Originator: FBI
From: HAV
To: HQ
Document date: 1958-01-14 00:00:00
Document type: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

# DOCID-32328087

## Page 1

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY: FBI

RECORD NUMBER: 124-90068-10038

RECORD SERIES: HO

AGENCY FILE_ NUMBER: 62-75147-210-103

Heleased under the John F. Kennedy

Assassination Records Collection Act of

992 (44 USC 2107 Note). Case#:NW

66000 Date: 11-03-2021

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

ORIGINATOR: FBI

FROM: HAV

TO: HO

TITLE:

DATE: 01/14/1958

PAGES: 5

SUBJECT:

AMERICAN GAMBLING ACTIVITIES IN CUBA

DOCUMENT TYPE:

ORIGINAL

CLASSIFICATION:

PAPER. TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

Unclassified

NEW

CLASSIFICATION:

REVIEW DATE:

06/24/1998

STATUS

Redact

UPDATE DATE:

RESTRICTIONS:

JFK Act 6 (4)

COMMENTS:

MEMO

NW 66000 Docld:32328087 Page 1

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## Page 2

STANDARD FORM NO, 84

Gyue Men

CONEIDENTIA

UNITED.

VERNMENT

AND FO

Director, FBI

ADVIS

SLIP

BY ROU

АЛО

OF

DATE

Legal Attache, Havana, Cuba (64-153)

DATE: January 14, 1958

ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED

HEREIN IS!

DATE

UBJECT

AMERICAN GAMBLING ACTIVITIES IN CUBA-

GIIF, - Cuba

ALT INPORATION CONTAINED

IUCLASSIFIED

• EXCEPT WHERE SHUN

Remylet dated December 13,

195%.

Set forth below is additional information which has been

the submission of referenced letter. M

CASINOS IN OPERATION

Wilbur Clark's Casino, Hotel Nacional

This casino continues to be operated by the individuals

TRAFFICANTE, JR., is making several: trips a week to the Hotel Nacior

apparently to contact MEYER-KANSKY, who has a large interest in the l

operation of the casino-in-the-Hotel Nacional.

On January 9,

1958,

PCI GOFFREDO CELLINI (conceal) advised that TRAFFICANTE is actually

contacting JAKE IANSKY, not MEYER LANSKY, in his visits to the Hotel.

Nacional.

JAKE/LANSKY

oversees the operations of the casino at the

Hotel Nacional.

CELLINI informed on January 7, 1958, that SANTO

X TRAFFICANTE, MARTIN FOX, part owner of the Tropicana Night Club,

and:

JAKE LANSKY had a private meeting at the Hotel Nacionad. Source did

not know the matters discussed at this meeting.

On 12-9-57 PCI CELLINI informed that FRAM

ERICKSON"S.

representative to Cuba and the one

that protects FRiCKSON's interestsy

is an individual named BURT BRIGGS, who is employed at the casino in

the Hotel Nacional.

Source noted that 'BRIGGS is an elderly individual

and rather unpreposessing in appearance.

He noted, however, that every

time BRIGGS

immediately.

) RECORDEQUest for something to be done it is handled

WINDEXED - 36

-DE tuba.

On 1-2-58 EDWIN A

XLAHEY,

1026-75147-310-103

Washington_correspondent accredited

to the White House for knight publicators? and LOF MARTIN, a writer

for the New

York Had

WE News,

davised that they had ascertained from

TONYY VAUGHAN

therhote

the principa

interests?

that vino

Nagedya les that the individuals with

the racional are as follows:*"

MOE BERNARD

DAL YES EVER

XO-RAN/AUCKER and THOMAS JOSEPHIC GINTY.

DJB:ptm

(11)

15004 1958

Classified by POBIA GCL

Declassif

0-25 um

16071211326

DE SADRE

1-23-58

, CƠN

20002-10032

M/Y

217

NW 66000 Docld:32328087 Page 2

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## Page 3

CUNDAUENTIAL

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.

Hotel Comodoro Casino:

in Tampa,Florida, and on gambling ships off the West Coast.

