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The Story of the Jewish Defense League |
bembarrassed, and even a number of our own JDL people
bcould not understand the “alliance” with Colombo who, it
bwas claimed, was a leading figure in the Mafia.
bOur initial contacts with Colombo and his group had been
bmade in early 1971. Some sixty members of the Civil Rights
bLeague had appeared at our demonstration in Washington
bin March of that year carrying a huge banner with a “Save
bSoviet Jewry” slogan and the name “Italian-American Civil
bRights League” prominently featured. I had been invited to
ba meeting of the group at a Manhattan hotel in April, where
bI had first met Colombo and addressed them, urging them
bto have “pride in their ethnic origin.” In an interview the
bsame month with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Colombo’s
bson Anthony told the wire service that “we are 100 percent
bin favor of the work the JDL is doing. They are fighting for
bthe civil rights of Jewish people in the Soviet Union and the
bUnited States as we are fighting for the civil rights of our
bpeople in the U.S. We will stand with the JDL in all their
bdemonstrations.” He added that his group had participated,
btoo, in a JDL march into Hightstown, New Jersey, to protest
ba series of cross burnings there by the Ku Klux Klan.
bYoung Colombo appeared at a Soviet Jewish rally spon-
bsored by the JDL at Hunter College and, in an interview
bover the American Broadcasting Company’s television net-
bwork, openly declared Italian-American support for the
bcampaign of freedom for Soviet Jewry. Joe Colombo him-
bself stated the same thing on May 13, saying: “As the rabbi is
ba fighter for his people in Russia, we are fighting to free our
bpeople right here in the United States.” Colombo said these
bwords as we stood outside Brooklyn Federal Court, where I
band seven other JDL people had just been arraigned on
bcharges of conspiracy involving weapons. The previous
bevening I had been taken into custody as I prepared to
btravel to what promised to be a packed synagogue in Cherry
bHill, New Jersey, and from there to all-day appearances in
bNorfolk, Virginia. I was arrested on East 40th Street as I left
bthe offices of Bert Zweibon. Held overnight at the Federal
bHouse of Detention on West Street—where the prisoners,
bwho had heard of the arrest on the radio, waited for me until
b