[Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 USC 2107 Hote). DATE: 11-14-2017 JFK Assassination System Date: 6/1/2015 Identification Form Agency Information AGENCY: FBI RECORD NUMBER: — 124-90154-10007 RECORD SERIES: HQ | | | | | v9.1 AGENCY FILE NUMBER: CR 62-9-210-56 Document Information ORIGINATOR: FBI ~ FROM: HAV TO: HQ TITLE: DATE: — 11/27/1959 PAGES: 3 SUBJECTS : AMERICAN GAMBLING ACTIVITIES IN CUBA MICHAEL MCLANEY DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT CLASSIFICATION: — Unclassified RESTRICTIONS: 4 CURRENT STATUS: — Redact DATE OF LASTREVIEW: — 10/30/1998 OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE COMMENTS : MEMO Docld: 32339975 Page 1
DATE: 11-14-201 S(ANDARD FORM No. 64 TO, : Director, FBI (62575147-210) pate: November 27, 1959 hos OVERNMENT. "Released under the—toh: Kenne ssassination_—Ree ae - L ~ iii ores ae Acta 992 (44 USC 2107 Hote). U fi —— eee ar eng ia | ROM : Légat, Havana (64-153) ies aap oe Fa \ . =~ ; 2 fee f fey | |. supjecr: AMERICAN GAMBLING ACTIVITIES -IN CUBA . o ANTI-RACKETEERING - ia Re Havana letter to the Bureau dated October 12, 1959. ? . i 2. HAV-33, who maintains constant contact with the casinos -. in Havana, has advised on several occasions that the gambling : pusiness is very poor due to the lack of tourist trade. The large ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents) canvention: which was in session in Havana on October 21, 1959, when the alleged "bombing" of Havana took place by, planes based in the United States, was expected to greatly increase the tourist trade; however, following the alleged "pombing" Prime Minister FIDEL CASTRO lashed out in very bitter attacks on the United States and a very negative impression was created on a majority of the ASTA - delegates present in Cuba. - It has been observed by SA Edwin L. Sweet on several occasions that there are practically no hotel guests and no American players present in the gambling casinos of the Hotels Seep Capri, Hilton, Nacional and Rivétera. HAV-33 has reported that pi: . gambling pusiness is also very poor at the Hotel }Gomodoro and ce snes ee . . ars } . a fh f t: caiemimaaiaiel ste INE kot + theyTropicana Night Club ° | Outen G.e , Che ete. aie fo | Me ieneenrennnimmmcenne fe CL Ce ty US - : It was publicly announced in the newspapers over the week-end of November 21, 1959, that the HoteW Riviera was inter- vened by the Cuban Revolutionary Government. t was known and é has been reported that the Hotel Riviera was operating at a large é t loss and the Cuban Government refused to allow the hotel to releas a any of its employees or curtail in any way the night shows and #4 entertainment offered at the hotel. f \ AQUG (Oy pbb! UO | HAV-33 reported on October 23, 1959, that the following (, the casino of individuals were observ d,on October 10, 1959, the Hotel apri: - ANGELO. :CRISTOFARO, AN HONY/} LLIAMS, brother ha of Boston Top, Hoodlum, JOHN WILLIAMS, MARVI SE, HENRY. Cue 2XDONAN ee \ 3 Ay SAAVEDRA, JOEABTASSI, JR., TORACOCHRON ,, RUSSELL GRAVELY 4 / RA : EQOL, ROBERT7STACY , SAMACHENOFF , | A.) FERGUSON, CLEVE JFQX, LOU SASELDER, Maa ASVAN andl: GORGEASAERMAN fee ‘ 8 - Bureau (o-ce: "New YORK |} 1 - Havana. a ay :MEG pp ¢, /K3/ 7 i Nn ne pg nn a bo eegne ne etl ae oR Bee | Docld: 32339978 Page 2?
