The city of Havana has long been known for its vibrant culture, beautiful architecture, and rich history. But beneath the surface lies a darker side of the city’s past that many people are not aware of: the influence of the mafia. For decades, Havana was a hub of organized crime, with powerful mafia bosses controlling the city’s economy and political landscape. In this article, we will take a closer look at the the History of Cuban Mafia and explore some of the most powerful characters who shaped the city’s underworld.
The Origins of the Mafia in Havana
The mafia’s influence in Havana is a fascinating and complex topic that sheds light on the relationship between organized crime, politics, and economic development. American gangsters began taking an interest in Cuba in the 1920s due to its strategic location and proximity to the United States, which ultimately led to the origins of the mafia in Havana. However, it wasn’t until the establishment of the mafia in Cuba in 1933 that they became a formidable force in the city.
One of the key factors that facilitated the mafia’s rise in Havana was the corrupt relationship between the Cuban government and organized crime. Fulgencio Batista, who served as both a military dictator and a democratically-elected president, played a pivotal role in cementing this alliance. Batista allowed the mafia to operate with impunity, in exchange for their financial and political support. As a result, the mafia was able to infiltrate every aspect of Havana’s economy and political landscape.
Consequences of the Mafia’s Presence in Havana
One of the most significant consequences of the mafia’s presence in Havana was the surge of illegal activities, particularly the cocaine trade. The influx of tourists to the city, attracted by the luxurious hotels, casinos, and restaurants that the mafia built, created a perfect breeding ground for organized crime. The mafia bosses who controlled these establishments engaged in money laundering, drug trafficking, and other illegal activities, which added to the city’s notorious reputation.
However, the mafia’s influence in Havana was not just limited to criminal activity. They also had a significant impact on the city’s cultural and social fabric. The mafia owned the famous Tropicana nightclub, which became a symbol of Havana’s nightlife. The mafia bosses also used their wealth and power to influence the arts, media, and politics in the city.
The legacy of the Cuban mafia in Havana is complex and multi-faceted. On the one hand, they were responsible for significant economic development, particularly in the tourism industry. Organized crime and corruption fueled the development, which came at a cost. The mafia’s presence had a significant impact on Havana’s culture and society, and people still feel it today.
The Most Powerful Mafia Bosses in Havana
Over the years, several mafia bosses rose to power in Havana, each with their own unique style and tactics. Here are some of the most powerful characters in the city’s underworld:
Amleto Battisti Lora: the King of Gambling in Havana.
Amleto Battisti Lora was a notorious mafia kingpin in Havana, Cuba during the 1930s and 1940s. Despite his appearance and demeanor as a perfect gentleman, he was actually a ruthless mobster who helped make Cuba the center of the Mafia world. He was tall, slim, and always impeccably dressed, projecting an image of education, courtesy, diplomacy, and chivalry. Battisti was even trusted by Al Capone to traffic drugs from Cuba to the United States.
Battisti was known as the “King of Gambling” in Havana, and during the 1946 Mafia Summit held at the Hotel Nacional, he rubbed shoulders with dangerous figures of the underworld. He owned the Hotel Sevilla, which he used as a stage for his shenanigans, and even obtained parliamentary immunity and the support of the Cuban president for some of his activities. Battisti founded a bank to launder his dirty money, but he also tried to create a façade of respectability by organizing charitable events, cultural activities, and social gatherings.
In 1959, Battisti’s fortunes changed as the Cuban Revolution threatened his business interests, and he sought asylum in the Uruguayan embassy before leaving Cuba for good. Despite his outward charm and charisma, Battisti was a corrupt and dangerous criminal who left a lasting legacy in Havana’s underworld.
The Santo Trafficante Family
Sicilian father and son, Santo Trafficante, were seasoned organizers of gambling in the southern United States. Santo was the second-in-command of the Havana Empire, the visible head of the North American mafia’s businesses in Cuba, with its operational headquarters at the renowned Sans Souci cabaret on 51st Avenue.
Since the 1930s, Trafficante had been in charge of the channels for cocaine from the Colombian city of Medellin to enchanting Havana, 30 years before the drug became popular in the United States. They even founded airlines to operate from military airports, with equipment and technicians from the Cuban Air Force, and with the consent and support of the political groups of the time. He also controlled the network of fabulous casinos in Havana, “educated” prostitution, and above all, the lucrative cocaine business.
Some of the Santo Trafficante family’s possessions included the Sans Souci cabaret, Tropicana casino, the Internacional, Deauville, Capri, and Comodoro hotels. He also owned the “Novia del Mediodía” drive-in theater in Arroyo Arenas and the International Amusements Inc., a company designed to enable the influx of foreign artistic talent to the island with the participation of henchmen like Norman Rothman, Joe Silesi, James Longo, and Joe Stassi.
Don Amadeo Barletta: The Undercover Spy.
The story of Calabrian Don Amadeo Barletta Barletta reads like something out of a Hollywood movie. He arrived in Havana in the late 1920s as a representative of Mussolini family’s economic interests in America, but things quickly became complicated. He eventually revealed that he was working as a double agent, operating in the Caribbean and providing intelligence to both Italian and American agencies.
