS, which was attempting to assassinate Charles de Gaulle. The previously mentioned Gatlin had reportedly handled CIA funds destined for the OAS. Interestingly, Schlumberger was linked to De Mohrenschidlt acquaintance Jean de Menil.

Herbert R. Wagner Jr., who was later intimidated, recalled Ferrie and Smith coming to meet him in an effort to obtain loans. Smith also came up in the investigation of Rose Cherami’s strange death. She had allegedly been a dancer at Jack Ruby’s Carousel Club and just days before the Kennedy assassination had reportedly predicted the event. Cherami had apparently been a club with Smith, but he denied this. She somehow ended up on a road and was taken to a hospital where she made the alleged prediction. This aspect will be touched on in the last section of this article.

It is interesting to note that Ferrie had purportedly been supported of Fidel Castro in opposition to Batista. However, he became convinced that Castro was a communist and then joined the anti-Castro movement. As a side note, this was similar to rumors about Jack Ruby, as well as the CIA. It appears that it was through Ferrie’s involvement in CAP that he became a participant in the Cuba situation. In 1960, Ferrie reportedly team up with a certain Eladio Del Valle in fire bomb raids in Cuba. It turns out that Del Valle was brutally murdered in Miami, Florida, the same day Ferrie died under curious circumstances.

Various claims have been made, such as by Gordon McFarland and Jack Martin, that Ferrie was acquainted with Dr. Mary Sherman, who worked for Alton Ochsner, the founder of INCA which Sherman supported. Sherman ended up dead under highly suspicious circumstances in 1964. The prime suspect was supposedly linked to Oswald. Certainly, Sherman was friends with Martin Palmer, Ferrie’s doctor. Ferrie was said to have had white mice and a treatise on cancer.

It is noteworthy that Ferrie and Del Valle died in 1967, during DA Jim Garrison’s investigation. Dr. Nicholas Chetta, who died in 1968, was the one who ruled the cause of death as natural causes. Despite that, Chetta had reportedly aided Garrison in reported manipulation of the case. It is certainly interesting that Robert F. Kennedy seemed to be following these events in New Orleans, to the point that he contacted Chetta to inquire about the untimely death of Ferrie. Jules Ricco Kimble and Jack Helms reportedly had taken files from Ferrie’s home and left for Canada with support from Walter Sheridan.

It is worth noting the Clay Shaw-Freeport Mineral connection with Ferrie reportedly found in the files of Guy Banister. The business has counted various prominent members over the decades.

Ferrie’s alleged connection to the FBI’s Division Five seems to have not been proven, but it worth mentioning again as it comes up in discussion about Permindex, which involved Clay Shaw.

Sexual Allegations

This section could be greatly expanded, but will be touched on briefly. It was widely known that Ferrie was a homosexual, but also allegedly a pedophile. He had allegedly been molested at an early age and was known to have been surrounded by young boys over the years, especially through his CAP activities. These reports certainly fall in line with the behavior and contacts of someone like Clay Shaw, or even Jim Garrison. Some reports have New Orleans pinned down as a hub of sorts for parapolitical networks. There’s no doubt that the place was heavily linked into the MKULTRA blackmail operations.

One allegation has Ferrie, Shaw and Novel involved in prostitution in New Orleans, which allegedly somehow involved Jack Ruby. Certainly the Rose Cherami story is interesting, as she had been involved in prostitution between Dallas and New Orleans. Another former dancer of Ruby who lived between New Orleans and Dallas even implicated Ruby in anti-Castro activities. He husband had committed suicide in 1962 and she had been followed and intimidated later one when she wanted to give this testimony. What’s particularly interesting about Cherami, besides that she allegedly predicted the assassination, was that she claimed Oswald had known Ruby and that they were in a homosexual relationship. Whether or not that was accurate, this theme constantly reoccurs throughout this case.

Notes

1. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7067544/david_william-ferrie
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Ferrie
3. https://isgp-studies.com/john-f-kennedy-assassination-of-1963
4. https://isgp-studies.com/misc/death-list/articles/1967_02_22_David_Ferrie_death
5. https://isgp-studies.com/misc/Kennedy/data/1982-07-07-bernard-fensterwald-deposition-on-jfk-assassination-permindex-cmc-french-connection.pdf
6. https://isgp-studies.com/misc/Kennedy/data/1981-11-04-eir-permindex-cmc-jfk-oas-report.pdf
7. Joan Mellen, ‘A Farewell to Justice’
8. Jim Garrison, ‘On the Trail of the Assassins’
9. 2015, Edward T. Haslam, ‘Dr. Mary’s Monkey’
10. 2014, Judyth Vary Baker, ‘David Ferrie’ (note this author’s overall credibility is in serious question)