Agency: FBI
Originator: FBI
From: SU
To: HQ
Document date: 11/17/1958
Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

JFK Assassination System

Identification Form

Date:

6/15/201

Agency Information

AGENCY: FBI

RECORD NUMBER :

124-90068-10128

RECORD SERIES: HQ

AGENCY FILE NUMBER: 62-75147-210-159

Document Information

ORIGINATOR: FBI

FROM:

SU

TO: HQ

TITLE :

DATE: 11/17/1958

PAGES:

2

SUBJECTS:

AMERICAN GAMBLERS IN CUBA

AMERICAN GAMBLING ACTIVITIES IN CUBA

DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION: Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS: 4

CURRENT STATUS : Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 06/24/1998

OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE

COMMENTS: MEMO

v9.1

DocId: 32328177

Page

42

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## Page 2

STANDARD FORM NO. 64

Office Memoraridum • UNITED STATE

GOVERNMENT •

TO

Peror :

Director, FBI

(92-29897

F0-1175 JU, MIN

SAC, Salt Lake City (92-84)

DATE:

as fon

11/17/58

SUBJECT:

ANTI-RACKETEERING

AMERICAN GAMBLING ACTIVITIES IN CUBA HEREIN IS UNOLASSIFIED

ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED

JOHN (SLIMI

WING,

Salt Lake City Office

DATE 4/2/82 BY SPUORMONE

a PCI, and whose identity should be'

5668 SID

protected, was contacted on 11/6/58. He owns the Ewing Manu-

facturing

Company, Las Vegas, which company makes and installs

locks and other safety mechanisms on all types of gambling

devices. He installs.

this equipment for most of the casinoss

in Las Vegas and he is well acquainted with gambling figures

in this area.

EWING stated he had "just returned" from a trip to

Havana,

cuba, where he was shown around for "a few days" by

JAKE LANSKY. (LANSKY is a Miami Top Hoodlum.) He said LANSKY

has an interest in the Riviera Hotel in Havana, and spends

most of his time in Cuba.

Regarding the slot machine operation in that country

he stated the government gets 30% of the take from the slot

machines and government agents carry the keys. There was also

a 30% import on machines going into Cuba until a short time ago.

Recently a law was passed prohibiting the import into the coun-

The reason behind this, according to EWING

was that the gambling figures in Havana had "more or less" given

the Tropicana Hotel to the government group that controls gambling.

This was to keep them happy and keep the pressure off the other

places.

The Tropicana had all three-wheel machines.

The Hilton

Hotel started to ship in some four-wheel machines and these were

34

drawing business away from the Tropicana. Consequently the

brother-in-law of the president of Cuba,

who is spokesman for

the government group, arranged for passage of the restictive

import law.

EWING said he talked to RAULY sONZALES,

who is Business

Agent of the Hilton Hotel and

inhas a 5%

interest in the Hotel.

GONZALES contracted with EWING

four-wheel machines.

He was instructed

"to makelequipment for thirty

4 - Bureau

2 - Miami

2 Megal Attache, Tavana) 2 Leg at ku. 1/21/51

1 - Salt Lake

RBT: FR

CIty,

(7) ;,

EX. - 133

+-75147-210-159

1958

59 6

CHOY 28 1958

DocId:32328177

Page 2

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## Page 3

SU 92-84

the company's Miami Office. GONZALES Said he was getting in

thirty new machines from the Jennings Manufacturing Company in

Chicago. EWING asked him how he was getting around

the import

law and GONZALES stated this law "is for the peons."

EWING stated the owners of the Hilton Hotel tried to

persuade him to come to Havana and set up a factory to manu-

facture slot machines. He said he is not going to set up this

plant because of the unsettled political situation in Cuba.

He said he did line up a few contracts and may make some equip-

ment in addition to the thirty devices ordered by the Hilton.

EWING said government officials from the collectors

on up are getting "fat" from Havana gambling and he is convinced

that as soon as they learn enough

the show themselves,

they will kick everyone else out of the country.

-2-

01008-10158

DocId: 32328177

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