In 1942, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) put out a nationwide alert for him and added him to the February 7, 1942 blacklist. But Barletta was one step ahead of them. Thanks to his extensive connections with mafia groups in Havana and intelligence warnings, he managed to escape to South America and take refuge in Argentina, where he went into hiding.
But like a true criminal mastermind, Barletta wasn’t content to stay on the run forever. In 1946, after the end of World War II, he resurfaced in Havana, this time as a representative of major American corporations, including General Motors. And he wasted no time in building an empire. In just a few years, he had created a massive network of businesses, including casinos, famous cabarets, banks, and dozens of cover companies in various branches of the economy and finance. He even opened Channel 2 of Cuban television, controlled radio stations, and the newspaper El Mundo.
The Barletta family’s criminal pyramid scheme became the stuff of legend. The story of this larger-than-life figure and his remarkable rise to power is a thrilling and captivating tale of cunning, ambition, and audacity.
Meyer Lansky: the Mafia’s Ambassador in Cuba.
The presence of the Mafia in Cuba is a tale of intrigue, ambition, and power. And at the heart of it all was Meyer Lansky, the mastermind of American mafia penetration in Cuba. Lansky’s influence was especially felt in the luxurious Havana hotels, including the Hotel Nacional, the Hotel Capri, and the Hotel Riviera, where he installed and operated some of the most glamorous casinos in the world.
Lansky’s close relationship with Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista was the key to his success. The two men had a symbiotic relationship, with Batista offering Lansky and the Mafia control of the race tracks and casinos. And Lansky, in turn, could help Batista open Havana to high-stakes gambling and earn dollar-for-dollar all hotel investments over US $1 million, including a casino license. It was a match made in heaven, and Lansky wasted no time calling his associates to a summit conference of the Mafia in Havana.
Conference in Havana
The Hotel Nacional in Havana hosted one of the most high-profile gatherings in the American Mafia’s history. It was veritable who’s who of the criminal underworld, with notorious figures such as Joe Adonis, Albert “The Mad Hatter” Anastasia, Santo Trafficante Jr., and Stefano Magaddino in attendance. The event was so exclusive that even Salvatore Lucky Luciano, who had been deported to Italy, managed to make his way to Havana with a fake passport just to be there. The conference was a major moment in the history of organized crime and its location at the luxurious Hotel Nacional only added to the intrigue and glamour of the event.
Lansky’s vision of a new Havana was nothing short of revolutionary. He saw a city that could rival Las Vegas as a gambling and entertainment destination, a city that would be the perfect home for anyone whose job was drug trafficking, prostitution, illegal labor negotiations, and extortion. And he had the perfect entertainment to make it all happen, with the likes of Frank Sinatra providing the soundtrack to the evening’s festivities.
The End of the Cuban Mafia’s Reign in Havana
The Cuban mafia’s grip on Havana started to loosen in the 1950s and 60s as Fidel Castro’s revolution swept through the city. The Cuban mafia, also known as the Havana Mob, had established a significant presence in Havana by the 1940s, controlling gambling, prostitution, drugs, and other illegal activities. However, the arrival of the revolution signaled the end of their reign.
As Castro’s forces gained ground, many of the Cuban mafia bosses fled the city, taking their criminal operations elsewhere. The revolutionary government aggressively cracked down on organized crime, confiscating properties and assets belonging to the mafia. By the mid-1960s, the Cuban government had successfully dismantled much of the mafia’s infrastructure in Havana.
A Curious fact
As a curious fact, the movie “The Godfather II”, filmed in 1974 and directed by Francis Ford Coppola based on Mario Puzo’s book, depicts a historic moment in Cuba. In one scene, set on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 1958, the popular Cuban song “Guantanamera” plays in the background at a luxurious ballroom where Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) confronts his brother Fredo (John Cazale) about his betrayal while attending a business meeting with other members of the mafia in Havana.
Meanwhile, outside, people are celebrating on the streets when Fulgencio Batista, the Cuban dictator, enters the ballroom and announces his resignation due to the serious setbacks of his troops in Guantánamo and Santiago. He names a provisional government and wishes everyone good luck before leaving the city. The wealthy bourgeoisie in attendance hastily flees the ballroom, with some heading to the Club Náutico Marianao to escape on their yachts, and others seeking refuge at the entrance of the US embassy.
The filmmakers did not film the scene in Cuba; instead, they shot it in the “Las Cariátides” hall of the National Palace in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Rafael Leónidas Trujillo, another brutal dictator, commissioned the building in 1947, and Italian architect Guido de Alexandro designed it.
This scene is exceptional as it portrays the real-life event of Batista’s overthrow in Cuba and the triumph of the revolution led by Fidel Castro on January 1, 1959.
Conclusion
The legacy of the Cuban mafia is a fascinating and often overlooked part of the country’s history. From Meyer Lansky to Santo Trafficante Jr., these powerful characters shaped the country’s underworld and left a lasting impact on Cuba. The Cuban mafia exerted significant control over the gambling and entertainment industries in the country, and Havana’s architecture and culture still bear witness to their influence. Despite their absence, the legacy of the Cuban mafia lives on in the country’s history and cultural identity.
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