‘Released under the’ dc . TAT i ! uy Aa é Pow ch re? ‘ : Vind at AL las te WANGELITOSGONZALEZ. HAV-33 was 48 E: 11-14-2017 fessassination Records Collection Hct of 1997 (44a Use Fi0T Hote; . . U7"hoter= « = . roe Havana 64-153 a 11/27/59 . : Mh In connection with the above-named gyoup, informant reported on November 25, 1959,that he had not seen JOHNMALLIAMS in Cuba in i approximately one month and allegedly that he is in Las vegas on a ue. business trip. ar C ( -_ . oo . if The casino at the Hotel Riviera /continues to be operated by JA DANSKY as the manager in the absence of principal owner, MEYERSLANSKY, who apparently continues to reside im Florida a continues to pe in ill Wealth. The ersonnel manager is DINGAS there are erp STDWIACOBS, HARRY} ROLDER, and others employe ROBERT) NES, TONYABASOLO and "DO PPLE. Hotel Observed on October 17,, 1959, at t, e; casino of the Hiltog were the following: Lan sNoW JOE/LOPINTO, BILLYANUN LEY , PADDY SMITH and CLIFHSONES - Jo& RIVERS has allegedly been out of Cuba for some time... . F October 21, 1959, the casinos sited and it was noted that each all stakes HAV-33 reported that on at the Tropicana and Capri were vi had a medium size crowd but they were all playing very sm and the players were entirely made u of Cubans. y ; wi are elee Us: 4 on October 26, 1959, JOE/RIVERS, who had-been absent for was observed in the casino of the Hotelxdilton. A few - - to the ASTA convention were play ng roulette and oo noted. i He uaniw, Lek s some time, of the delegates "gi" put no large plays or stakes were erence TE NAST On October 30, 1959, HAV-33 reported that on October 25, —_. | 1959, at about 10 p.m., DINO CELLINI had been observed at the Hotel | | Riviera restaurant dining with an individual known as "Gallego" : able to determine the nature 6f ‘His’ conversation but stated GONZALEZ is well known as a crook . and is presently employed at_one of the dice..tables..inthe.casino..... at the Hotel Hilton. Oy Wi rt the Hote t | Bouse: _Saee HAV-33 also reported that he had heard from several sources in the casinos that efforts were being made to establish a gambling setup at port-au-Prince, Haiti, put he had been unable to verify , that gambling is actually, underway there. He had heard that LEFTY V CLARK, FBI_ #1721507... had gone to Port-au-Prince for the purpose ssisting in setting up a gambling casino there. It will be recalled that CLARK was formerly connected with the casino at the Tropicana _ Night Club in Havana. CU le. Rens EECA NEPA va Kay HAV-31 stated that the LANSKY prothers would be delighted to "unload" the Hotel Riviera and gambling casino on any "sucker". who would buy it but he had no .4 information indicating that a serious offer for the sake of the same was under consideration. He stated that unless the gambling pusiness improved considerably in Havana many of the big time gamblers would soon be pulling out. -2- Ma oar dey t CAW Ge On November 11, 1959, Nast | Docld: 3235359976 Page 3
"Released under—the John Ff. Kenned aEL - . y Assassination Records CeLtection Act of 1 j ~ Hot DATE: 11-14-2017 rde-€ 1992 (44 USC 2107 Hote}. » 9? = can) we et OL , - ad x Havana 64-153 ~ 11/27/59 HAV-31 stated there is a "big fellow" with a mustache whose first name is MARK (LNU) who formerly operated at the casino in the St. Johns Hotel who is now reported to be handling a deal for the opening of a large gambling casino ‘in Puerto Rico. HAV-31 believes yf, MARK is handling this deal for MIKE, WCHANEY or at least MIKE McLANEY.—--—— is fronting for the operation. HAV-31 could furnish no concrete Cy be information as to the identity of the owners at the Hotel Nacional ~~ -——~ casino but stated he believed a "big time" operator in New York actually is the owner of the casino and may be the money pehind the | setup in Puerto Rico. This source did not believe the casino in Puerto Rico would be ready for operation before October, 1960. On November 21, 1959, PCI Arthur Newman advised there is 2 night club with a capacity for about 1200 people near the Hilton Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and he understood that MIKE McLANEY is fronting for the establishment of a gambling casino there. . This source thought the casino might be in operation shortly after the Christmas holidays in order. to take advantage of some of the present winter tourist trade. ; § November 5, 1959, PCI Alberto Suarez Aleman reported that SANTUYTRAFFICANTE was departing the following day for. Tampa, | Florida, for the alleged purpose of tending to some business and | “pringing his wife back to Cuba; however, on November 23, 1959, source | advised that TRAFFICANTE apparently had some difficulty over a tax deal at Tampa and he had still not returned. | } On November 25, 1959, HAV-33 reported that TRAFFICANTS# had gone to Tampa and had been involved in some difficulty regarding his J taxes. HAV-33 also reported that as of November 23, 1959, JACK . LANSKY continues to be out of Cuba and informant believed he was making some final financial arrangements withhis brother, MEYER LANSKY, concerning their business at the Hatel Riviera and the gambling casin which has been intervened by the Cuban Government. : oa ~HAV-33 conciuded that on November 23, 1959, he ascertained, that the Hotel Capri has 40 guests and a visit to the casino on that night reflected no players in the casino. . Extra copies of this letter have been prepared for forwarding by the Bureau to the New York, Miami and San Juan offices. - } The activities of American gamblers operating in Havana will continue to be followed and if any of the important gambling casinos are closed, the same will be promptly reported to the Bureau. -p- + Docld:32339975 Page 4