TRAFFICANTE, JR

Comodoro CACS(4)

has an interest in the gambling casino in the Hotel

(Hotel Havana Riviera-Casino

On January 7, 1958, it was ascertained through observation

that the casino at the

business.

cutie

The evening floor boss at this casino is DINOXCELLINI and

the afternoon floor boss is MalRICE HOROWITZ, who was brought from Las

Vegas by EDMUND LEVINSON, who is in over-all charge of the gambling

operations of

the Havana

Riviera.

who operates the poker table at the Sans Souci Night Club, advised that

the principal money in the casino at the Havana Riviera belongs to

MEYER LANSKY and HARRY and BEN SMITH. GENTILE indicated that the true

name of the SMITH brothers, who reputedly are hotel operators in Toronto,

Canada, is not sMiTh, but he said he had no information as to what their

correct name might be. u

Hotel-Capri Casino:

On December 18,

195l, d4gt

ALEBERBAUN, part oner

of

the

Hotel Capri, advised that CHARLES WHITE, aka.,

CHARLIE, TOURINE, RICHARD ar

NICHOLAS DI CONSTANZO continue to have substantial interestsin the casinc

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. (

On 12-19-57 PCI GOFFREDO CELLINI advised that NICHOLAS

DI CONSTANZO , wa.,

FAT THE BUTCH, is the big operator in the gambling

casino at the

Hotel

Capri.

- 2

1O0

38

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## Page 4

is fire

Havana letter to the Director

"3

On December 30, 1957, JULIO FERNANDEZ, mentioned above,

advised he had been personally informed by SANTO TRAFFICANTE that

TRAFFICANTE has a substantial interest in the gambling casino at

the Hotel Capri. (B

14.1.+

JOE MARTIN, also mentioned above, advised on 1-2-58 that

he had been confidentially informed that the casino in the Hotel Capri

is owned by approximately, forty different individuals. Among these

individuals, are THEODORE LIPSON, Wa, SUGARBROWN, PHILLIP AWORSKY,

who also operates the restaurant in the Hotel Capri,

from Newark,

-New Jersey. Other sources have indicated that GEORGEYBAFT

is reputed to have a piece of the casino in the Hotel Capri and one

source has advised that RAFT himself stated that he owns a part in

the casino.

Hotel Sevilla Biltmore Casino:

70M

This casino is owned by a Cuban Congressman, AMLETTO BATTISTI.

The only American known to be employed in this casino

• is WILLIAM HENRY

BEECH. Wa., ROBERT MS BARRINGTON (B-CM-2), who is; suspected of being

one of the

subjects in two Judge Baker swindles which took place in

Havana in 1957.

Sans Souch Night Club. Casino

The principal owners

in this casino continue to be SANto u..

TRAFFICANTE, Ji., and JOE STASSI, Wa., JOE/ROGERS. JIMMY BAKER, a

brother-in-law of DINO CELLINI, 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

States in early January, 1958, for an operation. (oM

copicana Night Club Casino:

This casino is a Cuban operation.

in the casino are oned by MARTIN FOX and ALBERTO VARDURA MOYA. *ARDS

has been described by PCI WILLIAM P. MOOREFIELD (protect) as the

"bag man" for ROBERTO FERNANDEZ MIRANDA, brother-in-law of President

BATISTA.

MOOREFIELD has indicated that

through ARDURA, FERNANDEZ

dicates who is allowed to set up slot machines in Cuba. (An

-

60008-1003%

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## Page 5

Wind ENTA

Havana letter to the Director

SECRET

Frontmartre Night Club Casino F18t w

This casino, which was reputedly owned by INDALECIO

*PERTIERRA, a Cuban, has gone out of business. g u

For lental Park Race-Track 78u

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 HAV-4,

who has furnished reliable intormation in the past; the operation of

the

race track continues to be in the hands of LOWELI, BIRRELL.

the gambling

casino in the Jockey club at the track is operated by GEORGE LEVINE,

a close associate of CARMINE(DI BIASE, IO 28710

PCI PEDRO P. TAPIA (conceal) advised on 12-30-57 that JACK

PURCELL, who had previously been reported to be the operator of the 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

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

his services and that an individual by the name of JACKCOOPER, who

Flag

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

ADDTTIONAZ CASINOS ALTADE UNDER CONSYRUCTIONE US

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 saMakayE from

Miami FlOther sources indicated that JOE STASSI is in line for the

operation of the casino in this hotel.

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2008840038

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