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Unknown Stories of WNY: Local Lens Captured Accused Assassin's Assassination

Isadore "Izzy" Bleckman is retired and living in Western New York these days, but 54 years ago, the Chicago native was on the scene of one of the most dramatic events of the 1960's. He was a news photographer and was rolling as Jack Ruby stepped out of the crowd and killed accused JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.

CLARENCE, NY - In the coming months, a piece of history will be auctioned off at Kelly's Antiques in Clarence. It is a Bolex motion picture camera, that has been stored in a metal carrying case marked CBS News.

It is the camera that captured decades of history, shot the iconic series, "Charles Kuralt, On The Road" and years of features for CBS Sunday Morning. The camera belongs to WNYer Isadore "Izzy" Bleckman.

One of the most profound and lasting images that this camera filmed came within Izzy's first few months as a news photographer. He was assigned to cover the aftermath of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. He arrived in Dallas on November 22, 1963. Izzy shot the scene as Lee Harvey Oswald was brought into Dallas Police Headquarters. He went out and shot the Texas Book Depository, the theater where Oswald was arrested, and finally the transfer of the prisoner on November 24th, or so he thought.

Izzy was boxed out upstairs by the crowd of photographers, so he went down to the garage loading dock to get a quick shot or two of Oswald being moved. Just after Izzy got into position, Oswald was led out by deputies, and from the shadows, emerged Jack Ruby. A single gunshot rang out and Ruby was gang-tackled as Oswald died at the scene.

Bleckman remembers it like it was yesterday, and soon the camera that captured the drama will go to the highest bidder.

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