Mr. Rossi. Now, I’m going to just take a guess at the dates when I say the 20th—it may have been the 19th. I would have to go back and check some of these things, but I would say roughly somewhere about the 20th, or the day before I left for Brownsville. I was going to a brokers meeting on South Padre Island.
Mr. Griffin. Maybe this would refresh your recollection. When you were interviewed by the FBI on November 25, they have reported that you told them you thought it was the 20th that you saw him; would your recollection at that time have been accurate?
Mr. Rossi. I think that’s about correct, because I believe the President was assassinated on the 22d.
Mr. Griffin. That’s right.
Mr. Rossi. That’s when I arrived in Brownsville. I left the previous evening, and I believe it was just the day before, when I spoke to Jack, so I would say it was the 20th—that’s—the 20th is about correct, and at that time he discussed two things with me. He had with him a novelty item—a twistboard. It was not very large, about a foot or so square and on a swivel base or a bearing base, and he was quite enthused about it. I go in for some of those little promotional deals of one nature or another, and Jack knew it so he asked my opinion of it and told me it looked like it was going to be a hot item. His brother or relative or some friend, I forget whether it was locally or in Chicago, manufactured them so he had the exclusive or the complete deal on it. The object was to get on the board and twist and that exercised you. In other words, it would be an entertaining or amusement type of exercise—both at the same time.
Mr. Griffin. Did you express any opinion to him?
Mr. Rossi. Yes; I thought it had good possibilities, and had pretty good appeal, and there were various other things that we spoke of regarding it. He was looking for a little financing or possibly wasn’t looking for financing. I am trying to recollect whether he wanted some financing on it or not, and how much it would take to go into it on a big scale. He asked if I was interested and I told him at the time I wasn’t. I was pretty well tied up and involved with the South Padre Island resort properties and we were doing some promotional work on the sales of the island, so I told him I would take a raincheck on it.
Mr. Griffin. What was the other business you talked about?
Mr. Rossi. The other business he also discussed with me was regarding a new type of club—a new type of nightclub, and that it was going to be better, or upgraded from what he had, and I think it was going to be somewhat of a girlie club—swankier and all that—I don’t know whether it was going to be a burlesque or not—I don’t quite recall.
Mr. Griffin. Did you ever hear him mention anything about a Playboy Club?