AGENCY INFORMATION AGENCY: FBI RECORD NUMBER: 124-90068-10038 RECORD _SERIES: HO AGENCY FILE NUMBER:  62-75147-210-103 - DOCUMENT INFORMATION ORIGINATOR: FBI FROM: HAV TO: HO TITLE: DATE: 01/14/1958 PAGES: 5 SUBJECT: | AMERICAN GAMBLING ACTIVITIES IN CUBA DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER. TEXTUAL DOCUMENT i} ORIGINAL Unclassified ; NEW CLASSIFICATION: CLASSIFICATION: REVIEW DATE: : © 06/24/1998 UPDATE DATE: STATUS Redact - RESTRICTIONS: JFK Act 6 (4) COMMENTS: MEMO NW 45693 DociId:32328087 Page i -
RUF as iy pei CUBA . ECLASSTRIED BY Py “3-4 i (phtecal Attache, Havana, Cuba (64-153) N CONTAINED ny A KOLAS SH, TION CONTAINED | CLASSIFIED | % ; Manager of_the Hotel Nacional, confidentially. a Sed that SANTO~~ * ‘ TRAFFICANTE, JR., is making Severak: trips a week to the Hotel Naciong. apparently to contact MEYE NSKY, who has a large interest in the. ie operation of the casino-in—the--Hotel_Nacional. On January 9, 1958, « PCI GOFFREDQ \CELLINI (conceal) advised that TRAFFICANTE is actually contacting JAKE (NSKY,. not MEYER LANSKY, in his visits to the / Hoe 1 r-=44 Nacional. JA SKY oversees the e operations o: of the casino at. the ff sm ON KEPT i a Nes stow { we “es Remylet dated December 13 | “se Set forth below is additional information which has been developed concerning activities of American gamblers in Havana Sif the submission of referenced letter. AAy P N . nan CASINOS IN 0. ERATIO ( Reason - F {3 a Wilbur Clark's Casino, Hotel Nacional:7 a), : } i This casino continues to-be operated by the individuals © \ previously mentioned. On December 12, 1957, JULIOX RNANDEZ, Sales “0! Hotel Nacional. | CELLINI informed 6n January 7, | 1958, that SANTO ans RAFFICANTE, MARTINYPOX, part owner of the Tropicana Night Club, andi f ’’ JAKE LANSKY had private meeting at the Hotel Nacional... Source didfp “not know the matters discussed at this meeting .(X%) ny . .: On 12-9-57.PCI CELLINI informed that FRA ERICKSON *Ss. representative to Cuba and the one that protects ICKSON's interes ‘39 ‘\, is an individual named BURT IGGs, who is employed at the casino in if the Hotel Nacional. Source noted that ‘BRIGGS is an elderly individual and rather unpreposessing in appearance. He noted, however, that very time BRIGGS makes a re vn} for something to be done it is handled gue > Reon . vy aa wel U9. 75747~ 9/0- 108 AAR ee On l- on f DN A, \iatey, wa Washington_correspondent accredited the White House for Knight. Publicationezland.. for the New Y¢ pak Daa ape ws, Ba Wiser hat they hag as scen ained from a “ TONY VAUGHAN Managey reels Rh. that/the individuals with 1 the/principasZ inferestsi} no, atthe. Nacional 3 are as follows?” . a MOE BERNA aL ese YER HANSHY, SAMAMUG! it us OSERHYHC. CI GINTY. DsBiptn BS prtttent g pisalied by Gn ace a “Bp cy obese i , too N /-23-58 (i AGE iee_MM Up YY NW 45693 DociId:32328087 Page 2
Havana letter to the Director VAUGHAN further informed that the Hotel Nacional receives $300, 000; a year from the casino for rental and that in addition the gambling casino pays for the high priced entertainment that is brought in for the winter tourist season. PCI CELLINI advised on 1-7-58 that he. seriously doubts that SAM TUCKER has any money interest in the casino in the Hotel Nacional. He said that SAM TUCKER and JAKE LANSKY frequentl work together in the casino and that there is no doubt that JAKE LANSKY is the boss and that SAM TUCKER is merely working for him. (® y otel Comodoro. Cas ip °° Bp the past this casino has been managed_by_RALPI#KEINA, sO FBI No. 1370469, who previously was was associated i: in gambling. activities in fn Tampa,— Florida, and on gambling Ships off the West Coast. This casino is frequented by mostly Cubans HAV-4, who has furnished reliable information in the past, advised on ber 13, 1957, that SANTO “TRAFFIC E, JR., has an interest in the gambling casino in the Hotel , Comodoros] nh SCO) 50) P otel Havana _Riviera.Casino On January 7, 1958, it was ascertained through observation that the casino at the Hotel Havana Riviera is doing a t endous tbe! wr the afte: The qvening floor _boss_at,/this_casino is DIN LLINI and | ~ sthe afternoon floor boss is MAURICE /HiORONIT2, who was. brought. from Las “Megas by EDMUND INSON, who is.it over-all charge of the gambling operations of the, Havana Riviera. On December 23, 1957; FRANKYGENTILE, who operates the poker table at the Sans Souci Night Club, advised tha the pritcipal monéy in thé Casino at the Havana Riviera belongs to ty MEYER LANSKY and HARRY and moa, GENTILE indicated that the true} name of the SMITH brothers, who reputedty-are - -hotel operators in Toronto, Canada, is not SMITH, but he said he had no information as to what their correct name might be. Daw otel-Capricasinot a On December 18, 1957, J. Hotel jOiAshr ,» advised that CHARLE f. SK*LIEBERBAUM, part ownér of the - ITE, aka., CHARLIE,MOURINE, RIGHARD at I CONSTANZO continue. t¢@ ‘have substantial intdrestsin. the Casing at the Hotel™ Capri. “He intimated that these individuals were > members™ ‘of the Mafia_and that the Mafia definitely has an interest in the gambling operations in the hotels and night clubs in Havana. (® pe ee keane ae On 12-19-57 PCI GOFFREDO CELLINI advised that NICHOLAS DI CONSTANZO , Wass [far THE BUTCH, is the. hohe operator in the gambling casino at the Hotel Apri. we) 4 Tare -- NW 45693 DociId:32328087 Page 3
