(Released under the John F- Kennedy Assassination Records coriection Att of 1992 (44 USC PIER NOEEY- DATE Sranbhio bak RY bt re . CO 7 GOVERNMENT | | - Legat ,. Havana (64-153) . dae ees nbeisee tay AMERICAN GAMBLING ACTIVITIES IN. CUBA PeRERYIS UICLICSE ANT1-RACKETEERING | SME 76 PYSC ae . Reference Havana letter January 8, 1959. Since the ” . submission of reference letter, the following information has been V- developed concerning the activities of American gamblers. in Havana; f* . The gambling casinos in Cuba were closed from January l, 1959, the date of the overthrow of the BATISTA regine, until | February 19, 1959, when certain casinos were permitted to reopen by government decree. Contacts with numerous sources affiliated with American gamblers in Cuba indicated that during ,the period gambling casinos were closed very little overt effort was made on the part of any of the American interest holders to obtain permission to reopen. On January 8, 1959, HAV-31 advised that American casino operators intended to have casinosand hotel employees bring. pressure to bear on the Cuban Government to permit the reopening of gambling _ '. casinos. Subsequently numerous demonstrations were held by employees of the various gambling casinos petitioning the government to permit- - the reopening of the casinos in order to provide employment for the - hotel and casino workers. Permission was finally granted on ~ February 19, 1959, for the following casinos to reopen: Tropicana, — Sans Souci, Comodoro,. Riviera, Hilton, Nacional, -Capri and St. Johns. ~+ The Deauville, Sevilla- Biltmore and Plaza casinos were not granted > permission to reopen. ; \ -HAV-31 advised on February 21, ‘1959, that the government --. decree allowing certain .gambling casinos to reopen had been brought _ about by the strong threats made on the part of the hotel employees’ unions to go on strike unless their demands were heard and the - casinos reopened. Source -noted that the Cuban ‘Government began February 11, 1959, to confiscate all slot machines in all. gambling | casinos in Havana. eee as New Yor , a t 18 3 WE ‘dd: SH I in. O a, | 7 - Bureau (1, each:. Miami poo ech 3 “f es 1 - Havana ' an DJB: MEG Pty (8) : Pees, \ Docld: 32339976 Page 2?
“Released. under-the-Jehn-F > Kennedy Assassination Records Collection ; Ce oan wunlerthe ’ Cords Co ection Act of 1992 (47 ToT Hotes 4 . Havana 64-153 7 3/13/59 HOTEL NACIONAL CASINO: | be | | en bet / On January 15, 1959, HAV-31 informed’ that there had been. a realignment in the ownership of the Hotel Nacional casino and that, interests were now held only by MICHAEL{MCLANEY , CHARLES {SCHWARTZ , hoy and (FNU)@RAFFERTY. Source stated that RAFFERTY was reported to be Joma” from Miami. Ala. a [om Havana newspapers under date of February 19, 1959, reported that MICHAEL McLANEY, one of the interest holders in the Hotel Nacional casino, had been detained at Rancho Boyeros airport upon entry into Cuba from Florida because he had $15,000 in Cuban money in his possession. THis money was confiscated from McLANEY, AL FRANCIS, an employee of the Hotel Nacional casino, advised on March 9, 1959, that McLANEY had not been able to obtain the return of the $15,000 from the Cuban Government. , . HOTEL CAPRI CASINO: a N ptr / Ow! m January 6, 1959, Vice Consul Hugh D. Kessler of the cee NICHOLABYDI “COSTA Section of the American Embassy, Havana, advised that NICHO DI ‘COSTANZO, one of the interest holders at the Capri | casino, had been arrested by members of the militia of the July 26 Movement two or three days after the overthrow of the BATISTA Government. Vice Consul Kessler said that $1,000 was "seized" | from DI COSTANZO and- he was instructed to get out of Cuba. Mr. | _ Kessler said that DI COSTANZO had left Cuba. a On February 26, 1959, HAV-31 advised that since the re- opening of the Capri casino, NICHOLAS DI COSTANZO was bein represented by a nephew named ANGELO (LNU). : SANS SOUCI CASINO: a Cube. . On February 13, 1959, PCI Guido de Phillips, former employee of SANTO TRAFFICANTE, advised that the gambling element . pad received information that F L CASTRO, Prime Minister of- Cuba, did not desire that SAN RAFFICANTE, JR., continue his. es gambling operation at the Sans Souci NightClub because it was well ot known that TRAFFICANTE had been closely associated with, ROBERTO: . : ‘ FERNANDEZ MIRANDA, brother-in-law of former Cuban .President, FULGENCIO BATISTA. Source stated that movie actor ERROLAY LYNN had-&pparent ly endeared himself to FIDEL CASTRO by publicizing a visit he had made to CASTRO when CASTRO was in Oriente Province prior to the overthrow of the BATISTA Government. Source stated that CASTRO had asked . ERROL FLYNN to recommend a reliable person to operate the Sans Souci casino. FLYNN, according to source, got in touch with RONK WARNOCK, ee Smee set 1 1 P, 0.-Box_152,. Marysville, Washington. Source described WARNOC } ‘as a punch board Operator in the WaShington-Oregon area. Source stated. that WARNOCK subsequently came to Cuba and offered TRAFFICANTE $175,000 | Lo 8 : ~2- “8 PASE. 4 5 | Docld: 32339976 Page 3
