STANDARD FORM NO, 64 - 4 _ Office Memorindum ° UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT re) : Director, FBI (92-2781) paTE: June 10, 1959 FROM: Legal Attache, Havana (92-1) | yy _osrscr: SANTO TRAFFICANTE, JR., aka Cy | ANTI-RACKETEERING i Re Havana letter dated April 29, 1959. a, Cuba Vv On April 20, 1959, HAV-33 advised that BENITO FERNANDEZ continued to be the Manager of the Hotel Comodoro gambling casino for SANTO TRAFFICANTE. On May 4, 1959, HAV-33 informed that TRAFFICANTE had been observed in the Hotel Deauville casino on April 25, 1959. (canes noted that TRAFFICANTE was in the company of EVARISTO ‘) eo ee mee ence GARCIA and EUGENI YA LEAL, his two partners in the Hotel. Deauville /-j; lig ‘gambling operatioh. Source said that LEAL formerly had been a CY partner of the PERTIERRA brothers in the Montmartre casino. Source noted that many of the Cubans who were frequenting the Hotel Deauville casino were known users and sellers of narcotics. Source stated that TRAFFICANTE apparently was stopping by the Hotel Deauville casino on a daily basis about opening time. ‘Source advised further that TRAFFICANTE also dropped by the Hotel Comodoro casino, in which he has an interest, in the early morning hours on a daily basis. On May 4, 1959, HAV-31 verified the fact that SANTO TRAFFICANTE's partners in the Hotel Deauville casino were EVARISTO a and EUGENIO LEAL. : vy Flas aban On May 6, 1959, JACK LANSKY, Miami Top Hoodlum, and Bing) Ce /cELLINI, floor boss at the Hotel Havana Riviera gambling casino, ; a “were” arrested by Cuban, police authorities on allegations that {3 they were "international narcotics traffickers." On May 7, 1959% PCI ARTHUR NEWMAN (CONCEAL), Credit Manager, Hotel Nacional gams . bling casino, advised that TRAFFICANTE had been sitting in the - Hotel Riviera casino when the police picked up JACK LANSKY and DINO CELLINI there. Source said that when TRAFFICANTE. learned. that the police were also looking for him, he "sneaked" out of the Riviera and had gone into hiding. Ret — 9Z- g)gle Ir. "6 = Bureau — (1 - Albany Sq amet oo! At 1 - New York i Ay) 2 - Miami, 92-88)) AWObh> i - Havana an \S os a | pouch AN" rz a 1058 6 (s 6 185 ee ae a Docld: 325356393 Page 1
\ ed Havana 92-1 6/10/59 On May 18, 1959, HAV-33 advised that TRAFFICANTE con- _ tinued to be in hiding and had not been observed in any of the gambling casinos in Havana. On May 26, 1959, PCI ALBERTO SUAREZ ALEMAN (CONCEAL), doorman, Calle 12 No. 20, Havana, where subject maintains an apartment, advised that the subject continued to be in hiding from the Cuban police. Source stated he believed the subject was still in Havana and living not too far from his apartment. Source based this supposition on the fact that JERALD M, HAND, who previously had worked with the subject at the Sans Souci gambling casino, had come by the subject's apartment on the same day that subject went into hiding and had taken away some clothing for the subject. Source noted further that subject's maid con- tinued to drop by the apartment from time to time and that she had indicated she. was receiving instructions to do so from the subject. PCI SUAREZ stated that a daughter of the ‘subject ‘was to be married in Havana on June 21, 1959, and that a wedding party “was to be held at the Havana Hilton Hotel. Source said that the subject's wife had left Havana for Florida two days before the subject had gone into hiding. . Source said that since the sub- ject was presently in hiding, it was doubtful that the narriage would now be held in Havana. On June 8, 1959, CESAR BLANCO, Director General of Public Order for the Cuban’ Ministry of Government, advised that he has nf been attempting to locate and arrest SANTO’ TRAFFICANTE, BLANCO BLANCO i indicated that "REGUERA MARTINEZ had been taken into custody and that efforts to apprehend TRAFFICANTE were continuing. On' June 9, 1959, Lt. HECTOR COSTA QUINONES , Department of Logistics, Cuban Revolutionary Police, advised that SANTO TRAFFICANTE had been taken into custody by Cuban police. Extra copies of this letter have been prepared for forwarding by the Bureau to Albany (1), New York (1), and Miami (2) (Miami file 92-88). -p- 1 ! | St ee : | 3° a _ | pee ee te Lin =, See ot, \ DoclId: 325356393 Page 2?