Havana letter to the Director TY gold Poe hehe a On December 30, 1957, JULIO FERNANDEZ, mentioned above, advised he had been personally informed by SANTO TRAFFICANTE that TRAFFICANTE has a substantial interest aia the gambaing casino at the Hotel Capri. (Dw | ” . i JOE MARTIN, also mentioned above; advised on 1-2-58 that \e, he had been confidentially informed that the casino in the Hotel Capri y is owned_by_ approximately, orty different individuals. Amon; these | ’ individuals e THEODORE GIPSON, wa., SUGAR. \ Wae, J. cia ta ROOKS, who So operates. the resi -aurant.. in. the Hotel * apri, \ RRIS, SANTO TRAFFICANTE and an individual known only as.~TONY BOY" from Newark, New Jersey. Other sources have indicated that GEORGE is reputed © to ‘have a piece of the casino in the Hotel Capri and source has advised that RAFT himself stated that he ownS a part in the casino. Or’ otel. Sevilla-Biltmore..Casino :: 770d ~ . This casino is owned by a Cuban Congressman, AMLETPO BATTISTI. vy he only American known Ao be employed in this Casino is WILLIAM HENRY J 3EECH,.. wae, ROBERT MY RRINGTON (B-CM-2), who «is: suspected of ‘being one of the subjects“in two Judge Baker swindles which took place in . Havana in 1957, BA“ t oe i t The principal o s in this casino continue to SANTO (7, TRAFFICANTE, JR., and JOE, STASSI, wa., Jon nocEns. JIMMY/ABAKER, a Te brother-in-law of DINO INI, was formerly in charge of {the Kiosko, |. a' small gambling casino that is an adjunct of the Sans Souci and which | is frequented by a “poor money crowd." BAKER returned to the United ‘4 __ States in early January, 1958, for an operation. ) ad ie opicana Night Club Casino: (® pe a Sans.Souci Night..Club..Casino: , we This casino is a Cuban operation. The principal interests in the casino are owned by MARTIN FOX and A ARDURAAMOYA., ARDURA ) i (protect) as.the OTHER 4 has been described by PCI ; “bag man* o NPERNENDEZY IRANDA, brother-in-law.of. President | BATISTA, has indicatad that through ARDURA, RNANDEZ didates who is allowed to set up slot machines in Cuba. “CU AWM R~ [go BQ | a ee NW 45693 DociId:32328087 Page 4
Yaa a Cuban, has gone out of business. (f) L__.-. -- . - 7 a be eee _ This casino, which: was ¥eputedly owned by INDALECIO | In an article - dated December * 18, 1957, in the Havana English- language newspaper, The Havana Post, it was stated that the "five and six" betting system at the Oriental: Park Race Track would be. operated electronically in the near future. It was indicated that approximately $800,000 worth of electronic equipment was being installed. Commencing with the middle of December horse racing was to be held at the track three times a week, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. According to HAY-4, { who has furnished reliable information in the past, zhe operatio “Of the. race track continues to be in the hands of LOWELLYSIRRELL. gambling i) casino in the Jockey Club at fiie track is operated by, GBORCENEVINE, a a close associate of CARMI DI BIASE, IO 2871 13) ; PURCELL, who had previously been reported to be the operator of the. e Orient Park Race- Track, was in actuality a technical advisor and that after PURCELL had straightened out operations at the track and put them on a going basis he was paid off with a "rubber check." Source said that PURCELL went back to Miami after being unable to get any, payment for li his services and that an individual by the name of JACKXCOOPER, who 4 operates—on—West_Flagler in Miami _and who had, recommended PURCELL appear, ed at the track about three > weeks before. in an effort to obtain some money for PURCELL 4) pw . "yg PCI (conceal) advised on 12-30-57 that JACK OTHER 4 ADDITIONAL CASINOS ALREADY UNDER CONSTRUCTION: neta A source has advised that an additional casino is presently - being’ constructed in the old Hotel Plaza in downtown Havana and that the individual ,with the principal money interest in this operation is JOE STASSI, wa., JOE ROGERS. Another source has informed that the Hotel Deauville, a recently remodeled hotel on the Malecon in Havana, would also get a license for a gambling casino. This hotel is reported to have been remodeled by an individual by the name of SAMXKAYE fron... Miami.! //Other sources indicated that JOE STASSI is in line. for the Operation of the casino in this hotel. FO aH ; was Z (ira bares oe er et, rib a . ral AQoeZAovsh NW 45693 DociId:32328087 Page 5