Réleased under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 USC 2107qote}- /? DATE: 11-14-2017 - . > wm ee ~ . cs vam ‘ ~~ o Havana 64-153 \ 3/13/59 \ but that the New York-New Jersey ‘Syndicate which TRAFFICANTE represents wanted $250,000 for the Sans Souci. PCI De Phillips advised on March 10, 1959, that the "deal" between TRAFFICANTE and WARNOCK had fallen through since.TRAFFICANTE decided to make a false sale of the Sans Souci casino. and actually retain it himself. Source stated TRAFFICANTE still. retains possession of the casino and that it is now in the name of a front. Source did not know the front's identity. HOTEL ST. JOHNS CASINO: \ On February 26, 1959, HAV-31 advised that the St. Johns casino had operated for two or three nights after being given , permission to reopen by the Cuban Government, but it had again been closed. Source stated,that the new Cuban Government was of - the belief that one JULY{LARRAMENDI , a Cuban hoodlum, had an interest in the casino. . Cn babs On March 2, 1959, HAV-33 informed that LARRAMENDI had never had any interest in the St. Johns casino and the present owners of the casino expected to be able to show documentary proof of the actual ownership to the Cuban Government and obtain permission to reopen within a few days. HOTEL HAVANA- RIVIERA CASINO: » The Hote” Havana- Riviera casino is presently being supervised | by CHARLESKBARON who recently purchased an interest in that casino. MEYER ZANSKY is at present in the United States. On March 12, 1959, ve YEANSKY was detained by the Cuban poliée7-and as of the morning | _w of March 413, 1959, he was still being held. UA Gee, | HOTEL HAVANA- HILTON CASINO: n ren 9, 1959, HAV-33 advised Ahat the Havana-Hilton s casino had reopened but that neither J BF SILESI nor his brother, . ; CHARLES! had been observed at the casino. He said the Soe rawion of the casino,was bein handled by Cuban gamblers, RAUSAGONZALEZ"SEREZ,,/ om pmeiA TR ASCP EPO EAHA Hist and ANG (GONZALEZ (GONZALEZ. / f ‘ Te eee BS HOTEL PLAZA CASINO: a he | PCI Guido de Phillips, mentioned abdéve, advised on March 10, 1959, that he had been informed by JOEJS#ASSI, one of the major interest holders at the Hotel Plaza casino, that STASSI had made a "pay off" to an official of the Cuban Government (unidentified) in the amount of $50,000 in order to obtain permission for the Plaza casino to reopen. -3- : Docld: 32339976 Page 4
“Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 USC 2107 Hote} DATE: 11-14-2017 _ sy + | ( } Havana 64-153 | 3/13/59 Source stated that although the Plaza casino now had permission to reopen, they had no "bank roll" with which to, operate and that STASSI and other interest holders are contacting individuals in the United States in an effort to obtain a new bank roll. HOTEL COMODORO CASINO: This casino,. in which SANTO TRAFFICANTE, is the major interest holder, is patronized principally by Cubans and is managed by_BENNY “KFERNANDEZ who was brought to Cuba by TRAFFICANTE from Tampa, Florida. HAV-33 advised on March 9, 1959, that there had been no indication as yet of resuming gambling activities in this casino. TROPICANA NIGHT CLUB CASINO: HAV-31 advised on February 26, 1959, that the Tropicana gambling casino had reopened and that the manager of the casino - continued to be LO¥YMCWILLIE, an American gambler from Dallas, Texas. This casino is owned by Cubans. (1, / 4 ety The following casinos continue to remain closed: St. Johns, Deauville, Sevilla-Biltmore and Plaza. ; WHEREABOUTS OF AMERICAN HOODLUMS CONNECTED WITH GAMBLING ACTIVITIES IN HAVANA: _ —_ Both HAV-31 and HAV-33 have advised on numerous occasions Since January 1, 1959, that SANTO TRAFFICANTE, although remaining in Cuba, is staying “out of sight." PCI Alberto Suarez Aleman, who is employed at the apartment house where TRAFFICANTE normally resides, advisedcon March 11, 1959, that TRAFFICANTE has only visited the ' apartment house on a. few occasions to pick up clothing and that TRAFFICANTE's family returned to Florida in the early part of January, 1959. MEYER LANSKY (Miami Top Hoodlum) is in Florida. He left | Cuba on January 5, 1959. JACK LANSKY did not leave Cuba until after gambling casinos had received permission to reopen on February 19, 1959, and he returned to Cuba during the early part of March, 1959. WILLIAM GusTOyBIscHOFF (former Miami Top Hoodlum) has left Havana and HAV-33 advised on March 2, 1959, that he had received information that BISCHOFF was in Miami and did not intend to return to Cuba. he seoaneemne : -4- iY Docld: 32339976 Page 5