Havana Nocturne - How the Mob Owned Cuba … and Then Lost It to the Revolution By T.J. English
In 1958, in the waning days of Gen. Fulgencio Batista’s reign over Cuba, Havana gambling magnate Santo Trafficante offered his longtime lawyer, Frank Ragano, a stake in a big casino then in the planning stages. After consulting with his wife, the Tampa attorney asked Trafficante whether he thought the burgeoning rebellion in the countryside was something to worry about.
Trafficante dismissed the idea: “I’m sure Fidel will never amount to anything,” he said. “But even if he does, they’ll never close the casinos. There is so much damned money here for everyone.”
Within months, Trafficante had been proved wrong. Fidel Castro’s revolutionaries had taken over Havana; the casinos had been shuttered - with the Fidelistas running the country from the plush new Havana Hilton, tracking mud across the new carpets - and Trafficante was incarcerated as a Batista collaborator.
In “Havana Nocturne: How the Mob Owned Cuba … and Then Lost It to the Revolution,” author T.J. English tracks the rise and fall of gangsters like Trafficante, Meyer Lansky and Charles “Lucky” Luciano, along with the political fortunes of Batista. A tight storyteller, English provides a juicy mix of true crime and political intrigue, all set against the sexy sizzle of Havana nightlife.
Havana Nocturne - Books Review
Combining extensive research with a poignant narrative, English has crafted a book that is both informative and entertaining. He neatly balances keen historical analysis, biographical detail, and journalistic insight resulting in a compelling work of non-fiction that throbs with the feeling that you are actually in the middle of all that was happening during these exciting years in Cuba.
