Agency: FBI
Originator: FBI
From: LEG, HAVANA
To: DIRECTOR, FBI
Document date: 01/25/1953
Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

JFK. Assassination System

Identification Form

Agency Information

Date:

4/27/201

AGENCY: FBI

RECORD NUMBER: 124-10291-10379

RECORD SERIES: HQ

AGENCY FILE NUMBER: CR 62-75147-210-47

Document Information

ORIGINATOR: FBI

FROM: LEG, HAVANA

TO: DIRECTOR, FBI

TITLE:

DATE:

01/25/1953

PAGES:

2

SUBJECTS:

NRO, EMP, B/F INT, GAMBLING, ASSOC

DOCUMENT TYPE: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION :

Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS:

CURRENT STATUS :

4

Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 05/07/1998

OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE

COMMENTS:

v9.1

DocId: 32307239

Page

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Classified u

Declassify,

DADR

1, 526

3/84

ONE

Ext.

Reason

Date of Borisw

"ANDARD FORM NO. 8A

CONFIDENTIAL

Office Menwrindum

UNITED

_ GOVERNMENT

TO

Director, FBI

DATE:

January 25, 1953

lavana,

, Cuba

FROM :

Legal Attache, Havana, Cuba (64-153)

SUBJECT:

AURICAN GAMBLING ACTIVITIES IN CUBA

› GIIF. -

""audit"

10 FLED

04-'

As the Bureau is aware, NORMATT ROTHAN, FBI No. 152585B, has

the front man at the Sans Souch cabaret in Havana for the past several

Efforts to develop him as a PCI of value to date have been negative

During the sunmer of 1953, ROTHAN advised on seviral different

occasions that he and the Sans Souci were in bad shape financially and he

did not know at that time whether he would be able to continue operations. 0o

The fact that ROTHAN and the Sans Souci were in bad shape

economically was borne out by PCI DINO CELLINI, FBI No. 2198122, American

floor man at the Iropicana night club, who in September, 1953, advised

thet he was trying to work out a deal to take over the Sans Souci. It is

to be noted that the Tropicana is strictly a cuban operation, being owned

by two Cuban brothers named MARTIN and PEDRCyX, a Cuban named OSCAR

XICHEMENDIA and a Cuban named ARDURA, and there has always been a strong

rivalry between it and the sans Souci, both of which have gambling casinos,

To date, ROTHAN continues to operate the Sans Souci; however,

it appears that there still exists the possibility that the Sans Souch.

will be taken over by the Tropicana. The 1-24-54 issue of the Havana

daily,

"Prensa Iúbre," in a section called "DIGA" ("LISIEN), which is a

Winchell like column on the theatrical and cabaret world in Havana, con-

tained the following paragraphs 50)

"It results that there are almost permanent conversa-

tions between NORMAN ROTHMAN of the Sans Souch and

MARTIN FOX, ARDURA OF ECHEMENDIA of the Tropieana.

There is never lacking a suspicion that they might be

speaking of unification, of interchanges, of manage

ment, etc." *

forts will be made to ascertain through chuum and rothi

hether the Tropicana is taking over the operation of the Sans Soucid

As an indication of the financial situation of ROTHMAN, on 1-25-549

Lto HERIBERTO HERNANDEZ of the Cuban Bureau of Investigations exhibited

a letter dated 1-11-54 written by the firm of Natban, Nathan & Natban,

6 laiden Lane, NYC, to the Chief of Police, Favans.

The firm solicited the

EDA: JES

I copie sent

RECORDED-11

Mismif R/s

2-7-542

INDEXED-!

FEB

19sA

F-490

CONFIDENTIAL!"

DECLASSIETED

(us)

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## Page 3

REH

To:

Director, FBI

Sub ject:

JAMERICAN CAMBLING ACTIVIIIES IN CURA

January 25, 1954

Havana, Cuba

assistance of the police in locating ROTHMAN, apparently in connection

with a bill in the

amount of $622.79 owed by ROTHAN to the Hotel Sto

•Moritz In Nibel

8(u)

As a further example of the expansion of operations of the

Tropicans and/erCELLINI, the following is set forthly n

In November, 1953, CELLINI advised that he had tried to obtair

the gambling concession in the Jockey Club of the Oriental Park Race Tracl

for the 195354 season but that the owners of the track told him that they auba

had felt obliged to give the concession to one GEORGENiVINE, who had held

It the previous season. Our CI HAV-46, who operates an armored car

service, subsequently advised that his company had been employed by LEVINE

and one SALVATORE/PANELLO to take the money of the gambling operation to

and fron the track on Iburults, Seturdays and Sundays when the track 1s In

operation C 14

on 1-25-Slis EAT, advised that on that date lEVINE, CANELLO,

CELLINI and a Cuban named ANGEL FONZALEZ VERNANDEZ had appeared at his

office and made arrangements for the money to be delivered to CELLINI and

FERNANDEZ on race days and source gained the impression that LEVINE and

CRANELLO were pulling out of the operation and returning to Miami on the

same date (e 1)

The above is for the Bureau's information. Two extra copies of

this letter are attached for forwarding by the Bureau to the Miami office

for information.

COMPYDENTIAD SONGS

2.

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