104-10506-10032] SECRET March 1977 MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD SUBJECT: Traces on Santos TRAFFICANTE 1. There is no official 201 file on TRAFFICANTE. Following are extracts from references in Agency files: a. Memo for the Record dated 6 March 1964 on Moises SANTI y Marcheli, sourced to AMNIP-1 (Miguel ROCHE -— former G-2 defector) 1, This memo concerns the involvement of AMNIP-1 (A-1) with a group in Cuba headed by SANTI, in exchanging dollars for Cuban pesos. A-L's involvement was by invitation of SANTI who turned out to be G-2.. SANTI told A-1 that they would have to be on the alert because of other important group, also involved in money changing, directed by Evaristo GARCIA, then in Miami and a friend of Cuban gambler fnu SANTOS Trafficante (sic);;Roberto SUSI; and fnu LEAL, with whom they would sooner or later have trouble, Money was sent to Miami by diplomats accredited to Cuba in the false bottom of a cardboard suitcase made by @ANTI's younger brother in the latter's office in “old Havana." The suitcase was received in Miami by a person of confidence who had a passport and a visa. Travel by plane and permissim to leave the country was obtained by SENTI through the Chief of the Department of Technical Investigations (DTI) of the Department of Investigation of the Rebel Army (DIER) at the International Airport at Rancho Boyeros. Suitcases with false bottoms for the other groups were also made by SANTI's brother as he was the only one who could make them with perfection. A crisis did develop between SANTI and the other groups, because they diverted money exchanges to themselves. 2. SANTI reportedly left Cuba on a Greek ship (date unknown). In October 1962 SANTI had reportedly just opened a store in New Orleans, Louisiana. A-1 learned from a person in Miami in 1963 that SANTI had said he was prepar- ing a false bankruptsy for his store in New Orleans. SANTI also reportedly declared a false bankruptsy for a store he owned in Caracas, Venezuela, when he returned to Cuba following the downfall of Batista.
13-00000 - TRAFFICANTE ‘ -2- 3. Members of SANTI's group were Danilo PARADELA, fnu GASTON, Alberto MONTOTO, Leonel GOMEZ, fnu ROSELL (police official and Cuban smuggler), Rebel Army Capt. Boris, commander of the troops assigned at the Hippodrome of Marianao, another Rebel Army Capt., name unknown, and a Lt. named "Robertico" lnu. 4, SANTI is said to have arranged for the arrest of Roberto SUSI, a member of an opposition group, who was accused of being a contact for the counterrevolut- ionary group and the CIA, allegedly because SUSI had been a boy friend of SANTI's wife before her marriage to SANTI. 5. A-1 said tha SANTI was very closely connected with the Cuban gambler, fnu SANTOS Trafficante (sic). Also, that SANTI was an unscrupulous character who would do almost anything for a dollar, and was fearful for his life. A-1 said SANTI could be made to talk by being threatened with the thought of going to prison. In 1964 SANTI's brothers and parents lived in the U.S. b. UFGA 16941, 30 July 1964, Debriefing of Sal MORGAN (201-330012) MORGAN had been to the U.S: on previous occasions. He applied for and received a permanent residence visa to the U.S. and returned to take up residence in New York City in 1953. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in late 1958, He returned to Cuba in January 1959. He was ordered to organize and head a ministry police force responsible for security of gfounds and property of the tiinistry, (Ministry for Recovery of Stolen Property.) In late 1959 he joined the G-2,. In December 1959 he became acquainted with Santos TRAFFICANTE, /extensive info. see copy of dispatch attached./ TRAFFICANTE reportedly wanted to remain in Cuba and was prepared to cooperate with the Castro Government in order to continue business as usual. One person in the G-2 most willing to become involved with TRAFFICANTE was Manuel PINEIRO, a high intelligence official. PINEIRO's reasoning was that TRAFFICANTE and the Mafia had collaborators in the U.S. Government and the FBI which could be useful to support G-2 operations in the Miami area, ec. UFAA 4507, 31 October 1972, Subject: Raul Orlando LEAL Garcia. LEAL, a Cuban national, was a dealer ina Cuban casino from 1952 to 1956, working for Santos TRAFFICANTE, He was arrested in 1953 (sic) in Cleveland
ind TRAFFICANTE ; . -3- for passing himself off as a U.S. citizen, and was subject to deportation, LEAL arrived in the U.S. on 8 December 1960. He was a member of Brigade 2506 from 1960-62. In 1963 he was a dealer at the Silver Slipper Casino in Las Vegas; he resided in Las Vegas. During 1966 he resided in Puerto Rico. In 1969 he was a casino manager in Santo Domingo. In September 1969 he was employed by the Caribbean-American Investment Co., Curacao, DWI. In 1970 he attempted to obtain a casino license in Bogota, | Colombia along with three other persons, among them Santo TRAFFICANTE, (The info. in this dispatch, UFAA 4507, is from the FBI and was slugged RYBAT (PLMHABYSS.) — d. _From Debriefing af (SLIFREE-1_| | 04 returned to the U.S. in July 1973 follew- ing 14 year esidence.in Cuba, the last nine of which were spent #n prison #9 Said that a Frank PIGNATORI came to Cuba (date unknown) without a dime and tri: nnect up with Santos TRAFFICANTE, TRAFFICANTE a neighbor in an apartment j g in Havana; ived up stairs. For that reason, said he knew a lot of things that were going on. is an FBI contact./7 2. Following are third agency references: a. DBF 4199, 9 June 1958, 100-9~—12: Concerns Santos TRAFFICANTE's connection with gambling in Havana, Cuba. b. DBC 42160, 28 Jan 1969, 19-300-21; Concerns Santo TRAFFICANTE, Miami, Florida, re recent activities of the Cuban Nationalist Movement. c. DND 00294, 14 May 1971, 200-11-9/10: Concerns Santo TRAFFICANTE, Spain, organized crime figure involved in narcotics with LEAL-POZO, 201-890270, d. DND 00344, 7 July 1971, 200-9-11/10; Concerns Santos TRAFFICANTE Jr., member of Luis El Pavos Organization, dealing in heroin traffice. Chris Hopkins LAD/JFK Task Force Attachment: UFGA 16941 Others available on request (ce to IG Staff 10 May 77)