Document date: 04/17/2018
Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

STANDARD FORM NO. 64

Office Memorandum • UNITED STAUÉS GOVERNMENT

/TO

FROM

SUBJECT:

Director, FBI (92-2781)

Legal

Attacke, favana (92-1)

SANTO TRAFFICANTE,

JR., aka

ANTI-RACKETEERING

DATE: June 10, 1959

Re Havana letter dated April 29, 1959.

cuba

On April 20, 1959, HAV-33 advised that BENITO FERNANDEZ

continued to be the Manager of the Hotel Comodoro gambling casino

for SANTO TRAFFICANTE.

On May 4, 1959, HAV-33 informed that TRAFFICANTE had

duba

gambling operation.

Source said that LEAL formerly bad been a

partner of the PERTIERRA brothers in the Montmartre casino.

Source noted that many of the Cubans who were frequenting the

Hotel Deauville casino were known users and sellers of narcotics.

Source stated that TRAFFICANTE apparently was stopping by the

Hotel Deauville casino on a daily basis about opening time.

Source advised further that TRAFFICANTE also dropped by the

Hotel Comodoro casino, in which he has an interest, in the

early morning hours on a daily basis.

On May 4, 1959, HAV-31 verified the fact that SANTO

TRAFFICANTE's partners in the Hotel Deauville casino were EVARISTO

GARCIA and EUGENIO LEAL.

Flas

On May 6, 1959, JACK LANSKY,

Miami Top Hoodlum, and DINg

CELLINI, floor boss at the Hotel Havana Riviera gambling casino,,

were arrested by Cuban police authorities on allegations that

they were "international narcotics traffickers."

On May 7, 1959,

PCI ARTHUR NEWMAN (CONCEAL), Credit Manager, Hotel Nacional gam-

bling casino, advised that TRAFFICANTE had been sitting in the

Hotel Riviera casino when the police picked up JACK LANSKY and

DINO CELLINI there. Source said that

when TRAFFICANTE learned

that the police were also looking for him, he "sneaked" out of

the Riviera and had gone into hiding.

REG 9

6 - Bureau

92-2284-102

(1 - Albany

TReaT 6-19-58

.132

1 - New York

• JUN 15 1959

2 - Miami, 92-88)

3

1 - Havana

DJB: 1g

(7)

bONCH WIT

60 JUN 19 1959

DocId: 32586393

Page 1

---

## Page 2

Havana 92-1

6/10/59

On May 18, 1959, HAV-33 advised that TRAFFICANTE con-

tinued to be in hiding and

had not been observed in any of the

gambling casinos in Havana.

On May 26, 1959, PCI ALBERTO SUAREZ ALEMAN (CONCEAL),

doorman, Calle 12 No. 20,

Havana, where subject maintains an

apartment, advised that the subject continued to be in hiding

from the Cuban police.

Source stated he believed the subject

was still in Havana and living not too far from his apartment.

Source based this supposition on the fact that JERALD M. HAND,

who previously had worked with the subject at the sans souci

gambling casino, had come by the subject's apartment on the same

day that subject went into hiding and had taken

away some clothing

for the subject.

Source noted further that subject's maid con-

tinued to drop by the apartment from time to time and that she had

indicated she was receiving instructions to do so from the subject.

PCI SUAREZ stated that a daughter of the subject was to

be married in Havana on June 21, 1959, and that a wedding party

was to be held at the Havana Hilton Hotel. Source said that the

subject's wife had left Havana for Florida two days before the

subject had gone into hiding. Source said that since the sub-

ject was presently in hiding, it was doubtful that the marriage

would now be held in Havana..

On June 8, 1959, CESAR BLANCO, Director General of Public

Order for the Cuban

Ministry of Government, advised that he has

been attempting to locate and arrest SANTO

TRAFFICANTE. BLANCO

informed that he had been approached by an individual named OSCAR

REGUERA MARTINEZ and that REGUERA MARTINEZ had offered him $4,000

to call Off the search and arrest order for TRAFFICANTE.

BLANCO

indicated that REGUERA MARTINEZ had been taken into custody and

that efforts

to apprehend TRAFFICANTE were continuing.

On June 9, 1959, Lt. HECTOR COSTA QUINONES, Department

of Logistics, Cuban

Revolutionary Police, advised that

SANTO

TRAFFICANTE had been taken

into custody by Cuban police.

Extra copies of this letter have been prepared for

forwarding by the Bureau to Albany (1), New Yorks (1), and

Miami (2)

(Miami file 92-88).

- 2=

DocId: 32586393 Page 2

---