Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act o 5 | DATE: 11-14-2017 . JFK Assassination System Date: 4/27/20] Identification Form Agency Information AGENCY: FBI RECORD NUMBER: —_124-10279-10238 RECORD SERIES: HQ AGENCY FILENUMBER: CR 100-42303-226 - . Document Information ; ORIGINATOR: FBI FROM: | LEG, HAVANA TO: DIRECTOR, FBI TITLE: « DATE: 10/11/1955 PAGES: 8 SUBJECTS : NRO, MAFIA, ORGANIZATION A/O MEMBERSHIP, BKG, CRIM ACT, METHOD OF OPERATION, LEGIMATE ENTERPRISES, POLIT ACT, CUBA DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT CLASSIFICATION: — Unclassified RESTRICTIONS: 4 CURRENT STATUS:  Redact DATE OF LASTREVIEW: 05/06/1998 OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE - COMMENTS : eo 9. . . 1- ‘Docld: 32301903 Page 1 :
Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1997 (44 USC 2107 Hote}. page: 11-14-2017 ° |, slcoeeme TO FROM supyecr: THE MAFIA - HAVANA DIVISION and Yo oraccnes fl " T= treme TT mee sera ee » H ? Office Memorandum ° UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT | MICK EM TES pPlosrector, FBI CONE DENTIAL PATE? October 1E, 1955 Legal Attaché - Havana} Cuba (9-11) é G8GRET - AIR CO GENERAL INVESTIGATIVE INTELLIGENCE FILE DRIMINAL SECTION, INVESTIGATIVE DIVISION IER No information has come to the attention of the Havana : “2nere are a ni er 3 00 ho frequently travel back and forth from Havana to the United States and there are also a number of them who have established their residence or headquarters in Havana, Efforts are being made at the present time to keep a bes ik closer check on these individuals and to further ascertain #Th their activities and connections in Havana, Should this check reflect any organized tie-up between the various . American mobsters and hoodlums or should any indication of the existence of a MAFIA become apparent, the Bureau will be immediately notified, It is noted in reports received at Havana from various domestic field offices that American hoodlums who are traveling to Havana are ofttimes referred to as members of the MAFIA or "syndicate," etc, As stated above, a closer check will be maintained on these individuals to Fa. establish their connection with one another, Cp Neal There is set out later in this report information which indicates connections between American hoodlums and officials of the Cuban Government, While it is realized the Bureau is primarily and principally interested in possible tie-ins between MAFIA or underworld elementa and politics or politicians of the U.S, Government, the information set forth below is being submitted as also being of possible interest to the Bureau, BERG NG EGE PTED ov sf RECORDED 8. . eee | | be DoclId: 32301903 Page 2?
‘Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 USC 3107 Hotey.— DATE: 11-14-2817 tte ; : a - Ly Nee ‘ a Set . al ‘ . ; . Havana 9-11. 10/11/55 associated with his brother, ty allegedly. gentrol a bolita operatYor (\ JIMMIE" FRQDNGO, FBI_MY 54159... be | PTRAFFICANTE and operates as a messenger for os \ TRAFFICANTE between Florida and Havana, LONGO was known to be at the Sevilla Biltmore Hotel in Havana in August and September, 19556 MEYER LANSKY, who is ‘considereda s one “of the top hoodlums of the United Statesy was reported to be in Havana, Cuba, during July, 1955. & purpose of the trip was to meet with his , tre ners JAKEAGANSKY, and other unidentified individuals to i ring Casino in Havana. Criminal Activities and Methods of Operation All, information in the possession of the Havana Office to date with reference to the activities of the American gangsters in Cuba relates to the operation of gambling casinos and similar enterprises. Inasmuch as gambling is legal in Havana, | 4 - these matters are not strictly criminal activities. . According to information furnished by CI HAV-11, MEYER LANSKY was in conference with Mr, JAMES ENNIS, of the Hotel Nacional in Havana, in January, 1955. Informant was of the opinion that LANSKY was trying to arrange the gambling concession at the Hotel Nacional which, under authority of a law decree published 1/27/55, could be authorized to operate a gambling casino, At - that time there were negotiations under way for the purchase of the Hotel Nacional from the Cuban Government by the Pan American Affiliates, a subsidiary of the Pan American World Airways, In- formation received by the Havana Office was to the effect that a} | LANSKY was awaiting the results of these negotiations to see if ; he could then obtain the gambling concession at the Hotel. Nacional ): ' Source further stated that SANTOS TRAFFICANTE, JR., of Tampa, Florida, is presently running a numbers operation out of the | Hotel Sevilla Biltmore in Havana, It is noted that although , gambling is authorized in Havana, numbers writing is not but it has always been tolerated inasmuch as it affords a considerable source. of graft for the local police, Source stated that the fact TRAFFICANTE is able to operate a numbers racket out of the Sevilla Biltmore Hotel is an indication that TRAFFICANTE has backing from the Cuban Government, Jt is noted that the Sevilla Biltmore Hotel is owned by one AMLETO BATTISTI, an Italian born Cuban ote) (ul) ROMTI CON! WENTIAI “he DoctId:32301903 Page 3
