John Sampas

When Jan died in June 1966, her heirs John Lash and David Bowers, decided not to continue the Florida "forged will" case. Gerald Nicosia, whom Jan appointed her literary executor, fought to continue the case on her behalf, but after lengthy court proceedings his literary executorship was denied by the New Mexico courts and he thereby had to forfeit all rights to pursue litigation on Jan's behalf.

However, in September 2002 Paul Blake Jr resumed the Florida case, and will attempt to prove that Gabrielle Kerouac's will, which left Jack Kerouac's multi-million dollar estate to the Sampas family, is a forgery.

Official Jack Kerouac website: http://www.cmgww.com/historic/kerouac/

Good Kerouac bio and links: http://www.beatmuseum.org/kerouac/jackkerouac.html

Matt Miller on Jack Kerouac and the Satori Highway, good bio of "On the Road"
http://www.literarytraveler.com/kerouac/jackkerouac.htm

John's bio of Jack: http://www.cmgww.com/historic/kerouac/biography.html

John Sampas has controlled the Jack Kerouac Estate since his sister Stella Sampas died in 1990. Stella was Jack's third wife, and was married to him when he died on October 21, 1969. In his will Jack left everything to his mother Gabrielle. When Gabrielle died she left everything to Stella Sampas. Paul Blake , Jack Kerouac's nephew, was not mentioned in Stella's will, something he bitterly resents to this day.

John Sampas has done a superb job managing the Kerouac Estate. Under his management Kerouac publishing has flourished, with "Some of the Dharma", "Atop an Underwood", two volumes of Selected Letters and many other key unpublished Kerouac texts reaching the public. John has also played a key role in the establishment of the Kerouac monuments in Lowell, a series of huge polished granite slabs etched with quotations from key Kerouac books such as "On the Road", "Dr. Sax" and "Visions of Cody".

Every October, Lowell hosts the "Lowell Celebrates Kerouac" commemorative, a week-long celebration of the life and works of Jack Kerouac, largely through John's efforts..