Offi Men a ~ dum ¢ UNITED { ™ -;}GOVERNMENT || Director, FBI (92-2781) DATE: January 23, 1959 4 Legat, Havana (92-1) oo, . “| SANTO TRAFFICANTE, JR., aka ANTI-RACKETEERING Reference Havana letter dated: December 10, 1958. \ ‘s On: December 19, 1958, HAV-33 informed that on December 13, ‘, 1958," “TRAFFICANTE had been observed at the Sans Souci Night Club and gambling casino in Havana in t. e company of his wife, two daughters and a nephew,. SANTO JOS RAFFICANTE, more commonly called "Santico.'' Source. e stated “Ehae “apparently “Santico" is Af now operating the popular casino known as the Kiosko, w which Ad tle Operates aS an “adjunct of the SanS Souci. “This popular casino is patronized by the poorer elements and appeals. principally to Cubans. emer ial (Se o27ve, On December 23, 1958, PCI Alberto Suarez Aleman (Conceal), doorman at_the apartment building where TRAFFICANTE resides, advised that the subject has a new 1959 light green Cadillac which his wife purchased in Florida. This Cadillac bears Florida license number 4WW3023. Source stated that subject's. nephew, "Santioo" had been given the 1955 Plymouth previously owned by the subject. 4 ¥E« LL a Lim re On December 18, 1958, HAV-31 informed that a Cuban by ‘the name of FNU SOSA is the publicity agent for the Sans Souci a re a> #ambling casino, as well as the gambling casino in t Hotel a Qe Comodoro. Source said that an individual named BENWRRGETNANDEZ, ~~ AN -a Tampa gambler, is the new manager of the. Comodoro casino. It , 24 should be noted that TRAFFICANTE has been reported to bé the Cu bre principal wees holder in this casino. er \ Clee N aa On January 1, 1959, after the downfall of the BATISTA Government mobs ‘of people: ransacked some of the gambling casinos in Havana during a period when law and order were nonexistent. sS The Hotel Deauville casino in which TRAFFICANTE has a 50% interest was ransacked and the gambling equipment thrown into the street. Repairs are underway in this casino. se ce In addition, the slot machines were removed by a group of unknown individuals from a ambling casino. The remaining| equi ment in this ARES AS 7S eR BGiamaged. Source advised that TRAFFI ANTE was able to take RPT, tons with the gambling equipment : at the Hotel Comodord@a he had the equipment: stored in various rooms 14n- the hotel, As a result none of this S equine / was damaged 3 tis eet "REC- Nia =, 7 _ Based fa ° 6: wa wT ss : J ele a7 fye ee | 8) 4 | Docld: 32566371 Page 1
|\\_. Havana 92-1 | - | 1/23/59 Sources have informed that TRAFFICANTE's wife, daughters, and nephew have departed from Cuba; however, TRAFFICANTE has remained in Cuba. On January 9, 1959, PCI Alberto Suarez Aleman stated that a few days after the overthrow ofthe BATISTA Government, TRAFFICANTE had been picked up by the Directorio Revolucionario (Revolutionary Directorate) (DR), one of the groups which fought for the overthrow of the BATISTA Government, held for a couple hours and then released. Source said TRAFFICANTE was concerned about losing his automobile and had turned it over to a newspaperman named.SALAS AMARO after the DR had twice tried to get it. Source said on January 8, 1959, members of the DR came to see TRAFFICANTE and asked him to open up the dining room and cabaret section of the Sans Souci Night Club. TRAFFICANTE advised them that he could not open these parts of the | Sans Souci without opening the gambling casino because his expenses were about $2,000 a day and he could only meet these expenses through winnings from the casino. Source said that TRAFFICANTE ‘had been visited by about 50 people involved in gambling activities in Havana during the period immediately after the overthrow of the BATISTA Government. Source said it appeared that discussions were being held by the various gambling interests as to what course American gamblers in Cuba should take with the new government. vie Legat, Havana, has previously advised that AMLETTO... . Cibay BATTISTI, a Cuban, congressman and bolita banker, was a close — “Associate of TRAFFICANTE and that™tHére Were indications he might bank some of the bolita bets from the Florida area. On January l, 1959, BATTISTI took refuge in the Uruguayan Embassy .. On January 9, 1959, PCI Guido De Phillips (conceal) advised that he, PHILLIPS, had recently been released from Principe prison, Havana, in the general release of prisoners which occurred | on January 1, 1959. Source said he previously worked for TRAFFICANTE as a chef and bodyguard at the Sans Souci Night Club. Source recalled that in connection with the financing of the Deauville casino he was requested, sometime during the period between January and March, 1958, by TRAFFICANTE to go to Rancho Boyeros airport outside Havana to pick up money from a messenger who had come over from Florida. Source. said that when he delivered the package of money to TRAFFICANTE | he ascertained that it contained, $500;000 and that it was "Jersey"™ ESE GRAFRRERED I ah a rR eas ae comes Extra copies of this letter ‘have been prepared for forwarding by the Bureau to the Miami”(2), Newark“(1), New York" (1) and Albany* ; (1) offices for information. Legat, Havana, will continue to attempt to develop sources concerning the subject. | . ° oN, ‘ ‘ - oe \ rar Yes . ed - an ~ Ne yo, Se ool te BON R . me . Docld: 32566371 Page 2