@azed under the John F. ‘ DATE: 11-14-2017 a oN’ . * = ; \ . Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 199? (44 USC 2107 Hote). Vs ~ | Havana 9-11 CONF PENTA 7 10/11/55 : who was elected to the Cuban Congress in November, 195l,, and who for many years has been known unofficially as the numbers _ king of Havana, Source further stated that TRAFFICANTE is s numbers operation by Brigadier General EULOGIO. | ORRAS, Adjutant General of’ the Cuban Army (2£Y i) “ --  S§ource also stated that TRAFFICANTE is attempting to obtain the gambling concession at the Comodoro Hotel in Havana and apparently has the inside track because of b acking received by him from General CANTILLO, It 1s to be noted that: the Comodoro Hotel does not have gambling facilities at the present time but is eligible to obtain authorization for — same under the new Cuban law decree, This hotel is a combination -— beach club and hotel and ‘has about 2,000 members in addition to transient guests who may visit the ‘hotel. ro - CI HAV-11 on March 19, 1955, advised that he had received information to the effect that TRAFFICANTE was attempting to _. take over the gambling operations at the San Souci Night Club. Source stated that the San Souci was presently owned by Tropicana interests who bought up a controlling percentage of the stock in order to squeeze out NORMAN ROTHMAN who had ; operated the San Souci as front man and ostensible owner although it. has always been, indicated that he was bank-rolled - by someone else. (¥)(i\ , ; - In connection with the activities of TRAFFICANTE, it is noted . that HAV-11 on April 18, 1955, advised that TRAFFICANTE had arrived in Havana on April 17, 1955, although according to . previous reports, his arrival date had been scheduled for April 20, 1955. (a <) The Miami Herald for April 21, 1955, reported the finding of the murdered body of CHARLIE WALL on April 20, 1955. WALL was described as the -76- year old statesman of the Florida , underworld, He had been shot seven or eight times with a shotgun and his throat had been cut from ear to ear, It is not known whether WALL's murder is connected in any way with ‘the fact that TRAFFICANTE arrived in Havana on April 17 after having previously announced to his friends that he was coming to Havana on April 20, 1955. 7 From information contained in the files of the Havana Office, taken from reports submitted by the Miami Office in GIIF Surveys, DoclId: 32301903 Page 4
Réleased under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 USC 2107 Hote). DATE: 11-14-2017 po ; 7? as . / \ Havana 9-11 | voNebeN TIAL 0/32/95 The article charged PERTIERRA with operating the gambling at the National Casino and Jockey Club with the assistance VLUCKY" LUCIANO and his lieutenants, MEYER LAY SKY and CHARLIE ASSMMS.. Both PERTIERRA and MIRANDA are s till actively“aeseCTaLee@ with gambling interests in Havana at “ the present time.. . | In November, 1952, HAV-11 furnished information to the effect that "Lucky® LUCIANO was making an effort to obtain official | approval for re-entry into Cuba, It is noted that subsequent to LUCIANO's arrest in 1947, in Havana, he was deported to Italy, According to the source, the person handling the attempted approval for re-entry of LUCIANO into Havana in 1952 was AN TONIO MADAN VALDES. (9{)(U\) Source at the same time furnished information that MEYER LANSKY was trying to secure the concession for gambling operations at Oriental Park and that he subsequently purchased a share of the Montmartre gambling casino from PERTIERRA who for many years had. owned and operated the Montmartre, Source ’ pelated at that time that LAVSKY's brother, JAKE, was in Havana looking after their interests in. the Montmartre. It is noted that during 1946 and 1947 when LUCIANO was in Cuba, MEYER LANSKY was one of his most frequent visitors and LANSKY, at that time, was planning to buy a share in the gambling concession in the | ; National Casino and the Oriental Park Race Track. (A) In January, 1955, HAV-11 furnished information with reference to the possiblédrug activities ‘of MARTOYGARCTA-who 1s associated | with the Montmartre Night Club and WhG"Was belie , ! connections with "LUCKY" LUCIANO; No verification of this tute" | be information was obtained but it was reférred to the proper 7? authorities of the. Cuban Government - and, .A180 ‘the uv. Se Treasury oy Representative in Havanas-(4. [U0 te ; C By letter dated 2/1/Sh, captioned "Boollalcing and Race Wire Service Activities; Special Survey," the New York Office re- ported that CI NY-2070 advised that the New York underworld syndicate controls gambling and other illegal activities in Cuba, The mob, according to NY-207C, was reported to have. . excellent connections with the Batista Government in Cuba and were represented in their operations by an attorney who is mgrried to President Batista'ts oldest daughter. DoclIda: 32301903 Page 5